As one of the few former Fortune 500 business executives in Congress, Congressman Pete Hoekstra brings a unique blend of experience and perspective as he represents Michigan?s Second Congressional District in Washington.
Pete was originally sworn in to the 103rd Congress in 1993. He then served a key role in the development of the Contract with America, which was instrumental in gaining a Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years.
In August 2004, Pete was named Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where he has served since former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert first appointed him in 2001. In this role, he had led Congressional oversight on issues relating to the U.S. Intelligence Community as the United States defends itself in the war against radical Islam. Countries listed on Pete?s passport include Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba, Syria, Israel, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Ukraine, Kuwait, Turkey, Jordan and Libya.
Pete served as chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations in the 104th, 105th and 106th sessions of Congress and authored a variety of studies and reports, including Education at a Crossroads, Crossroads 2000 and the American Worker Project. The subcommittee also performed many investigations, including those into the financial failures at the Department of Education, the corrupted 1996 Teamsters election, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Corporation for National Service (AmeriCorps).
Pete is a member of several task forces and caucuses, including the Historically Black College and Universities Task Force, Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, the Bipartisan Congressional Bike Caucus, the Congressional Manufacturing Caucus, and he is the founding chairman of the Education Freedom Caucus.
Pete has been featured in a variety of media, including appearances on "Meet the Press" with Tim Russert, "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos, "Fox Sunday" with Chris Wallace, CNN's "Late Edition," C-SPAN?s "Washington Journal," CBS Evening News, NBC?s "Dateline," PBS?s "News Hour," ABC?s "Nightline" and Fox News Channel?s "The O?Reilly Factor," "Fox & Friends" and "Hannity & Colmes."
He also has written pieces published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press, among many others.
For his work in Congress, Pete has received numerous awards, including repeatedly earning the U.S. Chamber of Commerce "Spirit of Enterprise" award, the "Hero of the Taxpayer" award from Americans for Tax Reform, the "Taxpayer Superhero" Award from the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, "Public Official of the Year" Award from Habitat for Humanity of Michigan, and the "Faith, Family and Freedom" and "True Blue" awards from the Family Research Council. He has also been recognized by the National Association of Manufacturers.
Pete is a graduate of Holland Christian Schools, holds a bachelor?s degree in political science from Hope College in Holland and holds a master?s of Business Administration from the University of Michigan.
Prior to his election to Congress, he worked for 15 years at Zeeland, Mich.-based office furniture manufacturer Herman Miller Inc., where he held the title of Vice President of Marketing.
Pete lives in Holland, Michigan, with his wife, Diane, and has three children, Erin, Allison and Bryan.
He was born on Oct. 30, 1953, in Groningen, the Netherlands, and immigrated to Michigan with his family at the age of 3, making him one of the few members of Congress who was not born in the United States.
(Hoekstra House
web site).
FINALLY there is a candidate for congress in Michigan's 2nd Congressional District that represents me, and that candidate is Fred Johnson.
I recently had a chance to hear Fred Johnson speak and ask him questions. I am what is becoming the "typical scenario" here in West Michigan. I have a job, but my pay doesn't cover the bills and I don't have health care. I want to finish my schooling, but I fall in the middle of the financial aid income bracket. I qualify for enough aid to pay for half of ONE class and I can't afford to have the debt of student loans with the debt I already have.
It seems like most every candidate in the past for this position has ignored people like me. I'm not asking for handouts; I just want someone to listen and understand.
What I learned is that Fred Johnson's life is not that different from my own. When I told him about my issues, he told me how he got to where he is today; a professor at Hope College. Fred struggled like a lot of us are now. He worked low paying jobs for awhile to put himself through college. There was a time when he faced homelessness. Even though he was struggling and his friends couldn't understand why, he decided to serve our country as a United States Marine because he felt it was the correct thing for him to do. As a current educator, he sees students struggling to afford school and watches as government continues to make cuts to our public education system.
The bottom line is that Fred Johnson has lived our lives, and sees our struggles everyday. Isn't it time we have someone in Congress that really represents us instead of someone who only represents a small percentage of our area? I will be voting for Fred Johnson for Congress and a better Michigan on November 2nd.
There were 44,000 first-time voters in the 2nd CD in 2008. And all of them must be wondering now if there are candidates from both parties running in November. A glance at the primary coverage from the papers and tv over the past 10 days would show them: a lovely photo of Bill Huizenga's family on the front page of the Holland Sentinel and an hour-by-hour accounting of his day of "triumph." You'd have thought he was elected to something -- like maybe President of the United States -- instead of nominated.
