Join the vigil in front of Rogers office to mark the countdown to Take A Stand

People who truly support the troops by trying to get them out of harm’s way are gathering for a vigil as we speak with sleeping bags, bongo drums, protest signs and plenty of coffee in front of U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton?, Lansing office as the “Iraq Summer” concludes Tuesday with “Take A Stand” town meeting at noon on the Capitol steps in downtown Lansing.

Many local people will be making their presence known at Rogers only office outside of Washington, D.C., located at 1327 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing. Since Congress has not been in session for the entire month of August to allow lawmakers to spend time in their district, there is a very slim change Rogers could actually show his face in the three days the vigil will take place. Come and join the following groups in their vigil:

America Votes, Michigan Peace Works, Michigan Peace Team, SEIU, Military Moms for Peace, GLNAWI , Mid-Michigan DFA, UU Church of Greater Lansing and Cristo Rey Parish.

The “Take a Stand Campaign” is a nation-wide organizing drive to demand that members of Congress and the Senate take a stand with the vast majority of Americans who want a safe and responsible redeployment of American Forces from Iraq.

Across America, over 100 “Iraq Summer” organizers are working to involve thousands of ordinary Americans in an effort to pressure targeted members of Congress to vote to bring a safe end to the war. The summer campaign is culminating with “Take A Stand” town meetings to be held on Tuesday, immediately before congress reconvenes. The Iraq Summer Campaign-Michigan, 8th District the Take a Stand town hall will be held at noon on Tuesday on the Capitol lawn in Lansing.

Feel free to join them.

Iraq Summer is a campaign organized by Americans Against Escalation in Iraq and the Campaign to Defend America, designed to turn public opinion against the war in Iraq into political pressure on members of Congress who stand in the way of a responsible end to the war in Iraq.

For further information call (202) 425-0263 or email michigan7@iraqcampaign.org.

From the LSJ: Bob Alexander on Mike Rogers and Iraq

This op-ed was in today's Lansing State Journal from East Lansing activist Bob Alexander.

Reprinted with his permission -

Bob Alexander: Rogers should resume his oppositon to war

Congressman Mike Rogers has mistakenly supported the Iraq war, but did you know that Rogers opposed an invasion for six weeks back in 2002?

Five years ago Rogers returned from a Middle East trip and surprisingly announced that he no longer favored a military attack on Iraq (Ann Arbor News, Sept. 6, 2002). Rogers said information from Israeli and Saudi intelligence officers and others caused him to reassess his position.

Rogers' objections to military action then are still true:

George Bush hasn't made a case for military action.

He was not sure a military action is in the best interests of the United States. We ought to pursue inspections.

He was not convinced that Iraq has the capability to deliver weapons of mass destruction.

What will happen after a fall of the Hussein government .. how it will affect stability in the Middle East?

Recently I urged Rogers to resume his correct 2002 anti-war position at an Iraq Summer Project press conference. Iraq Summer is a national coalition lobbying Rogers and 39 Republican lawmakers to vote to withdraw our troops. In Michigan, Iraq Summer also focuses on Congressmen Vern Ehlers, Fred Upton, Thad McCotter and Joe Knollenberg.

Since December, Rogers has been the Michigan Republican most critical of Bush. He has offered alternative proposals. But Rogers continues to vote for Bush's war.

Last February, Rogers stated,"We've made some devastating mistakes in Iraq" and opposed stationing most of the additional troops in Baghdad. Despite this criticism, Rogers voted for the surge. Republican Upton, though, voted against it.

On May 10, Rogers did not vote on partial Iraq war funding. Rogers did not co-sponsor the June 5 Republican enactment of the Iraq Study Commission report. Ehlers, Upton and Peter Hoekstra did.

On July 13, Rogers voted against withdrawal and twice claimed, "We have several problems in Iraq - an Iranian problem, an al-Qaida problem and a sectarian violence problem. What we need is ... (a) strategy ... if the surge, which I did not favor, does not work."

