U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wis., joined the ""Wisconsin Reflections"" live television program Monday to discuss his upcoming retirement and other political issues facing the state and nation.
A Wausau native, Obey has represented Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District in the House of Representatives since 1969, making him one of the longest-serving congressmen in U.S. history.
""Wisconsin Reflections"" host John Roach interviewed Obey in the hour-long production.
Obey's retirement sent shock waves through American politics, Roach said, and asked Obey what made him ‘bone tired' of his job as U.S. Representative.
""What really made me weary over time was the incredibly sour nature of politics and the meanness of it all, and the money,"" Obey said. ""After a while, you just think there's more to life than this.""
Obey described his time as a political science major at UW-Madison and how he went from being a Republican to a Democrat in his time at the university.
""I was a decent student, and I spent most of my time in political campaigns and working for candidates. When I was in seventh grade, I participated in a debate on Joe McCarthy and that's when I started getting interested in politics,"" Obey said.
Obey switched his political views due to offensive viewpoints and accusations held by some of his school teachers, who agreed with McCarthy's beliefs at the time.
When asked about the media and the news today, Obey was critical of how media corporations operate.
""Today, you find very few experienced reporters on papers,"" Obey said. ""You're lucky if a newspaper contains three stories about national news. It's just features and ads.""
Obey believes that citizens, especially in small towns, are not well- informed going into the polls because their local newspapers do not provide enough quality information.
Although he was pessimistic on issues as varied as the state of our country's higher education system to the role of the U.S. Senate in American politics, Obey took a chance to show his softer side.
He ended his time on ""Wisconsin Reflections"" by playing ""Amazing Grace"" on the harmonica in honor of his late mentor, UW-Madison professor and U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson.
