The US Republican party is doing its level best to kill off a video that it posted on YouTube.
The video shows United States Representative Sean Duffy moaning about how he is "struggling" to get by on his $174,000 salary. Given that this is the bloke who demanded that all public employees take a paycut because the state can't afford to pay them, the video makes him look like a rich brat who does not really understand the concept of money.
Polk County Republicans tried to pull the video from YouTube, but unfortunately it was copied by shedloads of others who do not really like Duffy much.
Now the GOP is spending a fortune on lawyers to stop anyone else from republishing the video. It insists that no one else can republish the video without their permission, even though they originally released the video on YouTube for the whole world to see.
So far they have managed to get the video pulled from some sites, but one, called Talking Points Memo believes the GOP has no case and has decided to keep the video up on its web page.
Duffy's congressional salary is over three times that of the average public employee in Wisconsin, and over five times that of an average worker in Wisconsin.
He moans that he has to spend $600 a month on health care and contribute toward his pension plan. Duffy claimed he is struggling because he has six children, a mortgage, and student loans.
The quote is:
"I can guarantee you, or most of you, I guarantee that I have more debt than all of you. With 6 kids, I still pay off my student loans. I still pay my mortgage. I drive a used minivan. If you think I'm living high on the hog, I've got one paycheque. So I struggle to meet my bills right now. Would it be easier for me if I get more paychecks? Maybe, but at this point I'm not living high on the hog."
Of course some of his debt problems would be solved if he flogged that second home he owns. He might also have been better off investing in contraception rather than children. We suspect that there are a few Republicans that are wishing their boy's mum had also invested in contraception.
*EyeSee David Icke said that the GOP is trying to breed alien lizards to take over the world. Lizards get paid more than humans.
That's really unnecessary and kind of immature.
Thank you for this completely necessary and mature comment on the situation. Patrick is an angry Republican.
It's understandable to have one or kids, by "accident"
SIX however, means either you are trying or you just don't care what the expected cost will be because you plan for the cost to be made up by your employer in expected wages.
The only people that are sometimes FORCED to have children in the world, or at at least become pregnant, are rape victims. Everyone else has a choice. He, just like myself and many others have the knowledge and resources available to them to take every precaution to prevent children.
Children are a great thing, but this guy is just using his kids as scapegoats to justify his desire for more money.
Thank you for this completely necessary and mature comment on the situation. "
+1
"Thank you for this completely necessary and mature comment on the situation"
Actually, that comment is a counterpoint to all of the Republicans who condemn the poor that are trying to raise a family. "If they can't afford to raise their children, they should stop having them" is an oft heard criticism of the poor. Seems the criticism can cut both ways.