For Hoekstra, GOP’s Anti-Woman Policy Platform Reflects His Positions

From The Michigan Democratic Party:

GOP Adopts Out-of-Mainstream Positions on Women’s Choice Today in Tampa, But Hoekstra Wants More

LANSING – In adopting the Republican National Committee’s official policy platform today, Republican Party leaders in Tampa confirmed what most political observers already knew: that the GOP is more concerned with appealing to an out-of-touch and fringe social agenda than getting middle-class families back to work.

The GOP’s platform officially confirmed that party leaders agree with the policy position of Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin: the right to choose should be outlawed even for victims of rape and incest. And the GOP’s U.S. Senate candidate from Michigan, Pete Hoekstra, not only agrees with this position but his own agenda is even more extreme.

Statement from Mark Brewer, Chair of Michigan Democratic Party:

“Pete Hoekstra has spent his entire career fighting to turn back the clock on women’s health care and now he wants to bring that fight to the U.S. Senate. Today, the GOP adopted some of Hoekstra’s anti-women positions, like taking away rape victims’ right to choose. But Hoekstra’s voting record shows he also wants to make birth control illegal and give a woman’s boss the power to make the most personal of health care decisions for her. What the GOP did today is bad for Michigan, but you can be sure if Hoekstra gets his way things would get even worse.”

While in Congress, Hoekstra sought to control the most personal family decisions from his seat in Washington, D.C.:

• Hoekstra co-sponsored seven different pieces of “personhood” legislation that would not only outlaw choice for rape victims, but also make birth control illegal.

• He also supports legislation to allow women’s bosses to deny them any health care service — including mammograms, maternity care and other preventative care — for any reason.

• And Hoekstra even went so far as to vote to ban abortion for women serving in the military who are victims of rape.

MDP Statement: Pete Hoekstra Doesn’t Think Romney-Ryan Plan Goes Far Enough

From The Michigan Democratic Party

LANSING – Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer today issued the following statement on Tea Party Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra’s belief that the anti-middle class Romney-Ryan Plan for America actually doesn’t go far enough:

“If you asked Pete Hoekstra how he feels about Romney and Ryan’s plan to raise taxes on the middle class and end Medicare as we know it, he’d tell you it doesn’t go far enough,” said Mark Brewer, Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. “If elected to the Senate, Hoekstra will stop at nothing to make birth control illegal, give millionaires and billionaires massive tax breaks, reward corporations that ship Michigan jobs to China and end Medicare as we know it. The Romney-Ryan-Hoekstra plan is great for the special interests backing his campaign, but a very bad thing for everyday folks all across our state.”

Immediately after leaving Congress in 2010, Peter Hoekstra went to work at a high-powered Washington lobbying firm where he could keep fighting for special interests and against middle-class families. Not only does he support Herman Cain’s infamous 9-9-9 tax plan that would raise taxes on middle-class families by $4,400 a year, but he wants to entrust Social Security to Wall Street bankers and turn Medicare into a risky voucher program.

See below for background on Hoekstra’s outrageously anti-middle class agenda — it’s even worse than Romney and Ryan’s.

Hoekstra Supported Romney-Ryan Plan To Essentially End Medicare. In 2012, Hoekstra said he would have “obviously” voted for Rep. Ryan’s budget proposal had he been in Congress. [ITPP Candidate Forum, 5/08/12]

Wall Street Journal: [Ryan’s Budget] Would Essentially End Medicare. According to the Wall Street Journal, Ryan’s budget proposal “would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills.” [Wall Street Journal, 4/04/11]

The Ryan Budget Proposal Would Turn Medicare into a Voucher System and Force Seniors To Pay $6,400 More For Medicare Coverage. According to the Congressional Budget Office, under the Ryan budget proposal, seniors would have to pay $6,400 more per year for Medicare coverage. [New York Times, 8/11/12]

Hoekstra Supported Privatizing Social Security. According to the Grand Rapids Press, Hoekstra said “he supports private accounts” for Social Security. [Grand Rapids Press, 4/05/05]

Hoekstra Said Social Security Reform Must Include Privatization. In 2005, Hoekstra said, “I have a bias in favor of some portions of Social Security going into private accounts.” According to the Grand Rapids Press, Hoekstra said, “Any solution would have to include private accounts.” [Grand Rapids Press, 3/03/05]

Hoekstra Advocated For Social Security Privatization. In 2001, Hoekstra signed a letter from members of Congress to the President’s Commission to Strengthen Social Security that advocated for the privatization of Social Security.

From the letter: “Social Security reform must offer younger workers the opportunity to improve their rates of return using personal retirement accounts. Personal retirement accounts will transform Social Security from a government IOU into personal property and real assets that workers can own and pass along to their children.” [Letter To President’s Commission to Strengthen Social Security, 5/24/01]

Hoekstra Co-Sponsored Personhood Legislation Seven Times. From 1996-2000, Hoekstra co-sponsored seven bills that declared life begins at fertilization. [HR 881, co-sponsored on 2/04/09; HR 618, co- sponsored on 1/22/07; HR 552, co- sponsored on 2/02/05; HR 3069, co-sponsored on 5/05/04; HR 639, co-sponsored on 2/09/99; HR 641, co-sponsored on 2/06/97; HR 1625, co-sponsored on 1/03/96]

Personhood Legislation Would Make Abortions Illegal In Cases Of Rape Or Incest. According to the New York Times, personhood legislation would ban nearly all abortions, including those resulting from rape or incest. [New York Times, 10/25/11]

