WASHINGTON - Stephen Fincher, the 8th District Republican and darling of the National Republican Congressional Committee is having a D.C. fundraiser this evening, but the candidate won't be attending it, his campaign confirms.
Fincher will be addressing the Tipton County Republican Party tonight, his senior advisor, Matt McCullough, explained.
U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., who campaigned in Tennessee with Fincher this summer, will be there, his spokesman, Chip Lake, said this afternoon.
The D.C. fundraiser quickly became campaign fodder today as the Ronald Kirkland campaign sought to bring it to the public's attention with some levity.
"Today, Stephen Fincher cemented the fact he is the favorite candidate of the Washington Establishment beyond a shadow of a doubt," Kirkland campaign spokesman Brent Leatherwood said in a statement.
"While Ron Kirkland is busy gathering support from Tennesseans of all walks of life, Stephen Fincher is busy coordinating a D.C. fundraiser with the Washington insiders who have been trying to manipulate Tennessee voters from the beginning about their handpicked candidate. He is so tied to these D.C. insiders they don't even need him to be physically present at the Capitol Hill Club tonight to try and raise money for him!"
He added: "Frankly, Mr. Fincher's hypocrisy has Lane Kiffin furiously taking notes."
The fundraiser is hosted by Westmoreland and U.S. Reps. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., and Peter Roskam, R-Ill.
In the same broadside, Leatherwood takes the Fincher campaign to task for a mailer that misspells "Tennesee."
"Frankly, Mr. Fincher's hypocrisy has Lane Kiffin furiously taking notes."
Don't live in the 8th district, but that would have sealed Mr. Kirkland's vote from me.