The biggest problem that Rogers does not recognize is our troops are occupying Iraq. Every month our brave troops remain exacerbates the problems of Iranians, al-Qaida, sectarian violence - and our $12 billion a month cost. Rogers refuses to admit that he knew the U.S. should not invade Iraq, and since 2002 he has voted for the Bush Iraq fiasco.

Our solution is withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Only after our troops leave will the Iraqis themselves, surrounding Muslim countries, the United Nations and the European Union negotiate the political and economic agreements that will greatly lessen the Iranian, al-Qaida and sectarian problems Rogers has emphasized.

The Iraq Summer Project calls for a large rally at noon, Aug. 28 at the State Capitol to urge withdrawal from Iraq - and for Rogers to announce his renewed opposition to the war. Peace supporters should call Rogers (702-8000) and urge him to vote for withdrawal. After you call Rogers, please call Iraq Summer - (202) 425-0811. Let us act now.

Mike Rogers Votes Against Rest for U.S. Troops Serving in Iraq

This is a pretty simple premise, so we'll cut to the chase. Here's the background on H.R.3159:

• Prohibits units and members of the regular Armed Forces from being deployed for Operations Iraqi Freedom or Enduring Freedom (including participation in the NATO International Security Assistance Force (Afghanistan)) unless the period between deployments is equal to or longer than the period of the previous deployment
• Expresses the sense of Congress that the optimal minimum period between such deployments should be equal to or longer than twice the period of the previous deployment.
• Prohibits units and members of the reserves from being deployed for such Operations (including such NATO participation) if the unit or member has been deployed within three preceding years.
• Expresses the sense of Congress that units and members of the reserves should not be mobilized continuously for more than one year, and that the optimal minimum period between such deployments should be five years.
• Authorizes the: (1) President to waive such limitations after certifying to Congress that the deployment is necessary to meet an operational emergency posing a threat to vital national security interests; or (2) chief of staff of the military department concerned (including the Coast Guard) to waive such limitations with respect to a member who has voluntarily requested mobilization.

In other words, this would give the men and women who have served in Iraq a period to rest in-between deployments.

Here's what Speaker Pelosi had to say about this legislation:

Today, in our fifth year of war in Iraq, the readiness of our forces has declined precipitously as the result of lengthy deployments. Our soldiers are serving their third and fourth tours of duty in Iraq, a war without end. This is unacceptable, especially at a time when the most recent National Intelligence Estimate shows that al Qaeda is gaining strength and the threat of terrorism against the United States is growing.

The New Direction Congress will always ensure that our brave men and women in uniform have the tools and training they need to do their jobs and return safely home. This legislation will strengthen our military by giving our troops the chance to recover from their deployments, retrain, and re-equip before redeploying.

Regardless of how you feel about the War in Iraq, it's hard to argue with that logic. And heck, there's even a window in there for the President to waive these limitations (which, knowing him, he would do anyway).

Nevertheless, this simple logic has once again escaped the good Congressman from the 8th district, who voted against H.R. 3159 today.

They say there's no rest for the weary, and thanks to Mike Rogers, that statement still applies to our American troops who have bravely served in the war he voted for.

Trickle Down Attitude

Judy at LivingBlue has a terrific follow up post about last week's Americans Against Escalation in Iraq event at the Brighton Mill Pond.

Featured is a funny-if-it-weren't-so-sad video of veteran Tom Ford (of Shiawassee Veterans for Peace) as he visits Rogers' Lansing office and tries to give an End the War yard sign to a Rogers staffer. As Judy notes,

Notice that the staffer doesn't actually take the sign or even touch it. Apparently, he's afraid it might be contagious.

Rogers' attitude -- "If I don't agree with you, I can ignore you" -- has apparently trickled down to his staff.

On the bright side, at least this staffer didn't run out the back door when a Democrat came a-callin'.

