Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Originally posted at www.thedailytimes.com

Dear Editor:

I am writing to you to express my extreme disappointment with a mailer I received from Senator Raymond Finney’s campaign calling Doug “Chairman of the Speaker Jimmy Naifeh Shoe Shine Caucus.” I originally put these kinds of personal attacks below Ray Finney, but now I know that is not the case.

This is the second mailer I have received falsely implying that Doug supports an income tax, even though we know from the Tennessee General Assembly web site that Doug voted against the income tax. In fact, he is the only candidate in the race who can attest to actually having voted against it.

Instead of engaging in civil political discussion, Senator Finney has instead chosen to revert to name-calling and deceiving mailers. Raymond did not even use a trustworthy source, but instead choose to quote a small blogger who he falsely calls “a respected media personality.” While blogs have had positive effects on our democratic process and have helped spread information more effectively, I believe most people would agree that many blogs are mostly opinion and hardly a trustworthy source.

I think it is very sad that Senator Finney would accuse Doug of “polishing shoes” and “selling out Republicans,” especially when Doug has spent 30 years helping the Republican Party. He has worked to elect many Republicans, including Jimmy Duncan and Lamar Alexander, and even helped start the Blount County Young Republicans years ago. He has been a life-long conservative and has carried the Republican banner into many elections.

If Raymond Finney is a true Republican, then where was he before his last election? It seems to me that he helped the party only when the party could help him.

I really thought these sort of political tactics were beneath Ray Finney, but unfortunately he has proven me wrong. I’m supporting Doug Overbey for State Senate in the Aug. 7 Republican Primary.

Sincerely,

Cindy Shepard
612 Eastwood Drive
Maryville, TN 37803

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 at 7:50 pm and is filed under In The News.
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