Thursday, July 26, 2007

MDP Hits Walberg on Flip-Flop



The Michigan Democratic Party and Chairman Mark Brewer are hitting Congressman Walberg hard on his apparent flip-flop on the Transportation bill and funding for the Battle Creek airport.

Brewer:
“It looks like Walberg was for the airport funding before he was against it. I don’t know what’s more alarming the fact that Walberg would side with President Bush over what was best for his constituents or the fact that he lied about it,” Brewer said. “In Walberg’s short time in office he has compared Iraq to Detroit, advocated for oil drilling in the Great Lakes and lied to his constituent about supporting a local airport funding bill that he voted against.”
Check out the front page of the MDP website for an old photo of Tim Walberg... with a mustache!

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Comments:
Great work, Fitzy! I'm sure the good folks of the 7th District just love your stuff!
 
Speaking of moustache, someone by the screen name of Union Labor posted this not long ago in Michigan Liberal. Maybe it's been posted in Walberg Watch already. I especially love the biker names:
http://www.atch.com/abate/members/walberg.html
 
From today's Enquirer:

EDITORIAL
Walberg should be clear when standing on principle

The U.S. House of Representatives' approval this week of an appropriations bill that includes $500,000 for a new runway at W.K. Kellogg Airport is a major step forward for the Battle Creek area. We totally agree with U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg when he said in a news release Wednesday that funding for the airport "is important to the development and future of Calhoun County."

The release, headlined "Walberg secures House approval of funding for W.K. Kellogg Airport," notes Battle Creek Unlimited officials' gratitude for Walberg's efforts in getting the funding, which still must be approved by the Senate.

What the release fails to mention, however, is the fact that Walberg voted against the appropriations bill.

Turns out Walberg was among about 150 Republican House members who signed a letter in May promising to uphold any of President Bush's vetoes of Democratic-drafted spending bills. The president this week threatened to veto the appropriations bill containing the Kellogg Airport funding because he believes it is too costly.

So Walberg voted against the bill, although his spokesman said the congressman still supports the airport funding.

Although we might not agree with him, we can understand Walberg opposing what he thinks is excessive federal spending. But if he wants to take a principled stand on an issue, he should clearly state what he is doing and why.

Instead, Walberg's office issued a statement clearly intended to give Battle Creek area folks the impression that he played a major role in passing legislation that he instead voted to defeat.

Such doublespeak is all too common in politics and is one reason that public approval ratings both for the president and Congress are near all-time lows. It is the height of cynicism for politicians to think they can voice public support for issues and then turn around and vote in opposition. In this age of the Internet and media saturation, it also is foolhardy to think that people won't discover the contradiction.

Voters are tired of politicians' fast talk. Transparency in government means that our officials must be open and clear about their actions.

When elected leaders explain and clarify their stands on issue, they gain respect, even from those who may disagree with them. But when they try to deceive, they earn scorn and disdain.

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070727/OPINION01/707270309/1014/OPINION
 
Every newspaper in the district should run this editorial.

As confusing as Walberg's steps were on this bill, I believe it is a sign of things to come. He is protecting the President at a cost to this district. The Enquirer did a great job of sorting out the confusion and really getting at the issue.

Double-talk is a euphemism for a lie. The sooner the main stream media calls him a flat-out liar, the happier I would be.

Walberg is a trained orator. He knows exactly what he is doing and he believed he would get away with it. Maybe he is just not accustomed to dealing with enlightened people from "up north" and all their pesky questions.
 
Fitzy, maybe this might be good fodder for a Friday post, get everyone's emotions cooled off about our race and just look at something a bit different, but still with an impact on Walberg.

This blogger, Joe Sylvester has been a hard-line, ultra-conservative supporter of Tim Walberg and relished in the defeat of Joe Schwarz. He runs a blog which is very popular with the youth movement in the republican party, evident by all the posts on his site.

The interesting thing is the level of maturity, and total lack of respect he and his posters regularly have on issues. Anyway, remember Walberg's buddy on the immigration bill, Rep. Ellison from Minnessota? Check out the nasty slurs they use against him here:

http://bconservatives.blogspot.com/2007/07/congressman-ellison-is-douche.html

This is the face of the GOP and I'd like to slap the smirk off their faces, ASAP (or Nov. 2008.)
 
Did anyone see a press release that Walberg is asking Bush for "leadership" on protecting the Great Lakes??

WTF??? I am going to climb up on my roof and start yelling this afternoon...

Texas is a cesspool of pollution right now, thanks to Bush policies. Walberg, a proponent of drilling for oil in the Great Lakes, is now asking oil-tycoon Bush for help???

I thought the recall idea was silly, but now I am considering helping...
 
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