Last night the Chicago Sun-Times broke the story that Tea Party freshman Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), who has spent months lecturing President Obama and Democrats on fiscal responsibility, owes $117,437 in child support to his ex-wife and three children. Laura Walsh has asked a judge to suspend his driver’s license until he pays his child support. Despite loaning his own campaign $35,000— and paying himself back at least $14,200 for the loans — Walsh claims he failed to make the payments because he “had no money.”
The tax-bashing congressman campaigned on a pledge to reject the Washington “status quo” and has bragged about his own frugality, claiming he even sleeps in his congressional office to save money. Walsh, who’s been described as “the biggest media hound in the freshman class,” has been a prominent voice in the debt ceiling showdown in recent weeks, making television appearances almost every day to denounce President Obama’s “reckless spending,” which he says has “bankrupted this country.”
“I won’t place one more dollar of debt upon the backs of my kids and grandkids unless we structurally reform the way this town spends money!” Walsh says in one video. But today, when confronted in a CNN interview about his failure to support his own children, Walsh not only refused to acknowledge his hypocrisy but insisted that being a deadbeat dad meant he understood the plight of average Americans:
I know that story just broke, and it’s interesting that it just broke right now as I’m out there trying my best to fight this President and fight the Democrats and solve this debt crisis. But look, I’m the most openly vetted candidate in the world. I have had financial troubles and I talked about them throughout the campaign. This is where real America is.
This is not the first time Walsh has faced scrutiny for the disconnect between his rhetoric and the way he conducts his personal life. In 2009, Walsh lost a condo to foreclosure because he owed more than $300,000 on the property. In April 2010, an investigation revealed that Walshfailed to file his personal financial disclosure form as required by federal election law. When questions about his personal finances dogged his congressional campaign, Walsh once again claimed he wasn’t a rich man, despite managing to pay $3,300 per month for a house in upscale Winnetka.
Walsh also rejected the congressional health insurance plan for his family on principle, much to the chagrin of his current wife, Helene, who had a preexisting condition and needed surgery while the couple was uninsured. (Walsh’s Wikipedia page excludes his first marriage.) But Walsh apparently thinks he can have it both ways — claiming his own indebtedness and failure to care for his family’s needs allows him to understand average Americans, while railing against Washington for irresponsibly racking up deficits. As he put it in a recent interview, “Thank God congressmen like me are here!”
4 comments:
Typical politician, right? Oh this is horrible. Attacking democrats and using his own children to do so. All while owing over $100,000! But unfortunately, pointing out a congressman's personal debt (and lack of responsibility) helps no one. He as a conservative will go on doing what he does, saying no. And Fox News will play the role of victim and blame the mainstream media for attacking Rep. Walsh in this important time of coming together, which they still will not condone.
Is there anyone who can teach this man some responsibility? He lectures like an expert on the issue but in reality he should listen to his own lectures. He should stop using his children to attack democrats instead he should be focused on paying off his debts. He claims to be like many Americans but is he really? first of all, very few Americans have jobs that pay anywhere near what he makes. Also, few people have that much debt so he is not like the middle class. how does he lend his campaign 35 thousand dollars if he has no money? If we compare this representative`s situation to Americas, we find they are similiar with one major difference, America knows it has a problem and is trying to remedy it. On the other hand, this representative denies having a problem and is not doing anything about it.
I looked up the word hypocrite today in the dictionary ,and wouldn't you know it, there was the photo of Joe Walsh. "I have no money", ha, no money doesn't exactly pay doesn't exactly pay $3,300 a month for an upscale house now does it? He may brag of his own frugality but this in no way make me sympathetic. I don't care if he has to sleep in your own office, his family is struggling for pete's sake. He goes around blaming the government for his own shortcomings: a lot of americans are in debt, but many of them don't have a job like he does. Walsh needs to clear up his own problems before he can go about lecturing about fiscal responsibilities. LET HIM WALK!!! It's not like he needs to drive to his office, as he claims, to sleep there anyway. Maybe that would allow him to collect enough money to pay off all his debts.
I agree with Aaron on the typical politician comment. What else are going to expect from a Republican, much less a Tea-partyer (which is spelled H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E-S). It is sad to see this occuring in a politician that is trying to change our country, but in a way it's a positive. It shows the people of America who these 'politicians' really are. Maybe then they will think twice about who they put into power.
Sidenote: I think there can be a new concept of a tv show here. Politicians + their dirty laundry aired on tv = why didn't we think of this before??? I see it kind of aired like the show cheaters. :) i'm just saying sounds like an Emmy winner to me.
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