Response to Dave Obey's Media 'Blitz'
April 9th, 2009

I recently read the article “Pie with the Congressman” in which Greg Marsten from the Osceola, WI, “Valley Wire” interviewed Dave Obey while Obey was enjoying his pie and ice cream at one of his recent campaign stops.

As a freedom loving, constitutional conservative, I take offense at Obey’s blanket disrespect for a large share of the American people when he denigrated Republicans.  I long for the day when political leaders cease their prejudicial actions of segregating people based on political persuasion. We are Americans, and we all want what is best for our country.  It’s our leaders from each party that have the problem.  Dave Obey’s idea of borrowing money we don’t have and spending it on things we don’t need to increase the size of government, which we don’t want, is no more the beliefs of a Democrat than Bush’s actions were the beliefs of a Republican when he did the very same thing last year.   I, as a Republican, agree with my Democrat friends that both Bush and Obey are wrong in their actions.  The cry was loud and clear during the campaign that the people did not want 4 more years of Bush, yet this new administration seems to be giving us just that.   Mr. Obey is willing to increase our debt greater  than the total amount of debt our nation saw from the time of George Washington to George W. Bush combined.  That’s right, in less than 6 months, Dave Obey, the man in charge of spending our money will have more than doubled our national debt.  While Washington continues to spend trillions in taxpayer dollars on bailouts and other government programs, middle-class families and small businesses are making sacrifices when it comes to their own budgets.   The spending in this nation’s budget is so massive that independent estimates suggest roughly 250,000 new federal bureaucrats may be needed to spend it all.     It is the largest tax increase in history. The new energy tax will cost every household up to $3,128 annually.    It has already cost American jobs.  The majority of those hit by the Obama and Obey income tax increase are small businesses who supply us with those jobs and it is estimated that the new tax on charitable contributions could cost American charities at least $9 billion per year.

My solution to this present crisis is no more Republican than Dave Obey’s solution is that of a Democrat.  The difference is apparently how we were raised and what we were taught growing up. 

Dave Obey’s actions show that he believes that it is just fine to take from others to get what he wants.  He has no problems borrowing money that he knows he can never repay and spend it without concern that our great great grandchildren will still be trying to pay it back.  While Dave Obey claims he is for the people, he neglects their needs.  When Murphy Oil found out that they were going to see a 2 million dollar tax increase on their business, they put a huge expansion of their company, which would have produced hundreds of jobs, on hold.  Rather than relieve Murphy Oil of that financial tax burden so they could create jobs, Obey spent more than twice the amount of tax revenue on rebuilding 6 antique lighthouses in the same area.  Reminds me of the father who spends his paycheck at the racetrack while his wife and kids are sitting at the table without food.

I was raised differently.  I was taught that a budget was something you set so you could live within your ability to pay.  My parents taught me that we needed to work hard to earn the money needed to get the things we wanted.    Dad didn’t say “take it easy.” He said “work hard and earn your keep”, or “make hay while the sun shines.”   We didn’t buy a new house; we fixed up an old one.  We weren’t able to buy soda pop at the store, but we sure knew how to make lemonade out of lemons. We didn’t need handouts, and we didn’t want them.  But when someone was in trouble or an elderly person needed help, my Dad rounded us up and we were there to do what we could.  We were taught that a community thrives when we work together.   It’s Americans like my dad that brought us out of the Great Depression.

“Money doesn’t buy happiness,” nor does it create jobs.  Americans create jobs when their burdens are lifted, their spirits are up, and they are free to pursue their dreams.

Obey tries to justify his actions by referencing leaders of the past such as Roosevelt, where I on the other hand would probably use JFK or Ronald Reagan to support my solutions.  Roosevelt thought government had the answer, while John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan felt the answer was in the hands of the American people. 

Obey can keep his advisors and his campaign rhetoric. I’ll  put my trust in common sense.  For example: There once was a hunting dog chained to a pole in the yard.  Obey wanted that dog to hunt so he increased the size of the collar and added to the chain.  He put a new roof on the house and poured a sidewalk to the woods to make it easier for the dog to get there.  But the dog still wouldn’t hunt.  He even cut the food and water in half to make the dog hungry, but the dog still wouldn’t hunt. Upon seeing this, I found fault with his efforts, and Obey angrily blurted out as he usually does,  “All you do is complain and find fault.  If you’re so smart, why don’t you do something?”  So I did.

I unhooked the chain and called the dog by name.  “Come on, ‘America’.   Let’s go hunting.”  And we did.  If you give us our freedom, remove the chains from our neck, remove the burdens from business and industry, and let the people keep their money, they will soon rebuild this nation once again.  I dare Mr. Obey to tell the American people they are not the answer to this problem.  We’re ready to hunt, if you will just unleash us.  Oh, one more thing. Get your grubby hands off our guns, too! 

The paper also emphasized that Obey was originally elected on April Fool’s Day.  Hmmmm?

The interview with David Obey ended when he finished his pie and ice cream. I can just imagine how he would respond to those in the 7^th district who have lost their jobs and are worried about putting food on the table for their family.  He would just wipe the last morsels of pie and ice cream from his lips and say,  “ Let them eat cake pie!”

Daniel Mielke

7^th Congressional District Candidate

www.danielmielke.com