Personhood Legislation Would Make Contraception Illegal. According to the Washington Post, “personhood” legislation would not only outlaw abortion, but also hormonal birth control, IUDs and emergency contraception. [Washington Post, 10/28/11]

Hoekstra Supported Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 Tax Plan. In February, Hoekstra campaigned with Herman Cain in Michigan and said he supported Herman Cain’s “9-9-9 Tax Plan.” According to The Hill, “Hoekstra [was] one of the only candidates to have signed on as supportive of the plan.” [The Hill, 2/16/12]

9-9-9 Proposal Would Raise Taxes On Middle-Class Families By $4,400. Cain’s 9-9-9 tax proposal would raise taxes on middle-class households by an average of $4,400. [Associated Press, 10/18/11]

Millionaires Would Receive an Average Tax Cut of Nearly $500,000. According to PolitiFact, under Cain’s 9-9-9 proposal, millionaires would see an average tax cut of $487,300. [PolitiFact, 10/18/11]

Hoekstra Voted Repeatedly to Protect Tax Breaks for Companies Who Ship Jobs Overseas. Hoekstra voted three times to protect tax breaks for companies who ship jobs overseas. [HR 4213, Vote #324, 5/28/10; HR 1586, Vote #518, 8/10/10; HR 4520, Vote #258, 6/17/04]

Michigan Has Lost 79,868 Jobs Due To Trade Deficit With China. According to the Economic Policy Institute, between 2001 and 2010 Michigan lost 79,868 jobs due to the trade deficit with China. [Economic Policy Institute, 9/20/11]

Hoekstra: The Problem Isn’t Anything That The Chinese Are Doing At All. In a CNN interview, Hoekstra said, “The problem is American public policy, American domestic policy; the problem here is not anything that the Chinese are doing at all.” [CNN, 2/06/12]

Better Know An Anti-LGBT Senate Candidate: Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI)

By Josh Israel/Think Progress

Second in a series examining how anti-LGBT Senate candidates have worked to hurt the cause of equality.

With his primary win last Tuesday, nine-term former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) will be the Republican nominee against incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D). Unlike the incumbent, who has had a solid record in support of equality, Hoekstra has consistently worked to oppose the LGBT community on every major issue.

Over 18 years in Congress, his unsuccessful 2010 campaign for Michigan governor, and this Senate race:

1. Hoekstra actively pushed anti-LGBT bills. At least nine times, he signed on as a co-sponsor of anti-equality measures including the unconstitutional Defense of Marriage Act of 1996, a proposal to amend the U.S. constitution to prevent states from voluntarily recognizing same-sex unions, and a radical proposal totake away the right of same-sex couples to challenge discriminatory laws in state or federal courts.

2. Hoekstra backed an effort to restrict same-sex adoption. In 1999, he voted in favor of an amendment adding a rider to the District of Columbia Appropriations Act that would have prohibited “any funding for the joint adoption of a child between individuals who are not related by blood or marriage.”

3. Hoekstra has been a virtual zero on LGBT rights. He earned a zero rating from the Human Rights Campaign, voting against LGBT equality 100 percent of the time, in the 104th, 106th, 107th, 108th, 109th, and 110th Congresses. In the 111th Congress, he earned just a 10 percent score after voting against one anti-gay procedural motion.

4. Hoekstra has not even practiced non-discrimination personally. In addition to voting against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, he refused to evenadopt a non-discrimination policy against LGBT discrimination for employees in his own Congressional office. He also voted for an amendment in 1998 that would have effectively nullified President Clinton’s executive orderprohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation in the federal civilian workforce.

5. Hoekstra proudly boasts of awards he received from a designated hate group. His Senate campaign site highlights that he voted 93 percent of the time with the Family Research Council (FRC). His 2010 gubernatorial campaign sitebiography page noted that he received both the “Family, Faith and Freedom Award” and “True Blue Award” from the organization. The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated FRC as a hate group for its record of “false claims about the LGBT community based on discredited research and junk science.”

6. Hoekstra has proudly promoted his anti-LGBT backers. In this Senate campaign, he said “I could not be prouder to announce the endorsement of Rick Santorum. This is a major endorsement and shows that our campaign continues to build momentum.” In his 2010 gubernatorial campaign, Hoekstra ran an ad in which Focus on the Family Founder and anti-LGBT activist James Dobson praises him for supporting “traditional marriage.”

Listen to the Dobson endorsement ad:

Hoekstra has often attacked judicial rulings in favor of LGBT equality as “egregious judicial activism,” finding it inexplicable that courts could rule in favor of equal protection when he “firmly” believes marriage “is uniquely and essentially the union of one man and one woman.”

Hoekstra’s record is not just one of opposing LGBT rights, but one of actively seeking to take them away. His election to the U.S. Senate would be a huge threat to LGBT people and families.

Michigan Democrats Expose “Pete Hoekstra’s Greatest Hits” with New Website and Web Ads

From Michigan Democratic Party

Hoekstra Has Promised to Pursue Incredibly Anti-Middle Class, Out-of-the-Mainstream Positions; New Site and Web Ads Expose Hoekstra’s Outrageous Record

LANSING – Earlier today the Michigan Democratic Party unveiled a new website and Web ads to hold Pete Hoekstra accountable for his incredibly out-of-the-mainstream and anti-middle class agenda. Accessible at www.HoekstrasGreatestHits.com, the website covers the outrageous policy positions embraced by the Tea Party Caucus co-founder and current employee of a Washington lobbying firm.

