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Keith Fimian Releases First TV Ad of 2010 Campaign
Keith Fimian, candidate for Congress in Virginia’s 11th District, released his first TV ad today. The ad, “Mess,” which focused on the budget deficits and Congress’s inaction to address the economy. Fimian released the following statement regarding the release of the new ad:
“I am excited to announce that my campaign is again the first one on the air in this race. First radio and now TV taking on Gerry Connolly and Nancy Pelosi for the ‘mess’ they have created. Their policies are destroying our economy, from the government healthcare takeover to their failed stimulus to their trillions in debt,” Fimian said.
“I am the only candidate in this race who has created even one job—and I have created hundreds of them. I have the know-how to get our economy moving again. These are skills career politicians simply do not possess. We need more than the same tired rhetoric from career politicians to clean up the mess Connolly and Pelosi have created in Washington,” Fimian said.
“My campaign is the leader in the fight against liberal Gerry Connolly,” Fimian added. “I out-raised my primary opponent in his first quarter in the race and I am the first one on the airwaves. I am the only candidate with the message and resources to defeat Gerry Connolly.”
Taxes in the 11th District Race…Ironic, don't you think?
Yesterday was tax day, which is when many people line up at the post office to get their income taxes filed in a last minute rush. Rising taxes are no doubt on the minds of many in the 11th Congressional District, as our current Congressman Gerry Connolly has voted in favor of every tax hike House Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed through the House of Representatives. People are mad over the tax increases, as the economy continues to decline and unemployment continues to rise.
Both Republican candidates for Congress have voiced their opposition against tax increases. Keith Fimian came out against tax increases, and in a recent statement, he slams Connolly for raising taxes by $670 billion.
“Tomorrow is the deadline for Americans to file their taxes. After thousands of pages of complex code, billions of hours of preparation, and hundreds of billions spent on compliance, the Federal government takes an enormous bite out of the earnings of millions and millions of hardworking Americans,” Fimian said. “And Gerry Connolly doesn’t think these Americans pay enough. In just 16 months, he has voted for $670 billion in tax increases, including $316 billion that directly hit the middle class.”
“At $42 billion in tax increases for every month Connolly’s been in office, and by the time voters throw Gerry Connolly out of Congress in November, we’re looking at another quarter-billion in tax increases,” Fimian said.
“Connolly’s lust for tax increases isn’t a surprise,” Fimian said. “These tax increases and a lot of borrowing pay for the reckless spending and earmarks that he and other career politicians believe they can use to secure their re-elections.”
“During his tenure on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Connolly doubled the average property tax bill in Fairfax County from $2400 to $4800,” Fimian said. “We couldn’t afford Gerry Connolly on the Board of Supervisors and we can’t afford him in Congress.”
Yesterday, Pat Herrity also sent out a letter to supporters saying that he opposed tax increases and even voted against tax increases as Springfield District Supervisor.
Today is Tax Day, the day every year when we send our hard-earned dollars to Uncle Sam.
If your tax bill is relatively low this year, savor it. Over the next 10 years, your tax bill is going to skyrocket because of the tax-and-spend policies of Gerry Connolly and his mentor, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Since Connolly crossed the river into Washington to team up with the Speaker from the bankrupt state of California, he has voted for every tax hike put to a vote. The House’s Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Dave Camp added them up. Connolly has voted for $670.341 billion in new taxes in the less than 16 months he has been in Congress. Connolly’s gross tax increases equate to more than $2,100 for every man, woman and child in the United States.
Gerry Connolly will tell you he has lowered taxes since he went to Congress – ignoring the $570 billion worth of tax increases in Obamacare alone.
We shouldn’t be surprised. Connolly has always claimed to cut taxes. He made that claim when he reduced the tax rate as a Fairfax County supervisor, yet the amount of taxes property owners paid under his watch doubled from $2,400 to $4,800 in just seven years – increases Connolly supported. It’s a new type of math – Connollymath.
