Member of Kerry's national legal team faces solicitation citation in Detro

[Nambe]

DETROIT (AP)

A member of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's national legal team received a citation on accusations he solicited a prostitute, according to broadcast reports.

Former Michigan Democratic Party chairman Melvin ``Butch'' Hollowell, 44, who left his party post earlier this month, was pulled over Tuesday night by Wayne County sheriff's deputies after picking up a woman on a street not far from his home, Detroit station WDIV-TV reported.

Another broadcast report said Hollowell, who is married and has two children, was given a ticket following the stop. ..

Gov. Jennifer Granholm appointed Hollowell to the Michigan Civil Rights Commission last week. He contacted her office Thursday and said he planned to resign the appointment, Granholm spokesman Liz Boyd said. ..

Greg McNeilly, executive director of Michigan Republican Party, said the party does not ``feel it is a political issue or an issue for public discussion. Our sympathies are with him and his family as he works this out,'' McNeilly said.

Ride Don’t Drive * * It’s Global Cool

[Cha]

1. Oh brother! Just when he should have been watching

his p's and Q's!

[Nambe]

2. I was impressed with McNeilly's statement.

It is nice to hear from a non-neo-con. His voice will be shouted down by the likes of rush and drudge.

[Cha]

3. Oh yeah! I read that but I missed the part where he was a

republican..I thought they were words from a Dem! Very impressive!

[Gman]

4. McNeilly must be a classy guy

its momentarily pleasant to read about a Republican with some class. Kudos to McNeilly.

[noonwitch]

5. I've met Butch Hollowell

He and his wife and kids go to my church. They are very nice people-they wouldn't know me by name, but would know me if I saw them as I am a greeter there. His wife is Desiree Cooper, who writes for the Detroit Free Press.

I also used to live in the neighborhood where this occurred. It is a neighborhood that has a lot of prostitution, but it also has it's share of home owners and chaldeans. The houses are really cool, built mostly in the 30s and 40s, two-family, brick flats. The one I lived in had stained glass windows in front and on the sides. Where Butch lives is in a nearby neighborhood of mansions and private security.

My car broke down a few times on Woodward when I lived down there and people stopped to help me. Detroit men can be very protective of women in those situations-I took a ride from one once, but it was because he had his ancient mother in the car with him, who had told him "You don't leave that poor girl standing next to her car all alone on Woodward". Butch said that he was driving the woman to the 12th precinct, which is on 7 Mile Rd, just west of Woodward, and right across the street from his neighborhood (Palmer Woods). The police who ticketed him were likely from the 11th precinct, which is who covers everything east of Woodward, even though the 12th is right around the corner from the location. I'm inclined to believe Butch's side of the story unless I hear evidence to the contrary. Mainly I believe his story because he didn't pull one of those moves that Kwame's (The Mayor) friends always pull when they get in trouble-"do you know who I am?". He took his ticket and didn't harrass the cops, didn't call any of his big-wig friends to get him out of it, etc.

About ten years ago, I witnessed a man beat the daylights out of a woman at the corner of Woodward and 7 Mile, while I was pumping gas. It's hard in Detroit to make decisions about helping people out, but most of us also don't like to stand around and pretend nothing out of the ordinary is happening. The gas station attendant wouldn't call the police, and when the guy stepped away from her, I did approach the woman, who was undoubtedly a prostitute, and asked her if she needed any help. She said no, but I still tried to encourage her to call the police and I told her where the YWCA shelter was if she wanted to get away. I would have had to walk by the guy to use the pay phone, and didn't want to do that because he was already giving me dirty looks for talking to the woman.

[struggle4progress]

6. Statement of Melvin "Butch" Hollowell

August 20, 2004, 5:54 PM
Statement issued by Melvin "Butch" Hollowell:

"Last Tuesday, in broad daylight, as I was returning from work and just a few blocks from my home, I noticed a woman who appeared to be in distress, waving her arms. I stopped and asked if she needed help, and offered to take her to the 12th Precinct police station which is just a few blocks away. She declined and indicated that I could simply drop her off at a house around the corner.

"Moments later, a law enforcement vehicle pulled behind my car. The woman was detained by the officers and I was issued a citation and my car was taken by the officers.

"Nothing happened other than I saw someone who needed help, and I stopped to help her.

"The officers indicated that the woman was a known prostitute. No one was more surprised and embarrassed than me when the officers told me this. I am grateful that the police are working to try to clean up soliciting, since this is my neighborhood. I want it cleaned up, too.
<snip>

http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw102996_20040820.htm

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. Get your headline right. He is NOT a member of Kerry national team

He left already.

There is enough misinformation flying around. Please don't give the other side any excuse by creating some.