“After spending nearly two decades in Congress fighting for special interests and an outrageous Tea Party agenda, Pete Hoekstra stepped right through the revolving door to go to work at a Washington lobbying firm,” said Mark Brewer, Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. “This new website and Web ads will hold Hoekstra accountable for his plans to raise taxes on middle-class families, end Medicare as we know it and force seniors to pay thousands more for health insurance. Hoekstra’s own record makes it clear he stands with the special interests he works for in Washington, not Michigan families.”

Pete Hoekstra spent nearly two decades in the House of Representatives fighting to reward corporations that outsource American jobs, co-sponsoring personhood legislation that would outlaw birth control and voting for GOP plans to raise taxes on middle-class families. In 2010, Hoekstra co-founded the Tea Party Caucus with Michele Bachmann, but has told supporters in Michigan that he “was tea party before tea parties existed.”

As a result of his bold-faced anti-middle class activism, Hoekstra has been endorsed by Tea Party leaders like Sharron Angle, Rep. Steve King, Herman Cain and Rep. Michele Bachmann.

The new MDP website, found at www.HoekstrasGreatestHits.com, and Web ads showcase the Top 10 most outrageous, anti-middle class positions that Hoekstra has taken over his career, in his own words. Hoekstra has already tried to distance himself from his record and this site will serve as a one-stop shop for voters wondering who Hoekstra would really fight for if elected to the U.S. Senate.

Pete Hoekstra’s Top 10 Anti-Middle Class Hits

1. Hoekstra Would End Essential Health Services for Women
Hoekstra wants to ban birth control and allow insurance companies to deny coverage for mammograms and prenatal tests, which would add a greater financial burden to middle-class families.

2. Hoekstra Crusades for End to Medicare, Privatize Social Security
Hoekstra says he wants to end Medicare as we know it and privatize Social Security.

3. Hoekstra Fights to Raise Middle-Class Taxes
Hoekstra endorsed Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 tax plan even though it would raise taxes on Michigan families by an average of $4,400.

4.  Hoekstra Fights For Special Interests
Hoekstra voted for the $700 billion Wall Street bailout and wants to repeal Wall Street reforms.

5. Hoekstra Blames America for China’s Anti-Competitive Trade Violations
Hoekstra says that neither corporations that outsource nor China’s trade violations are responsible for lost jobs.

6. Hoekstra Fights to Kill Student Loans
Hoekstra “tried to kill federal student loans for 18 years”– even though 640,000 Michigan students rely on them.

7. Hoekstra Calls Equal Pay Protection for Women a “Nuisance”
Hoekstra has called equal pay protections for women a “nuisance” and has said they “shouldn’t be law.”

8. Hoekstra Supports Drilling in the Lakes
Hoekstra wants to drill for oil in the Great Lakes; there’s little oil but a spill would devastate our economy and our greatest natural treasure.

9. Hoekstra Calls for a Birther Office
Hoekstra shows his true colors, calls for a federal Birther Office to investigate presidential birth certificates.

10. Hoekstra Opens Campaign with “Appalling” Super Bowl Ad
Hoekstra kicked off his campaign with the infamous Super Bowl ad, called offensive and divisive by GOP.

Hoekstra Calls for Repeal of 17th Amendment, Doesn’t Want Michigan Voters to be Able to Elect U.S. Senators

From Michigan Democratic Party:

Roll Call Reports on Hoekstra’s Support of Yet Another Out-of-Mainstream, Anti-Middle Class Position

LANSING – In yet another major national news report on Pete Hoekstra’s out-of-the-mainstream agenda, Roll Call has exposed that Hoekstra actually believes the 17th Amendment, which allows Americans to vote for their Senators, should be repealed. Hoekstra hypocritically wants Michigan residents to vote for him for Senate, but if elected he will support taking away their right to vote for Senators.

Ratified in 1913, the 17th Amendment allows Americans to directly elect their U.S. Senators. Before the Amendment was ratified, state legislatures appointed Senators. Repealing the 17th Amendment would return that power back to state legislatures.

According to the report, Hoekstra said three times during the GOP primary that the 17th Amendment posed a significant threat to states’ rights. When asked for his stance on the issue, Hoekstra said:

“Yeah, because what happens now is that a lot of the stuff where the federal government has assumed power, legislatures are absolutely pissed!…Y’know, so, if a Senator had gone and voted for No Child Left Behind, the legislature would’ve said, ‘Hey man, you ain’t going back!’ In terms of getting back to Constitutional roots, absolutely. It’s one of the unintended consequences of making them popularly elected. Yeah, I think it’d be a good thing.”

Mark Brewer, Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, had this to say about Hoekstra’s newest extreme position:

“We should be focused on jobs and the economy, not taking away people’s right to vote for their U.S. Senators like Hoekstra proposes. It’s hypocritical that Hoekstra is running for Senate, but would then take away the public’s right to vote for this office if elected. This is just another bizarre idea from an out-of-the mainstream candidate who can’t seem to focus on what people care about — creating jobs and strengthening our middle class.”

Repeal of the 17th Amendment is so far out of the mainstream that even Clark Durant, Hoekstra’s Tea Party primary challenger, said he wouldn’t support repeal. Durant said:

“Without the 17th Amendment, I wouldn’t be standing before you — the voters — to ask for your vote. Instead, a deal would be made behind closed doors and the establishment candidate would have a coronation.”

