Ill. Congressman responds to child support report

<snip>

"Illinois Rep. Joe Walsh, a rising star in the tea party movement best known for his blistering lectures of President Barack Obama for "spending like a drunken sailor," is now being peppered with questions about his own financial responsibility after reports surfaced that he's being sued for more than $100,000 in unpaid child support.

Experts say whatever political star power the 49-year-old Republican previously emanated has been dimmed, if not extinguished, because for at least the immediate future it will be impossible for him to talk about anything other than his personal problems.

"Whenever he wants to go out and talk about the debt limit, they are going to want to talk about whether (he) is a deadbeat dad," said Kent Redfield, a professor emeritus of politics at the University of Illinois-Springfield. "His individual problems become the story and he never gets to another issue."

That means that whenever he appears on cable and network television shows to talk about the increasingly rancorous debt ceiling debate, the hosts now will invariably want to know about what is in his thick divorce file, Redfield said.

Redfield and others say it is all but impossible for politician to shake questions about whether or not they've provided for their families once a story like the one in Thursday's Chicago Sun-Times is published."

http://www.salon.com/wires/politics/07/28/D9OOP0U81_us_congressman_child_support/

what a pathetic shit

And now FOX probably isn't doing any long term hiring.

you're right. OR, maybe he had his sites set on something higher.

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/07/staff_government_prepare_for_d.html

Quoting from above link:

"Wu will lose his salary as soon as he resigns, but he retains his pension.

If he collects on his pension after retiring this month, he could be paid nearly twice as much as the average Social Security payment, according to an analysis by the National Taxpayers Union and Social Security statistics. The taxpayers advocacy group calculated that if Wu also chose to join the federal Thrift Savings Plan -- the congressional equivalent of a 401k -- his maximum pension payout over the course of his retirement could increase from $851,000 to $1,064,855.

Individual congressional pension amounts have not been public information since a 1989 Supreme Court ruling so the group calculated the total possible payout based on Wu's length of service, age, life expectancy, and a cost of living adjustment of 3 percent per year. The analysis also assumed he made the maximum contributions, received the maximum 5 percent salary match and invested the contributions to the greatest extent possible.

If he leaves office by the end of the month, he could receive an immediate pension payment of $23,871 a year, If he waits six years to collect at the age of 62, the annual amount would be 30 percent higher, or $31,032.

A report from the Congressional Research Service lists average congressional pensions: $69,012 for those who began federal service prior to 1984 and $40,140 for those since then. By comparison, the average annual payment from Social Security for 2011 is $14,124.

Wu could earn more if he includes his year as a clerk with the federal courts.

Members of Congress pay 0.8 to 1.8 percent of their salaries toward their benefits plan and another 6.2 percent to Social Security. Congress, as an employer, contributes an additional 17.9 percent of payroll to the plans of its members under the newer of two pension programs. At Wu's annual salary of $174,000, that means federal taxpayers contribute $31,146.

Wu also can use about $300,000 in his 2012 campaign money. He can donate the money to other political candidates or causes or use it to wind down his campaign, paying bills and salaries. He is barred by law from spending any of it for personal use."

No way would Oregon elect that teabagger nut case. Gordon Smith has left a bad taste that still lingers...........

I must say, though, Walsh appeared somewhat subdued, IMO.

Lowest of the lowest.