Rich (-adj, ridiculous or absurd)

Today's Jackson Sun contains an intriguing article quoting retiring Congressman John Tanner's criticism of 8th District GOP candidate Stephen Fincher's recent tour of the Milan Army Ammunition Arsenal. Why intriguing? Not only has the outgoing congressman been virtually invisible to the media since he announced his intention not to seek re-election, but it's unusual for a retiring incumbent to insert himself into the opposing party's primary. As so often is the case in politics there's more here than meets the eye.

You see, Fincher's opponent in the GOP primary is an avowed friend of and political contributor to John Tanner. Tanner's criticism of Fincher is clearly calculated to help his friend Ron Kirkland in the primary election. The GOP nominee will face Democrat Roy Herron in November's general election. It's hard for me to believe Tanner's criticism isn't coordinated with an assist from the Kirkland camp.

My own sense is that Republican primary voters will see Tanner's comments as a badge of honor for Fincher. It often seems that we live in an Orwellian political world where truth is subjugate to "spin." Kirkland's effort to portray Fincher as somehow a tool of Washington insiders is a perfect example of such nonsense.

I know both Fincher and Kirkland. I've served on the board of directors of The Jackson Clinic with Kirkland, and he's the insider. Kirkland is the friend of congressmen and the Washington elitists. He's the supporter of and believer in the get-along back-scratching culture of power where there's not a dime's difference in Republicans and Democrats. Surely the GOP won't let Kirkland get away with smearing a farmer who's spent his life raising his family, spreading the gospel, and feeding America and the rest of the world.

It's always wise to remember the adage, when hearing criticism, consider the source. Considering who's criticizing Fincher, I'll stand with him.