Hoekstra recently announced his desire to create a federal birther office staffed by FBI and CIA agents that would investigate birth certificates of presidential candidates. Hoekstra has also taken the following positions that would be detrimental to middle-class families:

• Called equal pay protections for women a “nuisance” and said they should should be repealed,
• Endorsed Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 tax plan, which would increase taxes on middle-class families by more than $4,000 a year,
• Co-sponsored six “personhood” bills that would outlaw birth control,
• Fought for the privatization of Medicare and Social Security,
• Said he would allow oil drilling in the Great Lakes, and
• Voted against closing loopholes for corporations that ship American jobs overseas.

Hoekstra started his campaign with the now infamous Super bowl ad that was called “offensive,” “appalling” and “really, really dumb”– and that was by Hoekstra’s fellow Republicans.

Brewer concluded:

“Why do Republicans have such a problem with democracy? First, McCotter’s Congressional staff forges election petitions, then Bolger and Schmidt try to rig an election, next, Ruth Johnson botches the administration of the primary, disenfranchising and confusing thousands of military and non-military voters, and now Hoekstra wants to take away the right to vote for U.S. Senators. A party that doesn’t respect the right to vote doesn’t deserve the support of the voters.”

Mark Brewer: Now Hoekstra Has to Explain His Anti-Middle Class Positions

From The Michigan Democratic Party

Hoekstra’s Out-of-Touch Tea Party Agenda Helped Him Win Primary; Now He Has to Defend It — Along with His Job at a D.C. Lobbying Firm

LANSING – Pete Hoekstra’s aggressive effort to align himself with a rigid Tea Party ideology helped the ex-Congressman and current Washington lobbying firm employee beat Clark Durant — but he now enters the general election with the most anti-middle class agenda of any statewide candidate in Michigan history.

The Washington Post said yesterday: “Hoekstra hasn’t acquitted himself terribly well for the general election, including running a controversial Super Bowl ad and then stumbling into a bit of a birther pickle… this is very much a third-tier target for the GOP.”

And Michigan columnist Kyle Melinn recently wrote that Hoekstra’s primary campaign was far more focused on pandering to the GOP’s most extreme elements rather than mounting a credible challenge to Debbie Stabenow.

Statement from Mark Brewer, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party:

“Pete Hoekstra’s out-of-the-mainstream agenda helped him win over the Tea Party and win his primary.  But he’s going to have a tough time explaining his anti-middle class positions and his job at a D.C. lobbying firm to general election voters.

“Hoekstra’s plan would increase taxes on the middle class, cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires, and privatize Medicare and Social Security while protecting tax breaks for big oil and corporations that ship Michigan jobs overseas.

“At his D.C. lobbying firm and in Congress, Hoekstra pushed policies that further rigged the rules for special interests, and that’s the last thing Michigan families need.”

Pete Hoekstra fully embraced the extreme elements of his party during the primary. Hoekstra proudly campaigned with Herman Cain and loudly touted the endorsements of Michele Bachmann, Sharron Angle and Steve King. As the co-founder of the Tea Party Caucus in Congress, Hoekstra actually framed the agenda that he and his opponents all ran on.

Pete Hoekstra was vocal during the primary campaign about his support for the privatization of Medicare and Social Security. He has embraced Herman Cain’s widely discredited 9-9-9 tax plan, even though it would increase taxes on the middle class while cutting taxes for the very rich, and he has refused to apologize to Michigan residents for voting time and again to protect loopholes for corporations that ship Michigan jobs overseas. During the primary, Hoekstra also said he supports drilling for oil in the Great Lakes, that equal pay protections for women are a “nuisance” and should be repealed and that he’s been trying to “kill federal student loans for 18 years.”

Meanwhile, Hoekstra proposed creating a new government agency in which CIA and FBI agents could investigate presidential birth certificates.

Below you will find background on the Hoekstra agenda and the devastating impact it would have on middle-class families:

#1: Privatize Medicare and Social Security

Pete Hoekstra has repeatedly supported plans that would:

• End Medicare as we know it and let private insurance companies make health care decisions for seniors. [Wall Street Journal, 4/04/11]
• Raise the costs of health care for seniors by thousands of dollars. [St. Petersburg Times, 4/22/11]
• Privatize Social Security. [Grand Rapids Press, 3/03/05; Letter To President’s Commission To Strengthen Social Security, 5/24/01]

#2: Cut Taxes for Michigan’s Very Rich; Raise Taxes on Michigan’s Middle Class

Hoekstra has pledged to raise taxes on Michigan’s middle-class families while cutting taxes for millionaires and billionaires.

