The Obey Syndrome

A recent Madison Capitol Times column praised Wisconsin
congressmen David Obey (D), who has  represented the 
northern 8th district since 1969, for a speech he gave 
on the House floor. 

Obey expressed his disgust with the sad state of affairs in
Washington, and especially with the "gratuitously graphic
and voyeuristic descriptions of sexual encounters", in the
Starr Report. When he saw the TV reporters describing the 
report, he was concerned that this was "accelerating the 
failure of institutions that are central to our functioning
as a decent society."  

How could such trash get onto the internet?  Didn't Congress
recently pass the "Communications Decency Act" in an attempt
to keep this sort of thing off of the internet and away from
our children? 

But wait: Congressman David Obey voted to put the Starr Report
on to the internet!!

"I had voted to put the report onto the internet", Obey admitted,
but he would not have done so if he had actually read it, and
known that it was so graphic.

This may provide a clue as to just what the the sad state of 
affairs in Washington is caused by. Maybe it is that we elect
representatives to Congress who vote for bills that they haven't
even read? Like the Starr Report, and the budget?  And that we
then keep re-electing them for 30 years?

What should we call this problem? I suggest "The Obey Syndrome".

                     ,,,,,,,
_______________ooo___(_O O_)___ooo_______________
                       (_)
jim blair (jeblair@facstaff.wisc.edu) Madison Wisconsin
USA. This message was brought to you using biodegradable
     binary bits, and 100% recycled bandwidth.