Congressman Fred Upton urged to denounce Trump strategist Steven Bannon
By Madison Bennett | MLive
KALAMAZOO, MI - Community members delivered a petition to Congressman Fred Upton's office in Kalamazoo asking him to publicly denounce Steve Bannon, a close adviser to President Donald Trump.
Bannon serves as chief strategist to Trump and is formerly executive chairman of the conservative Breitbart News Network.
Upton, R-St. Joseph, is in his 16th term representing Michigan's 6th District covering the state's southwest corner.
"We feel that as our representative it's his (Upton) right to speak out against him (Bannon)," said Kathy Murphy, a retired Kalamazoo Public Schools teacher who led the petition drive.
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Those who gathered Tuesday, Feb. 7 at Upton's downtown office called Bannon "racist" and described him as a "white nationalist."
Kalamazoo Vice Mayor Don Cooney, a Democrat who tried unsuccessfully to unseat Upton in the 2008 and 2010 election, was among those expressing concerns with Bannon's role in the White House.
"Well we're here to say that it's unacceptable to us, that a man with Steve Bannon's background, which has been so much into white dominance, so much anti-Islam, so much intolerant of all different kinds of people, is standing next to the president," Cooney said.
Kalamazoo community members deliver petition to Congressman Fred Upton
Murphy said she had reached out to Upton and his Kalamazoo office multiple times to discuss Bannon's role in the Trump White House, as well as the president's recent executive orders, but got no response. So she created the petition, which more than 989 signatures when the group arrived at Upton's office, and decided to deliver it to Upton's office.
"It's a result of him not getting back with us and taking this seriously," Murphy said of the petition and rally, which was sponsored by the group Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponents of War.
Lynn Turner, community and media liaison for Upton, met with the group after they arrived at the congressman's office.
"This is an important topic. Whatever topic it is that the constituents want to talk about we're here to listen," she said.
"Even if they disagree with Fred, he needs to know about it and he needs to know their concerns," said Turner, who said he would deliver a report to Upton.
Tiffany Hudok, of Kalamazoo, said she just wants her voice, along with others, to be heard as concerned citizens.
"I came out here today because I want to hold Fred Upton accountable for his votes and his position and I want him to represent a group of people that he has not heard for a long time," Hudok said.
This post originally appeared Feb. 7, 2017 on MLive.com.