• Pete Hoekstra supports Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 tax plan that would that would raise taxes for the average middle-class family by more than $4,000 a year while cutting taxes for millionaires by nearly $500,000. [The Hill, 2/16/12; Associated Press,10/18/11; Politifact, 10/18/11]
• Hoekstra also supports the so-called “Fair Tax” (i.e., eliminating the income tax altogether and creating a whopping 23 percent national sales tax) that would raise taxes on the bottom 80 percent of taxpayers by an average of $3,200 per year and give the richest 1 percent a $225,000 tax break each year. [Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, 9/04]

#3: Protect Taxpayer Giveaways to Companies that Outsource Michigan Jobs

Hoekstra has also voted on numerous occasions to protect tax breaks for companies that outsource. [HR 4213, Vote #324, 5/28/10, HR 1586, Vote #518, 8/10/10; Vote #258, 6/17/04]

#4: Drive the Tea Party Social Agenda Against Mainstream Michigan Values

• Pete Hoekstra Against Equal Pay for Equal Work for Women: Pete Hoekstra told a Tea Party crowd in Royal Oak that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act “shouldn’t be the law” and called equal pay for women a “nuisance.” The Lilly Ledbetter Act ensures that women have the ability to fight wage discrimination in the workplace. [Grand Rapids News, 4/13/12]
• Pete Hoekstra Would Make it Harder for Kids to Attend College: Hoekstra has called for the elimination of the Department of Education, a move that would eliminate Stafford Loans and Pell Grants. Pete Hoekstra even said he’s “tried to kill federalized student loans for eighteen years.”
  • 303,000 students in Michigan make use of Stafford loans.
  • 337,000 Michigan students rely on Pell grants.
  • The Hoekstra plan to end these programs would be extremely destructive to Michigan’s middle-class families. [Huffington Post, 5/14/12; Detroit News, 6/30/12; National Women’s Law Center, accessed 8/02/12]
• Pete Hoekstra Fights to Ban Women’s Access to Birth Control: Pete Hoekstra sponsored “personhood” legislation seven times while in Congress. His legislation would outlaw many forms of birth control. [HR 881, co-sponsored on 2/04/09; HR 618, co-sponsored on 1/22/07; HR 552, co- sponsored on 2/02/05; HR 3069, co-sponsored on 5/05/04; HR 639, co-sponsored on 2/09/99; HR 641, co-sponsored on 2/06/97; HR 1625, co-sponsored on 1/03/96; Washington Post, 10/30/11]
• Hoekstra proposed creating an Office of the Birther in which FBI and CIA agents would investigate presidential birth certificates. [The Hill, 5/30/12]
• Hoekstra supports drilling for oil in the Great Lakes. [Detroit Free Press, 5/12/12]

GOP Primary Pits Anti-Middle Class Republican Against Anti-Middle Class Republican

From Michigan Democratic Party:

Tomorrow’s Primary Election Doesn’t Matter Much — With Either Hoekstra or Durant, GOP Will Have Candidate with a Dogmatic, Out-of-the-Mainstream Ideology that Will Hurt Michigan Families

LANSING – Tomorrow’s GOP primary will finally determine whether Pete Hoekstra, an ex-Congressman who currently works at a Washington lobbying firm, or Clark Durant, a former Senate and Supreme Court candidate and currently a private school executive unlawfully collecting salary through a sham charity, has been more successful at appealing to the most out-of-the-mainstream elements of their party — and which will carry an agenda that will harm Michigan’s middle-class families into the general election.

As columnist Kyle Melinn wrote in his column last week, Hoekstra and Durant’s campaigns have been focused more on who can pander to the Tea Party the most than mounting a credible challenge to Stabenow. But starting Tuesday night, the winner will have to explain to general election voters why they support plans that would raise taxes on middle-class families, end Medicare coverage, do away with federal student loans and laws to help ensure fair pay for women. Hoekstra will also have to explain his plan to create a new government agency that would have CIA and FBI agents investigating presidential birth certificates, and Durant will need to explain his belief that public education is similar to slavery and that the income gap between the wealthy and the middle class “should be wider.”

“Clark Durant and Pete Hoekstra are two peas in the same out of touch pod,” said Mark Brewer, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. “No matter who wins tomorrow, the Republican candidate will have an agenda that further rigs the rules for well-connected special interests, rather than fighting for middle-class families, stopping outsourcing or protecting Medicare and Social Security.  Hoekstra and Durant have both made very clear they are more concerned with a severely out-of-touch ideology rather than with doing what’s right for Michigan families.”

Of the one and only GOP debate, columnist Tim Skubick agreed on Friday that Hoekstra and Durant are “peas in a pod” and ruefully explained that in their only televised debate the candidates succeeded only in displaying how similar their agenda really is.

The phrase “middle class” was not mentioned a single time by either candidate during the course of the debate.

Hoekstra’s New Ad Says Those Who Leak Intelligence Are “Amateurs” or “Traitors,” But What of His Own Record of Leaking Classified Intelligence?

From Michigan Democratic Party

MDP Launches New “Pete Leak-A-Lot Hoekstra” website to highlight Hoekstra’s long history of leaking sensitive intelligence

LANSING – In a breathtaking display of hypocrisy, Pete Hoekstra, a Senate candidate widely ridiculed for leaking intelligence on numerous occasions while serving on the U.S. House Intelligence Committee (click here for an example), released an ad today saying an individual who leaks intelligence “is either an amateur who has no idea how much damage they’ve done, or they’re traitors to our country.”

Hoekstra’s handling of intelligence information has been criticized by numerous media outlets including:

· The Muskegon Chronicle: Hoekstra “Shouldn’t Be Making These Kinds Of Judgmental Missteps, Especially Ones With The Potential For Catastrophic Results.”[Muskegon Chronicle, 2/17/09]

· The Kalamazoo Gazette: Hoekstra, “Lucky So Far That No Harm Has Come To Him, His Colleagues or The Nation As A Result” Of Twitter Mishap. [Kalamazoo Gazette, 2/18/09]

· The Rachel Maddow Show: “The problem, of course, is that Hoekstra is probably the single worst person in the country to talk about leaks that compromise national security.” [The Maddow Show, 06/08/12]

While Hoekstra was widely condemned by Republicans and Democrats for the hypocrisy in his first broadcast ad during the Super Bowl in February, this follow-up ad again exhibits astonishing hypocrisy–and frankly, exceedingly poor judgment.  Hoekstra must somehow believe that voters in Michigan have forgotten that the former West Michigan Congressman has a long record of leaking state secrets.

