Berkeley mayor apologizes if you were offended by his city’s insult to the Marines
posted at 1:28 pm on February 8, 2008 by Bryan
Tis the DeMint-Cornyn money bullet that might eventually kill the hippie beast.
The mayor of Berkeley, Calif., has issued an apology to servicemen and women serving in Iraq following a flap over a City Council vote that told the U.S Marine recruiting station there it should leave, and if it doesn’t, is staying only as “uninvited and unwelcome intruders.”
The apology follows the introduction this week of the Semper Fi Act of 2008, pushed by Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., that would rescind more than $2 million in federal earmarks destined for Berkeley. DeMint was joined by five other Republican lawmakers in introducing the bill Wednesday after they were angered over the Berkeley City Council’s actions.
A companion bill entered in the House has the support of 45 Republicans. No Democrats are supporting either bill.
No Democrats in either house object to insulting the Marines as “unwelcome invaders” and a seditious attempt to keep them from recruiting in a US city? Good to know.
Following a public uproar, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates argued Wednesday that the council’s actions last week shouldn’t be linked to federal money dedicated to schools and other services, according to tan San Jose Mercury News. Bates is a retired U.S. Army captain.
“There’s really no correlation between federal funds for schools, water ferries and police communications systems and the council’s actions, for God’s sake,” Bates said.
But, he said: “We apologize for any offense to any families of anyone who may serve in Iraq. We want them to come home and be safe at home.”
I hate “we apologize for any offense” and “we apologize if you were offended” apologies. They’re evidence of a lack of contrition and put the blame on the victim for being offended. No sale on this one.
As for this part:
“There’s really no correlation between federal funds for schools, water ferries and police communications systems and the council’s actions, for God’s sake,”
Yes there is. From a constitutional point of view, providing for the common defense is actually in the document. Ferries and schools aren’t. Rejecting the one should trigger loss of the latter.
Blowback
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TexasDan on February 8, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Here’s how I get around the stray hair problem: The first thing I do is cut the head completely off and discard it. I learned a long time ago that there’s absolutely nothing in there that’s palatable.
bernzright777 on February 8, 2008 at 2:08 PM
Don’t forget the fava beans.
Kafir on February 8, 2008 at 3:53 PM
Maybe the Marines should accidently on purpose have war maneuvers in downtown Berkjerky to really give them a-holes a thrill.
countywolf on February 8, 2008 at 3:55 PM
Nah…simple solution (at least until November), Gitmo’s still open.
Limerick on February 8, 2008 at 3:58 PM
Natesnake, what you’re going for in the searing is trying to maintain the alchohol content. And don’t just assume that you can get an accurate read on the age from the driver’s license. I find it far more reliable to check the teeth.
I’m curious to know if anyone has tried deep bit barbeque? Wrapped in wet burlap, thrown in a hole with smouldering tree stumps and covered with dirt for a few days is a can’t-miss proposition in my book.
TexasDan on February 8, 2008 at 3:58 PM
And city council has no business discussing matters such as United States foreign policy. Stop this nonsense crap and get back to the business of the people….police, fire, rescue, schools, sewers and roads. Those are your concerns.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on February 8, 2008 at 4:00 PM
dispensing clean needles, dispensing condoms, providing free clinics to deal with STDs, providing mental health services for drug addicts, and handing out folding money for the homeless.
Isn’t that what City Councils are supposed to do CwacCwac?
pistolero on February 8, 2008 at 4:42 PM
Relocate Gitmo to Berkeley.
Trust me, the city council will go for any thing that closes that facility and moves allies closer to home.
jcrue on February 8, 2008 at 5:05 PM
Has anybody asked any of the Presidential candidates what their position is on the Berzerkley resolution. I mean considering these people are angling to be Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces this inquiring mind would like to know.
eclark1849 on February 8, 2008 at 5:42 PM
AAAAAHHHHHHH cutting off the cash nipple is getting to these hippies….kinda like someone cutting off their supply of weed (er…oregano).
I say we make EVERY member of that Supreme Soviet, and their Mayor/Commisar as well, stand on their knees and beg for those funds before the Marine Commandant. THIS we should televise.
Without the armed forces, we wouldn’t have all those things the good Mayor is lamenting about.
A full court press is needed on this issue; the press should not bury it or ignore it. This should be front page news until the hippie commies resind their idiotic resolution and pass one that states they welcome the Marines with open arms. Bryan, we trust you to stay on this. We’d trust AP but isn’t he too busy playing with his iPhone?
Bubba Redneck on February 8, 2008 at 5:56 PM
Hehehehee.
Califemme on February 8, 2008 at 7:18 PM
Maybe it’s time for more bomb-testing on US soil,…like back in the good ‘ole days… looks like we need some.
Capitana on February 8, 2008 at 8:28 PM
Mayor Tom Bates pleads guilty to theft.
Never let him forget what a thief of liberty he is, comrades.
petit bourgeois on February 8, 2008 at 8:28 PM
I know this crime is old, but it’s a very profound period of my life, having a thief mayor. I noticed his apologies always put the blame upon whomever he has directed his agenda to create an offense:
Haha, “I’m sorry” and “they are responsible.”
There is a certain pattern of sociopathic behavior with this guy. The electeds do these kinds of outrageous things in that city just to piss you off, and it comes back to bite them when they get out of hand.
The movement to cut off federal funds needs to gain traction and momentum in congress. The socialist state of CalifAztlan would never cut funding to that town, so congress is our only hope.
Go Bears!
petit bourgeois on February 8, 2008 at 8:42 PM
Here’s my take on it:
1. Suck all the apologies you can get out of the Berkeley City Council officials and make them grovel for the money.
2. Take they money away anyway.
That should teach them a lesson…
kylun on February 9, 2008 at 4:09 AM
Cut off electricity and water altogether. Let them fend for themselves.
Hate that responsibility thing? Sever them from the US entirely.
drjohn on February 9, 2008 at 8:41 AM
Hippie, the yellow meat.
Bubba Redneck on February 9, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Actually, thanks to UC Berkeley, we don’t have to.
Curses on their contribution towards national security!
calbear on February 9, 2008 at 2:07 PM
Love the receipes…got room for one more? Here’s mine
First get a 4×8 pine plank …make sure it still has a good piney odor. Drowns out the odor of the hippie. Anyway, take the plank shove it good and tight up the ..you know what…(that’s why you need a big plank) Cover with lots of garlic (that gets rid of patchooolie)and potatoes roast for 8 hrs at 250F. Remove from oven throw away the hippie and enjoy the potatoes and plank. Get a weeks worth of fiber and you lose all hankering for hippie.
Proudvet on February 10, 2008 at 11:08 AM
Seriously folks….that lame apology is just that…LAME! My uncle is buried in the Phillipines, paratrooper in WWII, just 20 yrs old and his first jump. His mother never got to visit his grave. My dad lost his hearing flying in unpressurized B17′s as a tail gunner. Another uncle served as medic in combat in the asian theater. Brother in A.F. in Thailand during ‘Nam, brother on a destroyer in the Tonkin area during ‘Nam. Husband on an aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Tonkin during ‘Nam. I’m a nam era vet, our daughter is an A.F. vet from the Gulf War era. My husband went on to re-up, this time in the A.F. (still in the ’60′s no less)and served 20 years helping to protect this great country. Protecting the rights of those stinkin’ idiots. No sir mr mayor, your lame apology is NOT accepted by this military family. Maybe if you crawled on your hands and knees over hot coals and beat your chest saying “mea culpa” a thousand times I might consider it. Til then, lose all funding and go to hell.
Proudvet on February 10, 2008 at 11:28 AM
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