Carl "Fund Iraq War?!" Levin speaking at UM tomorrow; give him piece/peace of mind

by: David Boyle

Sat Apr 14, 2007 at 20:26:07 PM EDT

  Michigan Daily sez,

"Carl Levin to speak at Union

What: A speech by Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) about his experiences as s [sic] U.S. senator

Who: College Democrats

When: Sunday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Where: Michigan Union"

  Now the Senator is one smooth brotha usually, but this is a bomb, Levin's bizarre dedication to continuing funding of the Iraq War--or, more precisely, dedication to forgetting that Bush is the one who wants to cut funding to our troops, whereas Dems want to fully fund bringing them home. (Comment courtesy of the mighty nirmal) Not "the bomb", but a bomb. Ouch.

  You can give him a piece of your mind, and maybe peace of mind (if you give him worthwhile advice). See you there.

Levin: Let's Keep Funding the Iraq War

by: nirmal

Mon Apr 09, 2007 at 13:47:02 PM EDT

No matter how proud I am, I'm not going to agree with everything that he says.  Yesterday on ABC's "This Week," Levin indicated that he would continue to fund the war in Iraq, even if the President vetoed a timetable for withdrawal.  Unfortunately, this undermines efforts to end the war responsibly.

"We're not going to vote to cut funding, period," Levin said. "But what we should do, and we're going to do, is continue to press this president to put some pressure on the Iraqi leaders to reach a political settlement."

The problem with this logic is that control over funding is one of the only ways that Congress can assert authority over the President on policy matters.  If Congress refuses to even consider cutting funding for the war, Bush will know that he can violate every benchmark and act with impunity.

"We're going to fund the troops. We always have," Levin said. He added, "We're very strong in supporting the troops, but we're also strong on putting pressure on the Iraqi leaders to live up to their own commitments without that political settlement on their part, there is no military solution."

Levin is reinforcing the idea that Congress, and not Bush, is cutting off funding for the troops.  Congress passed a bill to finally provide adequate body armor and VA care, so Bush is the one who would be harming them by exercising the veto.  By implying that Democrats are cutting funding, Levin is legitimizing Republican talking points and giving Bush all of the negotiating power.

Regardless of how this issue is going to be spun, Democrats were elected to do the right thing.  Please contact Senator Levin today and ask him to stop undermining efforts to hold Bush accountable and end the war.

"Because it is Important" - How I got in to politics

by: JWinston70

Wed Feb 28, 2007 at 02:42:49 AM EST

The year was 1996, my wife and I were living in the Milwood Neighborhood; a working-class neighborhood on Kalamazoo's east side.  It was a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon in the early summer when there was a knock on our front door.  When I answered the door, there stood an older man with thinning hair, a very warm and friendly smile, and a thin pair of spectacles perched on the end of his nose. 

While I have always had a keen interest in politics, I considered myself an amateur in the subject.  I had dozens of questions for Mr. Levin, and he took the time to answer each one of them with patience and kindness.  He explained that he was in town for a fundraising event that afternoon, and wanted to stop and talk to some voters before he left town.  This impressed me the most.  Here was a sitting Senior Senator, on his way home from an expensive fundraiser, and he stopped to hear the concerns of the regular folks too.  This is Carl Levin.

Stop the Madness Rally at Sen. Levin's Warren Office Wed. at Noon

by: bfealk

Mon Jan 22, 2007 at 12:25:36 PM EST

Senator Carl Levin's Warren Office

30500 Van Dyke

Warren, MI 48309

Wednesday, 24 Jan 2007, 12:00 PM

We will be rallying to stop the Iraq escalation at Senator Carl Levin's Warren office. Join us to put pressure on the Democrats to stop the funding for the escalation.

Sign up at this link.

http://political.mov...

Levin says the key to a solution to the Iraq fiasco rests with the Iraqi politicians

by: kjbas58

Sat Jan 20, 2007 at 17:27:28 PM EST

Come See Sen. Levin Speak Today!

by: LiberalLucy

Sat Jan 20, 2007 at 10:39:22 AM EST

Levin to speak at Livingston County fundraiser

by: kjbas58

Thu Jan 11, 2007 at 19:16:25 PM EST

  The fundraiser is to help celebrate the huge historic Democratic victory across the country that gave the Democrats control of both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives and the state House, and to help the Livingston Democrats prepare for the next election cycle.

  After the Democrats took control of the Senate for the first time since 2002, Levin became chair of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee. In that role, Levin is in a pivotal position to influence the war in Iraq.