“Pete Hoekstra has repeatedly been ridiculed in the national media for leaking sensitive information, making this most recent ad breathlessly hypocritical,” said Mark Brewer, Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. “Time and again, Hoekstra has acted with incompetence when it comes to keeping sensitive national security information secret and has shown he can’t be trusted.

On no less than four major occasions during his tenure on the House Intelligence Committee, Hoekstra got himself in hot water for sharing classified information that weakened American national security and put American soldiers at risk. His actions even led, one occasion, to a former Armed Services aide saying Hoekstra had “placed people in harm’s way,” and, on another occasion, caused the Department of Defense to review how they communicate information to members of Congress [CQ Today, 2/10/09].

The following samples the national and Michigan coverage that Hoekstra received following his numerous intelligence leaks.

· In 2009, Hoekstra Leaked Sensitive Information from Iraq, via Twitter, about the locations of American soldiers, putting the soldiers in harm’s way and our national security at risk. [Grand Rapids Press, 2/9/09]

· In 2009, Hoekstra revealed secret intelligence to the Washington Post that showed the Fort Hood shooter, Maj. Nidal Hasan, and a radical cleric, Anwar al-Aulaqi, had conversations before the fatal shootings, and that al-Aulaqi was under surveillance. [Think Progress, 11/09]

· In 2008, Hoekstra actually revealed classified information in an opinion piece about how intelligence leaks undermine US intelligence operations. [ABC News, 8/07]

· In 2006, Hoekstra fought for the declassification of 50,000 boxes of secret documents and posting them online. The documents included directions for building an atomic bomb and nerve gas. The website was later taken down over national security concerns. [Washington Post, 3/17/06]

· Former Republican Congressional Aide Said Hoekstra’s Disclosure “Probably Placed People In Harm’s Way.” In February 2009, CQ Today reported: “A former Armed Services aide who is a Republican and a military veteran was more blunt. ‘By relaying that information and telegraphing what they were doing, he probably placed people in harm’s way,’ said the aide, who requested anonymity because his company deals with Hoekstra’s office. ‘It’s just common sense.’” [CQ Today, 2/10/09]

After the Iraq-Twitter location incident, Hoekstra’s spokesperson said “posting Twitters gives people as much insight as possible into the sights and sounds of [Hoekstra’s] activities”; following outrage at Hoekstra’s 2006 plan to release the 50,000 boxes of documents, Hoekstra’s spokesperson said “complaints about the site ‘didn’t sound like a big deal.’”

To highlight Hoekstra’s long history of leaking sensitive information, the Michigan Democratic Party launched thePete Leak-A-Lot Hoekstra website today. Found at www.pete-leak-a-lot.tumblr.com, the site chronicles Hoekstra’s most serious security breaches, including when he tweeted his location in Iraq against Department of Defense orders, and his plan to release 50,000 boxes of documents from Iraq, that contained directions for making nuclear weapons and nerve gas. Visitors to the site will be able to vote for Hoekstra’s most damaging national security leak.

GOP Candidate Who Flirted With Birtherism Claims Comments Had ‘Nothing To Do With Obama’

By Igor Volsky/Think Progress

Michigan Senate candidate Peter Hoekstra (R) defended his flirtation with birtherism during an appearance on CNN this afternoon and claimed that his proposal to establish a government panel to ensure that future presidential candidates are born in the United States is unrelated to the false allegations that President Obama was born in Kenya. “This has nothing to do about Barack Obama, this has nothing to do about the past, this is all looking forward,” he said. Moments later, however, he failed to affirm that Obama’s birth certificate is real and merely insisted that nobody has “discredited” its authenticity. Asked why he was proposing to further expand the role of the federal government, Hoekstra explained, “I’m all about solutions.” Watch it:

“I’m not participating in [the birther] debate,” Hoekstra added. “I think that this issue has been settled.” He also said that he saw “no connection at all” between this proposal and his racist ad depicting a Chinese worker mockingly thanking Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

ICYMI: Pete Hoekstra Tells Tea Party Audience He Supports Oil Drilling in Great Lakes

From Michigan Democratic Party

Hoekstra spokesman then reiterates Hoekstra’s opposition to federal ban on Great Lakes Drilling and Praises Slant Drilling Technology

LANSING – In case you missed it, the Detroit Free Press reported that Pete Hoekstra recently told a Tea Party audience in Clarkston that he supports a plan to drill for oil in the Great Lakes. Hoekstra’s support for directional drilling in the Great Lakes was captured here on video.  A Hoekstra spokesman then reiterated to the Free Press that Hoekstra opposes the current federal ban on Great Lakes drilling, saying that the states should have the authority to allow drilling if they choose.  The Hoekstra campaign also reiterated, according to the Free Press, that Pete Hoekstra believes that directional Great Lakes drilling “holds promise and could allow for drilling if states deemed it safe”.

