Ken Fortenberry is challenging Rep.
Patrick McHenry (R-10) in the May
Republican Primary.
File photo/TCS
Gaston
GOP leader insults former candidates
January
16, 2012 -- A member of U.S.
Rep. Patrick McHenry’s 2010
steering committee and the current
chairman of the Gaston County
Republican Party has questioned the
“values” of the
congressman’s former opponents.
Craig Collins, a Gastonia attorney
and long-time friend and political
ally of McHenry, made the comments in
an online discussion Wednesday night
with Ken Fortenberry, the
congressman’s opponent in
May’s Republican primary.
“The idea that we would be
better by blindly voting out all
incumbents is extremely dangerous.
Also, blindly assuming their
challengers are any better is never a
good idea,” stated Collins.
“Over the years I have seen some
of the challenger to our two Reps
(McHenry and Myrick), and I am
grateful we have reelected Reps.
McHenry and Myrick. They have stood
up for NC values quite well. Their
opponents generally did not match up
with the values of western NC,”
Collins stated.
He also stated that Fortenberry was
living in a “fantasy world”
“Mr. Collins was not only
insulting and disrespectful of the
former candidates, he was also
flat-out wrong. I believe the values
of fine people like former Catawba
County Sheriff David Huffman, Burke
County businessman Vance Patterson
and retired Air Force colonel Lance
Sigmon of Newton stack up pretty well
with the people of western North
Carolina," said Fortenberry.
"I would welcome a discussion of
McHenry’s values at any time,
and think the citizens would be
shocked to learn that, in fact, the
congressman’s values are NOT
their values at all.”
Fortenberry also questioned why the
chairman of the Gaston County
Republican Party was injecting
himself into the primary and clearly
taking sides.
“Both the chairman and the vice
chairman in Gaston County are loyal
McHenry supporters, and the
vice-chairman is on the
congressman’s paid staff,”
stated Fortenberry. “This is why
regular folks are fed up with
politics, and politicians in
general,” he said.
“It’s time to clean House
in 2012.”
Ken Fortenberry is owner
and publisher with wife, Anna, of News@Norman.
For more information on Ken's
Republican congressional campaign,
visit the Web site www.kenfortenberry.org
and see the advertisement on The
Carolina Scoop.