National Press Club Lunch

I went to the National Press Club Monday for a lunch and to watch House Appropriations Chair David Obey, D-Wis., talk about the spending showdown with the White House. I went as much to watch the press reactions to his comments as I did to listen to Representative Obey.

“I renew my call for the Administration to sit down with us and work out reasonable compromises," Obey said. "It is not reasonable for the President to demand that we give him another $200 billion for the quagmire of Iraq and then try to reclaim the mantle of fiscal responsibility by requiring short-sighted reductions in key domestic investments that will make our country stronger.”

I encourage you to read his full speech. It was excellent!

There were approximately 50 members of the press in the room. Listening to them talk among themselves, it was clear to me that they’re starting to get it. They are beginning to realize the direct correlation between Iraq war spending and America not meeting its domestic needs.

Several nodded their heads as Obey talked about the President’s request to spend a couple hundred billion dollars a year in Iraq, but not spend one-tenth of that for programs that help the poorest Americans. I was pleased that the press seemed to understand what was at stake.

It scares the heck out of me that, at the end of the day, the White House will likely win and domestic spending will be at last year’s levels at best! I just don’t see the path to victory in this fight, which is sad. It’s life or death for a lot of people who depend on these programs to be funded.