There was similar, but less dramatic coverage from the rest. Those first-time voters would have to look hard -- below the fold, past the jump, no photo, no bold type -- to see that Fred Johnson won the Democratic nomination. Sure it's an uphill struggle for a Democrat on the Lakeshore,
Fred Johnson has the best chance in DECADES of turning over the 2nd CD to the Democrats. With no incumbent, Dr. Johnson's impressive run against Pete Hoekstra in 2008 makes it clear he's poised to take a lot more votes this time. He's got the name recognition to build on from last time, too, of course. And there are definite signs this district is a lot bluer than it has been. Barack Obama came within 2000 votes of taking it in '08 and the new voters and volunteers signed up by that campaign are still there. Plus Dr. Johnson is a veteran of the US Marine Corps and teaches US history at Hope College. There's no one better prepared to put those Constitution-waving Teabaggers in their place.
Learn more about him.
Fred will be live blogging on the Crooks and Liars site from 2 to 3 tomorrow, Saturday, July 10. Check him out. And the kicker -- all the money raised tomorrow will be used to advertise on Michigan blogs.
Take a look at the map of Michigan located here, courtesy of the New York Times. Click on Michigan to get a county by county Obama vs. McCain listing. Notice anything interesting?
Aside from the fact that the map unintentionally makes all of Wisconsin look like everyone solidly voted for Obama, notice the large swatch of blue running down the right side of the state. Yes, the same right side of the state that has been classically thought of as an easy win for Republican US Congressional candidates.
I’ll take that it’s simplistic, but something is itching at me that Representative McCotter’s seat might not be the only pickup we have a crack at in 2010. (If you haven’t noticed from my own site already, I’m a huge supporter of Natalie Mosher’s campaign.)
Since it looks like our favorite internet meme Rep. @petehoekstra will be throwing his hat in the ring to run for governor of Michigan, it looks to me that there might be a large possibility to win this seat. I know that Daily Kos disagrees with me, but given the success at the top of the ticket in 2008, I don’t see why a dynamic centrist democrat could, with a bit of luck, win this seat - or at least make a play for it.
So far as I’ve heard, no one has put their hat in the ring. So here’s my message to the people who made the west coast of Michigan blue in 2008. Don’t be scared! Vote your mind, not what has been historically been your party. There’s one of you among your ranks that can do wonders in congress. Stand up to what you think the results will be and run - run one heck of a race, and there’s a chance.
The time is now to make a play, while it’s early, while the GOP slings itself thru what is shaping up to be a muddy primary. You’ll have a clear path to get out your message of what West Michigan actually needs while they bicker at each other. Win or lose, it’ll be worth it.
With the entire state seemingly up in arms after last week's flipping of the bird by the Republican U.S. Senate, the fallout got me thinking about what lies ahead for the coming electoral cycle.
Never before have I seen such a complete and total unified reaction from Democrats, independents, media, and even Republicans on one singular state issue. Sure there were a couple exceptions, like those being fed the GOP talking points like mother's milk, but as we so quickly learn in politics, rational logic doesn't necessarily have to apply to all of us.
With the news this morning that Pete 'Turtlegate' Hoekstra won't seek re-election in two years in the 2nd Congressional District and is still mulling a run for governor (how many years has he been mulling that?) and Markos' thoughts on the subject, it got me thinking.
How might the ramifications of the Senate Republican vote play out electorally for our state over the next two years?
There aren't any major elections for another two years, but a vote this large that affects essentially an entire state is not likely to be forgotten anytime soon. And the case was cut and dried, so there's no mistaking precisely who the perpetrators are.
Will we see local Republican candidates run against the actions of their congressional party members, or will we see them delicately two-stepping their way through a messy minefield? How are Republican gubernatorial candidates going to handle it without jumping party ship?
The first step we must take is to ensure that Washington has leaders who will move beyond old "solutions" and take the initiative in establishing policies that break OPEC's choke-hold on the United States.
We need leaders who understand that clean energy benefits our economy, national security, and our environment.
Because of the state of things on energy policy -- which is a nice way to say that a child could scrawl more responsible, more far reaching plans on the side of a brown bag with a box of crayons -- Johnson manages to strike at a vastly underconsidered point ... energy policy and environmental policy have to go hand-in-hand.
To assist in the conservation of rare felids and rare canids by supporting and providing financial resources for the conservation programs of nations within the range of rare felid and rare canid populations and projects of persons with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations.
It was Walberg, Peter Hoekstra and, Dave Camp! among Michigan's Congresscritters who voted against this.
The bill, if you read through it, appropriates money to studying big cats and preserving their habitat, as long as the money is actually available.
