Dropping like flies

It's only been a year and a half since President Obama has taken office, and already Democrats are trying their best to distance themselves from him since he has proven to be anything but helpful to anyone he goes out to campaign for (just ask Creigh Deeds, Jon Corzine, or Martha Coakley). And since then, key Congressional Democrats like Chris Dodd, Evan Bayh, and Byron Dorgan in the Senate, Bart Stupak and Patrick Kennedy in the House, and even governors like Colorado's Bill Ritter are falling out of the political picture. Not a good sign for the President.

Now, as if the scene couldn't get any worse for the Democrats, another key House member has opted to retire from Congress.

Rep. David Obey (D-Wisconsin), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1969, at the heels of the Vietnam War. Raised a Republican, Obey became a Democrat around the age of 18 when one of his teachers was called a "Communist" by a supporter of Sen. Joseph McCarthy (who represented Obey's home state).

Years later, looking back at the McCarthy era, it's probably safe to say that the guy was right in calling the teacher a commie. But I digress.

Although Obey has compiled a strong liberal voting record in his time in the House (he requested that Rep. John Hostettler's (R-Indiana) words be taken down when he spoke on the modern war against Christianity in America), he has also had run-ins with more extreme libs in his party which he should be recommended for.

The most recent was last June when Rep. Maxine Waters (D-California) accused Obey of improperly touching her after he told her that he would not add a $1 million earmark that Waters wanted which would have named a public school training center in Los Angeles after her, a violation of the House's "monuments to me" policy.


Obey's Dodd/Crist-like departure from Congress, follows the heels of a strong challenge from Ashland County district attorney Sean Duffy (R) who is a former ESPN commentator and The Real World: Boston cast member. The challenge has proven to be Obey's most difficult challenge since 1968. His key roles in the passage of Obama's stimulus and health care bill may have effectively cost him the race.

Obey is the latest piece of evidence that Democrats are feeling the heat of being puppets of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid. And because of their blind obedience to party leadership, now feel like rats on a sinking ship and have to drop out than to face their constituents like real men and women owning up to the consequences. But I think the dishonor is eating away at them now, and we'll just have to settle for that I guess.