What I Want My Congressman to Do

Congressman Rogers,

I do not doubt that you are doing what you believe is best for our district, Michigan's 8th. Though I’m sure you know I disagree with you on a lot of the positions you take with regards to social issues and the War in Iraq, I’m not going to give you a hard time here about those things you’ve done that I disagree with. I’m going to take the time here to tell you what I want you to do. So here goes.

Here’s what I want you and the rest of the U.S. Congress to do, Mike.

I want you to cut off the money to fund this bungled, ill-conceived, ill-planned war in Iraq that has spawned a Civil War that our men and women in uniform (and contractors) can not stop. That the President and Vice-President misled this country of ours into this war is criminal. Unfortunately for our men and women in uniform, the only people who can bring peace to Iraq are the Iraqi people themselves. If they would rather fight with guns instead of ballots, then that’s their horrific choice. It is not worth one U.S. soldier’s life to referee this war. Besides, thanks to this diversion, Al Qaeda is now as strong as ever.

I want you to hold Harriet Miers in contempt for refusing to testify before Congress about the U.S. Attorney firings. Dean worked for Nixon, but Nixon didn’t tell him to ignore Congress. Miers seems to think she’s supposed to support Bush over the Constitution. When you were an FBI agent, how did you react toward people who ignored subpoenas on cases you investigated?

I want you to call for Alberto Gonzalez to step down as Attorney General. He’s either a liar or incompetent or both. He tells Congress that the FBI hasn’t abused people’s civil rights under the Patriot Act, when, only days before, he’d received reports informing him that the FBI had in fact violated laws protecting civil liberties and privacy. That’s called perjury. A previous Congress attempted to impeach a President over lying about a blowjob. Covering up abuses of citizen rights strikes me as a higher order of crime.

I want you to work to close Guantanamo Bay and try those detainees for whatever crimes they have committed, following due process. John Walker Lindh got 20 years in the civilian court. Why is our own justice system, or the International criminal Court, not good enough?

I want you to work to stop the CIA’s rendition program. That the United States of America, the country that’s supposed to be the standard-bearer of freedom and democracy, is kidnapping people off streets and taking them to undisclosed locations around the world for interrogation and torture is a travesty. It is a method used by the likes of Pinochet and the Junta of Argentina’s Dirty War. Those methods don’t preserve freedom and democracy. They suppress it.

I want you to shut down Bush’s NSA spying program (the one that ignores the FISA) because it is unconstitutional.

I want you to tell Speaker Pelosi that Impeachment should be ON the table. Ridiculous, you say? Purely political, you say? It’s not ridiculous when President George W. Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney show contempt for the Constitution of the United States. Just because it’s political doesn’t mean it’s unjust. You are a politician. Every elected official in this country is a politician.

Most importantly, as an FBI agent you swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States. As a member of Congress, you took a similar oath. Not to your party. Not to the President. Not to Congress. Not to the military. Not an oath to anyone or anything else. Just the Constitution: the contract, that brilliant document, that binds every citizen of this country together with the three branches of our government.

We have a President and Vice-President who at best view the Legislative branch with contempt, as merely a bank with unlimited funds, and as a rubber stamp for their ideas.

The two of them must be kept in check so that their successors don’t even get the chance to abuse the power of the Executive Branch. Do you really want a Democrat in the White House acting this way? Even as a Democrat myself, I don’t.

I know this is a lot. But our country has been violated repeatedly by a President and Vice-President who have little regard for the concepts of accountability and responsibility. You weren’t elected to make easy decisions. You were elected to serve the people and uphold the Constitution of the United States of America.

[Cross-posted on Honest Errors.]

Support the troops by getting them home beginning with a canvas Saturday

If you’re looking to get out in the beautiful sunshine to get some exercise and enjoy the weather you can also do that and save our brave soldiers and Marines from dying needlessly in Iraq because of President Bush’s failed policies by joining Americans Against Escalation in Iraq in canvassing in Brighton from 2-4 p.m. Saturday (7/21).

