In Spite of Financial Crisis, Levin wants to fund LightHouse Restoration

Michigan's senators want to create a federal
program to help pay for the preservation of historic lighthouses.


U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow have introduced a bill
to let states and nonprofit organizations apply for competitive
grants to restore and maintain lighthouses.


The two Democrats say the pilot program would distribute $20
million a year for three years. Funds would be distributed based on
the percentage of historic lighthouses in each state.

Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state.


The bill was introduced Wednesday and referred to the Senate
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. 
Read more here.

In Spite of Financial Crisis, Levin wants to fund LightHouse Restoration

Michigan's senators want to create a federal
program to help pay for the preservation of historic lighthouses.


U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow have introduced a bill
to let states and nonprofit organizations apply for competitive
grants to restore and maintain lighthouses.


The two Democrats say the pilot program would distribute $20
million a year for three years. Funds would be distributed based on
the percentage of historic lighthouses in each state.

Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state.


The bill was introduced Wednesday and referred to the Senate
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. 
Read more here.

Is Carl Levin Having a Convenient Lapse in Memory?

When asked last week by WJR morning radio host, Paul W. Smith whether there was blame to be laid for this "market meltdown", Carl Levin could not help but place it on President Bush. He said that the "economic policies and deregulatory policies of this administration are the major cause of this economy being where it is at."  Either Mr. Levin is playing on the ignorance of the voters, or he has forgotten what role he himself played in this mess.
 
It All Started With the Community Reinvestment Act  
 
Unless you just returned from a three-month fishing trip in Yellowknife where there are no radios, cell phones or Internet, you certainly know that the financial markets are in difficulty. It seems all these mortgages that so many folks obtained with little or no equity or credit rating, have suddenly crashed around all of us.

The genesis of this collapse is the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) of 1977. This act which was championed by President Carter required lending institutions to offer credit and home ownership opportunities to "underserved populations." This happened as a result of pressure from community organizers and groups like ACORN.

What it ultimately led to was a large number of no-money-down or poor-credit-rating mortgages. These mortgages were only moderately risky as long as housing prices continued to escalate. In 1995 under Bill Clinton, the CRA was liberalized to "generate billions of dollars in new lending and extend basic banking to the inner cities and to distressed rural communities."

Now that the housing market is in full collapse, the chickens are, as they say, coming home to roost. Could this have been foreseen? Could this have been prevented? Of course. If all of us had exercised a little common sense added to a strong dose of personal responsibility, this would not have happened. Short of that, some solid regulation would have helped.

In fact, regulatory reform was proposed in the U.S. Senate in 2005. The bill, S.190 was introduced by Republican Senator Chuck Hagel and co-sponsored by Sens. Dole (R),  Sununu (R), and McCain (R). It would have put some good controls in place to largely prevent the meltdown that is occurring today. The bill was supported by four Republicans and no Democrats. Where was Senator Levin on this? I cannot find any evidence of his support for the bill and, in fact, it was Democrats that effectively killed the bill out of committee.

President Bush had proposed a significant regulatory overhaul of the housing finance industry in 2003. It even included reducing the power of the administration. The New York Times reported on it. Democrats opposed it. Again, Carl Levin does not appear to have supported it. Congressman Barney Frank (D), said it was unnecessary. It never saw the light of day.

Going back a little further, a bill was introduced in 1999, S.900, which would have put some controls in place and, in effect, "weaken" the Community Reinvestment Act. Carl Levin opposed it saying this, "I oppose the provisions weakening the CRA included in S.900, a bill intended to modernize the financial sector of our economy."

It certainly looks like Carl Levin and his Democrat (and some Republican) colleagues passed on numerous opportunities to address the crisis that was rising on the horizon as far back as 1994. Legislation was offered to reign in the problem. Senator Levin is certainly motivated to find answers now, but where was he in 1994, 1999, 2003, and 2005? It's no wonder that in his interview with Paul W. Smith, he mentioned that we should not look back, but rather, look forward. 

Not Everyone in Michigan is Suffering

We received the following letter, and thought you'd find it interesting.

Jack,

Big supporter - can't wait to see some debates.  I thought I would pass this thought along to you.

