Freedom Line Blog

Representative David Obey (D-WI), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, announced Wednesday he will not seek reelection this November, leaving a well-worn seat occupied since 1969.  Mr. Obey is the most recent on a lengthy list of long-serving Democrats seeking to “begin a new and exciting chapter” of life, in the words of fellow retiree, Bart Stupak.   Surely this has nothing to do with the widely expected revolt against the party in power.

Still, Obey wants there to be no confusion:

“I’ve won 25 elections. Does anybody really think I don’t know how to win another one?  Or, for that matter, has anybody ever seen me walk away from a fight in my life?”

Even so, after four decades in office, bowing out on one’s own terms is a far more desirable option than being battered or possibly blown away in the storm that’s brewing for this fall election.  Sen. Chris Dodd saw the writing on the wall and accepted his “moment to step aside.”

Dodd, Obey and Stupak all took serious political hits in the last year and a half.  Dodd was at the helm of oversight on Wall Street when things went south.  Obey spearheaded the wildly unsuccessful $787 billion economic stimulus.  Stupak infamously caved during the final ObamaCare vote.  Each has made a career contributing to a legacy of spending that has our country on the brink of financial ruin.

Now, each rides off into the sunset.  Enjoy retirement, fellas.  Don’t worry about the mess.  Our grandchildren will pick it up.

Congressman Bart Stupak (D – Michigan), whose “I voted against the bill before I voted for it” sellout proved pivotal in foisting ObamaCare upon America, now announces he will not run for reelection this November.

So tell us, Congressman – was it all worth it?  You initially took a principled stand against ObamaCare, but then sold out your own cause on the basis of a promise from Barack Obama to issue an executive order, which doesn’t carry the force of Congressional law.  This is the same Barack Obama who promised during his campaign to abide by public campaign finance limitations, then changed his mind when that became politically inconvenient.  The same Barack Obama who opposed Hillary Clinton’s healthcare proposal because it imposed an individual mandate, but whose ultimate bill included that same individual mandate.

Now, even Politico comments that “without Stupak on the ballot, the seat becomes an immediate pickup opportunity for Republicans.”  In other words, even Nancy Pelosi now knows how it feels to be blindsided by Bart Stupak.