We have to give the South Carolina Democratic Party (SCDP) a little bit of credit for the mail blitzkrieg it recently launched in S.C. House District 75 (.pdf) – which is located just a few blocks east of the state capital in Columbia. Not only did the party manage to send its propaganda to the right district this time (which has been an issue of late) … it actually targeted resources into a competitive seat for a change.
Fourth-term lawmaker Kirkman Finlay – the target of the mailings – is the only Republican in South Carolina who currently occupies a district that was claimed by Hillary Clinton in 2016.
In other words, Democrats should be running away with this seat … especially in what is purported to be a “blue wave” election.
The problem?
As we have frequently noted, Finlay has always enjoyed the support of broad swaths of independents and Democrats – in addition to his GOP backing. That has kept him in office these past eight years … driving SCDP leaders crazy.
“While we don’t agree with him on every issue, Finlay has been one of the rare common sense voices at the S.C. State House over the past decade – not to mention one of the more effective lawmakers when it comes to challenging failed bureaucracies (including the Palmetto State’s abysmally managed higher education establishment),” we noted in a column last month.
We especially admired Finlay when he stood against Republican leaders in the House (and GOP governor Henry McMaster) as they doled out tens of millions of tax dollars to liberal billionaire David Tepper, owner of the National Football League (NFL)’s Carolina Panthers for a dubious “economic development” deal in Rock Hill, S.C.
Finlay’s argument? That there were more pressing needs in the Palmetto State than giveaways for billionaires …
It isn’t just “right-of-center” news outlets like ours who appreciate Finlay’s work, though.
The brusque, bearded 50-year-old farmer/ businessman has also been endorsed by The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper – a left-leaning outlet which cited his “proven ability to tackle tough legislative issues in an effective manner.”
“(Finlay) has developed a reputation as a pragmatic lawmaker who looks to solve problems rather than exacerbate them,” the paper’s endorsement noted. “As our state continues to recover from the pandemic and the daunting challenges it will continue to pose, Finlay’s practical ‘I’m a workhorse, not a showhorse’ mindset will be needed more than ever.”
Obviously, the SCDP doesn’t see Finlay in the same light …
(Click to view)
(Via: Provided)
This new outlet has previously debunked the falsehoods contained in these attacks. In fact, we pointed out how in one case Finlay actually did the opposite of what he has been accused of – fighting against the financial interest of the entity that purchased an option to lease some of his land for a solar farm.
Does that sound corrupt to you?
In another case, Finlay simply stood against a sales tax that was being illegally imposed – which is hardly the same thing as pushing a “special, one-time tax break.”
Seriously … prohibiting a state agency from collecting a tax that it has no legal right to assess is not giving anyone a “tax break.” It is simply enforcing the law.
Oh … and let us not forget that the wife of Finlay’s opponent works at the same state agency that was levying this tax illegally?
We wonder … has she been campaigning on taxpayer time? Using taxpayer resources?
While the latest Democratic mailings mostly regurgitate the shopworn falsehoods we have previously exposed, one did manage to come up with a novel broadside against Finlay. Specifically, it accused him of serving on two committees related to the coronavirus pandemic which have “done NOTHING to safely reopen schools and rebuild our economy.”
Really?
Last time we checked, Finlay’s starring role in the coronavirus “stimulus” spending debate resulted in $194.7 million being routed directly into Palmetto State schools.
And while this news outlet opposed that particular appropriation (arguing the state’s government-run schools are not in financial crisis as a result of Covid-19), such an investment cannot be described as “doing nothing.”
So yeah … that’s yet another false attack.
Once again, as we acknowledge in all of our coverage of this race, Finlay is a close, personal friend of our founding editor Will Folks. And his burger joint – Pawleys Front Porch – advertises on our website. So we certainly encourage our readers to take that into account as they peruse our coverage.
But truth is truth … and in our “post-truth” world, it’s important to stand up for it.
Democrats had a wonderful opportunity to steal a seat from the GOP in this district. All they had to do was offer a compelling, competing vision of governance – touting their candidate and the alternative policy positions he would embrace if elected. Instead, they have chosen to tell lie after lie about Finlay – recklessly impugning the integrity of one of the only members of the S.C. General Assembly who has been immune to the influence of special interests.
-FITSNews
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