In the campaign to replace Louisiana 4th District Congressman Jim McCrery, the Republican candidates have been whittled down to the choice between businessmen Chris Gorman and Dr. John Fleming. My initial thought was that either would make a good congressman, but all that changed when Dr. Fleming aired a television attack ad against Gorman.
Both candidates are well-known as Christian: Dr. Fleming is a member at First Baptist Church of Minden, Gorman is a member at Summer Grove Baptist Church, although he and his family frequently attend Saturday night services at my church, Brookwood Baptist Church. Both candidates have made their faith central issues of their campaigns, so for one Christian to attack anyone, let alone another believer, for political gain goes against everything we’re taught.
When Dr. Fleming attacked Gorman, my allegiance immediately shifted to Gorman. In later television ads, Mrs. Fleming called for an end to attack ads, and I was incredulous! “You started the attack ads!” I’d yell at the television.
Then, Gorman aired an ad claiming that Dr. Fleming supported raising taxes by 23% with a national sales tax. That rang a bell in my mind, because I’d read Neal Boortz, and John Linder’s book, “The Fair Tax” and I knew it advocated a 23% national sales tax while simultaneously abolishing all other taxes, including the personal income tax, the capital gains taxes and estate taxes.
Sure enough, a cursory glance at Dr. Fleming’s web site reveals he supports the Fair Tax, and Gorman’s ad paints that support in the worst possibly light: as a 23% overall increase in taxes, never mentioning that it would be the only national tax you’d pay under the Fair Tax plan.
I called the Gorman campaign to voice my anger at the surely knowingly misrepresentive ad, and the very nice woman who was on the unfortunate receiving end of my call explained that Gorman did not feel there had been enough research into the Fair Tax, and insinuated that any tax plan that did not allow deductions for mortgages and charitable contributions constituted a tax increase.
That’s ridiculous! Gorman either doesn’t understand the Fair Tax, or he’s knowingly misrepresenting it because he knows how Conservatives in the 4th District abhor taxes. Either way, it proves to me that my decision to support him was incorrect, and so therefore I intend to cast my vote November 4th for Dr. John Fleming.
This actually helped me solidify my vote for Chris Gorman. A Fleming commercial I saw tonight said Fleming will continue to fight for my mortgage deduction and my church contributions deduction. According to your assessment of the Fair Tax, it seems to me he doesn’t really know what he supports either. So do you vote for the one who claims one thing yet says something contradictory or do you support the one who admits he doen’t know enough about that particular item to make an informed decision.
I’m still voting for Chris Gorman for two reasons. First, I haven’t heard any negative campaigning from him. There may be some, I just haven’t heard it. Fleming’s attacks have been on Gorman, not on an issue Gorman supports. Second, he has the courage to acknowledge what he is unfamiliar with. Sounds to me that is an honest politician. Oh yeah, and a Christ follower who respects his brother in Christ even if he disagrees with him.
By the way, according to Fleming’s own website, he is a member of FBC Minden, not Broadmoor Baptist (http://www.flemingforcongress.com/issues/christian_testimony.html). I’m not going to stop being your friend just because you gave out misinformation because you didn’t do enough research.
I hope you’ll reconsider your vote. I’m casting my vote Nov 4th for Chris Gorman.
Jeff,
You’re right about where he goes to church, and I’ve corrected that in the post. I was working off of memory on Dr. Fleming, and I knew he came from Minden. I’ll blame it on a brain fart.
I’d certainly hope that our friendship doesn’t hinge on my political opinions nor my research abilities (or lack thereof)
The Fair Tax, if enacted would:
Deductions would no longer be necessary. I’m sure that Dr. Fleming meant that, under current law he’d fight for your deductions, and of course he’d say that. He’s not going to spend an entire 30 second commercial explaining the Fair Tax; He’s going to blunt the thrust of Gorman’s misleading ad.
I’ve been a supporter of the Fair Tax for several years now, long before I’d even heard of either candidate. To hear someone mis-characterize it as badly as the Gorman campaign tonight tells me they either haven’t read up on it, or they just made the accusation to sway public opinion.
Charles,
Maybe I can help you on this. Chris Gorman attacked first. He attacked both Thompson and Fleming for months before Fleming retaliated. It didn’t seem that way because he used third party bloggers, propaganda websites, phones, etc. so to appear to be distanced from the hits. More recently he went to the TV and radio hitting Fleming with distortions over immigration. Gorman has always been the dishonest attack guy. It is just being realized by most people. While Fleming attacked, he has always used truth. Yes, you can judge Fleming his combative nature, but not on his honesty. As for Gorman, he has said or done very little about himself or others that is honest.
Our friendship is in tact. Thanks for making the corrections. Although I am for the Fair Tax and wish Huckabee was the presidential candidate, I would still rather vote for a candidate who has consistently campaigned on the issues rather than one who ran attack ads and then called for a clean campaign.
I hope some day we do have the Fair Tax, but now we don’t. It doesn’t even seem to be on the horizon of this election. I’m not going to hold Gorman responsible for knowing a whole lot about stuff that is years away from being reality, if ever. I believe the Fair Tax is one of those way, way in the back issues that is not a campaign breaker.
I can overlook Gormans’ characterization of the Fair Tax. I can’t overlook Flemings’ campaign strategy nor his characterization of Chris Gorman.
What’s Foul About the Fair Tax - The Boston Globe
Charles adds: The next time someone just dumps a link without saying anything to add to the conversation, I’m deleting it.
Not part of that region but it does make all the difference now. I urge anyone who is in favor of the fairtax to vote the supporter of the fairtax, especially if they are running for house or senate. One third of the senate is always up for vote every 2 years. The entire house is up for vote every 2 years. We need to weed the non-supporters of the fairtax out and implant the supporters into congress. We have a SAY in this matter and over time we will created the biggest revolution and power transfer from government back to the people in our lives.
@Small Business Man: obviously Bruce Bartlett hasn’t read the book or the plan and is spitting out the most common misconception about the FairTax plan. The tax is inclusive, not exclusive, so his comparison about 23% vs. 30% isn’t correct.
As the book points out, if you are going to make that comparison then you have to raise the current tax levels by 6-8% to make them equal out for the comparison. The reason being that the current income taxes are inclusive as well.
Many people misunderstand the Fair Tax, and that causes quite a few problems when speaking about the proposal. The fact is, John Fleming wants to simply our tax code, which is thousands of pages and costs hundreds of millions of dollars to comply with, and make tax day a bit easier for all Americans.
- CD4Truth