Tim Walberg has signed as co-sponsor onto legislation that would repeal last year's law that would effectively replace old, inefficient incandescent lightbulbs with new efficient ones nationwide. Rumor has it that Peter Hoekstra has also joined the Dim Bulb Caucus, but that couldn't be confirmed. This says it so well:
Why is it that Republicans work so hard promote to inefficiency? In government, the push for secret work in the shadows, and lack of accountability to the public. In the physical environment, they work to oppose any effort to make America’s energy system run more smoothly or cleanly.
And
It’s sad that Michelle Bachmann has put her head in the sand, deciding to ignore the larger threats of mercury pollution, the economic impact of energy inefficiency, and the devastating effects that climate change is already having on humanity around the world. What’s even more regrettable, however, is that Michelle Bachmann has convinced 24 other members of the House of Representatives to go along with her scheme to attack the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
Next thing, you can expect Tim Walberg to introduce legislation repealing next year's forced conversion from analog television signals to digital on the grounds that his crappy black-and-white with rabbit ears suits him just fine, thank you vey much.
Not only would the portion of the energy bill Walberg hopes to see repealed mean huge savings in greenhouse gas emissions (through reduced demand for electricity), but also in terms of national security, since it means using less oil. Also, for consumers ($300 billion through 2030).
Here's Tim Walberg, from an earlier constituents town hall, on health care.
This was, I'm led to believe, the same night that he said global warming isn't a problem because the president of the Czech Republic took a long plane ride and knows a commie when he sees one.
According to Tim Walberg, everyone can receive basic health care from the emergency room, which I suppose means he thinks it's acceptable for people to show up to the emergency room if they don't have emergencies and are looking for a basic check up. Not only is that suggesting a certain amount of obtuseness about what is meant by "emergency room," it also means that Tim Walberg doesn't care if this means pushing up costs for everyone else.
We've been down this road before, and I suppose it's worth trodding once again. If you go to an emergency room for basic health care, you are not likely doing this enough to have health problems caught when they are more easily repairable, which means that the costs for treatment go up. Also, if you have no health insurance, which is what drives people to do this, it is less likely that you will be able to pay your hospital bill, and the hospital -- which Walberg correctly notes are obligated to take care of you regardless of your ability to pay -- has to make up that loss somewhere to remain, you know, solvent. So, they pass it along to the insurance companies, because the federal government is already covering less than the costs of Medicare patients.
I admit it. I'm an avid NPR listener. If you listen to NPR as much as I do, you know by know that this week they are doing one of their fundraising drives. They are always saying, "Think about it, how much is NPR worth to you?" or "Would you pay just a dollar a day for all of the news and information you get from listening?"
Well, I thought about it. What about a candidate who can bring Democratic values to the forefront of the debate in Michigan's 2nd District? How much is that worth to you?
Well, here's the good and bad about speaking in Allegan County last night. The good is that at least some of the people in attendance laughed at some of my jokes, which means I'm maybe kind of occasionally funny. The bad is that only about half my jokes illicited laughter, which maybe means I'm about half as funny as I think I am.
I am not comfortable speaking in public ... unless, that is, I've had several beers. And, in fact, this is about what I'd consider to be a perfect speech:
Right, it basically has everything -- uncomfortable silence, disconcerting staring, and a rock thrown into a lake (right now, someone's like, "Hey, that's really old ... dude's not funny. See first paragraph.).
What was good was hearing a certain level of excitement, energy, anger, and assertiveness among a party of Democrats you could rightly expect to be thoroughly demoralized and guilty of low self-esteem. The night's most fiery speech was delivered by Tom Clark, who's a candidate for the 88th House seat (I'm led to believe that the Republican primary will feature another clown car full of candidates, though not nearly so entertaining at the 105th) and who at one point in the night declared that Republicans were not entitled to hold office in Allegan County simply because they're Republicans.
However, I did get something confirmed during the course of the night...
I went to hear Fred Johnson, candidate for the US congress from the Second
District (currently held by republican Pete Hoekstra) Thursday night at the Grand Rapids Women's City Club. I'm not entirely sure, but I believe that the townhall-style event was sponsored by the Kent County DFA.
For those who don't much about Fred Johnson, he's a 49 professor of American history at Hope College, a former Marine and private sector employee, now living in Holland.
As most of you know, there is some skepticism about the Johnson campaign from within the Michigan blogosphere. And so, after hearing this, while I went into the event with as open a mind as possible, I really was expecting to see neither a candidate who would be strong enough to pull off this Cinderella story nor much of a progressive. I'm pleased to announce that after hearing Fred and talking with his campaign manager and other folks on his committee, my take on the campaign is exactly the opposite. While, I plan on staying neutral in the primary and will continue to watch Johnson and Kimon Kotos, I have to report that my new (and still potentially changeable) view of the Fred Johnson campaign is very positive.
