Bernstein explains endorsement of Knollenberg ... in pre-election e-mail

Helps me make up my mind. (0.00 / 0)

     Anyone who would endorse a Republican for Congress based on one issue which that congressman's party will ignore, will not get my vote. Seriously, If Berstein thinks that his one pet issue overrides everything else (health care, taxes, education, etc ) then I don't trust his judgement. It's extremely simple : would disabled and special needs Americans be better off with Speaker Pelosi, or a Speaker Boehner? To a rational person, it's not even close.  

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by: MarvToler @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 17:58:18 PM UTC

From where I sit... (0.00 / 0)

Neither party has any particular claim in being better at representing the interests of people with special needs.  In fact, if I were consulting with a campaign running against someone who voted in favor of last year's state budget, I'd suggest they start shopping the story that their opponent supported health care rationing for people with developmental disabilities.  That may sound incredibly harsh, but that's one of the very real world outcomes.

Among the Trees

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by: Eric B. @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 18:52:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

OK, one budget in an extremely lousy year. (0.00 / 0)

    Also, you were talking about a federal legislative race. The Americans for Disabilities act was passed with bi-partisan support, but would it have been voted on if the Senate and House had not been controlled by Democrats? Locally, Engler and the Republicans spent the 1990s trying to dump the cost of special-ed onto the local districts rather than accept the state's responsibility. The current Republicans are only interested in cutting more and more taxes. It's the "starve the beast" strategy. Where are we going to get any funds for special-ed or health care for people with developmental disabilities? If you keep cutting taxes, you have to cut programs. I can't defend last years budget cuts, but they were made worse by the Engler tax cuts and the refusal of Republicans to agree to fund this state's needs. Was Knollenberg willing to raise federal taxes to pay for the things he supported? That's the real test of support. The rest is lip service.    

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by: MarvToler @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 21:12:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Democrats... (4.00 / 1)

Do you realize that Bernstein had to sue Kwame Kilpatrick to force changes to Detroit's metro transit system, and that his lawsuit against U of M over access for people with disabilities was opposed by the Democratic-majority board of trustees?  Also, last year's budget also contained huge cuts for community mental agencies around the state.  More health care rationing for the disadvantaged.  Those budget cuts were likewise passed by a Democratic-controlled House and signed by a Democratic governor.

You can talk about the ADA all you want, but in practice, that's how things work.  Simply electing Democrats doesn't do anything, and it hasn't translated into anything these last two years.  Out in the field, it turns out that some of the loudest opponents on access issues are jackasses ('xcuse me, Democrats).

Again, from where I sit -- and I have seen the impacts of this all first hand -- when it comes to the party in charge, it's basically a push.

Among the Trees

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by: Eric B. @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 21:37:06 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Aw, come on! (4.00 / 4)

We progressives support - or trash - candidates on single issues all the time. Be it abortion, gay marriage, Iraq war, or (don't make me go there) NAFTA. Let's get off this holier-than-thou piece of crap and stop thinking we're superior to every one else.

First of all, Gary Peters is MY Congressman. I've donated to his campaign, helped with his fundraisers, knocked on doors and phone banked to get him into office. So if anyone has a right to speak on this issue, it would be me.

Do I agree with Bernstein on what he did? Absolutely not. Knollenberg is a jerk who desperately needed to lose. But do I get to sit in my high and lofty seat of judging someone who lives with a critical disability without walking two steps in his shoes???

Give me a friggin break.

Nothing is easier than solving a problem on the back of the poor. People who don't have lobbyists or clout.

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by: yvette248 @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 20:52:55 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Good point... (0.00 / 0)

We're talking about a legally blind man endorsing an elected official based on that elected official's service on behalf of people with disabilities.

Seems like maybe a bit of perspective is in order.

Among the Trees

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by: Eric B. @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 00:17:17 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm not being condescending (4.00 / 1)

by expecting Democrats to support each other. However, you are the one playing the pity card.

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by: MarvToler @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 01:46:39 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Pity card? (4.00 / 1)

You take it as the pity card that I affirm the right of a person to endorse for public office a candidate based on whatever reasoning they choose?  And, you don't think it condescending that you think that a blind man who is a member of the Democratic Party ought to first and foremost find reasons to endorse a Democrat even if it requires that he place his own personal experience and set of values second to party loyalty?

Among the Trees

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by: Eric B. @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 01:55:17 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

This explanation is BS (0.00 / 0)

Here's the thing for me, if Bernstein would endorse a candidate of the opposite party over one issue, an issue which that candidate's party wouldn't lift a finger to actually take action on to help people with disabilities, that reasoning carries no weight with me.

Second, Bernstein is not specific how Knollenberg actually fought for legislation that would help people with disabilities.

Third, Joe Knollenberg also had a women's health care event, but after some digging, I found out that Knollenberg's record on women's health care issues, specifically for women with breast cancer, was abysmal.

To me Bernstein's endorsement of Knollenberg shows bad judgment and that's more important to me than his endorsing Knollenberg.

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by: bfealk @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 18:15:48 PM UTC

... (4.00 / 3)

You're free to advocate as you see fit, Bruce, but in his e-mail (link broken, but now fixed), Bernstein was fairly specific on a few of the things Knollenberg did that won his endorsement.

