"Real World" Congressman is struggling on his Congressman's salary

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/31/11 at 5:09pm

The tape caused a stir for Duffy, a first-term conservative best known for his past as a reality TV show star on MTV's The Real World. Democrats flagged the comments about his taxpayer-funded salary (which is nearly three times the median income in Wisconsin) and criticisms began to flow Duffy's way.

In the clip, Duffy is asked whether he'd support cutting his own salary. Duffy says he would, but only as part of a plan where all public employees' salaries would be cut. He then said that the $174,000 in salary (not including benefits) he receives is a squeeze for his family of seven to live on:

"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 I'm living high on the hog, I've got one paycheck. So I struggle to meet my bills right now. Would it be easier for me if I get more paychecks? Maybe, but at this point I'm not living high on the hog."
Also, he'd like you to not post the video of him saying that

[romantico]

Posted: 3/31/11 at 5:29pm

Well, to be fair it is ONLY $174,000 a year. To Republicans that is below what average Americans make a year.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 3/31/11 at 5:35pm

He should go live in that one state with all the unruly teachers. I hear they are living high on the hog on 50k a year.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/31/11 at 9:43pm

The questioner was the husband of a Wisconsin teacher who is being made to take a pay cut. Meanwhile in Georgia, Republicans are proposing a MASSIVE cut on corporations offset by an sales tax on groceries.

There is a class way and the rich are winning.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 3/31/11 at 9:48pm

Awesome! Wisconsin Democrats and Unions are holding a food and clothing drive for him!
Poor Sean Duffy!

[StockardFan]

Posted: 4/1/11 at 8:06am

Which real world was he on?

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 4/1/11 at 8:17am

Boston, 2002. He married Rachel from San Fransisco Real World that hooked up with Puck.

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/1/11 at 10:23am

He's almost 40 and is still paying off student loans, despite having work as an attorney and a television personality (and a wife who has done the same)?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 4/1/11 at 10:31am

And they both appeared on various MTV shows after their initial fame: RR/RW challenges, The Gauntlet, The House Full of Drunken Reality Stars Showcase, The Battle of the MTV stars in Swimsuits, reunion specials, etc. Many folks have made a nice living off of less.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/1/11 at 10:35am

It's all those kids, I guess. I know they are strong-faithed practicing Catholics, but perhaps they should have considered the rhythm method.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 4/1/11 at 10:41am

His strong-faith practicing Catholic wife was a whore on The Real World, wasn't she? They were all skanky in my memory, so I could be very wrong. I don't remember the extent of her hook up with Puck, but I remember there was a revolving door of guys she was into, not necessarily intimate with. I know she freaked out and wouldn't go near Pedro for a while once she found out he was HIV+.

Updated On: 4/2/11 at 10:41 AM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/1/11 at 10:46am

Heterosexual promiscuity is easily forgiven by the Lord.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 4/1/11 at 10:52am

I'm no fan of either of them but Rachel wasn't a whore on her season of Real World. It's true that she came in as a homophobe and was scared to drink out of the same glass as Pedro. But they eventually became close friends and she changed her views. That's back when the Real World still used to be somewhat relevant.
If anyone is feeling sorry for Sean Wisconsin Democrats are holding a food drive for him. Feel free to donate!
Food and Clothes drive for Sean Duffy

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/1/11 at 11:02am

After receiving the complaint, out of abundance of caution and on the advice of counsel, TPM posted a one minute excerpt of the five-minute video. Now the Duffy camp is complaining that the edited version of the video, which TPM originally ran in its entirety, is misleading. You can judge for yourself by viewing the entire video below, which we have decided to repost.

The gist however is that after using their legal muscle to force us to take down the full video and replace it with an excerpt, Duffy's office is now claiming that the use of the excerpt is a ploy to mislead the public about what he said. And CNN is reporting their bogus claim as fact.

For the record, TPM specifically reported Duffy's comment that he would support an across the board public employee pay cut in both the original story we posted Tuesday with the full video and in the followup story Wednesday that contained the video excerpt.
Sean Duffy To CNN: TPM Selectively Edited My Video!