Obey’s Macaca Moment

Obey\’s Macaca Moment

VIDEO: Tina Richards on \”Hardball\”

Rep. David Obey went ballistic yesterday.

Unfortunately, he unloaded on a military mom from Missouri, Tina Richards, and it was caught on camera.

Obey stressed the need for liberal groups to understand that cutting off military funding means de-funding important military programs, such as hospitals for veterans. “I’m not going to deny body armor. I’m not going to deny funding for veterans’ hospitals and for defense hospitals so you can help people that have health problems. That’s what you do if you go against that bill,” he added. Asked about passing a resolution to end the war, Obey screamed that they did not have the votes. “We don’t have the votes to pass [a resolution],” he yelled. “We couldn’t even get the votes to pass a non-binding resolution one week ago. How the hell do you think we’re going to get the votes to cut off the war?” “You cut off the funding,” an onlooker replied. “How, if you don’t have the votes?” Obey roared in response. “That bill ends the war! If that isn’t good enough for you, you’re smoking something illegal. You’ve got your facts screwed up.” “We can’t get the votes! Do you see a magic wand in my pocket?” he continued, opening his suit jacket as if to display an empty pocket. “We don’t have the votes for it. We do have the votes if you guys quit screwing it up. We do have the votes to end the legal authority for the war, that’s the same as de-funding it.” When The Hill contacted him Friday about the videotaped encounter, Obey immediately apologized for getting angry with the woman, saying that his immense frustration about “this stupid war” boiled over. “Once in a while that frustration boils over, I wish it hadn’t but you cannot continue conversations forever,” he said. He also continued to skewer “liberal groups” for failing to inform the members and the public that the war supplemental spending bill contains language aimed at ending the war. … .. Obey berates woman over war funding, later apologizes

The Missouri mom had quick arguments in interviews on cable. Short version: quit using Republican talking points. It gets us nowhere. Ouch.

Obey\’s tantrum is now all over the web and cable news shows. I truly feel for him, after
all, he voted against the war from the start. But his ire is not only misdirected,
but illustrates the bankruptcy of his argument. Democrats don\’t have the votes
to stop the war? It\’s our fault that they don\’t? With diatribes like
Obey\’s it\’s no wonder.

Howie
lets fly on Obey.

I\’m sick to death of reading crap
like this, which dodges and ducks the real issue, which is using the constitutional
authority Congress has to stop the Iraq war. Democrats may not have a veto proof
voting majority or even anything close, but that\’s no reason not to mount the
fight. A fight that must go beyond \”redeployment\” language, which
most readers understand is mumbo jumbo, wait Bush out nonsense. Democrats need
to include funding threats that have teeth. Unfortunately, Reid made it clear
earlier this week on Charlie Rose that he has no
intention of cutting off any funding for the war, even though escalation
has now morphed into a build up into \’08.

And so, Obey has his macaca moment and the Democrats continue to look feckless.

Make the fight. You may lose, but you\’ll go down swinging instead of spinning.