When Levin took office, Michigan was a boom state as was the whole Midwest. Since he has been supposedly taking care of us, we have seen the area from Gary, Indiana to the eastern side of Pennsylvania become known as the Rust Belt. In the same time period, I employed 11 people and had an average salary over that time period of $80,000. I now have a total of $18,000 reserve cash, about $100,000 in IRA, and have business and mortgage debt of around $900,000.

Now, Mr. Levin has wealth beyond my dreams, no debt that I know of, has a retirement fund in the millions, more cash than I have ever seen in one place, [and] lives in an incredible home in a fancy upper class neighborhood. All this and his average income over the same period is less than mine.
 
How can a supposed public servant do so drastically much better then I, a small business owner, who has had his financial security on the line the whole time? I stuck my neck out there to actually create jobs and to try and secure financial security for my family. I have to match all of my employees' Social Security, effectively making me pay 11 times the amount of a non-business owner. And, the feds have spent it.

I or my family will never see even a fraction of the money I have put into Social Security. I would have been better off putting it into a savings account. My business property pays $25,000 a year in property taxes. (I have yet to make anywhere near this on my property investment -- value down, rent income flat or not able to rent space etc). The government makes the money off of my investment.

I tell you it is all wrong, and the list goes on. I read that the state of Michigan owes the feds for unemployment money and that we business owners may be hit with their penalty charges, and the list goes on. I would love to be able to ask Levin questions in a public format.

I beg you for us out here, don't give him an inch. Call him on everything. We need some real support for us and our state in DC.

Thanks for being there.

[Name Withheld]

Not Everyone in Michigan is Suffering

We received the following letter, and thought you'd find it interesting.

Jack,

Big supporter - can't wait to see some debates.  I thought I would pass this thought along to you.

When Levin took office, Michigan was a boom state as was the whole Midwest. Since he has been supposedly taking care of us, we have seen the area from Gary, Indiana to the eastern side of Pennsylvania become known as the Rust Belt. In the same time period, I employed 11 people and had an average salary over that time period of $80,000. I now have a total of $18,000 reserve cash, about $100,000 in IRA, and have business and mortgage debt of around $900,000.

Now, Mr. Levin has wealth beyond my dreams, no debt that I know of, has a retirement fund in the millions, more cash than I have ever seen in one place, [and] lives in an incredible home in a fancy upper class neighborhood. All this and his average income over the same period is less than mine.
 
How can a supposed public servant do so drastically much better then I, a small business owner, who has had his financial security on the line the whole time? I stuck my neck out there to actually create jobs and to try and secure financial security for my family. I have to match all of my employees' Social Security, effectively making me pay 11 times the amount of a non-business owner. And, the feds have spent it.

I or my family will never see even a fraction of the money I have put into Social Security. I would have been better off putting it into a savings account. My business property pays $25,000 a year in property taxes. (I have yet to make anywhere near this on my property investment -- value down, rent income flat or not able to rent space etc). The government makes the money off of my investment.

I tell you it is all wrong, and the list goes on. I read that the state of Michigan owes the feds for unemployment money and that we business owners may be hit with their penalty charges, and the list goes on. I would love to be able to ask Levin questions in a public format.

I beg you for us out here, don't give him an inch. Call him on everything. We need some real support for us and our state in DC.

Thanks for being there.

[Name Withheld]

Levin outsmarted by blogger

Here is a great blog that explains how Carl Levin is demagogue-ing and
misleading the public on corporate taxes...

Leah writes,

"As a journalism major, I'm always interested in stories that have to do
with journalists, their education, and their schools. Where is the
major going? And what do experts have to say about it?

I recently read a blog that brought a large error to my attention. In the New York Times, there was an article about corporations not paying taxes.
Go follow the link and head to the bottom of the page. You'll find a
correction there - apparently their journalists (or editors, for this
case) didn't know the difference between revenue and profit."

Read Leah's entire post here.

Levin outsmarted by blogger

Here is a great blog that explains how Carl Levin is demagogue-ing and
misleading the public on corporate taxes...

Leah writes,

"As a journalism major, I'm always interested in stories that have to do
with journalists, their education, and their schools. Where is the
major going? And what do experts have to say about it?

I recently read a blog that brought a large error to my attention. In the New York Times, there was an article about corporations not paying taxes.
Go follow the link and head to the bottom of the page. You'll find a
correction there - apparently their journalists (or editors, for this
case) didn't know the difference between revenue and profit."

