Julie Lassa: Obama and Obey

Democrat Julie Lassa doesn't want to be seen as close to Obama and David Obey.

From RealClearPolitics:

Democratic House candidate Julie Lassa actively distanced herself from President Obama and other party leaders on Monday in an interview with RealClearPolitics, and she cited the individual mandate provision in the new health care law as one of the chief concerns to address in the next Congress.

"I think in terms of President Obama, it's a mixed bag," Lassa said. "I think that they have done some good things, but we haven't been able to get out of this economic recession as quickly as we need to and as people would like."

A state senator, Lassa is running against Republican former District Attorney Sean Duffy in one of the most competitive and closely watched House races in the nation.

Wisconsin's 7th District has been in Democratic hands for generations, but Lassa was eager to stress her independence from the national party, even though she has been one of the top beneficiaries of funding from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

In the interview, Lassa took pains to disassociate herself from House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, who currently holds the 7th District seat and is retiring after more than four decades in office.

"I've been running my own campaign," Lassa said. "I'm my own individual candidate, and I really appreciate all the work that Congressman Obey has done for the district and for the state because he's served this district for 42 years, and I think that's important to recognize. But with his retirement is the turning of the page and the beginning of a new chapter."

Lassa emphasized that she has worked frequently with Republicans as a Wisconsin state senator and pointed out that she twice voted to override Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle‘s vetoes of bills that would have permitted gun owners to carry concealed firearms.

"To me it doesn't matter if it's a Republican or a Democratic idea," Lassa said. "It's just important that I believe that it's good public policy."

Lassa was particularly forthright about her reservations about health care reform - the signature achievement of Obama's presidency and the Democratic Congress.

"One of the things that I'm really concerned about is the mandate that individuals and families purchase health insurance, and I think that if we are going to mandate that individuals and families have to purchase insurance, we have to make sure that that insurance then is affordable," Lassa said. "Otherwise I don't believe that it's fair."

Obviously, this is a sign that Wisconsinites are rejecting Obama and the liberal policies of David Obey.

Lassa realizes they're poison for her campaign against the refreshing conservative, Sean Duffy.

But there's a problem with Lassa's declaration of independence from Obama and Obey. Her actions and her words are at odds.

Sean Duffy calls Lassa out for her hypocrisy.

What's funny is Senator Lassa was one of a handful of politicians that greeted President Obama when he arrived in Madison last week. Is that independence?

Did you know that as a state Senator in Madison, Senator Lassa voted with her fellow liberals 99.6% of the time this session? Hardly what I’d consider an independent voice. Senator Lassa has run a negative campaign from the outset in an effort to obscure her record, but the fact she’s now admitting this strategy to reporters is unbelievable.

Democrats are desperate.

Their pants are on fire.