Berkeley's Waving the White Flag

The city of Berkeley isn't too excited about the national attention they've gotten because of their attempt to drive the Marines and their recruiting office out of the city.

BERKELEY, Calif. -- As six Republican senators devised a plan to yank $2.3 million in federal funding for Berkeley programs, the mayor of the famously liberal city apologized Wednesday for his hard stance against a Marine recruiting center.

Two City Council members vowed to soften their stance as well.

At their Tuesday council meeting, leaders will discuss scrapping a letter that might be perceived as targeting the center or the Marines.

The letter said that the recruiting center was not welcome on Shattuck Avenue and that the Marines were uninvited and unwelcome intruders.

"That letter will probably be pulled back and maybe more moderate language will be put in place which is appropriate I think," said Berkeley mayor Tom Bates.

"Subtly stated in the resolution is perhaps an impugning of the soldiers fighting for us in Iraq and other places," Berkeley City Councilman Laurie Capitelli. "And that was never the intention but that really needs to be cleared up. As I walked to my car that night I realized I regretted it and I had made a mistake."

Bates said the city didn't mean to offend anyone in the armed forces and the focus should have been on the war not the troops.

Move America Foreward is planning a counter demonstration at the City Council Meeting on Tuesday, and the Code Pinkos are panicked that their precious City Council will fold under pressure (as they already are). The Council and the Pinkos are trying to stack the meeting room with antiwar nuts to freeze out the patriots and keep them from both attending and speaking.

It should be a fun meeting.