This will be one of the first opportunities that many Michigan residents will have to hear Sen. Levin in person commenting on President Bush's recent plan to send more troops to Iraq. It is an important moment in the national debate over American participation in the war, and Livingston County Democrats will not want to miss it, said Matt Evans, chair of the Livingston County Democratic Party.

Furthermore, Evans said, the national party's 100-hour agenda that is already is moving through the U.S. House addresses important concerns that voters raised in the November election, including raising the minimum wage, congressional ethics reform and restraining earmarks that encouraged irresponsible spending. Levin will be able to shed light on how that agenda will fare in the U.S. Senate.

Levin will begin speaking at 12:30 p.m., and there will be an opportunity to ask questions.  Tickets are $55 and can be purchased at the Livingston County Democratic Office, 10321 E. Grand River, Suite 600, Brighton, Mi. 48116. Tickets can also be purchased at the door. The event includes hors oeuvres and a cash bar.  Proceeds benefit the Livingston County Democratic Party. Call (81) 229-4212 for information.

Bush to Levin on Iraq: No Reply

by: matt

Sun Jan 07, 2007 at 13:27:45 PM EST

Marriages of convenience are common in Washington. The war in Iraq is producing the opposite: a divorce of calculation. President Bush has no evident interest in consulting with, let alone drawing in, the new Democratic Congress as a war partner. An example: the new chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee—Carl Levin, an important character now—sent Bush a private letter three weeks ago offering his counsel. Levin never got a reply. Bush can be just as deaf to Republicans. At a recent White House ceremony, Sen. Susan Collins offered to brief him on her Iraq visit. He responded by escorting her to the office of his deputy national-security adviser—and then left before she told her story.(emphasis added)

Senate Democrats and a weak ethics reform bill

by: jtcaldwell

Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 13:26:36 PM EST

Levin on Troop Surge

by: Cordelia Lear

Thu Jan 04, 2007 at 21:46:44 PM EST

Hello?

False alarm. If the quotes in the print media are accurate, the impressions the talking heads left was an over reaction.

From Reuters

Michigan Democrat Sen. Carl Levin also predicted the Republican president would soon find a way to end the "open-ended commitment" of U.S. troops to Iraq, even if Bush does propose a short-term boost in forces.

"I can't believe the president is simply going to say, 'We're going to increase troops in Iraq,"' Levin told reporters outside the Senate. "It's likely the president would add something of a conditionality to it."

"The (recent congressional) election is far too clear, that the public wants to change course and find a way out of Iraq and not get in deeper in Iraq," said Levin, who is the incoming chairman of the Seante Armed Services Committee.

The article continues

While he had no information on Bush's intentions, Levin said he thought Bush would "at a minimum" reverse the open-ended nature of the U.S. troop commitment in Iraq.

"I predict, whatever kind of surge he's going to propose, that he's going to find a way to correct the statement that he made twice to the Iraqis that we're there as long as the Iraqis want us to be there," Levin said.

Levin said any temporary "surge" he might consider backing, would need to be combined with the announcement of a reduction in U.S. forces starting in four to six months, and set political milestones for Iraq to meet. emphasis added

This is consistent with Levin's position to date, which can be found on his Web site.

If Levin is serious about starting a withdrawl in four to six months, and I have no reason to doubt it, BushCo can blather on all he wants about surges, but it isn't going to happen.

Levin's comments were a polite way of saying "You can propose anything you want Mr. President but our troops are coming home."

Engler to challenge Levin?

by: Nazgul35

Wed Dec 06, 2006 at 13:35:37 PM EST

According to Political Insider, her name is being bandied about amongst Republicans.

But some Michigan Republicans think Michelle Engler could make a strong bid to win the Senate seat and provide a bright spot for a party that has taken a downward spiral. Engler, a native Texan, has ties to President Bush as well. She received her bachelor's degree in government at the University of Texas and is a graduate of the University of Texas Law School. Prior to her marriage, Michelle DeMunbrun was a partner in the Texas law firm of Nathan, Wood and Sommers, where she specialized in bankruptcy law and commercial litigation. She also served as Of Counsel for the Grand Rapids law firm Varnum, Riddering, Schmidt, & Howlett from 1992 - 1994. In 2001, Michelle was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as a member of the Federal Home Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). She was re-appointed to this position in 2002.

Also being considered to run...

Just in: Sen. Levin to seek re-election

by: matt

Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 13:14:09 PM EST

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Michigan Sen. Carl Levin said Monday he will run for re-election in 2008, saying that the change in power in Congress had left him with a full plate.

It would be the Democrat’s sixth Senate term, having initially won election in 1978. Levin said he made the decision early last week after speaking with his family.

