Join Congress See the World - Obey Tells a Whopper
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=417109\
Eureka, someone in the mainstream media is taking Obey to task for his travel indulgences. Yes, he took a $5,854 week-long trip to Jamaica in February. Then Obey had the audacity to call it "the gold standard of ethical trips."
Here are some excerpts from the Journal-Sentinel article:
Washington - In late February, House Democrat Dave Obey and his wife enjoyed a free, six-day trip to Jamaica.
The House was in recess. The week of Feb. 20 was billed as a "district work period," timed to Presidents Day.
Yet Obey was nowhere near his district office in snowy Wausau, where the week's average temperature never crept much past 17 degrees.
He was in sun-splashed Montego Bay, joined by nearly a dozen lawmakers and their spouses. The temperature hit 84 degrees when they arrived Feb. 21.
It continues:
Obey, for his part, staunchly defended the trips he has taken over the years courtesy of The Aspen Institute - to Paris, to Florence, Italy, and the Grand Cayman Islands, for example.
He called them the "gold standard" for ethical trips because they're funded by philanthropic foundations. No government, corporate, special-interest or lobbyists' money funds Aspen's congressional public-policy conferences.
Obey, in an interview, acknowledged they are. He said that in light of the multiple demands on lawmakers in Washington and at home, plus family responsibilities, "You're not going to get them to go to Peoria for a damn conference. That's why they have decent locations."
First, we must set the record straight. The Aspen Institute is full of corporate and special interest influence. Here is the link to its Board of Trustees On it you will find CEO's, Lobbyists, High Powered Lawyers . . . you get the idea. Here is the link to its Annual Report which lists support from Fortune 500 corporations. We don't know if Obey actually believes what he's saying, but when you defend something as the "Gold Standard" of ethical behavior, you'd think you'd check your facts first.
So, just to be clear, Dave Obey once again (and trust us he's been all over the world on these things, he averages two a year) instead of going home to his district to work, was in Jamaica, in February on an all expenses paid week long trip. The trip was funded, albeit not directly, by corporations, CEO's, Lobbyists, etc.
We're not implying that Dave Obey is doing anything unethical. However, he has clearly gotten so ingrained in the Washington, DC mentality that he thinks he can get away with telling his constituents this is a trip free from special interest influence.
At the end of the article, Obey tells whopper number 2 while retelling whopper number 1 -
Obey, who noted that he spends more than 100 days a year in his district, said the Aspen programs are "the best way you can have to learn about something." He said its conferences are different from others because of its rules barring special-interest funding - and lobbyists.
I dare anyone to find Dave Obey in this district for 100 days a year. That's a fabrication of laughable proportions.
Thanks to Katherine M. Skiba for calling Obey on the carpet on this issue. Keep spreading the word.
Eureka, someone in the mainstream media is taking Obey to task for his travel indulgences. Yes, he took a $5,854 week-long trip to Jamaica in February. Then Obey had the audacity to call it "the gold standard of ethical trips."
Here are some excerpts from the Journal-Sentinel article:
Washington - In late February, House Democrat Dave Obey and his wife enjoyed a free, six-day trip to Jamaica.
The House was in recess. The week of Feb. 20 was billed as a "district work period," timed to Presidents Day.
Yet Obey was nowhere near his district office in snowy Wausau, where the week's average temperature never crept much past 17 degrees.
He was in sun-splashed Montego Bay, joined by nearly a dozen lawmakers and their spouses. The temperature hit 84 degrees when they arrived Feb. 21.
It continues:
Obey, for his part, staunchly defended the trips he has taken over the years courtesy of The Aspen Institute - to Paris, to Florence, Italy, and the Grand Cayman Islands, for example.
He called them the "gold standard" for ethical trips because they're funded by philanthropic foundations. No government, corporate, special-interest or lobbyists' money funds Aspen's congressional public-policy conferences.
Obey, in an interview, acknowledged they are. He said that in light of the multiple demands on lawmakers in Washington and at home, plus family responsibilities, "You're not going to get them to go to Peoria for a damn conference. That's why they have decent locations."
First, we must set the record straight. The Aspen Institute is full of corporate and special interest influence. Here is the link to its Board of Trustees On it you will find CEO's, Lobbyists, High Powered Lawyers . . . you get the idea. Here is the link to its Annual Report which lists support from Fortune 500 corporations. We don't know if Obey actually believes what he's saying, but when you defend something as the "Gold Standard" of ethical behavior, you'd think you'd check your facts first.
So, just to be clear, Dave Obey once again (and trust us he's been all over the world on these things, he averages two a year) instead of going home to his district to work, was in Jamaica, in February on an all expenses paid week long trip. The trip was funded, albeit not directly, by corporations, CEO's, Lobbyists, etc.
We're not implying that Dave Obey is doing anything unethical. However, he has clearly gotten so ingrained in the Washington, DC mentality that he thinks he can get away with telling his constituents this is a trip free from special interest influence.
At the end of the article, Obey tells whopper number 2 while retelling whopper number 1 -
Obey, who noted that he spends more than 100 days a year in his district, said the Aspen programs are "the best way you can have to learn about something." He said its conferences are different from others because of its rules barring special-interest funding - and lobbyists.
I dare anyone to find Dave Obey in this district for 100 days a year. That's a fabrication of laughable proportions.
Thanks to Katherine M. Skiba for calling Obey on the carpet on this issue. Keep spreading the word.
posted by ObeyOut2006 at 2:25 PM
5 Comments:
did AP pick this story up and run anywhere in the 7th?
the local newspapers are afraid of Obey. I bet few take him on.
we have to spread the word ourselves - e-mail that link to all your friends and neighbors.
I've re-read this a couple times and looked at all the links. how can Obey say this is a special interest free organization with a straight face? He's been in Washington too long.
It's amazing that there were four posts on this subject in less than 45 minutes....
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