David Obey: “I often quote my friend Archie the cockroach, and Archie said once, ``Did you ever notice when a politician does get an…”

“I often quote my friend Archie the cockroach, and Archie said once, ``Did you ever notice when a politician does get an idea, he gets it all wrong?'' I think that can be said of the remedy that is being proposed for the budget process problems. But Archie also said something else that I think is useful in this context. He said, ``Man always fails because he is not honest enough to succeed. There are not enough men continuously on the square with themselves and with other men. The system of government does not matter so much. The thing that matters so much is what men do with any kind of system they happen to have.'' That would be my message with respect to the budget resolution. Whether we get our work done on time depends on how serious we are, it depends on how political both sides of the aisle are, and it depends on what determination we have to compromise. The problem with this proposition which is being set up today is that if a President does not want to compromise with the Congress on a budget, he can delay his approval of the initial budget resolution forever before he signs it. And then after he signs it, he can delay action on every appropriation bill again, and it strings you out forever. I would say to my conservative friends here, I do not think that is the result that you want, but that is the result you are going to get if this proposition passes.”