These are the kind of dishonest smoke-and-mirrors tricks that we see so much of in Washington, and it is exactly the type of culture that is hurting our families and our businesses. We need to bring honesty and accountability back to Washington. We need jobs, not big government.
I have never and will never vote to raises taxes. Accordingly, I have signed the taxpayers’ protection pledge.
More importantly, I am the only candidate in this race that has a proven record of lowering taxes, cutting spending and reducing the size of government.
While Herrity declares his intentions to never raise taxes, this does not mean that he did not support a potential tax increase. According to The Washington Examiner and Agenda Item 2 of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Meeting on December 21, 2009, Herrity voted in favor of Phase II of the Dulles Rail Transportation Improvement District. This is a move, which according to The Examiner would require the county to loan money as a way to finance the second phase of the Dulles expansion, if a tax increase was not imposed.
As our economy is downfall mode, can we truly afford additional taxes? No, tax increases only harm prosperity and hurt working families. Hopefully, both Republican candidates will stand by their promises not to raise taxes once elected.
Update: Gerry Connolly "Undecided" on Health Care
Rep. Gerry Connolly appeared on CNN today, and he stated that he is still “undecided” on the health care bill. Since he is still undecided, it is probably a good time to remind him of how voters really feel about Congress’s health care reform legislation. Perhaps, Connolly should remember the protests outside his office or the town hall meetings.
Will Gerry Connolly Oppose ObamaCare?
The answer is probably not, and if Connolly chooses to oppose the monstrosity known as President Obama’s health care plan, it will probably be done in private. However, Connolly should come out and publicly state why he is either in favor of the plan or against it (I mean, transparency is a good thing…right?).
Keith Fimian, who is one of two candidates seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Connolly in the November General Election, called on Connolly to oppose the health care bill in Congress and questioned whether Connolly even read the 2,300 page bill that is going to be voted on yet again.
“This healthcare bill is a 2,300 page mess, full of back room deals and special interest giveaways that will only drive up costs, reduce the quality of care, and give government control of nearly 20 percent of our nation’s economy despite clear public opposition,” Fimian said.
“Before casting a potentially tie breaking vote to destroy the best healthcare system in the world, will Gerry Connolly even bother to read the bill? Or are Gerry Connolly and the rest of the career politicians in Washington more worried about clearing their schedules for a Rose Garden signing this week than the devastating impact this legislation will have on our healthcare system and our economy,” Fimian added.
“I call on Gerry Connolly to join his constituents in Virginia’s 11th District to oppose the healthcare monstrosity Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are attempting to ram through Congress against the will of the American people,” Fimian said.
Despite their large majorities, Democrats are resorting to procedural maneuvering to push their healthcare legislation through Congress because many of their own members are threatening to defect. Many realize not only is this a badly crafted bill, but it will accomplish nothing its proponents claim.
“We should dump this bill and start from scratch with real reforms we can all agree on,” Fimian said. “Addressing wellness, portability, pre-existing conditions, and purchasing insurance across state lines are all good places to start. We can address each of these with stand alone legislation. These are real reform measures which will lower costs—a good thing for hardworking families and the federal budget.”
How about relying on free markets to help with the health care reform? This should be one important key feature in any health care reform plan.
Poll: Fimian Beating Connolly 40-35%
Keith Fimian, candidate for Congress in the 11th District, released a poll today showing him beating incumbent Rep. Gerry Connolly 40-35% in the General Election. The poll conducted by McLaughlin & Associates showed these results with 25% undecided. Among independent voters, the poll showed Fimian defeating Connolly 43-28%.
“Keith Fimian is in an outstanding position to win the race for U.S. Congress in Virginia’s 11th District. Voters are extremely disenchanted with the current state of affairs in Washington and are significantly more favorable toward a Republican candidate,” Jim McLaughlin, Fimian’s pollster said. “Congressman Gerry Connolly’s favorable rating and vote share are both well below the 50% thresholds for strong incumbents. The fact that Keith Fimian is already beating Gerry Connolly shows how vulnerable Connolly is to Fimian’s challenge.”