Levin said he decided to announce his intentions today to clear his agenda so he can focus on assuming the chair of the Senate Armed Services in January, when the Democratic majority is sworn in.

The Detroit lawmaker has called for troop withdrawals from Iraq beginning within four to six months. He has criticized the Bush administration for making the war open-ended, saying the White House has provided the Iraqis with a blank check with the presence of U.S. troops.

Let's look ahead: 2008!!

by: ScottyUrb

Sat Dec 02, 2006 at 16:19:25 PM EST

US SENATE:
Carl Levin (D) – Elected in 1978, last re-elected in 2002; Chairman-elect of the US Senate Armed Services Committee; Foreign-relations and defense policy genius; named one of "America's 10 Best Senators" by TIME Magazine; longest-serving US Senator in Michigan history; brother of Congressman Sander Levin; all-around amazing guy

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION:
John C. Austin (D) – Elected in 2000; Senior fellow with the Brookings Institution; ran for Dem nomination for Secretary of State in 2002; possible rising star in our party?
Kathleen Strauss (D) – Elected in 1992, re-elected in 2000; President of the Board of Education since 2001; involved in numerous boards and groups

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REGENTS:
Laurence B. Deitch (D) – Elected in 1992, re-elected in 2000; attorney; former MDP treasurer
Rebecca McGowan (D) – formerly worked in offices of Senators Adlai Stevenson and Frank Church; senior staffer for VP Mondale and deputy director of his 1984 campaign

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES:
Dorothy V. Gonzales (D) – Elected in 1992, re-elected in 2000; former state House research analyst; former education policy advisor under Governor Blanchard
G. Scott Romney (R) – Appointed in August 2000, re-elected three months later; Son of former Governor George Romney; brother of Massachusetts Governor and possible 2008 Presidential candidate Mitt Romney

WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY GOVERNORS:
Paul Massaron (D) – Elected in 2000; Hyper-active with the UAW and AFL-CIO, including serving as a legislative director, Region 1-B International rep., and top aide to the UAW President
Jacqueline Washington (D) – Elected in 2000; Chairwoman of the Board of Governors; past president of Planned Parenthood of SE Michigan; Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame inductee

SUPREME COURT (officially non-partisan):
Clifford Taylor (R) – Appointed in 1997, elected to partial term in 1998, elected to full term in 2000; Chief Justice since 2005

Levin to lead torture investigations

by: ScottyUrb

Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 17:58:17 PM EST

Abuses carried out under the CIA's secret programme of extraordinary rendition are to be investigated by one of the Senate's most powerful committees, it emerged today.

The new chairman of the Senate armed services committee, the Democratic senator Carl Levin, revealed that he was "not comfortable" with the rendition system and said it was making the US less secure.

...

Asked whether he would investigate the renditions programme, including the secret prisons and missing detainees, Mr Levin replied: "Yes. Yes, yes and yes."

...

Amnesty International has described extraordinary renditions as a policy of "disappearances" and welcomed Mr Levin's announcement.

"It is long overdue," an Amnesty spokeswoman said. "Many aspects of the US war on terror are of concern and are questionable. There is a need for greater transparency and we need to know who has been taken and where."

...

Mr Levin made his comments as he was outlining the priorities of the committee after the Democrats' gain in last week's midterm elections. The first order of business would be to change the direction of Iraq policy, he said.

Good going for Michigan’s longest-serving US Senator in history, whom TIME Magazine named one of America’s 10 Best Senators. Now if only we can get Debbie on board...

Whither Dennis Archer, and a question about Governor appointments

by: Brainwrap

Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 00:26:48 AM EST

There was some speculation about whether Carl Levin will retire or go for another term, which I strongly suspect he will--he's a spry 72 right now (well, spirit-wise anyway).

HOWEVER, in the event that he *does* retire, one name has already popped into my head as an ideal replacement: DENNIS ARCHER!

Michigan Dems negotiate end to Canadian trash

by: matt

Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 13:54:22 PM EDT

Michigan Democrats said Thursday they had reached a deal with Ontario officials to eliminate the influx of Canadian trash into state landfills by 2010.

Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin and Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, said the agreement with Ontario's Minister of the Environment, Laurel Broten, would phase out shipments of Canadian municipal solid waste over four years.

"It is the beginning of the end of filling up Michigan landfills and clogging up our bridges and tunnels with trucks full of Canadian trash," Levin said.

The lawmakers said the plan was supported by the City of Toronto and other regions that have shipped trash to Michigan. The Canadian communities would find alternative waste management options and not renew existing contracts with Michigan landfills beyond 2010.