On the other hand, the objective observer might -- knowing that you chased Knollenberg around in a paper mache head, and having gotten his chief of staff fired while following Knollenberg campaigning in a drug store -- suspect that your primary interest wasn't special needs people, but getting Knollenberg thrown out of office.  You were certainly entitled to do that, and I certainly supported you in doing that, but ... just sayin'.

Among the Trees

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by: Eric B. @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 18:46:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

LMBO!!! n/t (0.00 / 0)

Nothing is easier than solving a problem on the back of the poor. People who don't have lobbyists or clout.

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by: yvette248 @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 21:32:30 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I respect this too (4.00 / 1)

Bernstein has a long and pretty unassailable history of supporting Democrats and Democratic causes. That said, Bernstein put his principles ahead of his party here, exactly what we should be looking for in an attorney general (and for a principle he's been very clear about motivating him: helping special needs people). While I don't support Knollenburg, I can  respect his reasons for doing so.

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by: Bootsy @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 18:52:16 PM UTC

An important distinction... (0.00 / 0)

If this were my district, I would have voted for Gary Peters.  But, I agree, I regard this as highly principled.

Among the Trees

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by: Eric B. @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 18:54:05 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Interesting (0.00 / 0)

    So Bernstein put his own interests ahead of the common good and that makes him highly principled. Got it.

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by: MarvToler @ Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 22:17:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

That's some very interesting endorsement criteria you have there... (4.00 / 1)

People are supposed to endorse the person you think they ought to endorse and for reasons you choose, rather than endorsing the person they want to endorse and based on their own reasoning.

I'm not sure I follow, but ... okay.

Among the Trees

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by: Eric B. @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 00:14:28 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

It's simple (0.00 / 0)

    Bernstein can endoorse anyone he pleases for any reason he pleases. However, if he is truly a Democrat, how can he think that Knollenberg would be better for Michigan (and the USA) than a Democrat?  Knollenberg may very well  be good on disability issues, if so, good for him. In his email, Bernstein seems to be saying that this one issue is more important than all the other issues where Dems and Republicans disagree. For that reason, I couldn't vote for him. I'm not trying to pick on the guy, I don't know much about him. But if he wants the support of Democrats then he should be willing to support other Democrats and their issues.          

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by: MarvToler @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 01:01:42 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Litmus tests... (0.00 / 0)

Oh yes, I see.  If the guy with a disability is a real Democrat, he won't endorse the guy he thinks is best for people with disabilities, but the Democrat.

That, sir, is supremely condescending.

Among the Trees

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by: Eric B. @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 01:16:19 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Bernstein Forfeited Any Claim on Democratic Nominations by Supporting Knollenberg (0.00 / 0)

For Bernstein who asked the Democratic party to nominate him as a Democrat to run for the Wayne State Board of Governor's to turn around and publicly advocate for a not particularly enlightened, nor brave or nor distinguished Republican congressman who never stood up to Bush to or the knuckle dragging troglodytes that run the Republican party clearly DISQUALIFIES Bernstein to receive the Democratic AG nomination. Like Andy Dillon, Rick Bernstein has proven himself to be a callaborator and a Quisling and does not deserve renomination to the Wayne State Board of Governor's as a Democrat let alone the AG nomination. The Republicans are already laughing at the "ambulance chaser" ads they will be running if Ricky is the nominee.

I have also heard Ricky speak about being Michigan AG. Ricky is silly, to absurd to embarassing as he talks about how he will do things that the Michigan Attorney General does not have the jurisdiction or authority to do. He wants to do the kind of stuff the NY AG does. Well the NY AG has authority that the Michigan AG does not have. Rule one in applying for a job is to at least understand what the job has the authority to do, not make stuff up and dream about doing things that there is no authority to do.

Ricky and his family are great people who are well intended and who do good. But there is going to be some very tough politics that will be bareknuckle at best. Ricky does not understand what he is getting into and how much damage can be done to him and his family. No doubt there are people and corporations with big bucks drooling at the opportunity to legally spend millions of dollars to inflict all the damage they can on Sam and Ricky Bernstein.  

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by: Elliot @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 00:14:47 AM UTC

So the AG's job isn't to see that the law is enforced? (0.00 / 0)

'Cause the stuff Bernstein says he'd like to do a) involves seeing to it that the laws are enforced, and b) sounds an awful lot like the things that Frank Kelley used to do.

Among the Trees

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by: Eric B. @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 01:18:45 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

That must have been one hell of a phone conversation (0.00 / 0)

B/c it is clearly blinding you to what a terrible AG nominee Ricky would be.  He simply cannot win - no 2 ways about it.  I would rather nominate a candidate that can win rather than the feel good candidate (cough - Amos - cough).  The AG's Office is too important to blunder into the Repubs hands once again.

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by: 48101 Guy @ Fri Feb 12, 2010 at 17:57:28 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Why do you take this as an endorsement? (0.00 / 0)

I've said before that I really don't care who you Democrats nominate for the job, although I find Bernstein's personal story compelling.

On the other hand, I fail to see it as particularly awful that a long-time advocate for people with disabilities would endorse for election a candidate who that person thought did a good job representing people with disabilities.

Among the Trees

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by: Eric B. @ Fri Feb 12, 2010 at 18:05:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

all i know... (4.00 / 1)

is that he'd be a helluva lot better than bishop for the job. as would just about anyone.  

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by: healtHcareforall @ Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 21:21:52 PM UTC