Is a Congressional Campaign Being Funded With Your Tax Dollars?

midsouthteaparty.org ^ | 1/8/2010 | Cotton Farmer

[westtnpatriot]

ATTENTION FREEPERS AND VOTERS IN TENNESSEE'S 8th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT!!

Stephen Fincher, Gospel-singing farmer from Frog Jump, TN. has received over 90% of his initial $300,000 "campaign funding from farming families that have been recipients to almost $80,000,000 in federal farm subsidies."

The press release from the Mid-South Tea Party goes on to say, "Following the money makes suspect Mr. Fincher’s claim that he would be able to represent the 8th District in a fiscally conservative manner once elected."

Fincher, who has become one of the NRCC's sweetheart recruits is also receiving favorable write-ups in publications like the liberal "Washington Post", which is another reason why I question his "conservative" credentials.

This is another example of the national GOP players trying to push questionable candidates onto voters in an election cycle where they will do anything to win. I am a voter in the 8th Congressional district in the great state of Tennessee, and I believe that we need to give another look at some of the other candidates in the race other than Stephen Fincher. I'm so sick and tired of having questionable candidates pushed down our throats! I'm also scared that Fincher will simply follow retiring Democrat Congressman John Tanner in the way of staying on Capitol Hill for 20+ years.

It's time to start fighting back! If you're a voter in TN-08, pass the word along. Check out the link I provided and get the word out that the race in TN-08 is still wide open and deserves another look. Thanks & God Bless you guys for the work you all do.

[carolina71]

He was just recycling.

Better him that Pelosi.

[pissant]

And you came here today to tell us who to vote for? Why don’t you earn some trust here for a few months before gum flapping.

[kingu]

RINO? I thought that it was standard practice for Republicans to be fiscally irresponsible and ready to bring home the pork? Though admittedly, Obama dwarfed GW in the debt sweepstakes. More ethanol subsidies for everybody!

[ansel12]

Who are you, this is your first post?

Who do you support in that election?

[brewferr]

Thank you! I live here in TN down by Memphis. I saw that release sometime before Christmas. Fincher makes me nervous, VERY nervous. I’m so sick of John Tanner, but I’m not sure if I want to replace him with Fincher. Can we find someone else? Who else is there?

[westtnpatriot]

Yes this is my first post. Hope I did everything right. I’ve been following since 2002, but never had a profile til now. I’m not sure who I’m going with yet. I’m also not counting out Fincher yet. I just hate to rush things and sign onto someone with those questionable connections. Please forgive me anyone offended by me posting. I just feel like i need to be involved now and bring light to this issue.

[MovementConservative]

Damn Republicans think they are riding a tide of Democratic ineptitude. I quit the GOP and am simply a Limbaugh conservative independent now. I wont give a dime to the national GOP nor necessarily vote for them again as long as they are giving millions to people like Scozafazza and Lincoln Chafee. Screw the GOP, when they want to be conservatives then they will have my support again. The rest of the power grabbers can lose and I will be ok with that.

[Nextrush]

Here in the 17th District of Pennsylvania, the insiders have recurited a state senator who voted to give himself a 16 percent payraise when he was a state representative back in 2005.

He’s the perfect candidate to change things in Washington my butt......

[Mamzelle]

I’m with you. This poster looks like a Soros troll. We want change, and cannot exptect perfection. What’s next, somebody whose kid got a sweetheat scholarship from his home state?

[Iowa Granny]

Before I can take you seriously, I need to see a list of those people who gave him money, and I need to know their backgrounds.

Here in Iowa, most of the farmers I know who recieve federal farm subsidys are the Salt of the Earth types.

Your spin sounds good to someone who doesn’t understand how things work, but it holds NO WATER at all to those of us who work 18 hrs a day, spring and fall, to plant and harvest our crops.

[DH]

As an “old timer” here, I welcome you to our group. I too, smell a real rat and RINO.

As a note, to post here it takes a thick hide and a sense of humor.

Good luck.

[Toadman]

Welcome to FR! As noted in other replies, there will be much circling and sniffing initially. Have a thick skin and sense of humor!

Regarding your post. It helps when you support claims with supporting facts. And, it’s even better when alternatives are supplied. Do your research and find out which (if any) candidates are aligned with conservative principles.

Kind Regards,
Toadman

[Coldwater Creek]

The majority of voters in the 8th are farmers. and certainly the only ones with money.

[CharlesWayneCT]

1st, I see no evidence that the Washington Post has said anything "nice" about him. In fact, their articles about him, while reporting factually that he raised a lot of money, are kind of dismissive, with elitist comments like: "a gospel-singing farmer with no political experience" and "visited Washington for the first time in his life."

