Kagen Watch 1/17/07

Holly Cow, The Milwaukee Journal Editorial.
What is going on ? Give credit where credit is due.
Editorial Board is right with these comments !
Link

To you libs and candys , you voted for him! What do you
think of him now. Just more slime in Washington!

Editorial:
Grow up, Congressman
From the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Jan. 16, 2007
Democrat Steve Kagen, the Appleton allergist elected in November to s
ucceed Mark Green in the 8th Congressional District, is again in political
hot water because of something he said. Or, to be more specific, something
he told some supporters he said during a reception at the White House.
But the fact is that it's not clear exactly what was said because Kagen
apparently was making much of it up. The behavior, odd beyond question,
calls into question both Kagen's judgment and maturity.
It started when Kagen met with a group of anti-Iraq war activists Dec. 19 in
Appleton. His comments were reported in the January issue of The Scene, a
monthly Fox Valley arts tabloid under the headline, "Kagen introduces a little
levity to the White House."
Among other things, Kagen told the group after talking about Iraq that he
confronted presidential adviser Karl Rove in a White House men's room,
blocked his exit and said, "My name's Dr. Multimillionaire, and I kicked
your ass." He was apparently referring to besting a GOP candidate for
whom members of the administration, including President Bush, had
personally campaigned.
He also related how he deliberately insulted Laura Bush by greeting
her as "Barbara" when Kagen and his wife later met the president and
the first lady.
Did that actually happen? Depends on what part you're referring to.
Kagen told reporters at a news conference Sunday in Green Bay - and
his communications director repeated it Tuesday - that Kagen did not
insult the first lady, that he and his wife were thrilled to meet the president
and his wife and "at no time was any disrespect shown on anyone's part."
OK, so why did he say it happened?
Asked by the Fox Valley newspaper and TV reporters if he confronted
Rove and told him he "kicked his ass" in the election, Kagen was evasive:
"I didn't block the door, but I did have a very playful experience in the
White House," Kagen said.
When reporters rightly pressed Kagen for a more definitive answer, he
appeared to become annoyed and said the media should focus on serious
matters such as the war in Iraq. When we asked about the Rove incident
Tuesday, Kagen's communications director declined to comment.
A deputy White House press secretary told the Appleton Post-Crescent
last week that Kagen's "version of events is not the way it happened at all."
Assuming Kagen wants to deal seriously with substantive matters, why
make up such a silly story? And why decline to say exactly what he told
Rove?
The congressman owes his constituents an explanation, but bottom
line: The incident raises sobering questions about Kagen. Especially
in light of other things he has said, namely his use of a racially insensitive
term for American Indians during the campaign.
"I'm not there for playful experiences at the White House," Kagen said
at Sunday's news conference. "I'm there to get a job done."

Time to start, Congressman.