Jim LeMunyon Mad at Being Called Out for Extremist Tea Party Ties

Apparently, Del. Jim LeMunyon (Tea Party) really didn’t like being called out for his extremism and Tea Party ties by Democratic challenger Eric Clingan. Check out LeMunyon’s highly defensive email, below the “fold,” which tries valiantly – but  completely fails – to claim that his proposed legislation to “tea up the Constitution” is actually no such thing, that he’s really not supported by the Tea Party, etc. It’s rather amusing…in a Mad Hatter-ish sorta way, that is (note: click on the image to “embiggen”). 🙂

P.S. Here’s an excerpt:

– There are two political action committees (PACs) in Virginia affiliated with the Tea Party. Public records show that I have not received any donations from them;

– An organization called Middle Resolution contributed to my 2009 campaign. Their donations (considerably less than the figure claimed by Mr. Clingan) have been a matter of public record for more than two years. Mr. Clingan calls them the “Tea Party” PAC. This is false. Middle Resolution is a group of private citizens in Virginia who are active in politics, but not affiliated with any organization. They did not “put me up” to introducing any legislation, but I was happy to have their support for H.J. 542 after it was introduced. I authored H.J. 542 at the request of House Speaker Bill Howell;

Dear Friend,

You may have noticed a series of flyers in the mail recently from my opponent, accusing me of being someone I’m not. I’ve resisted dignifying these attacks with a response, but several people have asked me to set the record straight. So here it is. I’m being brief in the interest of your time, but if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call (703-264-1432) or send me an email.

Rather than offer even one original idea about how to make your life better, Eric Clingan has based his entire campaign on trying to scare people into voting against me. His claim is essentially this: He says I took large campaign contributions from the Tea Party and then introduced “extreme” legislation they wanted (H.J. 542) that would “tear up the Constitution,” end social security, trash environmental laws, and so forth. He also claims I was “all alone” in this effort.

The Washington Post considered this claim in their endorsement interview with me and didn’t buy it, because it’s not true. The Post endorsed me.

Here are some facts to consider:

– The purpose of H.J. 542 is to protect state budgets from unfunded federal mandates and costly federal regulations. Such federal regulations and mandates siphon money away from transportation, education, public safety, and other state programs. H.J. 542 aims to help keep Virginia’s budget balanced in the long term-a matter I discussed at town hall meetings many months ago;

– Rather than me standing “all alone,” the legislation passed the House of Delegates on a 59-34 vote. It failed in a Virginia Senate subcommittee by just one vote. Governor McDonnell supported it;

– There are two political action committees (PACs) in Virginia affiliated with the Tea Party. Public records show that I have not received any donations from them;

– An organization called Middle Resolution contributed to my 2009 campaign. Their donations (considerably less than the figure claimed by Mr. Clingan) have been a matter of public record for more than two years. Mr. Clingan calls them the “Tea Party” PAC. This is false. Middle Resolution is a group of private citizens in Virginia who are active in politics, but not affiliated with any organization. They did not “put me up” to introducing any legislation, but I was happy to have their support for H.J. 542 after it was introduced. I authored H.J. 542 at the request of House Speaker Bill Howell;

– More than 600 people have contributed to my 2009 and 2011 campaigns, many Republicans, and more than a few Democrats and Independents. The Republican Party is the largest single donor and accounts for about 15 percent of the total.

Lastly, I want you to know that when I introduce legislation or vote on a bill, I am happy to have the support of virtually any organization that would like to work with me. I believe in the politics of addition, not division. On a range of bills, and from time-to-time, I have had support from teachers, the business community, the Tea Party, veterans, church organizations, real estate agents, environmental groups, and many more. But I don’t get the support of every group every time. That’s because I work hard to represent the people of the 67th district, not special interests.

So in contrast to my opponent, and to borrow a line from Ronald Reagan, my aim is to appeal to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your confidence, rather than your doubts. If that’s the kind of representation you want, I respectfully ask for your vote on November 8th.

Sincerely,

Jim LeMunyon