Mike Ferguson's (R-NJ-07) reelection campaign is spewing letters to the editors portraying this right-wing trust fund hack as a moderate!
Would someone please pass me the bucket?
The Courier News published the following letter on
Sept. 30th:
Mike Ferguson on his own among GOP
FRED BLUM of Cranford writes in the Courier News: "... According to the National Journal,Ferguson is more liberal than 40 percent of his fellow House members (Republicans and Democrats) and more
conservative than 59 percent of them. Hardly sounds
like a radical, does it? ... Ferguson has been an independent leader who opposes his party on drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, off-shore drilling, gun control. If you want lower taxes, a proven record of accomplishment for our communities and a believer in giving our government every tool it needs to prevent terror attacks here in America, vote for Mike
Ferguson. ... "
I have to say that in some ways US Representative Mike
Ferguson is on his own.
Mike Ferguson while admiting no guilt, paid a $210,000 fine, the largest ever for a sitting member
of Congress, to the Federal Election Commission.
Ferguson, during his 2000 campaign had "borrowed" $525,000
from his parent's trust fund in his name. This violated a statute limiting contributions from individuals to $25,000. In this Ferguson stands alone.
He also stands alone in the fact that he took more
money, $54,000 from Tom Delay's disgraced political
action committee Americans for a Republican Majority. By Some reckonings, more than any other Representative. Ferguson has not offered to refund any of it ... not one cent. Again Ferguson stands alone.
Now let's take another look at his voting record.
Ferguson voted to block the Jack Abramoff scandal
investigation in the House of Representatives.
He voted for a bill that rejected a timetable to pull
American GI's out of Iraq.
On social programs he voted to cut almost $40 billion
from welfare, child support and student loan programs.
On abortion he voted twice against partial birth
abortions which would limit a woman's right to choose.
On biomedical research, he voted against the use of
federal funds to use embryonic stem cells in
pioneering studies to understand the science of
development with the potential to lead to cures for
cancer, neurological diseases and many diseases.
He also voted for the bill that gave Federal Courts
jurisdiction on Terry Schiavo. This bill was largely
seen by the public and the legal communtity as
legislation driven by religious zealots.
He also voted not to initiate a four-year pilot grant
program for Science and Medical research by NASA to
promote research, development, testing and evaluation
at minority-serving institutions.
On the erosion of the right to free speech he voted to
allow the FCC to increase fines to a maximum of
$500,000 against broadcasters for every airing of
"indecent, obscene or profane material."
On the erosion of the rights against unreasonable
search and seizure, he voted to allow unlimited
intelligence gathering without civil oversight.
On gay rights he voted for an amendment to the US
constitution that would have banned gay marraige.
On transportation he voted against an act that would
have allowed pilots to be deputized as federal agents
and would have provided flight attendants with self
defense instruction.
On gun violence he voted to pass a bill that provides
legal protection for manufacturers, dealers or
importers of firearms or ammunition products, as well
as their trade associations, for harm caused by
criminal or unlawful misuse.
On medical malpractice he voted to pass a bill that
would limit the amount of money awarded to plaintiffs
and attorneys in the event that they were to prove
medical malpractice.
Finally last but not least, Michael Ferguson's children go to school in Maryland. And I thought he was from New Jersey... then of course there's the page 6 scandal... a married congressman hitting on college women in DC ... never ...
Contribute to Linda Stender, Ferguson's Democratic opponent in NJ-07