“I am excited that this poll shows that I am the best candidate to win this seat.” Fimian said. “This is because of my energetic grassroots support, strong fundraising results, my message of fiscal responsibility and the concrete proposals I am offering to create a vibrant environment for job creation. Voters also welcome my commitment to eliminating the culture of wasteful spending and corruption that career politicians have created in Washington.”
Fimian has also raised more money than Connolly for two consecutive quarters, in addition to being named a “Contender” in the NRCC’s Young Guns Program.
Gerry Connolly…One of Charlie's "Virginia" Angels
Well, isn’t this comforting? With all of the promises of hope, change, and making Congress a more ethical place to be, the Democrats have Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) to deal with, as he is under fire for neglecting to tell the IRS that he was receiving rental income from his Caribbean villa. Normally, what would seem like an offense that would land someone with fines or possible jail time, Rangel has only “temporarily stepped aside” as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Of course, the House Ethics Committee found him in violation of these allegations, and there will definitely be a vote to remove him from that position.
Rangel’s problems have now left New York and traveled down to Virginia, as one of our own elected officials received money from his leadership PAC when first running for Congress. Of course, there is no mention on whether Rep. Gerry Connolly has returned the $7,000 contribution he received from Rangel or even if he would vote to remove him from the Ways and Means Committee Chairmanship. Connolly received this contribution on June 25, 2008. Perhaps, we should call Connolly and demand he return the contribution, as he is supposed to be part of the “most ethical Congress,” right?
Keith Fimian released this statement on Connolly’s refusal to give back or donate Rangel’s contributions to his campaign.
“Gerry Connolly should immediately return all funds he accepted from Rangel,” Fimian said. “As bad as it is that he is still holding onto to those tainted funds, it is even worse that Connolly voted to let Rangel off the hook for his ethical violations after having accepted campaign contributions from him in 2008. As the saying goes, money talks…and Gerry Connolly listens.”
“Aside from the campaign cash, Connolly’s vote to give Rangel a pass on his ethics violations should come as no surprise to anyone who remembers Connolly’s tenure on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors,” Fimian said. “When it comes to ethical lapses, I have no doubt that Gerry Connolly can empathize with the situation Representative Rangel finds himself in.”
Stimulus: One Year Later
One year later, people are still asking about what happened to the promises of new jobs. Unemployment levels are still at an all-time high, meanwhile President Barack Obama has claimed that the Stimulus has been successful. Wow…wasteful government spending has a degree of success…go figure. Considering that Obama has a penchant for the “I’s”, perhaps, we should look at how the stimulus has done, then make the assessment if it is working.
First, let’s take a look at the stimulus timeline. Other than the creation of fake Congressional districts, it is only costing the taxpayers for the long haul. Then, USA Today came out with an article saying that the funds are going to programs that have been eliminated.
With all of this occurring, you may be asking yourselves if you are benefitting from the stimulus funds. Don’t worry, you are paying for something that you will never see.
Aside from Obama and the Democrats in Congress claiming this as a “disaster averted” moment, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Republican challengers to troubled incumbents are using this to their advantage. Keith Fimian, who is challenging freshman Rep. Gerry Connolly, said in a statement that the only thing benefitting from the stimulus is the budget deficits, debt, and the increased likelihood of tax increases.
“Gerry Connolly eagerly advocated this reckless spending binge last year because he is a career politician who doesn’t know how jobs are created or how economies grow. All Gerry Connolly knows how to do is grow government, tax and spend away our hard earned money, and run for re-election. His economic policies have failed.”
I couldn’t have said it any better myself. In fact, we are in trouble if we continue to rely on using stimulus packages as a way for economic recovery.
Keith Fimian's Response to the State of the Union Address
Keith Fimian, candidate for Congress in the 11th District, released this statement after President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address.
