Obey Criticizes Ryan, GOP

6/6/11 – Wisconsin Congressman Dave Obey has strong criticism for U.S. House Republicans and one his former colleagues. The former Seventh District Congressman took several shots at US Representative Paul Ryan’s budget plan, which was adopted earlier this year by House Republicans. Obey joked Ryan is leading the effort to “repeal the 20th Century” with a budget plan he described as radical. Obey criticized the plan for cutting financial aid to college students, along with shredding Medicare and Medicaid. The longtime Democratic Congressman says Republicans describe the proposal as saving the government money. However, he says that analysis fails to account for the fact that cutting back safety nets such as Medicare and Medicaid would take a serious toll on American citizens. Obey says Medicaid programs, such as BadgerCare in Wisconsin, are crucial for middle class families trying to make ends meet during tough times. Obey’s comments were made at this weekend’s Democratic Party convention in Milwaukee.