Rep. Steve Kagen hung out with Rep. Jim Oberstar, House Transportation Chairman, who Citizens Against Government Waste declared their latest “Porker of the Month.” Image takes a backseat when it comes to begging for bucks from the road builders.
“The Company Kagen Keeps”
The lock system may indeed be ancient, but why the hell should Kagen and Petri be tossing Federal dollars at it?
And please, Oberstar’s a road and bike path guy (like Petri), he wasn’t there for “just the boat ride.” DCCC rules have stated Chairman of their respective committees must help raise funds for the “Frontline” Candidates.
Kagen is on the “Frontline.”
Oberstar is the guy who recently said if we don’t support a 5 cent a gallon increase in the federal gas tax, we want bridges collapsing. How about if we spent that bike and walking path money on bridge upkeep and repair?
Clarendon - The locks are federal responsibility and should be maintained properly. The options are pretty simple - you either seal the areas where the locks are permanently (which costs money) or you maintain and repair as necessary (which also costs money).
And I’m missing the whole significance of a joint fundraiser. Of course if you get the HTC here you try and have a fundraiser with him. If Dick Cheney came in the area, I’d expect every GOP hopeful to line up for a joint fundraiser. There’s nothing illegal, under the table, whatever with Kagen having a joint fundraiser with a senior Dem.
I agree with Sean most of the time, and like I said, I’d love Kagen to be gone from my district after the next election, but I’m missing what exactly Kagen’s doing wrong here.
Oberstar? Oberstar? Isn’t he the guy who Paul Ryan ran to after Ryan got a fistful of Dennis Troha’s money?
Oberstar got much more Troha dollars than Ryan ever did.
At least in the 2006 cycle…
I’m no Kagen fan, and I hope we can find someone in my district to beat him (and, no, I don’t think Gard’s the guy).
However, the Fox River lock system is ancient and some locks badly in need of repair. I’m stumped as to why Kagen meeting with the chair of the Transportation Committee is bad. Or why they can’t have a joint fundraiser.