Read Leah's entire post here.

I Guess this Question is Above Carl Levin’s Pay Grade, Too.

Carl Levin is a learned man, a lawyer, I believe. He has been serving in the US Senate since 1978. And, yet, he cannot figure out when life begins. In a recent letter to a constituent, his response to the question of overturning Roe V. Wade was as follows:

“Until there is a greater consensus among medical, scientific, and religious leaders about when life begins, I am unwilling to support legislation which would overturn the Roe v. Wade decision and weaken a woman’s right to make an individual decision on abortion.”

Either Senator Levin is the biggest coward since Barack Obama, or he can’t accept good scientific evidence. Or perhaps the good Senator is so deep in the pockets of the pro-abortion lobby that he has chosen to ignore information that is as plain as the spectacles on his nose.

I guess if you really think about it, Mr. Levin is pretty clever. He didn’t say, “until there is compelling evidence” because the evidence is very compelling. What he said was, “until there is greater consensus.” So, apparently Mr. Levin’s courage goes about as far as the door to his office. I can only assume that he will continue to support the legal right of a doctor to slaughter the innocents until 100% of all doctors, scientists, and clergy agree that life begins at conception.

Levin doesn’t care about truth; he only cares about opinion. Is this the kind of principled, courageous leadership you want from your US Senator?

I Guess this Question is Above Carl Levin’s Pay Grade, Too.

Carl Levin is a learned man, a lawyer, I believe. He has been serving in the US Senate since 1978. And, yet, he cannot figure out when life begins. In a recent letter to a constituent, his response to the question of overturning Roe V. Wade was as follows:

“Until there is a greater consensus among medical, scientific, and religious leaders about when life begins, I am unwilling to support legislation which would overturn the Roe v. Wade decision and weaken a woman’s right to make an individual decision on abortion.”

Either Senator Levin is the biggest coward since Barack Obama, or he can’t accept good scientific evidence. Or perhaps the good Senator is so deep in the pockets of the pro-abortion lobby that he has chosen to ignore information that is as plain as the spectacles on his nose.

I guess if you really think about it, Mr. Levin is pretty clever. He didn’t say, “until there is compelling evidence” because the evidence is very compelling. What he said was, “until there is greater consensus.” So, apparently Mr. Levin’s courage goes about as far as the door to his office. I can only assume that he will continue to support the legal right of a doctor to slaughter the innocents until 100% of all doctors, scientists, and clergy agree that life begins at conception.

Levin doesn’t care about truth; he only cares about opinion. Is this the kind of principled, courageous leadership you want from your US Senator?

Levin's True Colors

By Matthew May

Most readers are no doubt familiar with Carl Levin. He has been seen in action recently attempting to undermine Gen. David Petraeus, putting him in line with the vile MoveOn.org. Sen. Levin voted against confirming Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme Court. He voted for $51.9 million worth of funding toward something called "21st Century Community Learning Centers." He rates an astonishing 0 percent from the National Right to Life Committee and rarely meets an expansion of federal money to public schools he does not like – yet he voted against letting parents of schoolchildren in the District of Columbia utilize vouchers (1997). The list goes on forever because Sen. Levin has been in Washington forever. He is a living, breathing argument for term limits.

• He criticized General Petraeus
  


• He voted against Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court
  


• He voted for $51.9 million for a "21st Century Learning Center"
  


• He rates a 0% with Right to Life
  


• He voted against giving parents free choice in public education in Washington DC
  


• read more here...

Levin's True Colors

By Matthew May

Most readers are no doubt familiar with Carl Levin. He has been seen in action recently attempting to undermine Gen. David Petraeus, putting him in line with the vile MoveOn.org. Sen. Levin voted against confirming Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme Court. He voted for $51.9 million worth of funding toward something called "21st Century Community Learning Centers." He rates an astonishing 0 percent from the National Right to Life Committee and rarely meets an expansion of federal money to public schools he does not like – yet he voted against letting parents of schoolchildren in the District of Columbia utilize vouchers (1997). The list goes on forever because Sen. Levin has been in Washington forever. He is a living, breathing argument for term limits.

• He criticized General Petraeus
  


• He voted against Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court
  


• He voted for $51.9 million for a "21st Century Learning Center"
  


• He rates a 0% with Right to Life
  


• He voted against giving parents free choice in public education in Washington DC
  


• read more here...

