1 Apr 2011 1:18 pm
One of the newly elected Tea Bagger candidates that Sarah Palin endorsed, Sean (MTV's The Real World) Duffy [R] Wisconsin, has already put his foot in his mouth big time.At a townhall meeting in Amery, Wisconsin last week, the Real Worlds Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) exposed just how out of touch with ordinary Americans he is. According to progressive blog Rightguardia, one constituent an underemployed construction worker explained that his wife, a teacher, may have to take a cut in wages if Wisconsins draconian budget bill goes through. Im just wondering what your wage is and if you guys would be willing to take a cut, he asked Duffy. Displaying that delicate sense of empathy characteristic of conservatives, Duffy whined about his $174,000 congressional salary and his used minivan. When the man pointed out his salary was three times what I make, Duffy reassured him that I have more debt than you. Im not living high off the hog, he added: Constituent: But a hundred and seventy-four thousand, thats three times thats three of my familys three times what I make.Duffy: Well our budgetI moved to cut by 5 percent. I did. You know what, I have no problem..lets have a movement afoot. I walked into this job 6 weeks ago..um that I worked incredibly hard for. And 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 Im living high off the hog, Ive got one paycheck. So I..I struggle to meet my bills right now. Would it be easier for me if I get more paychecks? Maybe, but at this point Im not living high off the hog.Duffy is certainly no Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), a multimillionaire car alarm mogul. Like many Wisconsinites, he has several kids and, according to his financial disclosure statement, student loans and a mortgage to pay off. But Duffys salary is indeed about three times Wisconsins (and the national) median income. Whats more, Wisconsins unemployment rate is 7.4 percent statewide, and 8.2 percent in Wausau, a city Duffy represents. But if Duffy wants to start getting real and relieve some of that financial burden, he could sell that second home in Iron River, WI he owns. Update: Here's the video of Duffy at the event -- in which he also complains about his government health care package: Misty: Ooooops. Sorry that video is no longer available. The GOP is frantically scrubbing Duffy's videos.GOPers Demand Sean Duffy Salary Tape Be Pulled From The InternetSean Duffy....second from the left...Real World Boston