While Hoekstra’s campaign seemed to attempt to backpedal from Hoekstra’s comments initially in the Free Press story, they went on to double-down on the fact that Hoekstra does not want a federal ban on Great Lakes drilling and thinks states should be allowed to approve directional drilling–presenting a stark difference between Hoekstra’s position and that of Senator Debbie Stabenow.  Stabenow authored the federal ban on Great Lakes drilling in 2001–the very first bill Senator Stabenow passed into law when she began serving Michigan in the United States Senate in 2001, and, according to the Free Press, “has been a prominent force for keeping drilling out of the Great Lakes ever since.”

Stabenow’s Great Lakes drilling ban, which Hoekstra is opposing, was passed with a bipartisan vote in a Republican-controlled Congress and signed into law by President Bush.

“Hoekstra’s desire to end the federal ban on drilling the Great Lakes for oil is totally out of the mainstream and completely outrageous,” said Mark Brewer, Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. “Even most Republicans have supported the ban on drilling in the Lakes because they recognize that a disaster like the BP spill in the Gulf or the Enbridge spill in Michigan could destroy the Great Lakes–and the jobs and industries that depend on them. Pete Hoekstra’s dangerous plan to allow Big Oil’s drills into the Great Lakes would threaten hundreds of thousands of jobs and our state’s most important natural resource.”

Studies show that allowing drilling for oil in the Great Lakes would produce a very small amount of oil–the U.S. Geological Survey says that even if oil companies got every drop of oil possible out of the Great Lakes, it would provide the country with a little over two weeks (16 days) worth of energy (USGS estimates that there is about 312 million barrels of oil recoverable in the Great Lakes, and the US consumes 19 million barrels per day).  An amount that small would have virtually no impact on world markets or affect the price of gas at the pump.  But while the benefits of Great Lakes drilling would be incredibly small, the risk of a spill could be potentially devastating to the Lakes and the multi-billion dollar tourism, boating and fishing industries that depend on them. Risking the Great Lakes’ devastation for literally a few days worth of oil is widely viewed as a risk not at all worth taking–which is why so many in both parties are against Great Lakes drilling.

Along with passing the federal ban on drilling in the Great Lakes, Senator Stabenow has also continued to pressure the Obama Administration to pressure Canada to implement a similar ban. Senator Stabenow continues to lead efforts to stop the spread of invasive species, like Asian Carp, from getting into the Great Lakes, and has remained a tireless advocate of common-sense conservation efforts that protect one of Michigan’s most important economic assets.

“Penny-Pinching” Pete Hoekstra Spends like a Drunken Sailor

From Michigan Democratic Party

Lansing – According to newly released FEC reports obtained by the Associated Press, Pete Hoekstra’s campaign for U.S. Senate is in serious trouble. In an attempt to bury the announcement of his fundraising totals, Hoekstra posted on his Facebook page late last Friday night that he had raised $700,000 during the quarter. No official press release or comment was made by his campaign, although his lackluster total was reported on by both national and Michigan outlets.

But what “Penny-Pinching” Pete didn’t mention on his Facebook page is that reports revealed today show that he had actually brought in only $695,000 since the start of 2012…and that he spent a whopping $677,000 of it, blowing nearly everything he brought in. In spite of having almost no campaign presence around Michigan, Pete “Spend-it-Not” has magically turned into Pete “Spends All He’s Got”.

“It looks like Pete Hoekstra is spending like a drunken sailor,” said Mark Brewer, Chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. “While I’m sure divisive Super Bowl ads are expensive to make, it’s clear that if Hoekstra can’t keep spending under control on his own campaign, there’s no way he’ll be able to deal with the struggling economy in Michigan or effectively advocate for middle class families.”

One of Hoekstra’s main expenditures during the first quarter of 2011 was a divisive Super Bowl ad that was heavily criticized even by fellow Republicans.  The ad caused a surge in Senator Stabenow’s fundraising and suppressed Hoekstra’s fundraising.  Hoekstra’s mismanagement has set his campaign off to a rocky start to the election year.

Hoekstra’s $695,000 quarter is less than half of what was raised by Senator Stabenow (over $1.5 million) and a significant decrease from the $983,000 Hoekstra was able to raise in the last quarter of 2011.

Clark Durant, Hoekstra’s leading opponent for the Republican nomination, reported raising $558,000 and spending $234,000.  According to the Associate Press, Durant now has $1.51 million on hand, practically matching Hoekstra’s on hand total of $1.54 million.

Meanwhile, Senator Stabenow has approximately $7 million on hand.

Hoekstra: Ledbetter Equal Pay Act a “Nuisance” that “Shouldn’t be Law”

From the Michigan Democratic Party

LANSING – At the Commune restaurant in Royal Oak yesterday, former Congressman Pete Hoekstra told supporters how he really feels about the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a law that ensures that women will get equal pay for equal work. According to Representative Hoekstra, the law is a “nuisance” and would support its repeal if elected.

Click here for audio (“nuisance” at 00:28 mark).

“It’s insulting to women and their families that Pete Hoekstra thinks a law that guarantees equal pay for equal work is a nuisance and should be repealed,” said Mark Brewer, Chair of the MI Democratic Party. “When women are discriminated against, and paid less for the same job, it damages our economy and our community. Repealing this absolutely critical protection for women would be yet another blow against middle class families fighting to make ends meet.”

Question: Will you work to repeal the Ledbetter Act, or will you support, if elected to office?

Hoekstra: Will, you know, will repealing it be a priority? If you came back and said, you know, that’s really the thing that’s hurting my business the most. My guess is there are other things that we can do that have a higher priority in terms of what I, what I believe might need to be done. I think you know we need to create - that thing is a nuisance. It shouldn’t be the law.”