My full report and commentary on the speech is over at West Michigan Rising. See y'all over there.
Today is Yesterday was the deadline for 4th Quarter/Year End FEC filings. Here are the latest figures from the FEC reports. (Please note that the figures represent only what was filed with the FEC and may differ from press releases or totals reported elsewhere.)
CD-07 (update 7:00 a.m. 02/01/08) Sen. Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek) has raised a whopping $338,258 in the last quarter according to the latest FEC filings. Sen. Schauer's team has raised more than $560,000 since his campaign kicked off and currently has just over $500,000 on hand. Congressman Tim Walberg (R-Tipton) raised just $151,741 in the same time period and has $438,005 on hand. Sharon Renier is also in the race, raising just $745 in the last quarter of 2007. Former Congressman Joe Schwarz didn't raise any money but he still has $58,899 left from his last campaign. Jim Berryman refunded $3,200 in campaign contributions, raised nothing and has $17,288 left. There's also a report for Brad Smith who has cash on hand of just $474 and outstanding debts of $138,150.
CD-09(update at 7:00 a.m. 02/01/08) Incumbent Joe Knollenberg (R-Bingham Farms) raised a total of $294,300 in the last quarter of 2007 with a total of more than $1 million in cash on hand. On the Democratic side, Gary Peters raised $165,345 in the last quarter with a total of $358,516 on hand while Nancy Skinner raised $13,394 with a total of $6,785 on hand.
CD-11(update at 7:00 a.m. 02/01/08) Incumbent Thaddeus McCotter (R-Livonia) raised $88,027 in the 4th quarter with a total in his war chest of $373,169. Democratic challengeer Tom Spencer hasn't yet filed his reports. Trupiano raised $0 but is in debt $34,317.
A casino slot supervisor from Manistee has dropped out of the race for Republican Pete Hoekstra's seat in the U.S. House.
The Muskegon Chronicle reports 37-year-old Scott Killips is no longer seeking the Democratic nomination in Michigan's 2nd Congressional District.
Killips' withdrawal leaves it a two-person race between Fred Johnson, who did a live chat here last month, and Kimon Kotos, who was the last person to challenge incumbent Pete Hoekstra.
Update! ... comments to this post are closed. Hated to do it, but I got the strong suspicion that the minute I walked away from the computer that the place was going to explode in gunfire. Perhaps tomorrow morning, I'll reopen the comments section. Comments have been reopened.
In MI-02 we will have what hasn't happened in a very long time, a democratic congressional primary. The candidate that I and many others choose to support is Scott Killips. Scott is not a politician. He is an average citizen who knows there are problems, is fed up with the representation we have and that someone has to step up and put themselves out there to voice OUR views and OUR concerns.
(I was asked to crosspost this from my diary on DailyKos so here it is.)
Fred Johnson is an author, an historian, a veteran, and a member of the faculty at Hope College. He also hopes to be the Democratic candidate in the race for Michigan's 2nd Congressional District, taking on Republican Pete Hoekstra next November.
Johnson joins Michigan Liberal this afternoon to answer questions from its readers.
The format is simple. If you have a question for the candidate, write it as a comment in this thread. Johnson will start answering them at 1:30. If you have a question, but -- for whatever reason -- can't leave it in the comments section, you can also e-mail it to me at ebaerren@michiganliberal.com
Michigan Liberal's 2008 campaign cycle officially kick off Tuesday with a live chat featuring Fred Johnson, who hopes to challenge Pete Hoekstra in Michigan's 2nd Congressional District.
I've also received word that the Scott Killips people would like to participate (in fact, Scott Killips is now a member of Michigan Liberal); and I received an e-mail from Kimon Kotos, the third Democratic candidate, requesting that he be given time to reach out to Michigan Liberal's readers. It's a request I'll do my best to grant.
Fred Johnson will be with us starting at 12:30 1:30, but the thread for questions will go up at noon 12:30 p.m., giving half an hour beforehand for anyone who'll be busy from 12:30 1:30 p.m. on. The format will essentially mirror a regular comments thread, with questions left as comments, and the candidate doing his best to answer them.
2008 Status: Unknown
Fred Johnson is an author, an historian, a veteran, and a member of the faculty at Hope College. He also hopes to be the Democratic candidate in the race for Michigan's 2nd Congressional District, taking on Republican Pete Hoekstra next November.
