Fred Johnson Takes on Blackwater in Erik Prince’s Home Town

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Fred Johnson is the Democratic candidate for Congress in MI’s 2nd Congressional District.

When his opponent–Crazy Pete Hoekstra lackey Bill Huizenga–claimed to want to cut costs in a debate the other day, Johnson called him on his hypocrisy regarding cutting spending on military contractors, starting with Blackwater. [my transcript]

Johnson: When that one question [about Blackwater] came up [in an earlier debate], we have a private corporation, that is taking taxpayer dollars to basically making profit off of war, they all agree that yeah, they should keep on using those kind of entities. If we’re going to have everything on the table–if you’re really serious about spending, if you’re really serious about cutting back, trimming the budget–those kind of things have to go too. Not to mention that those kind of corporations are beyond the purview of the US Constitution, the US Code of Military Justice, and they often times present as much a headache when it comes to diplomacy and when it comes to good relations, some of those countries being our defense partners.

So it’s kind of disingenuous to say, you know, we have a prioritization. I’m talking about, not just talking about it, I’m talking about actually doing it. I’m talking about going down there with the vision and the courage to make those cuts.

Johnson’s call on Huizenga’s hypocrisy is interesting for two reasons. First, MI-2 includes Holland (where Johnson lives). That’s Erik Prince’s home town.

But just as interesting–the reason why Huizenga and other Republicans in this part of the world are particularly vulnerable to this claim of hypocrisy–since they’re reliant on funding from Prince’s sister Betsy and her hubby, Dick DeVos, and boast about being high school friends with Prince.

Mind you, Republicans nationally are dependent on DeVos cash. But at a local level this hypocritical demand from Republicans that we keep paying more for security services that make us less safe so that their donors’ families can keep getting rich is palpable.

Help Fred Johnson.

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  2. newz4all says:

    in the vein of mercenaries and “contractors”

    Alaskan Republican Senate candidate Joe “Militia” Miller’s bodyguards at forum included active-duty soldiers from Fort Richardson Alaska

    Questions surround Miller’s use of security force at school

    when i first saw the photo of the journo handcuffed and sitting in the chair with the two “security” guys standing and staring at him, i thought to myself ( being former airborne infantry ) those guys have what we called “high and tight” haircuts – wonder if they are active duty or just got out and doing the “security” thing. man, i was right on the mark!

    the usa is going to see more of this ( we already have with the armed blackwater response force to new orleans after Katrina ) as more and more Iraq, Iran, Afghan/Pakistan, Horn of Africa, Colombia ( all of the far flung outposts of the amerikan empire ) combat veterans muster out and are hired by these wanna be security companies ( like this alaskan outfit “dropzone” ( rolls eyes )) and start to interject themselves into the civilian sphere.

    note that these guys did not mess around and had this journo completely neutralized and out of the picture within seconds. they learned that the hard way – in combat, overseas.

    http://www.adn.com/2010/10/18/1507982/questions-surround-use-of-security.html

    http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/10/19/102273/guards-at-alaska-miller-even-included.html

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Maneuver_Enhancement_Brigade

    http://www.usarak.army.mil/3meb/Newcomers.asp

  4. JohnLopresti says:

    The post*s linked TPM Kurtz article covers more than Amway DeVos Sr.*s work supporting Republican electoral campaigns. It mentions, as well, the Federalist Society*s sponsorship of a von Spakovsky appearance soon at a forum sponsored by an entity to which deVos has contributed. The TPM jot seems to intimate the Republican party and DeVos are training for a reprise of the Y2K Brooks Brothers Rebellion, and classic Republican peri-balloting efforts to suppress and intimidate enclaves of Democratic party voters. Some of the DeVos spending appears to be of the neo Citizens United Scotus decision permitted *independent* expenditure variety; regarding which there is an interesting behavioral analysis paper available concerning how Scotus might revisit its definition of *corrupt* behavior engendered by anonymously underwritten speech from *independent* expenditure entities, especially in the current post-CU pre-electoral spending avalanche emanating from fundraising machines.

    • Citizen92 says:

      I’m still waiting for Mark Ferdinund “Thor” Hearne, III to reprise a “voting advocacy” role. “Thor” was hands deep in the 2004 election irregularities.

      The “DeVos Cloud” is thick. The Pillar Foundation. The Eagle Forum. Phyllis Schafly. CasiNO Watch. Mark Andrews. Porter Goss and his $11M estate in Florida. Lots of connections. Lots.

  6. alinaustex says:

    We all need to send Johnson’s campaign some money and thank him for standing up to the Extreme Right Wing ….

  7. madmatt says:

    Always remember Erik Prince is a WAR CRIMINAL who lives in the UAE so he won’t be indicted…somebody should of brought that up during the debate.