The group is meeting at 2 p.m. behind the McGivney Law offices - 210 E Main St. -
before dispersing. That’s just about a block east of the main four in downtown Brighton – and the home of one of Bush’s and the Iraq war’s biggest cheerleaders, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers – and less than a mile west of the Spencer Road exit from I-96. The zip code is 48116 so you can type it into Google maps to get here. Canvassers will be distributing yard signs and asking Brighton residents to call their Congressman to stop supporting Bush's reckless war policy.

Just a few days ago with the GOP filibuster we saw the hypocrisy of Republican senators who continue to speak out against the civil war and occupation in Iraq, and then when it comes time to vote for actual change and put their money where their mouths are they do absolutely nothing. We saw the hypocrisy of the all-night debate over the Reed-Levin amendment, which would begin bring American troops home from Iraq in 120 days, with the eventual goal of removing all combat troops by April 30, 2008. Republicans were able to block even an up or down vote. We cannot allow them to say one thing and do another when the lives of our finest young men and women are on the line.

Please RSVP to michigan7@iraqsummer.org if you are able to attend or for any questions regarding the campaign. You don’t have to live in Brighton or even the 8th U.S. Congressional District to attend. You just need to care about justice and want to truly support the troops instead of just giving it lip service and slapping a bumper sticker on your car like Bush, Rogers and their supporters.

Americans Against Escalation in Iraq is a national campaign comprised of a variety groups from across the political spectrum that are committed to opposing the Bush plan to escalate the war in Iraq and to work for the responsible redeployment of American forces. It’s a loose coalition of various groups, including the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), MoveOn.org Political Action, VoteVets.org, Center for American Progress Action Fund, USAction, Win Without War, Campaign for America’s Future, the United States Student Association, Working Assets, Americans United for Change and Campus Progress Action.

Change the way Rogers votes on the war - today

You have the opportunity to help bring our soldiers home now.
Will you take it?

On Thursday night, the United States House of Representatives voted to end the war in Iraq responsibly and bring our troops home. Michigan Congressmen Ehlers, Upton, McCotter, Knollenberg, and Rogers all voted to continue the failed policy in Iraq and keep our nation on a path of endless war.

Americans Against Escalation in Iraq plans to hold those Congressmen accountable for their votes on Friday with a Press Conference and Rally as part of their Iraq Summer campaign.

The event will be held from 12:30-1:30 at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. Speakers will include Kevin Kelley and our own Bruce Fealk.

This event is yet another opportunity to help change how Michigan's Congresscritters treat the war in Iraq. You have a real opportunity to be a part of the force that changes the tide.

This campaign is effective. Eight Republican US Senators have recently changed their position on the war in Iraq. Five of them were targets of the Iraq Summer campaign.

Please do whatever it takes to make this rally.

Our troops are depending on us.

Rogers Votes Against Pulling Troops Out of Iraq

The U.S. House of Representatives passed HR 2956, a bill;

To require the Secretary of Defense to commence the reduction of the number of United States Armed Forces in Iraq to a limited presence by April 1, 2008, and for other purposes.

Mike Rogers voted against this bill; the Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act. Which means he's supporting President Bush, who had this to say:

"I don't think Congress ought to be running the war. I think they ought to be funding the troops."

In other words: just give me the money and I'll do whatever I want with the troops. With this vote, it appears Congressman Rogers is okay with giving this reckless President of ours whatever he wants when it comes to Iraq. We are now in the 5th year of the Iraq Occupation, with no end in sight to the civil war our troops are refereeing, or the injuires they receive or casualties they suffer.

Our troop presence is also estimated to be costing our country $10 billion a month. That buys a lot of pell grants, health care, research into alternative fuels, extra teachers, public transit, better roads, [fill in the blank].

It is clear to only the most obtuse that this war is not worth the cost in lives, money, or resources. Our troops need to be brought home.

Others were hoping the man from Michigan's 8th District might do the right thing. But alas, so far, that is not the case.

Mike Rogers: You're Invited!

