In response to the kick-off protest for the local Iraq Summer campaign, Grand Rapids area Representative Vern Ehlers has once again pledged his commitment to maintaining the occupation of Iraq. In an article in the Grand Rapids Press, Ehlers said that the protestors' goal of removing troops from Iraq would be a "total disaster." Ehlers further stated that "we're [the United States] is going to need a presence there at this time."

As has been the case with Ehlers statements' about the war from the lead-up in 2002 through 2006, as well as more recent statements on the war, Ehlers attempts to paint himself as a "critic" of the war while simultaneously advocating the continued occupation of Iraq. Ehlers says that he is "no supporter of war" and that the issue is "real and should be addressed," but offers no solutions, echoing statements earlier this year in which he claimed that he has been critical of the war since its inception despite never making those criticisms publicly until this year. Moreover, Ehlers' claims in the Press article are never investigated and indeed Ehlers himself offers no proof that leaving Iraq would be a "disaster."