Real Change in Michigan – and Washington

by Matt May

Translated from the Latin, the official motto of the state of Michigan declares that "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you." A fitting motto for the state of Michigan might be "If you seek the yield of leftist governance, look about you.

"Hoogendyk can quicken the pace of the sort of self-reliant change
envisioned by the Founders – the change McCain-Palin pledge to bring."

Last week was a perfect storm of the wreckage Democrats have wrought on the state and its largest, once-bejeweled city. Our ineffectual Governor Jennifer Granholm convened a hearing to determine if Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick should be ousted from office, the hearing coming at the request of the city council.

Before its conclusion, Kilpatrick took a plea deal that requires him – among other punishments - to surrender his office, spend three months in jail, and refrain from running for any public office for five years. Defiant as ever, Kilpatrick bid a temporary farewell to the city by vowing to reappear as he invoked the stirring eloquence of Lincoln or Webster: "Y'all done set me up for a comeback." He wasn't kidding. Kilpatrick's mother is the caustic Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick, head of the Congressional Black Caucus. Do not be surprised if she manages to hold on to her seat and retire when her son is allowed to run for office again, and do not be surprised if the dismal voters of that district aid and abet anointing another Kilpatrick to "serve."

While the mayor resigns on his way to the cooler, and the wife of Rep. John Conyers (the notorious head of the House Judiciary Committee) calls the incoming mayor "Shrek" during City Council assemblies and harasses hotel employees during the DNC convention, high taxes are driving those who can afford it and are lucky enough to sell their house out of the state for good. The major American auto manufacturers continue their dance of mutually assured destruction with unions who seem to grow more strident and demanding the more their products are rejected. The public schools turn out functional illiterates unprepared for the next grade level, let alone college – yet their teachers demand higher salaries and more benefits.

Unfortunately the institutional rot foisted upon the state by the Democratic Party and its many enablers is not confined to the borders. This is most evident in the presence of Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow representing Michigan in the United States Senate. Sen. Levin stands for re-election again this November. Should he win, he will begin his 30th year in the Senate. Thirty years. Thankfully someone is standing in his way. His name is Jack Hoogendyk. He is a first generation American and a member of the state legislature. He is the diametric opposite of Sen. Levin.

Most readers are no doubt familiar with Carl Levin. He has been seen in action recently attempting to undermine Gen. David Petraeus, putting him in line with the vile MoveOn.org. Sen. Levin voted against confirming Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme Court. He voted for $51 million worth of funding toward something called "21st Century Community Learning Centers." He rates an astonishing 0 percent from the National Right to Life Committee and rarely meets an expansion of federal money to public schools he does not like – yet he voted against letting parents of schoolchildren in the District of Columbia utilize vouchers (1997). The list goes on forever because Sen. Levin has been in Washington forever. He is a living, breathing argument for term limits.

It is one thing to vote against someone, especially someone as grimly addicted to power and its privileges as Sen. Levin. But voters – everyone – enjoy being for something more so than against. Those of us who believe in limited government and the freedom of the people have a champion in Hoogendyk, who is a conservative and legislates as one. He has a perfect record on anti-abortion legislation and upholds the sanctity of the 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution. He is highly unlikely to strike deals among various "gangs" within the Senate that end up protecting the interest of incumbent senators rather than the interests of their states or the union. Do not look for a Senator Hoogendyk buying into the witch hunt mentality Democrats like Levin have employed in defaming indispensable Americans like Petraeus, Robert Bork, Clarence Thomas, and Justice Alito – even if a Democratic president is doing the nominating. Hoogendyk understands and respects the Constitution and the limits that the term "advice and consent" have as outlined in The Federalist Papers.

Hoogendyk can quicken the pace of the sort of self-reliant change envisioned by the Founders – the change McCain-Palin pledge to bring. It is indeed vital that Barack Obama be denied the keys to the White House. Yet little will change if people like Carl Levin are permitted to continue to obstruct, harangue, and impede while expanding the reach of federal power. Real political change is brought about not by one or two individuals, but by a movement of individuals committed to fundamental principals of republican governance. Hoogendyk is one such individual. He deserves the support of not only Michigan conservatives, but conservatives everywhere. Hoogendyk is not Democrat-lite, which means Democrat. He is not Lindsey Graham.

