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Obey to Chippewa Dems: If you think you're frustrated, how do you think I feel?

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Dave Obey is frustrated, he told Chippewa County Democrats at a "Pizza and Conversation" gathering at the Fill Inn in Chippewa Falls on Thursday, Feb. 18.

He's frustrated at Republican's complaints about the Stimulus bill. That bill, he said, tried to take care of Main St after the Bush bank bailout took care of Wall St. Based on their complaints, he said Republicans are apparently AGAINST:

Extending unemployment compensation to those out of work
Expanding COBRA (continuation of health insurance for recently unemployed workers)
Building 20 highway projects in northern Wisconsin
Increasing Pell Grants (assistance for post-secondary school costs)
Keeping 1 out of 10 police officers and 1 out of 7 teachers on the job who would otherwise have been laid off

He's frustrated with the hypocrisy of the opponents of health care reform. He said:

The "market" has run health care all along.
45 million don't have insurance.
Insurance companies rule the roost and cancel policies at will.
Republican Representative Ryan's proposal eliminates the promise of Medicare for everyone now under 55.
The House health package adds coverage for 33 million people. Republicans would only add 3 million.

He's frustrated with trying to get House bills passed in the Senate, which he said is like a bazaar due to the 60 vote requirement to get anything done.

Republicans have used the filibuster 102 times this session.
Republicans filibustered 3 times against an unemployment compensation bill, then they all turned around and voted for it.
The Republican strategy is to stall and prevent Obama from getting anything done.

He said there was only one time before in his entire Congressional and state legislative career in which things were this bad, and it was his first year in the state legislature. That year, the Republicans were hopping mad that Democratic Governor Reynolds had been elected in a surprise upset. As a result, they decided to prevent the legislature from passing anything at all, so as to make Gov. Reynolds look ineffective and get him beat in the next election. They had the power to do that in the state legislature, and they were successful in gumming up the works so the voters defeated Reynolds re-election.

In answering a question, he dropped one of the scariest tid-bits of the night: there are 1/3 the number of reporters covering congress that there were 5 years ago. The Washington Post is about to lay off even more reporters, and the remaining reporters don't have time to do "process" stories.

Our veteran congressman said he was frustrated, but he sounded downright angry.

-Richard Smith

Last Updated (2010-05-06 22:55:09)