“Tonight the President said he planned to make job creation and controlling wasteful spending a priority. I commend him for that and hope he carries through on his pledge. So far we have seen too many broken promises from this White House and members of Congress like Gerry Connolly. The problem is that the agenda in Washington is being driven by career politicians who cut their back room deals and leave taxpayers like you and me to pay for it all. Or worse, who borrow the money from China and obligate our children and grandchildren to pay it back. That’s just plain wrong and it has to stop.”
“I believe in a different course of action. I am businessman who has actually created hundreds of jobs and a CPA who knows how to balance a budget. We need to stop playing the games the insiders play and stop cutting deals with special interests. We must stop the failed stimulus. Too many of the President’s proposed reductions in spending are somewhere off in the future when what we really need are real spending cuts right now. Let’s start a serious audit of the federal government now to make serious cuts. Then we need to have government stop trying to create ‘temporary jobs’ with more spending, and instead give small businesses and the American people the freedom to grow, expand, and create jobs in the private sector.”
Fimian makes good points here. One thing Obama should remember is to rely on the free markets, instead of playing “Mr. Fix-It.”
Flip-Flop Gerry!
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) has decided to go against his campaign promises to repeal the 2001 federal tax cuts. I guess the crumbling state of the economy has really impacted Gerry or the fact that he knows he could lose the General Election in November.
According to a Dow Jones Wire Report, Connolly was quoted about the pending expiration of the 2001 tax cuts. He said, “I think there is a certain logic to leaving well-enough alone for now, given the fragility of the economic recovery. It’s a question of prudent judgment and timing.”
Connolly ran in 2008 on promises that he would raise taxes and revoke the 2001 tax cuts. Just last year, Connolly voted for the Stimulus and Omnibus spending bills, in addition to other pork-laden projects. With the tanking economy, he decided to change his stances for re-election purposes. He now wants to see the 2001 tax cuts extended.
Republican challenger Keith Fimian released this statement about Connolly’s change of heart.
“Apparently it takes unemployment above 10 percent and still rising to get Gerry Connolly to admit he’s been wrong on taxes. The simple fact is that Connolly does not know how jobs are created and has been recklessly irresponsible on fiscal and economic policy for years, from his time on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to his brief tenure in Congress. The only reason Connolly is changing his tune now is that his political career is at risk. Given his liberal record, we cannot take him at his word. At this rate, he’ll be calling himself a moderate by Valentine’s Day and a Reagan Republican by Easter.”
Flip-flop Gerry! I guess the name fits.
A Look into the 11th Congressional District Race
Lately, there have been rumors about Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) considering a run for Congress and challenging Keith Fimian in a possible primary or convention. This may be old news, but it is worthy of bringing this back into the fold again.
Some of the rumors have been that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) wanted Herrity to run, as he would be the stronger candidate to go against freshman Rep. Gerry Connolly for the 11th District seat.
While Herrity would provide a good challenge to Connolly, Fimian has been active with various community and grassroots-related events. During the summer, when Connolly refused to meet with constituents at open townhall-style meetings, Fimian was alongside of the grassroots (tea party) activists calling on Connolly to meet with them and discuss why he would be in support of the health care reform package.
Fimian has been working tirelessly for a rematch against Connolly. When Fimian first ran in 2008, the climate was bad and the voters used the Presidential elections (along with the Congressional) as a referendum against George W. Bush. The tide has changed significantly in the 11th, as Bob McDonnell (and the Republicans) won decisively in the recent elections. There is no doubt that Fimian can win this election against Connolly.
A national GOP official said that they have not actively recruited GOP challengers in the 11th District, as they are confident with Fimian’s ability to fundraise and to get his message across to voters. The official mentioned that Fimian recently raised $500,000, and that he is one of the top 10 challengers to watch this election cycle. This is good news for Fimian, as he was recently named one of the Top Guns by the NRCC.
Right now, this race is going to be competitive and one to watch.