Sen. Obama is correct – though not in the way he means – when on the campaign trail he huffs "Enough is enough." Indeed. Conservatives fed up with squeamish Republicans in Congress have an opportunity to back a real conservative who understands that we live in a democratic republic, not a direct democracy wherein every single need of the people must be promptly addressed by the federal government. Jack Hoogendyk stands for conservative principles and should be supported in his bid to unseat the symbol of entrenched power, Carl Levin.
 
If Michiganders fail again to vote for real change, we have only ourselves to blame.

Matthew May welcomes comments at matthewtmay@yahoo.com

Real Change in Michigan – and Washington

by Matt May

Translated from the Latin, the official motto of the state of Michigan declares that "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you." A fitting motto for the state of Michigan might be "If you seek the yield of leftist governance, look about you.

"Hoogendyk can quicken the pace of the sort of self-reliant change
envisioned by the Founders – the change McCain-Palin pledge to bring."

Last week was a perfect storm of the wreckage Democrats have wrought on the state and its largest, once-bejeweled city. Our ineffectual Governor Jennifer Granholm convened a hearing to determine if Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick should be ousted from office, the hearing coming at the request of the city council.

Before its conclusion, Kilpatrick took a plea deal that requires him – among other punishments - to surrender his office, spend three months in jail, and refrain from running for any public office for five years. Defiant as ever, Kilpatrick bid a temporary farewell to the city by vowing to reappear as he invoked the stirring eloquence of Lincoln or Webster: "Y'all done set me up for a comeback." He wasn't kidding. Kilpatrick's mother is the caustic Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick, head of the Congressional Black Caucus. Do not be surprised if she manages to hold on to her seat and retire when her son is allowed to run for office again, and do not be surprised if the dismal voters of that district aid and abet anointing another Kilpatrick to "serve."

While the mayor resigns on his way to the cooler, and the wife of Rep. John Conyers (the notorious head of the House Judiciary Committee) calls the incoming mayor "Shrek" during City Council assemblies and harasses hotel employees during the DNC convention, high taxes are driving those who can afford it and are lucky enough to sell their house out of the state for good. The major American auto manufacturers continue their dance of mutually assured destruction with unions who seem to grow more strident and demanding the more their products are rejected. The public schools turn out functional illiterates unprepared for the next grade level, let alone college – yet their teachers demand higher salaries and more benefits.

Unfortunately the institutional rot foisted upon the state by the Democratic Party and its many enablers is not confined to the borders. This is most evident in the presence of Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow representing Michigan in the United States Senate. Sen. Levin stands for re-election again this November. Should he win, he will begin his 30th year in the Senate. Thirty years. Thankfully someone is standing in his way. His name is Jack Hoogendyk. He is a first generation American and a member of the state legislature. He is the diametric opposite of Sen. Levin.

Most readers are no doubt familiar with Carl Levin. He has been seen in action recently attempting to undermine Gen. David Petraeus, putting him in line with the vile MoveOn.org. Sen. Levin voted against confirming Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme Court. He voted for $51 million worth of funding toward something called "21st Century Community Learning Centers." He rates an astonishing 0 percent from the National Right to Life Committee and rarely meets an expansion of federal money to public schools he does not like – yet he voted against letting parents of schoolchildren in the District of Columbia utilize vouchers (1997). The list goes on forever because Sen. Levin has been in Washington forever. He is a living, breathing argument for term limits.

It is one thing to vote against someone, especially someone as grimly addicted to power and its privileges as Sen. Levin. But voters – everyone – enjoy being for something more so than against. Those of us who believe in limited government and the freedom of the people have a champion in Hoogendyk, who is a conservative and legislates as one. He has a perfect record on anti-abortion legislation and upholds the sanctity of the 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution. He is highly unlikely to strike deals among various "gangs" within the Senate that end up protecting the interest of incumbent senators rather than the interests of their states or the union. Do not look for a Senator Hoogendyk buying into the witch hunt mentality Democrats like Levin have employed in defaming indispensable Americans like Petraeus, Robert Bork, Clarence Thomas, and Justice Alito – even if a Democratic president is doing the nominating. Hoogendyk understands and respects the Constitution and the limits that the term "advice and consent" have as outlined in The Federalist Papers.

