Monday, March 12, 2007

Dave Obey responds:



Dave did a more detailed response to the viral video that's floating around the Internet.

Madashell posted it on another board but you can see the whole thread here

Dave's whole response can be found here but here are a few "snippets".

“I am sorry that I yelled at them. I respect their passion on the issue; I wish they would respect mine. We are both frustrated, and that led us to have an argument that we never should have had because we both want to see an end to U.S. involvement in that war. What divided us was the question of how.

“When they were arguing that I should vote against the legislation that I am sponsoring, they did not know that the proposal would in fact give the House its first opportunity in the four years of this misguided war to vote on a time line for bringing it to a close.

and a "killer" line at the end:

“This is just another example of how Americans have become needlessly and painfully divided on a war that I have opposed from the beginning and that the President should never have misled us into.

“I intend to continue to press forward to pass this legislation because it is the best chance we have to bring our involvement in that civil war to a conclusion.”

I have never doubted Dave's sincerity. I have never doubted his opposition to this war. I will tell you an awful secret about being an elected official. The difference between what your constituents WANT versus what is POSSIBLE is sometimes gigantic. And sometimes elected officials have to do the most difficult thing imaginable: tell their constituents the truth they don't want to hear.

Well....that's what Dave did....rudely perhaps....brusquely perhaps...and for that we accept his apology...


As an aside: Dave Obey will be the keynote speaker at the 7th CD Convention on April 28. Do we expect to see a "kinder, gentler" Dave Obey there? With any luck....NO...he'll still spout fire and brimstone from the podium just like he always does.....and he'll tell us to hold onto our Democratic principles and never give up the fight....just like he always does...and just like always, we'll walk off the convention floor inspired by his leadership, breathing fire and looking for a Republican to take it out on.....

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