The Berkeley City Council successfully removed its foot from its mouth early Wednesday when it rescinded its previous statement that U.S. Marine Corps recruiters were “uninvited and unwelcome intruders” in the city, according to today’s Oakland Tribune online edition. The council had voted on Jan. 29 to send a letter to the Marines with the “unwelcome intruders” phrase, but then reversed course after the decision sparked outrage across the nation and threats by Republican politicians to cut funding to the city, local schools, and UC Berkeley. The council’s actions also spurred daylong protests yesterday in downtown Berkeley.
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