Hoogendyk can quicken the pace of the sort of self-reliant change envisioned by the Founders – the change McCain-Palin pledge to bring. It is indeed vital that Barack Obama be denied the keys to the White House. Yet little will change if people like Carl Levin are permitted to continue to obstruct, harangue, and impede while expanding the reach of federal power. Real political change is brought about not by one or two individuals, but by a movement of individuals committed to fundamental principals of republican governance. Hoogendyk is one such individual. He deserves the support of not only Michigan conservatives, but conservatives everywhere. Hoogendyk is not Democrat-lite, which means Democrat. He is not Lindsey Graham.

Sen. Obama is correct – though not in the way he means – when on the campaign trail he huffs "Enough is enough." Indeed. Conservatives fed up with squeamish Republicans in Congress have an opportunity to back a real conservative who understands that we live in a democratic republic, not a direct democracy wherein every single need of the people must be promptly addressed by the federal government. Jack Hoogendyk stands for conservative principles and should be supported in his bid to unseat the symbol of entrenched power, Carl Levin.
 
If Michiganders fail again to vote for real change, we have only ourselves to blame.

Matthew May welcomes comments at matthewtmay@yahoo.com

You Do Remember Woodstock, Don't You?

You Do Remember Woodstock, Don't You?

Senator Levin: Looking for Favors?

Thanks to Taxpayers for Common sense and blogger Andrew Moylan for calling attention to some of Carl Levin's questionable earmarks on the Defense Authorization Bill. Read it here.

What Senator Levin did was stuff over $198 million in earmarks into the bill, including two for General Motors Corporation worth $10 million. These earmarks are for military technology research.

This leads me to several questions: if these are are essential military expenditures, why were they not part of the original Defense Bill in the first place? As Chair of Senate Armed Services, isn't Carl Levin capable of figuring out how to appropriate for essential military needs in the bill? Is he trying to hide something?

And, one final question: does that fact that Carl Levin has received over $29,000 in campaign contributions from General Motors already this election cycle have anything to do with it?

Don't get me wrong. I would love to see General Motors get more defense contracting business.  Everyone knows in this state that we have lost thousands of defense contracting jobs in the last thirty years. My concern is with the methodology.

I would be happy to hear Mr. Levin's explanation...

Senator Levin: Looking for Favors?

Thanks to Taxpayers for Common sense and blogger Andrew Moylan for calling attention to some of Carl Levin's questionable earmarks on the Defense Authorization Bill. Read it here.

What Senator Levin did was stuff over $198 million in earmarks into the bill, including two for General Motors Corporation worth $10 million. These earmarks are for military technology research.

This leads me to several questions: if these are are essential military expenditures, why were they not part of the original Defense Bill in the first place? As Chair of Senate Armed Services, isn't Carl Levin capable of figuring out how to appropriate for essential military needs in the bill? Is he trying to hide something?

And, one final question: does that fact that Carl Levin has received over $29,000 in campaign contributions from General Motors already this election cycle have anything to do with it?

Don't get me wrong. I would love to see General Motors get more defense contracting business.  Everyone knows in this state that we have lost thousands of defense contracting jobs in the last thirty years. My concern is with the methodology.

I would be happy to hear Mr. Levin's explanation...

Levin takes risky (non)action

Levin takes risky (non)action

September 11, 2001

Let us...

...never forget that there are those who seek to destroy us and our way of life.

...always remember our troops who gave the full measure to protect our freedom and liberty, and our first responders who step in harm's way to bring us to safety.

...ever be thankful for the blessings we have as Americans.

...continue to pray for our leaders who make decisions every day that keep us free and safe.

May God bless the United States of America.

September 11, 2001

Let us...

...never forget that there are those who seek to destroy us and our way of life.

...always remember our troops who gave the full measure to protect our freedom and liberty, and our first responders who step in harm's way to bring us to safety.

...ever be thankful for the blessings we have as Americans.

...continue to pray for our leaders who make decisions every day that keep us free and safe.

May God bless the United States of America.

Jack at McCain | Palin Rally

Jack at the McCain/Palin Rally in Sterling Heights, MI on Friday Sept. 5th. standing next to Jack is Congressman Joe Knollenberg.

