Joe Siano

Congressman Chris Smith is part of the entrenched Washington Establishment that has to go.

Other than the five years after he graduated college, he has spent more than half of his life – 30 years! – in the U.S. House of Representatives.

While normal New Jerseyans like us have struggled to build businesses and careers in that time, Smith has dined comfortably at the public trough. He cannot help but be out of touch with regular Americans and New Jerseyans.

He is so far out of touch with New Jersey that he doesn’t even live here.  He is such a part of the insular Washington elite that he has ditched his Jersey digs for full time residence in a posh D.C. suburb.  According to Wikipedia:

“Smith has an apartment in Hamilton Township, near Trenton, as his official residence. However, in 1983--shortly after winning a second term--he bought a home in Herndon, Virginia and has spent most of the year there since then. However, his car is registered in Hamilton Township, and he votes and pays taxes in New Jersey as well. Politicker estimated that since 2001, Smith has spent 395 days and 184 nights in his district.”

Smith is also out-of-touch with the apparent resurgence of small government / free market principles within his own party. He was one of only eight (8!) Republicans to vote for the unpopular Cap and Trade Bill. This disastrous idea will jack up energy costs and destroy jobs. Even the heavily liberal Senate has refused to take up this lemon.

Smith also voted with Nancy Pelosi and company for Cash for Clunkers and bailouts for the car companies.

The Cato Institute, the leading advocate for individual liberty and free markets, rates Smith as a economic “protectionist” and “interventionist”. He has repeatedly voted to hamper free trade and to protect favored industries, thereby costing New Jersey consumers billions of dollars.

Consider:

• the Club for Growth rated Smith as the second “Most Liberal” Republican Congressman
• the NRA gave him a D+ rating
• the Gun Owners of America gave him a flat out F

Should a congressman with this record be rewarded with a 15th term in office?

• Voted for Cap and Trade
• Co-sponsored Card Check
• Voted twice against making Bush tax cuts permanent
• Voted to allow the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to sue companies that require employees to speak English
• Voted with Nancy Pelosi to defeat a 2008 Republican budget resolution which would reduce spending $12 billion and impose a moratorium on pork barrel earmarks
• Voted twice to increase taxes on domestic energy producers (which is passed on the consumer)
• Vote three times against drilling at ANWR
• Voted for the Pelosi light bulb bill in which the government will decide the type of light bulbs you can use in your own home
• Voted for Barney Frank’s housing trust fund
• Voted against free speech when he supported a bill to regulate the Internet including, email and blogs
• Accepts tens of thousands of dollars from Big Labor Unions each election cycle

Chris Smith has grown too cozy with his friends across the aisle but he is no friend of liberty and free markets.

It’s time for Congressman Smith make a career change and get some real world experience before its too late.