RUBBER STAMP
Republican Joe Knollenberg
(MI-09)

Woefully out-of-step with his district, Joe Knollenberg is now trying to cut and run from his long record of rubberstamping the Bush administration's policies on Iraq. After four years of voting in lockstep with George W. Bush, Knollenberg is claiming that his "patience with the war is growing thin." But talk is cheap, and the fact is that Joe Knollenberg's rhetoric doesn't match his record. Knollenberg may talk a good game on Iraq now, but his record shows that he's still the same old rubberstamp for the Bush administration.

Case #1: Iraqi Accountability

The "New" Joe Knollenberg

  • 1/25/07: Knollenberg Says Iraqis Must Step Up
    "He (Knollenberg) wants the Iraqi government to step up and take over security of their own country," said Trent Wisecup, Knollenberg's chief of staff. "That's the impetus behind our change in tone." [Detroit Free Press, 1/25/07]
  • 2/15/07: Knollenberg Says Iraq Must Meet Benchmarks within 90-120 Days
    "I want to see the benchmarks met and progress made within the next 90 to 120 days," Knollenberg said in February 2007. [Congressional Record, 2/15/07]
  • 2/15/07: Knollenberg Says Iraqis Should Assume Responsibility
    "It is time for the Iraqis to step up to the plate and assume responsibility for the security of their nation." [Congressional Record, 2/15/07]

The Real Joe Knollenberg

  • Voted Against Setting Benchmarks for Success in Iraq
    In 2005, Knollenberg voted against requiring President Bush to set benchmarks for measuring U.S. progress in Iraq in areas such as defeating the insurgency, establishing democratic institutions and bringing U.S. troops home. [HR 2601, Vote #398, 7/20/05]
  • Opposed Requiring Iraqi Government to Meet Benchmarks for Success
    In 2007, Knollenberg voted against a bill that set a goal of redeploying most U.S. combat troops in Iraq by the end of March 2008, if the president can certify the Iraq government is meeting benchmarks, and by the end of 2007 if he cannot. [HR 1591, Vote #265, 4/25/07]
  • Rubberstamped Bush Veto of Benchmarks for Iraq
    In 2007, Knollenberg voted against an attempt to override President Bush's veto of legislation to require accountability in Iraq. The bill set as a goal of redeploying most U.S. combat troops in Iraq by the end of March 2008, if the president can certify the Iraq government is meeting benchmarks. [Congressional Quarterly; HR 1591, Vote #276, 5/2/07]
  • Voted Against Benchmarks for Iraqi Government
    In 2007, Knollenberg voted against legislation to require the president to report on progress the Iraqi government has made toward meeting specified benchmarks and goals. [Congressional Quarterly; HR 2206, Vote #333, 5/10/07]



Case #2: Policy and Strategy

The "New" Joe Knollenberg

  • 1/25/07: Knollenberg's Patience Wearing Thin
    In January 2007, Knollenberg claimed that his "patience with the war is growing thin," and said: "We need to see real progress in Iraq soon." [Detroit Free Press, 1/25/07]
  • 6/22/07: Knollenberg: Conditional Support to Bush to Stabilize Iraq
    "I have given my conditional support to the Bush Administration's new Iraq strategy in hopes that it will stabilize the country and put the Iraqi government in a position to assume the security of its own nation." [State News Service, 6/22/07]

The Real Joe Knollenberg

  • Supported War in Iraq
    In October 2002, Knollenberg voted in favor of President Bush's resolution allowing him to declare war on Iraq. [HJR 114, Vote #455, 10/10/02]
  • Opposed Competitive Bidding on Iraq Contracts
    In 2003, Knollenberg voted against an amendment to require that normal competitive bidding procedures were followed in procurement using funds appropriated for Iraq's oil infrastructure, even in emergencies. [HR 3289, Vote #557, 10/17/03]
  • Opposed Investigation on Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners
    In 2004, Knollenberg voted against the establishment of a select committee to investigate the treatment of detainees in the global war on terrorism, including all allegations of abuse of Iraqi prisoners. [HR 4200, Vote #205, 5/20/04]
  • Opposed Investigation into Contractor Spending in Iraq
    In 2005, Knollenberg voted against the establishment of a select committee to investigate reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, including contracting procedures, protection against money laundering, and the allocation of contracts to foreign companies and small businesses. [HR 1268, Tierney amendment, Vote #72, 3/15/05]
  • Opposed Crackdown on War Profiteering
    In 2005, Knollenberg voted against a motion to recommit a gang violence bill with instructions that it be amended to include a provision expanding the criminal code to cover "war profiteering and fraud relating to military action, relief, and reconstruction efforts in Iraq." [HR 1279, Vote #167, 5/11/05]
  • 11/3/05: Voted to Kill Hearings on Bush Iraq Policy
    In 2005, Knollenberg voted to kill a bid by Democrats for the House to begin conducting oversight hearings into a wide range of administration actions and policies relating to the war in Iraq. [Washington Post, 11/06/05; Motion to Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair, Vote #562, 11/03/05]
  • Voted Against Accountability in Iraq Contracting
    In 2006, Knollenberg voted against an amendment that would prohibit contracts by the Secretary of the Army to any contractor if the Defense Contract Audit Agency has determined that more than $100 million of a contractor's costs involving work in Iraq were unreasonable. [HR4939, Vote #60, 3/16/06]
  • 2006: Endorsed Bush Policy in Iraq
    In 2006, Knollenberg voted for a resolution endorsing President Bush's Iraq policy while declaring that the United States will prevail in the war against terrorism. The resolution also took a stand against setting withdrawal dates. [CQ Today, 6/16/06; HRS 861, Vote #288, 6/16/06]
  • 2006: Knollenberg Says 'See the Mission Through'
    "America should remain committed to seeing this mission through. A premature withdrawal from Iraq would send a message of weakness to the terrorists who want to destroy America. Failure in Iraq is not an option. America cannot cut and run." [Detroit Free Press, 11/01/06]
  • 2007: Supported Bush Escalation Plan
    In 2007, Knollenberg voted against a resolution expressing support for U.S. military personnel serving in Iraq while disapproving of President Bush's decision to deploy more than 20,000 additional U.S. combat troops to that country. [HCONRES 63, Vote #99, 2/16/07]
  • 2007: Opposed Bringing Troops Home by August 2008
    In 2007, Knollenberg voted against a bill that would set in motion a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by August 2008. [CQ House Action Reports, No. 110-3, 3/20/07; HR 1591, Vote #186, 3/23/07]
  • Opposed Requiring Bush to Report on Progress in Iraq
    In 2007, Knollenberg voted in favor of a motion to kill a requirement that the Bush administration report to Congress on benchmarks for success in Iraq. [HR 2206, Vote #332, 5/10/07]
  • Knollenberg: Withdrawal Would be Wrong
    "... I think this is the wrong decision at the wrong time for America," Knollenberg said in June 2007. [State News Service, 6/22/07]
  • Opposed Accountability in Iraq, Redeployment of Troops
    In July 2007, Knollenberg voted against a bill to require the Defense secretary to begin redeploying U.S. troops and contractors out of Iraq within 120 days of the bill's enactment. [Congressional Quarterly; HR 2956, Vote #624, 7/12/07]



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