Big kudos to the folks over at Living Blue for putting this video together:

Noncommittal.
That was the response that a group of 8th Congressional District residents opposed to the Iraq War got Thursday (July 12, 2007) when they met with Republican Rep. Mike Rogers' staff about the upcoming "Take a Stand" event at the Michigan Capitol.

The group, which included the mother of a man who has served a year in Iraq, a Shiawassee County veteran opposed to the war, and others, gathered outside Rogers' office in Lansing. Rogers was in Washington, but staff members met with four of Rogers' constituents.

Afterward, participants said they had a chance to explain their positions to Rogers' aide and hand-delivered a letter, along with a petition signed by 200 people, inviting Rogers to the Aug. 28 "Take a Stand" event being organized by Americans Against Escalation in Iraq.

Remember, Mike Roges has been funded by Iraq war profiteers for years, so I can't say I'm surprised that the response to this invitation was ignored. However, this is grassroots activism at its best, and I applaud everyone who was involved.

Once again, Judy at LivingBlue has a to-the-point post about Mike Rogers' "support" for the troops:

What, pray tell, does supporting the troops have to do with whether or not they should stay in Iraq and remain sitting ducks in a civil war between factions in that country?

If Rogers fully supports the troops, why doesn't he want to end the failed mission in Iraq and bring them home to their families, friends, homes, jobs, and lives?

Good question!

And while we're asking questions, why is it that the Press & Argus lets Rogers get away with written responses from his spokeswoman, Sylvia Warner?

[Since Ms. Warner always provides written responses, should her title be Writewoman?]

What exactly is Rogers is doing on his summer vacation that he's too busy to talk with the biggest paper in his home county?

Hmmmm.

One might start to think Mr. Rogers is afraid of follow-up questions...

Coming to a representative near you

By Eric B. Cross-posted from MichiganLiberal.



Fred Upton and Mike Rogers, you're officially on notice. You are violating the wishes of 60 percent of the American people, and it is time to stop.

VoteVets.org is today launching a three-ad series featuring three retired generals, two of whom were George Bush's commanders on the ground. Their ads are airing in states and districts of those Members of Congress who are very close to breaking with the President on Iraq, and joining the troops and American people. You can visit the Vote Vets homepage here.

Mike Rogers Makes Excuses for 'The Commander Guy'

With 67% of Michigan residents opposing the President's handling of the war, Mike Rogers is still first in line to make excuses for "The Commander Guy":

“We shouldn’t make decisions in Washington, D.C. that handcuff our soldiers in harm’s way in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. “Cutting funds for troops in the field jeopardizes their safety and offers not one solution allowing them to come home soon, safe and proud of their accomplishments.

Actually, the bill passed by Congress was funding for the troops. Mike Rogers and George Bush voted against this.

“Setting an artificial timetable in Iraq does not allow for any continued effort against al-Qaida, which is currently seeking safe haven in large parts of Iraq and clearly presents a threat to the safety of the United States,” Rogers continued.

Al-Qaida is not the main problem in Iraq –– we are witnessing at least four major internal conflicts. Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi acknowledged that his country is experiencing a civil war over a year ago:

We are losing each day as an average 50 to 60 people throughout the country, if not more - if this is not civil war, then God knows what civil war is.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell echoed these remarks yesterday:

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Wednesday that Iraq's violence meets the standard of civil war and that if he were heading the State Department now, he might recommend that the administration use that term.

We can debate all the mistakes made in Iraq until the cows come home, but the bottom line is that a solid majority of Americans now support a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq:

Nearly six in 10 Americans want to see U.S. troops leave Iraq either immediately or within a year, and more would rather have Congress running U.S. policy in the conflict than President Bush, according to a CNN poll out Tuesday.

Mike Rogers just doesn't get it. His constituents want an end to this war, yet he continues to support George Bush's failed policies.

As we have pointed out before, Mr. Rogers has been accepting campaign contributions from Iraq war profiteers for the past two election cycles.

Michigan's 8th district deserves better.

Rogers Votes Against Troops Pullout

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a $124 billion war spending bill that orders President Bush to being withdrawing troops from Iraq by the Fall of this year.