2nd, just about every farmer gets some sort of "subsidy". I'm not sure you could avoid a subsidy even if you wanted to. So the idea that a guy in a farming district gets a lot of money from farmers is a GREAT thing. It means he's not getting money from fat-cats and lawyers.

3rd, They guy lived his whole life in the district -- he's hardly some carpet-bagger being thrust upon you by the national party. Of course, if you all felt that way, why aren't YOU running for the office?

I mean, you don't even have a candidate, and yet you are attacking another guy who took the time to care months ago, has been working hard to get elected, and has chased out the incumbent.

Of course, I guess now that he did all the hard work, maybe you are hoping to slip one of your own in who had no chance with Tanner, and didn't want to do the real work of getting elected, but would be happy to benefit from the hard work of others -- and don't mind smearing a good man to do so with these inane attacks of "guilt by association".

This list of things he has raised money for looks mostly good: "Stephen has raised money for dozens of community organizations and causes, including the Methodist Church, Dixie Youth Baseball, NOAH, Relay for Life, The Carl Perkins Child Abuse Center, as well as many events for individuals or families in need. He is Life Member of the NRA, and a member of Ducks Unlimited."

His issues page also looks fine:

Stephen stands strong with Tennesseans on the issues:

1. Stop runaway spending in Washington that is bankrupting America’s children and grandchildren
2. Never vote to raise taxes, and I will fight to end forever the death tax and marriage penalty
3. Stop any health care plan that fails to protect America’s seniors, families and our right to make our own medical decisions
4. Protect Medicare and Social Security, and all the promises we’ve made to our seniors
5. Recruit jobs and businesses that will thrive in rural and small town Tennessee
6. Develop a comprehensive energy policy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and grow markets for our farmers
7. Honor our veterans and keep the promises we’ve made to those who serve our country
8. Defend traditional marriage, the Right-to-Life and the Second Amendment
9. Keep America strong, safe, free and secure

[CharlesWayneCT]

There is one other announced Republican candidate: Donn Janes.

I can't say whether he is any good or not. His issues page doesn't really say what his position is on issues, it says:

I plan on addressing each of the issues I mentioned previously. These are extremely complex issues and will require careful analysis and some hard decisions. There are solutions to these problems, many have been proposed but failed to get the needed votes to pass the legislation. I plan to outline a solution for each issue and draft new legislation to support the proposed solution. Working with others in Congress like myself who are tired of seeing these problems go unresolved, we will forge a new consensus and bring the legislation to the House floor for debate and a vote.

That's an over simplified explanation as it will take a great deal of work and persuasion, but that will be my job. If you vote for me to be your representative I plan to go to Washington to work. That means I will roll up my sleeves and get busy working for you. I will work in the State of Tennessee as well, supporting the newly elected Governor and the Tennessee legislators. I will work with them to provide the needed changes for education and other programs and not provide unfunded mandates.

I understand this may sound like promises made by candidates running in previous elections, yet nothing ever became of their promises. I don't make these promises only to you, but I also make them to my children and grand children. I am not a lawyer or politician going to Washington to serve my own self interests, goals or ambitions. I am your neighbor, your fellow citizen who can no longer stand by and do nothing. My goals and ambitions are to see these problems solved so that my children can grow up in the America I grew up in.

Most importantly, I will work to ensure that the current wave of federal runaway spending comes to a complete stop. We need to ensure that the next bailout isn't the United States of America. We need to ensure that the deficit is reduced to pre-Iraqi war levels and eventually become, as many States and local governments are required, a balanced budget. We can no longer put the spending of today on our future generations. I am running for this office so that I may help each of you, your children, my children our grand children and first and foremost, the stability and viability of this great country.

So at least he wants to reduce the deficit. Of course, since the poster doesn't mention DOnn, I have no idea if this is the candidate the poster actually wants us to support, or of there are other, unnamed candidates waiting to jump in the race after people like the poster have torn down the existing front-runner enough.

[brewferr]

As someone from this Congressional district, I can give everyone my point of view. From what I also know about Fincher and his fundraising, alot of the money that he is receiving is also coming from some long-time Tanner supporters (farmers). From everything I’ve personnally heard, and after seeing Fincher in person, I don’t feel comfortable with him that much. In fact, I think of John McCain when I think about him; alot of conservative talk as a means of making him look conservative. We’ll just have to see who else steps up around here. I’m not sold.

I looked into Donn Janes earlier, but he doesn’t seem to have the charisma or policy understanding to be the nominee. He spoke to our local GOP over the summer. Nice guy though.

Who else is running? Anyone who is ACTUALLY from the 8th know? I need to look into it more.