Obey-Waters clash on House floor UPDATED (she wants center named for her)

Politico ^ | 6-25-09 | Glenn Thrush

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House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wisc.) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) engaged in a late afternoon shouting match on the House floor after Obey reportedly rebuffed Waters on a $1 million earmark request, aides and witnesses said.

Witnesses, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it appeared that Waters pushed or shoved Obey.

The pair were seen shouting at each other and had to be separated by members -- who were gathered on the floor casting final votes before heading off to a party at the White House.

Waters, according a Democratic staffer familiar with the situation, approached Obey to ask him to fund one of her longstanding earmarks, the Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center.

Obey -- who irked Waters a few weeks back by banning "Monuments to me" funding projects named after the politicians that earmark them -- told her no, emphatically enough to be heard across the chamber.

"I'm not going to approve that earmark!" Obey shouted.

The two veteran Democrats -- each pugnacious and 71 years old -- began shouting, with the L.A. area-Congresswoman following Obey around the chamber, reportedly suggesting he channel the vocational money through a local school district.

At some point, they collided, witnesses say, with one Obey ally claiming the lean Waters "tried to shove" the stout Obey.

UPDATED: Waters spokesman Michael Levin called to say that the center -- which provides a wide array of health care, automotive, GED and job preparedness training programs -- was named after Waters before she entered the House by LA school officials.

"That's a point she was trying to make with Chairman Obey," Levin said.

The program Levin said, serves hundreds of low-income people a year and is located near four housing projects with sky-high unemployment rates. Waters' funding request is needed to keep the center going, he added, because may of the centers' state grants are on the chopping block, a result of the California's staggering deficit.

He refused to comment on the specifics of the scrap, saying, "I wasn't a witness, but it's my understanding it was a heated exchange."

Waters told colleagues that Obey "touched me first," according to The Hill.

"One testament to her work is the Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center, a multimillion dollar campus providing education and employment opportunities to residents of the Watts area," reads a description of the center posted on her Web site.

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Excerpt

The confrontation began with the two talking in each other’s faces and gesturing animatedly with their hands. Obey then attempted to walk away, but Waters kept following him. Obey then put his hand on Waters arm and shoulder, and Waters became irate.

Obey again turned away, dismissing Waters by throwing up his hands, but Waters continued to stalk him, talking to his back and making a shoving motion.

Waters followed Obey down to the well of the House, and as the confrontation — and shoves — continued, Obey turned and told her: “You are out of line.”

To which Waters retorted: “You are out of line.”

“I am not going to approve that earmark!” Obey exclaimed, then hustled away from Waters.

Waters then retreated to a group of fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus, but her conversation could be heard from the press gallery.

“He touched me first, he pushed me first!” she said. She then left the House floor, while Obey sat down to talk with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).

After Obey's initial refusal to provide the earmark, Waters has continued to seek other ways to get it approved, and her latest plan included giving the earmark to the school district, which would then fund the employment center named for Waters.

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There's got to be a tape of this .... 'he touched me first.'

If anyone finds the tape, would appreciate it if you could post it here .. or FRmail me.

Jeesh. Even with all the overriding power they have, their lust for more and greed knows no bounds.

[hsalaw]

Maxine Waters is one of the million things wrong with California.

[TommyDale]

Did Maxine do a 360??

[DManA]

I would never defend Waters but Obey is a VERY angry man. Wouldn’t surprise me if he was violent too.

[RC2]

Anyone ever been to the Watts area? If not, don’t go if you value your life. It’s one of the worst ghettos in the country and should be fenced off from the rest of Los Angeles.

[STARWISE]

~~That Maxine ... she’s a spitfire .... PING!

[Wally_Kalbacken]

De Maxeen Waddahz Youd Sentah!

[Just another Joe]

[STONEWALLS]

“Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center”

...in other words a make-work payroll for college educated blacks to train inner city youths, who may or may show up at McDonalds monday morning.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

““He touched me first,”

Okay! That means Smackzine has the cooties!

[Mr. Wright]

Been there? Huh, before the riots, I use to own a Hamburger joint there called “Whitey’s”.

[WayneS]

Pugnacious isn’t a compliment when it is used to describe a woman, is it?

[GOP Poet]

"Monuments to me."

. Symbolic of the times with US politicians.

[EQAndyBuzz]

If Waters really cared about this, she would say call it the “LA Pre Employement Preparedness Center” and leave it at that.

The fact she is not getting the earmark because it has her name on it is just plain selfish. She should resign.

[Arguendo]

As liberal as he is, Obey is better than many Democrats. Here's another "controversy" he was involved in:

On March 7, 2007, a video was posted on YouTube of Congressman Obey arguing with proponents of defunding the Iraq War about their position on how to end the war. He angrily referred to them as "idiot liberals" and told them Democrats would not cut funding for the war because it would cut funding to other vital military functions such as armor and medical supplies for U.S. military personnel, but were instead working on an amendment to order an end to the war altogether. He also stated that to one of the proponents that "...if that isn't good enough for you, you're smoking something illegal!" Obey later apologized for the incident.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Obey#Controversy

[RC2]

I lived in Inglewood during the riots. They should have let the place burn down.

[atomic_dog]

I'll watch CSPAN when they start using canes again.

[STARWISE]

Maxine Waters threatens to nationalize U.S. oil industries

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUaY3LhJ-IQ

~~~

Maxine Waters: It’s None of my Business to Investigate Acorn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba_RNfWSvt4

~~~

FOX News Interview - Exec. Pay, Pay Czar (including Waters)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04XXcHIAIJ4

[From The Deer Stand]

““He touched me first,”

Is that a hate crime?