The 218-208 vote came as the top U.S. commander in Iraq told lawmakers the country remained gripped by violence but was showing signs of improvement.

The Senate was expected to clear the measure today, sending it to the president's desk in coming days as the first binding congressional challenge to Bush's handling of the conflict now in its fifth year.

"Our troops are mired in a civil war with no clear enemy and no clear strategy for success," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

Michigan's own 8th District Representative voted against this bill. Which means he supports President Bush's Indefinite War in Iraq. A war in which our troops are made to stand in the cross-fire of a civil war.

There really is nothing more for U.S. troops to do in Iraq. Saddam Hussein was defeated, tried, and then hanged. There were no Weapons of Mass Destruction (biological or nuclear). And there was no link between Al Qaeda and Saddam's regime. Now the Sunnis and Shia are fighting amongst themselves with the Kurds doing what they can to stay on the sidelines. For U.S. troops, they can neither win nor lose at this point; they can only try to stay alive.

It's clear, too, that the American people understand this (NY Times, reg. req.).

“Last fall, the American people voted for a new direction in Iraq,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California. “They made it clear that our troops must be given all they need to do their jobs, but that our troops must be brought home responsibly, safely, and soon.”

Evidently, Congressman Mike Rogers still doesn't understand what the American people or the people in Michigan's 8th District want.

Rogers votes against Iraq exit deadline

Well, it's official.

Mike Rogers voted against HR 1591 today, a spending bill with an Iraq exit deadline.

The House of Representatives on Friday voted 218-212 to approve a spending bill that includes a firm deadline -- August 31, 2008 -- for combat troops to leave Iraq.

A solid majority of Americans – six in ten – now favor a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq by the end of 2008.

Once again, Mike Rogers has chosen to support George Bush's disastrous war. A war that Rep. Rogers' campaign financiers have profited handsomely from. Apparently loyalty to Bush, and the corporate PACs that helped put him in office, is more important than the will of the people.

Our men and women in uniform, and 8th district voters, deserve better.

The Right Way to Protest Rogers & The War in Iraq

Vandalism is wrong, illegal, and ultimately counterproductive. It's the wrong way to protest something.

Here's the right way:

"What do we want? Justice!" many cried.

They marched down Michigan Avenue -- taking up two lanes -- all the way to Lansing and the district office of U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Brighton) with some demands.

"We the students, youth and community members of the greater Lansing area of Michigan declare our opposition to the war on Iraq," one student leader said.

The students say they want military recruiters out of high school classrooms. They're asking Rogers to put an end to the war and bring troops home. And they say the money spent on the war could be better spent fixing domestic problems.

"Congressman Rogers can make this happen now," a student leader said.

The group, roughly 100 in number, then marched back toward East Lansing along Michigan Avenue to join with a larger protest.

"We're here to stay stop the war; bring the troops home now," protester Maragret Kingsbury said.

Organizers estimate that at its peak, close to 400 were there.

"There's a realization that people are fed up and turning out where they weren't before," Harrow said.

Police say both protests were peaceful and no one was arrested.

This is the right way to protest Rep. Mike Rogers' moronic support for George Bush's war in Iraq. Let's hope he gets the message.

Rogers support of troops is lacking

As candlelight vigils all over the country today mark the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq and honor the more than 3,200 U.S. Servicemen and Women who have been killed and the estimated 100,000 that have been wounded in that occupation it’s interesting to look at the support those wounded and returning veterans are getting from their government when they return from the battlefield and other areas.

The nonpartisan Project Vote Smart has put together the grading criteria for Washington politicians of some veterans organizations that provide support to and a voice for veterans. We hear a lot from Republicans about how they support the troops and Democrats do not, but for most of the Republicans that means little more than waving a flag, putting a bumper sticker on their car and tying a ribbon around a tree.

