The Milwaukee Post

Heating & Cooling 231903140 Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com AC ✓UPS EARLY BIRD $ SPECIAL 59.95 24 HOUR SERVICE STEVE "THE HOMER" TRUE Packers opt to reshuffle offensive line MAY 10, 2013 MILWAUKEE COUNTY'S WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Page 11 McCarthy wants better protection for Rodgers MARK BELLING Crapshoot taking place within the courtroom Page 9 Whether justice served depends on presiding judge LOCAL PARADE BACK – PAGE 2 GREENDALE RECEIVES HIGH HONOR – PAGE 6 414-321-9090 414-546-3303 pureairheatingandcooling.com 'It's a pretty bleak picture' Former U.S. Rep. David Obey says government needs to change By KEN MERRILL Conley News Service WEST BEND – Former Democratic U.S. Rep. David Obey, who represented Wisconsin's 7th District for 42 years before retiring in 2011, brought a blunt perspective on the state of politics during a recent visit to an American government class at the University of Wisconsin-Washington County. "I'm supposed to talk to you about how politics has changed since I entered politics back in the pre-Cambrian era," Obey said to the gathering of about 20 students and guests. "I'll do my best but it's hard to remember back that far." Obey, who was raised in Wausau, was elected to the state Assembly in 1963. "Things were optimistic in those days," Obey said. "Then with the death of Kennedy (Nov. 22, 1963) and Bobby (Kennedy, assassinated on June 6, 1968) and Martin Luther King (assassinated on April 4, 1968) and the Vietnam War, everything went south. Everything soured and it became not a very fun job." When former U.S. Rep. Melvin Laird was appointed Secretary of Defense by President Richard Nixon in 1969, Obey ran for Laird's seat and won. "In my first election in 1969, I spent $45,000, my opponent spent $65,000," Obey said. "In my district in the last election, the two candidates, with all the outside money, spent 10 million bucks." Obey also noted cultural changes, saying that "there's about 300 newspapers that have either cut back or eliminated cover- age of Capitol Hill." "TV networks – there were only three networks when I went into Congress. Now you've got a bunch of these cable networks," he said. "If you're a liberal, you watch MSNBC; if you're a conservative, you watch Fox; and if you Obey don't know what you think, you watch CNN. The problem is that today audiences selfselect their news – they tune into the news that makes them most comfortable with their own biases." Obey blasted the partisan and negative tone of political discourse today. See BLEAK on Page 7 DID YOU KNOW? Inspiring future leaders with Catholic Chris an values. • The Carpenters' signature song, "We've Only Just Begun," was originally part of a television commercial for a California bank. • Paul McCartney was the last bachelor Beatle when he married Linda Eastman in a civil ceremony in 1969. Paul's brother Mike was his best man. No other Beatle attended the wedding. All-day K4 & K5 through 8th Grade For more facts, visit www.didyouknow.org. Local news at your fingertips 341 E. Norwich St. Milwaukee, WI thomasaquinasacademy.com There's s ll me to join the families of STAA! Openings available in Grades 3-7 Call for a tour today! Call to shadow or tour 414.744.1214 230903089 Sat. Aug. 24, 4-8pm Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi Convent Grounds For information & tickets: www.winenvineosf.com 414.744.1160 Visa, MC, Discover, AMEX Visit www.gmtoday.com

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