Jack at the McCain/Palin Rally in Sterling Heights, MI on Friday Sept. 5th. standing next to Jack is Congressman Joe Knollenberg.

Jack at McCain | Palin Rally

Jack at the McCain/Palin Rally in Sterling Heights, MI on Friday Sept. 5th. standing next to Jack is Congressman Joe Knollenberg.

Jack at the McCain/Palin Rally in Sterling Heights, MI on Friday Sept. 5th. standing next to Jack is Congressman Joe Knollenberg.

The Bounce - Convention bounce bodes well for Jack

(L-R) US Senator Orrin Hatch, Jack, US Senator John Ensign, Los Angeles County Commissioner Howard Winkler, & Lee Greenwood.

There's no doubt the post-Convention polls reflect that Americans like straight-talk, positive reform, and candidates to whom they can relate.  Polls out today show McCain | Palin up by as much as 10 points.  Jack's post convention appearance with the Presidential ticket reflects greater party unity, a commitment to Michigan, and belief that we can win!

The Bounce - Convention bounce bodes well for Jack

(L-R) US Senator Orrin Hatch, Jack, US Senator John Ensign, Los Angeles County Commissioner Howard Winkler, & Lee Greenwood.

There's no doubt the post-Convention polls reflect that Americans like straight-talk, positive reform, and candidates to whom they can relate.  Polls out today show McCain | Palin up by as much as 10 points.  Jack's post convention appearance with the Presidential ticket reflects greater party unity, a commitment to Michigan, and belief that we can win!

Thompson speaks. Crowd awaits Palin.

It was great to hear Senator Thompson tell the full story of John McCain's sacrifices in Vietnam and how he faced down the enemy and would not break. The crowd was really charged up. Everyone is excited about seeing Sarah Palin tonight. She is a real "rock star" in this race.

To the left, Jack signs in at the Michigan delegation on the floor of the convention.

Thompson speaks. Crowd awaits Palin.

It was great to hear Senator Thompson tell the full story of John McCain's sacrifices in Vietnam and how he faced down the enemy and would not break. The crowd was really charged up. Everyone is excited about seeing Sarah Palin tonight. She is a real "rock star" in this race.

To the left, Jack signs in at the Michigan delegation on the floor of the convention.

Jack and wife swept up among RNC protestors

It is a shame that some groups want to insist that they have an opportunity to be heard, but at the same time, they will go to any means necessary to deny us the opportunity to peacefully assemble and choose our candidate for President.

Read the original account from the Minneapolis' reporter

View Video and Read WZZM Channel 13's account

Jack and wife swept up among RNC protestors

It is a shame that some groups want to insist that they have an opportunity to be heard, but at the same time, they will go to any means necessary to deny us the opportunity to peacefully assemble and choose our candidate for President.

Read the original account from the Minneapolis' reporter

View Video and Read WZZM Channel 13's account

Hoogendyk Calls for Blood Drive at Republican Convention

To find your nearest Michigan Red Cross and donate blood, click here

For Immediate Release
Contact:
Danae Brack
517-444-1181
Hoogendyk for Senate

Michigan Delegates Pledge to Give Blood for Hurricane Victims  

Minneapolis, MN - Michigan State Representative Jack Hoogendyk announced that the Michigan delegation to the Republican National Convention would be participating in a blood drive on Tuesday, which he initiated to provide relief for potential victims of Hurricane Gustav. Hoogendyk, the Republican Party's candidate to unseat US Senator Carl Levin, made the announcement at the Michigan delegation's breakfast and then circulated the room with a clipboard collecting pledges for blood donations.

The local Red Cross has named the effort the "Michigan Republican Party Gulf Relief Blood Drive."

The Red Cross plans to send a blood drive bus to the Northland Inn, where the Michigan delegation is staying. Hoogendyk is calling for blood donations from residents across the state of Michigan, as well as from other delegates to the Convention.
 
"Everyone here in Minnesota at the Convention is watching the events in the Gulf closely. We see it as an opportunity to mobilize Republicans from all around the country to help their fellow citizens who are suffering from the effects of Hurricane Gustav," says Hoogendyk.  "We're all going to roll up our sleeves and give blood to send to those in need in the Gulf Coast area."
 
The blood drive will be taking place at the Northland Inn Hotel on Tuesday, September 2 from 10 am to 4 pm. A large turnout is expected.

 
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