According to the Disabled American Veterans of America that represents all of America's 2.1 million disabled veterans, their families and survivors, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers received a 66 percent on DAV’s issues, compared to 100 for Sen. Debbie Stabenow and 80 percent for Sen. Carl Levin. Michigan’s Democratic Senators have done more than just talk the talk like Rogers and others like him, but they have walked the walk. The good news is the attempt by Rogers to distance himself from Bush and his first contested race since he was elected to Congress in 2000 improved Rogers’ rating from 0 in 2005 and 2004.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Rogers a grade of C, but unfortunately, they did not give him a rating last year. The mission of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is to ensure the enactment of policies that properly provide for our troops and veterans. A mission Rogers only gives lip service to. In sharp contrast to Rogers’s lack of real support for the troops are the A- earned by Stabenow and the B+ earned by Levin.

Supporting the troops means a whole lot more than waving a flag and saying you “support the troops.” For a look at more veteran's ratings check out Project Vote Smart.

PAC Man: Mike Rogers funded by Iraq War Profiteers

On the 4th Anniversary of the Iraq War, I thought it would be prudent to take a look at some of the corporations that have profited from the conflict. Surprise – Surprise! Quite a few Iraq War Profiteers have been bankrolling Mike Rogers' political campaigns for years through corporate PAC contributions.

Here's the wall of shame:

• General Dynamics: The sixth-most brazen War Profiteer of 2006 gave Mike Rogers $10,000 during the 2006 election cycle, $4,000 during the 2004 campaign, and $7,500 during the 2002 cycle.
  
• Chevron: The eighth-most brazen War Profiteer of 2006 gave Mike Rogers $2,000 during the 2006 campaign cycle, and $1,000 during the 2004 election.
  
• ExxonMobil: The ninth-most brazen War Profiteer of 2006 gave Mike Rogers $5,000 during the 2006 campaign cycle, $2,000 during the 2004 election, and $3,000 during the 2002 cycle.
  
• General Electric: Raked in $2.2 billion in Military contracts during 2005, and gave Mike Rogers $2,000 during the 2006 campaign cycle, and $1,000 during the 2004 election.
  
• Lockheed Martin: The eighth-largest War Profiteer of 2004 gave Mike Rogers $4,000 during the 2006 campaign cycle.

The grand total comes to a cool $41,500.

Of course, war profiteering is nothing new. However...

in eras past, courageous leaders like Harry Truman opened up investigations into this kind of profiteering, today, lawmakers go out of their way to actually prevent scrutiny. Remember, it was the Senate last year that voted down legislation to create stiffer penalties for war profiteers, and it was Vice President Cheney who went to the Senate floor to curse off the bill's sponsors for having the nerve to even raise the issue.

When will it end? When lawmakers of both parties start putting America's national security concerns over the concerns of their defense industry campaign donors. In an era where every politician wants to be "pro-national security" - allowing defense industry profiteering is exactly the opposite. It drains resources away from the programs that actually protect our troops but have been underfunded, and it undermines a more effective 21st century defense policy that would better protect America.

Like virtually everyone in America, Mike Rogers says he supports the troops:

America’s military men and women who sacrificed so much must know that the new way forward in Iraq is a plan in which the military mission and the rules of engagement are clearly defined, and specific benchmarks are outlined for Iraqis to take over so our troops can come home.

Yet, when Mike Rogers got the chance to vote on the Iraq resolution opposing George Bush's vaguely-defined and ill-conceived troop escalation last February, he ultimately voted to support sending 20,000 additional troops to Iraq.

With at least 58% of Americans favoring withdrawal from Iraq immediately or within a year, it's not hard to see how painfully out of touch Mike Rogers is with the rest of the country, and his constituents in the 8th district.

Could it be that Mike Rogers ultimately puts the needs of his defense industry campaign donors ahead of our men and women in uniform? That's a question that only Rogers can answer, but based on his unwavering support for the War in Iraq after four years of bloodshed, I think his record speaks for itself.

Spitting out the Kool-Aid

Well, well, well. It would appear that Mr. Rogers' in-house paper, the Press & Argus, is once again following his lead and backing away from its previous position that the Iraq War is both necessary and successful.