Background: Over the course of his eighteen years in Congress, Rep. Hoekstra consistently voted against the economic interests of women. He stood up for policies that would allow insurance companies to deny coverage for mammograms and prenatal tests, and require women to bear the full cost of contraception. He voted against the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009.

New poll gives Debbie Stabenow 21-point lead over Pete Hoekstra

By Troy Reimink/MLive.com

A new poll shows incumbent U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat, with a sizable lead against challenger Pete Hoekstra, a Republican former representative from Holland.

The data, released today by NBC News-Marist, shows Stabenow leading Hoekstra 53-32, with 15 percent of respondents undecided.

MSNBC's Michael O'Brien states what seems obvious -- that Hoekstra might have dug himself into a hole with hisnow-infamous Super Bowl ad:

Hoekstra's disadvantage may well reflect a degree of fallout related to an ad run by his campaign in Michigan on Super Bowl Sunday. The Republican candidate took fire for racial overtones in the ad, which depicts an Asian woman speaking in broken English, facetiously thanking Stabenow for spending policies which, the ad contends, help China.

Polling from the previous week showed fellow GOP contender Clark Durant trailing Stabenow 33-50, with the remainder undecided, according to Talking Points Memo's poll aggregator.

Stabenow earlier this week said Hoekstra "should be embarrassed" by his ad, which featured an Asian-American actress, in broken English, thanking "Senator Spenditnow" for sending American dollars overseas.

Trying To Move Past Xenophobic Ad, Hoekstra Decides To Campaign With Herman Cain

Zachary Bernstein/guest blogger for Think Progress

Former Michigan congressman Pete Hoekstra, now campaigning for Senate against Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D), announced a state-wide bus tour yesterday dubbed Patriots For Pete, featuring former presidential candidate Herman Cain, who suspended his campaign after facing multiple allegations of sexual harassment. While Cain’s support is likely intended to rally the Republican base, it could backfire.

Hoekstra, of course, has been in the news recently thanks to a xenophobic campaign ad attacking Stabenow. That ad has been criticized by Democrats and Republicans alike, and the actress who appeared in it has apologized for her role. (The ad and its accompanying website have since been taken down.)

If Hoekstra is trying to move the discussion away from his controversial statements, he probably should have stayed away from a man who had these things to say about minorities during his campaign:

– On whether being gay is a choice: “Well, you show me the science that it’s not and I’ll be persuaded. Right now it’s my opinion against the opinions of others who feel differently.”

– On Americans banning mosques: “Yes. They have a right to do that. That’s not discriminating based upon religion.”

– On an (unconstitutional) loyalty oath for Muslims: “When you interview a person for a job, you look at their work record, you look at their resume, and then you have a one-on-one personal interview. During that personal interview, like in the business world and anywhere else, you are able to get a feeling for how committed that person is to the Constitution.”

– On sharia law and religious freedom: “We have a First Amendment. And I get upset when the Muslims in this country, some of them, try to force their Sharia law onto the rest of us.”

– On his border fence: “It’s going to be 20 feet high. It’s going to have barbed wire on the top. It’s going to be electrified. And there’s going to be a sign on the other side saying, ‘It will kill you — Warning.’”

Hoekstra has his own record to be concerned about, having courted controversy well before the now-infamous ad was released. Seeking support from others who make outlandish statements might not be helpful to his campaign.

Pete Hoekstra website tied to controversial Super Bowl ad taken down, but campaign calls move natural progression

By Nate Reens/MLive

GRAND RAPIDS – The websitedebbiespenditnow.com, which featured a Chinese theme and controversial ad criticizing U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, has been taken down and redirected to the campaign of former U.S. Rep Pete Hoekstra, a Republican seeking to knock of the Democratic incumbent.

The affiliation between the sites has never been hidden – Hoekstra has sought to brand Stabenow as an excessive spender who threatens the country in comparison to his fiscal restraint. But on Thursday, four days after a heavily criticized Super Bowl ad that played on racial stereotypes and drew national attention, the site was redirected topetespenditnot.com, a pitch that extols the strengths of the Holland Republican who served nine terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Campaign spokesman Paul Ciaramitaro said it is a natural progression from the first commercial.

“After hundreds of thousands of visitors to the micro-site saw our first campaign ad and the effects of Stabenow's reckless spending, we wanted to direct traffic to Pete's site where voters can see our second ad, which lays out Pete's vision of fiscal discipline and economic growth,” he said.

The website switch came on the first day that Hoekstra's top opponent in the Republican primary,Clark Durant, launched a commercial that puts both the Holland hopeful and the incumbent Democrat in the same net.

Durant said in an interview with the Press and MLive.com that Hoekstra supported raising the debt ceiling, voted for the Wall Street bailout and has been symptomatic of the problems within the federal government.

The commercial and website "demeans people, misleads the public and is hypocritical on Stabenow's spending." It led Durant to enter his televised response.

"I realized it reflected everything that is wrong with Washington," said Durant, who polling shows to be Hoekstra's top competition for the Republican nod. "I couldn't sit on the sideline and let it go.

"I didn't want to attack anybody, but I want people to know that their voting records on the most fundamental of issues are nearly identical."

Durant said he also didn't like the name-calling by Hoekstra.

"We need to have serious conversations because our country has serious debt and serious issues that need to be addressed," Durant said.

Hoekstra's campaign said it had no response to the Durant ad, and that they were focusing their energy on defeating Stabenow.