More Taxes

Today, Dave Obey voted for the largest tax increase in U.S. History, $400 billion over 5 years. Broken down, here's how it would impact America.

26 million small business owners, by an average of $3,960.
48 million married couples, by an average of $2,899.
42 million families with children, by an average of $2,181.
12 million single women with children, by an average of $1,082.
17 million senior citizens, by an average of $2,270.

Good thing we put these guys in charge. Hopefully President Bush will veto the Democrats' plans.

The following are excerpts from an editorial Wausau Daily Herald. Read it and then our comments.

An hour with Rep. Dave Obey is an hour in a graduate-level political science seminar . . .

. . . you'll come to appreciate the mastery of context and details that distinguishes the nation's ablest public servants from the rest of the pack.

We wish more professional politicians spoke their minds that way. Obey's candor . . . is refreshing.

We suspect that the episode also reflects the lingering frustration of Obey and other experienced legislators from both parties who grew impatient over the past decade of congressional affairs managed by ideologically driven newcomers. Obey is a policy professional, more interested in getting things done than scoring political points.

And he is a pragmatist.

We at the newspaper are fortunate, and we know it. Our jobs enable us to spend quality time not just with Dave Obey but with our U.S. senators, the governor and lieutenant governor, members of the state Legislature and other public officials. It's a wonderful perch.

We emerge from the sessions with Obey - those 500-level poli sci seminars - knowing that we're lucky to be paid observers of one of the great congressional careers in the nation's history, distinguished not just by length of service but by deep intelligence, wisdom and passion - precisely the qualities the United States needs to lead us out of Iraq while protecting the lives of our soldiers.

We've often contended Obey has the press in his hip pocket, and this proves it - we even left out much of the kissing up the Daily Herald did to Obey in this editorial.

This You Tube incident isn't one isolated incident of Obey's temper and character, it's a perfect example of it. People all over Washington and the Seventh District have been berated by Obey for disagreeing with him for nearly four decades. Obey got away with it for years because he so carefully controlled his contacts with the media (do you think for one second Obey would have gone off and even cursed at these people had it been in a meeting with writers for the Daily Herald?) and because there wasn't a vehicle like You Tube.

It isn't "refreshing" as the Herald characterizes it, it's disheartening to think this man is our Representative in Washington because he certainly doesn't represent the character of the people of Wisconsin.

Obey Earmarking

Anyone else remember when Obey was decrying Republican use of special interest earmarks to buy votes and pay off lobbyists.

Guess what Dave Obey did in trying to get his Supplemental Appropriations bill passed - not tough to guess, he used earmarks.

Even $25 million for spinach farmers. What do spinach farmers and funding the ongoing War in Iraq have to do with each other? Answer: absolutely nothing unless you're either trying to buy votes or repay a lobbyist.

So which is it Dave, vote buying or special interest payoff (actually it's probably a combination of vote, the person(s) whose vote was bought is probably paying off a special interest lobby)?

Mean, Yes, and Not too Bright Either

Good thing these guys are in charge.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAREkvWi4rM

Dave Obey is Mean

Watch this video, particularly the last 3 minutes.

If this is how Dave Obey talks to his anti-war, anti-troop friends, imagine how he speaks to people he doesn't agree with when he doesn't think people are watching. And it's not like the people he's talking with are even raising their voices. They are standing there calmly and respectfully. Too bad Obey doesn't return their courtesy, but as we've said here many times, Obey feels he is better than everyone else.


[UPDATE] Hat tip to Red State, with :38 to go, Obey drops the F-bomb, "go f*** with somebody else."

He should apologize for denegrating the office. Again, these people were not yelling at him. They were not using profanity. Obey raised the volume on the conversation. He's a hothead and should be ashamed of himself.

Obey to the World - the U.S. Folds

We like watching the World Series of Poker on TV. Dave Obey's favorite part apparently is when the player with the best hand says, "I fold."

According to the JS online Obey said the measure features a timeline "for bringing the United States' participation in Iraq's civil war to an orderly and responsible close."

We knew it before, but now it's official, Obey says the U.S. should give up. Obey has been opposed to being Iraq since the beginning and always wanted our troops to fail-voting against funding for our troops and constantly undermining them in the media which emboldens the terrorists.

It's just too bad he never wanted us to succeed.