So Keith Fimian wants to talk about cutting spending and reducing our taxes and Gerry Connolly wants to focus on a joke. And while we’re at it, lets pick apart the defense of the Connolly strategy that I’m seeing from the nutroots.
1. Despite what the Washington Post and the Connolly camp would like you to believe, it was a joke.
2. Just for the sake of argument, even if it wasn’t a joke, is Fimian championing this $250,000 bonus as a major campaign initiative? Is there really a concern that he is going to push for this in Congress? What’s more scary, this bonus or socialized healthcare and cap-and-tax? Does anyone think such a plan would get out of committee? To try and say we should be legitimately fearful of this is stupid – plain and simple.
3. Since balancing the budget will take years of strict fiscal conservatism (maybe even decades) reducing salaries of Congressman to $50,000 a year is a pretty good idea. Even though it was only a joke, if you told me the only way we could balance the budget is to motivate our elected representatives with a bonus then I’d be all for it. With a paycut we’d probably end up saving more money that way. Once again though, no one (including me) is serious about such a plan, although cutting salaries for Congressmen sounds like a good start.
4. Gerry Connolly voted to give himself 2 pay raises on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. To make this argument is extremely hypocritical.
5. At the end of the day, what should our Congressmen be more concerned with, his opponents stance on a joke or his plan to fix the deficit and promote prosperity for all Americans?
If Connolly thinks this is some sort of “October Surprise” then he is in for a surprise of a lifetime on election day.
