By Steve Carney, Washington Examiner
Washington corrupts, and Congressman Stephen Fincher is proof.
Here’s a Tea Party kind of republican and he was practically drafted into a Congressional race from the seat of his farm tractor. He must know the score, he’s a humble man of the people, a farmer, who appreciates the value of hard work and clean living, right? Then he gets elected, and the next thing we know he is working on fund raising and special interest bills.
Where’s his big campaign money coming from, you may wonder? Well, it’s not from his district! And the legislation he is so interested in wouldn’t score on the top 1000 issues of interest to US voters. But, not only that, he’s voting on issues completely removed from his district…why, is he trading votes for favors? Nah, couldn’t be…could it?
Folks, this is why Reagan told us, “Trust, but verify.” Just because he is a republican farmer doesn’t make him honest. You have to watch what he does. Just because he talks about important issues near and dear to conservatives, doesn’t mean he will follow through and do anything. And he hasn’t, the man has been worthless in Congress. He takes credit for other people’s work by being a co-sponsor, but his actual bills only favor his cash donors. Now the story:
“I may not be a polished politician,” Fincher said (shown left) when he announced during his first run for Congress in 2010, “but as a lifelong farmer I know that most problems can be solved with a little common sense. When I’m elected, I’ll put that common sense to work for everyday Tennesseans, not the special interests. Trillion-dollar bailouts, bloated budgets and boondoggle spending packages aren’t working, at least for my friends and neighbors …” (Sound familiar?)
It would be an understatement to say Fincher has come to terms with boondoggles and special interests.
Fincher, once an opponent of the Export-Import Bank —a federal agency that subsidizes foreign buyers of U.S.-made goods — now is trying to undermine his party’s leadership by teaming up with Nancy Pelosi and her party in order to reauthorize Ex-Im Bank as President Obama and his big donors in the business lobby have demanded.
The obvious explanation is that Fincher has pulled up his Tennessee roots and is now firmly planted in D.C. Instead of serving Western Tennessee, Fincher, who sits on the Financial Services Committee, now represents Wall Street and K Street.
Fincher has raised a quarter-million for his re-election, according to his most recent campaign finance filing. Exactly two of his approximately 150 donations have come from Tennessee residents. Tennessee residents have given Fincher a combined $750, which rounds to 0 percent of his money raised.
Fincher has raised more money from the K Street firm Barbour, Griffith, and Rogers than he has from individuals in Tennessee. More than 99 percent of the money powering Fincher’s re-election bid comes from political action committees (almost all of them corporate PACs) and K Street lobbyist types.
Studying the lengthy list of Fincher’s PAC donors is revealing.
Fincher introduced his bill to reauthorize Ex-Im on Jan. 28. Two days later his campaign deposited a $2,000 check from General Electric, Ex-Im’s second-largest beneficiary and most ruthless defender. GE in recent days has announced it was moving jobs to Canada and Europe to chase those countries’ export subsidies — though all of those jobs appear to be either nonexistent or already slated to go offshore for other reasons.
It’s an editorial, mind, but an editorial in Forbes, no less:
“GOP Congressman Stephen Fincher On A Mission From God – Starve The Poor While Personally Pocketing Millions In Farm Subsidies”
Wants to abolish food stamps, apparently. I like it. If there’s going to be no government subsidized food,there’s no need to government subsidize farmers. We can save ourselves oodles, taxwise, … definitely … let’s do it … the moron.
Who are you that keep sending morons to the Congress?
Don’t look at me, I don’t vote in West Virginia.
There’s a darn good chance Libby voted for Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein and/or Barbara, box of rocks, Boxer…who is she to talk?
(See next article on the billions in improper payments the government made last year on just 124 of the governments programs. The bureaucracy is killing us!)
“There’s a darn good chance Libby voted for Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein and/or Barbara, box of rocks, Boxer…who is she to talk?”
Tina, you nailed it, my thoughts exactly, Libby’s comment just adds up to more Liberal hypocrisy.
This morning I received a notice from Doug LaMalfa he’s going to vote for Kevin McCarthy for House Speaker. Hope this isn’t an indication that he too has bought into the “Washington Cartel.”
How ’bout bringing our members of Clowngress back to their own states/districts. They can vote or conference electronically and they would be available to the people who elected them much easier.
Plus, the K-Street lobbyists would have to work harder to wine and dine elected officials and it would save the taxpayers a boatload of $$ by not having to purchase new furniture, redecorate, and office upkeep in DC.
Barring that, TERM LIMITS!!
J. Soden, I would prefer they stay in our districts…good idea. With electronics there is no need for them to go anywhere. I think there should be something highlighted in their record when they get money from out of district or they vote on something out of district.
I really want our congress people to be working for things we want. I would absolutely hate it if I found out that any of our representatives worked to get something like Rancherias for Indian gaming or narrow special interest legislation, instead of doing real work for the people. That would not make me real happy.
I have always been curious exactly what issue conservatives take specifically with Pelosi. Care to tell?
Or Boxer?
Many Many candidates for all offices even local are bought out before they run. If we do not get the money out we are doomed. it is cheap to buy America. We are an empire falling. That goes for both parties. We are not a democracy.
Nothing matters if these trade deals are passed.