In his morning's editorial, "War critics may be ultimate patriots," Rich Perlberg presented the earth-shaking idea that it's OK to dissent. In fact,

Too often, those who support the president have found it too easy to disparage the loyalty, rather than the arguments, of those who question the war's premise or its success.
[skip]
Rogers himself has suggested in the past that war critics in Congress are possibly aiding the enemy.

According to the editorial, Rogers didn't back away from this stance:

"Words matter," he said.

Yet the paper doesn't push Rogers on this contradiction. Clarify it for us, Mr. Perlberg: does Rogers think he's "possibly aiding the enemy" now? If not, what's changed?

It's not clear that the paper is accepting any responsibility for its earlier editorial stance in support of the war, either. Does Mr. Perlberg indeed think that the media has failed to ask tough questions?

If so, does he plan to start now?

Take Action Today in Lansing

There's lots of things in Michigan and Lansing that we all need to fight for, but as a country, we need to stand up to those who aren't looking out for our troops best interests.

I hope you'll consider taking a half-hour out of your lunch break today to do something to protect our troops from their own worst enemy, our President.

Consider joining me at noon at Mike Rogers' office to personally deliver letters from tens of thousands of Michigan's residents calling for a stop to the troop escalation in Iraq. From MoveOn -

On Thursday, MoveOn members are gathering outside hundreds of congressional offices to keep the pressure on Congress to block the escalation. We'll be holding signs and listening to compelling speakers, and we've invited the media.

We want to make sure we have a good-sized group from your district.

Can you join us at a "Congress Decides" letter delivery on Thursday around lunchtime in Lansing?

Where:Mike Rogers office on Michigan (between Holmes and Ferguson) Lansing
When: Thursday, Feb 22 2007, 12:00 PM
RSVP: MoveOn

A majority of those in Congress oppose the president's plan to escalate the war. Now we have to make sure they stop him. In a few weeks Congress will have to decide how far they're willing to go to block the escalation.

They're home for recess and this is our best opportunity to influence what they do when they return to Washington. They need to know that we're not going to rest until they start bringing our troops home.

The more of us who participate on Thursday, the louder our message will be. If we keep the pressure on now, we can make sure Congress does the right thing by blocking the escalation and taking steps to bring our troops home.

Can you join us on Thursday to tell Congress, You're the decider, you must stop the escalation?

Rep. Jack Murtha—who's been leading the fight to stop the escalation—recently told MoveOn members, "The time to act is now...We can get this done. We can bring our troops home."

Here in the 8th District we have an even bigger motivating factor, Mike Rogers' refusal to do what's right for the troops. As we've seen time and time again here at Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, Mike's not in the game of representing anyone else's interests besides his own extreme views.

We might not be able to bring them home tomorrow, but as our closest allies start to pull out there's no reason we should be putting any more troops at risk.

Our troops are the people that voluntarily risk everything to ensure our country stays great. Don't they deserve us fighting for them?

He's dancing as fast as he can

Mr. Rogers' remarks during this week's debate on the Iraq resolution were a virtuoso performance of tap dancing.

Rogers is against the proposed troop surge --

In a rare break from President George W. Bush, Rogers' nonbinding resolution states that Congress disagrees with the administration's troop surge

... tappity-tap-tap...

but he's also against the resolution because "it doesn't bring one soldier home."

No, wait, he's against it because "Its clear purpose is to divide those of us in this chamber ... This resolution does nothing to bring members together."

...tappity-tap-tap...

But isn't this the same Mike Rogers who earlier this month only included his GOP Intel committee colleagues in discussions of his alternative resolution?

Bonus irony points go to the Free Press for its article on how the Michigan Congressional delegation would be voting on the resolution. The sidebar listed 7 reps as "Supporters of resolution," 7 reps as "Opponents" and one with his own special category: "With another solution."

Hey, Mike's a special guy. He deserves his own category. And boy, can he dance!