Day By Day© by Chris Muir.

February 02, 2008

Move America Forward Plans Protest at Berkeley City Council Over Marine Recruiting Center Harassment

I just received a press release from Melanie Morgan at Move America Foward about Berkeley's attempts to get a Marine recruiting center out of their city. Here's the press release in full:

BERKELEY – Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, convicted of stealing 1,000 free newspapers from the Daily Californian newsstands in 2002, is at it again.

The Mayor is attempting to steal the free speech rights of the United States Marine Corps by harassing the recruiting center into abandoning its lease.

Move America Forward has launched a petition drive denouncing the Mayor and the Council, while demanding an apology to the USMC at its website www.moveamericaforward.com.

The response was so overwhelming it crashed the site within minutes after launching, fueled by intense coverage from bloggers, talk radio, Internet, television reports and pro-troops organizations like the American Legion, Vets for Freedom, Gathering of Eagles and EaglesUp.

Move America Forward plans to deliver the protest petitions at the Berkeley City Council's next regularly scheduled meeting on February 12th.

“We are looking at all options to stop Berkeley from issuing gifts of public funds, such as free parking spaces, and violating the Constitution,” said Catherine Moy, Executive Director of Move America Forward. “We have contacted all branches of our government to redress these issues, and will explore all legal, legislative and executive avenues to stop the injustice perpetrated by the Berkeley City Council.”

A national backlash erupted last week over Berkeley’s attack on Marines. Mayor Tom Bates was forced to reconsider resolutions telling America’s heroes they are “intruders.”

However, Bates has taken a further steps to shutter the doors of the Marine’s recruiting station.

Bates told the Contra Costa Times that he would broker a deal to release the Marine’s from their building lease. But the Marines said they will stay.

“Mayor Bates, in his arrogance, has crossed the line by trying to steal the Marine’s First Amendment Rights, and we will not stand for this treasonous behavior. His stunning offer to "broker a deal" to release the Marine's from its building lease shows the depth of his contempt for our military men and women,” said Melanie Morgan, chairman of Move America Forward. “Our group will stand with the Marines until their attackers stop.”

The Berkeley council on Tuesday passed two resolutions condemning the Marines as part of a campaign by anti-war activists to shut down the recruiting center. The council also gave Code Pink, a leftist group that daily harasses the Marines with hate speech, a free parking place and noise permit.

Move America Forward initiated a campaign for people to call and e-mail the rogue City Council. Thousands of e-mails, calls and letters of denunciation have poured into the offices of Bates and other council members who support the efforts to drive the USMC out of town.

Move America Forward applauds the proposed legislation by U.S. Senator Jim DeMint to strip Berkeley of all pork barrel spending, amounting to $2.1 million dollars.

A companion bill in Congress is now being prepared.

I agree that Berkeley shouldn't get federal dollars if it wants to keep our military out of its city limits. It's even tempting to suggest that should our shores need defense against invading forces that Berkeley be left to its own devices.

But what can you expect from a city who re-elects a mayor who stole 1,000 copies of a (free) newspaper because that edition had the endorsement of his opponent in an election?