Head Scratcher (5)

Stephen Fincher would like to be elected to the U.S. House of Representative from Tennessee's 8th Congressional District. Mr. Fincher claims to be a Republican so he is running in that party's primary to be held on August 5th.

Mr. Fincher believes in lower taxes and smaller government which is the normal position for a Republican. His desire for smaller government, however, does not include any sacrifice on his own part: last year he received roughly $200,000 in farm subsidies. Such substantial payments hardly put him into the category of the mythical 'family farmer' so beloved of politicians competing to waste taxpayer money. Instead, Mr. Fincher ranks as just another recipient of corporate welfare, like the Wall Street firms that he supports.

The head scratcher is that Mr. Fincher can claim to be a small government Republican while simultaneously having his snout, and all four feet, planted firmly in the public trough. Better, perhaps to describe him as a right wing socialist who demands that the Federal Government stay out of his hair but becomes incensed if his subsidy check is threatened by budget cuts.

Hypocrisy 1 Taxpayers 0

Perhaps, if we are lucky, the voters will see Mr. Fincher for what he really is but even that will not stop his raid on the taxpayers' wallets.