Stabenow/Levin announce end to Canadian Trash

by: tronion

Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 11:49:45 AM EDT

A Call for Help

by: dwishinsky

Mon Aug 28, 2006 at 18:30:55 PM EDT

Here is the rest from from my blog:

This is a (slightly edited from what I sent them for personal reasons) letter to Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, who has failed to respond to my questions on this issue very dear to me in the past. Ironically the only person who has replied is Congressman Joe Knollenberg but his response showed an obvious lack of understanding of the issue, or the premise of what I was writing as his 'pseudo-form letter' did not address any of my specific concerns. But Senator Levin has stated this is an issue of importance to him and so I am focusing on him.

Dear Senator,

My name is David A Wishinsky. I am an adoptee born in Canada and adopted by two Americans from New York. As I am sure you are aware, our nation's system of immigration is tedious. There are many confusing and contradictory rules and the process does not always run as smoothly as one would hope.

For me, my story with America's immigration system occured very early in life. I was born in Toronto, to biological parents whom I do not know. I was blessed to be adopted by two devoted and loving parents who were always forthright with me which is why I haven't ever not known that I was adopted. I could not have been more fortunate. I am sure that my life is far better than it would have been had the adoption not occured and this is the reason I am sure that both you and I are proponents of adoption.

My parents seeking to include me not only in their family but in their nationality also, attempted to get me American citizenship. They were routinely rebuffed because being adopted, I did not qualify in the same manner that natural born children would. After years and years of this being the case reform came in 1996 when President Clinton signed sweeping immigration reform into place that seems to have changed my circumstances - this reform has allowed my younger sister to become an American citizen. Unaware of this change care of immigration regulation confusion at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, on April 15, 1999 I turned eighteen and unbeknowest to my family my ability to gain instant American citizenship ended as my parents still resided in Canada. Two months after this date we applied for a green card for me. It still has not been issued because my father (who is my sponsor) still lives in Toronto and is unable to be a financial sponsor.

As I mentioned earlier, American immigration law is full of pitfalls and contradictions and in my situation I found many. For example, the irony that my father when speaking with INS officials in Buffalo, NY found that he could not sponsor me financially even if he were to leave money in a trust for the US government to utilize should I become destitute. Or the irony, that I am living in Farmington Hills with F-1 status and that my parents have demonstrated the ability to pay in excess of $100,000 in tuition to Michigan State University, yet there is concern over their ability to cover my the cost should I ever require food stamps.

I am a political science student at Michigan State University, I have been active in supporting Democrat candidates within the state, as you can see in letters to the editor I have had published in both the Detroit Free Press and Lansing State Journal this summer. I was raised in a politically aware family and American politics has always fascinated me. Yet it was not until today that the idea of using my blog as a message to get my story out was a good idea. So you can find a copy of this letter at withgodallthingsarepolitical.blogspot.com also.

Your office has failed to respond to me in the past, I hope this new public plea will help change that. With immigration reform a hot issue in Washington, I ask you this: Please reform America's immigration laws so that adoptees are treated the same as natural born children. As a society we all deplore the idea of abortion whether or not we agree with its availability - everyone sees adoption as the best alternative. Yet the government then counters that with an immigration policy that says, adopted children just are not the same. I ask you to reform this policy so that I too can rejoice in my family's background because whether or not Washington recognizes me, I have been raised to be an American and identify myself as such.

Thank you for your time, I look forward to receiving your
response,

Sincerely,

David A Wishinsky

Come on Michigan...contact our Senators

by: Nazgul35

Mon Aug 28, 2006 at 16:39:50 PM EDT

via Porkbusters

Senators Tom Coburn and Barak Obama have proposed S.2590, legislation that would create a single website with access to information on nearly all recipients of federal funding. The bill cannot proceed, however, because one or more Senators placed a "secret hold" on it.

Who is the secret holder? We want to know, and we want your help finding out. Call your Senator, and ask them to go on the record denying that they placed the hold. Then e-mail Porkbusters and let us know what they said! Senators who issue denials will be removed from the suspect list --- and those who do not, won't!

Contact Senators' Stabenow and Levin office

Melot does a lazy job of slamming MI Senators

by: BZP

Tue Jul 18, 2006 at 09:33:47 AM EDT

Well, at least the Lansing State Journal's Derek Melot bothered to get half of his column right this morning. Hey, that's a big improvement for him. Today's rant slams Stabenow and Levin for votes against drilling in ANWR and raising fuel economy standards.

Derek starts by giving us a lecture about oil consumption [from LSJ]:

More below the fold...