May 29, 2012
Millionaire Matt Doheny Embraces Tea Party, Rejects Moderation
Matt Doheny (NY-21) embraced the Tea Party agenda last week, promising to reject moderation and practical solutions in Congress. Doheny went out of his way to prove just how out of touch he is with North Country voters, saying that the “whole world’s going to crush” him when they see his votes. Doheny then splashed his personal wealth in the face of New York families struggling to make ends meet, outrageously saying the $174,000 taxpayer funded salary “is not going to do anything for [him] financially.”
“How many North Country families agree with Matt Doheny that $174,000 would mean nothing for them financially?” said Josh Schwerin, Northeast Press Secretary at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “Maybe that extreme disconnect with voters is why Matt Doheny is bragging about a future Tea Party inspired voting record which will hurt middle class families while helping millionaires like himself.”
Background
Doheny Planned to Vote for Tea Party Agenda, Despite Opposition. In May 2012, Doheny asked the Washington County Tea Party Patriots to continue to support him when he received blowback for voting for their agenda. “It’s all great to get fired up here. We’ve got my man from Moriah. We’ve got my man from White Creek and Whitehall — all these different places all over here,” he said, referring to various people in the audience. “But you know what, the whole world’s going to crush me when I vote the way you want me to vote. […] And all I’m asking is that starting on Nov. 7, 2012, and going forward, you have my back.” [Post-Star, 5/25/12; see also: Washington County Tea Party Patriots event, 5:19, 5/25/12]
Doheny Shuns Centrist Label. At a May 2012 meeting of the Washington County Tea Party Patriots, several attendees “said they were concerned that Doheny, if elected, would give into pressure from GOP leadership and lobbyists and vote as a centrist.” Responding to their concerns, “Doheny asked tea party members to give him the chance to prove he’s conservative.” [Post-Star, 5/25/12]
Doheny: $174K Won’t Do Anything for Me Financially. In May 2012, Doheny told the Washington County Tea Party Patriots that the standard congressional salary wouldn’t make a difference for him financially. “I don’t need the job, that’s just a statement of fact,” he said. “Getting paid $174,000 is not going to do anything for me financially.” [Post-Star, 5/25/12; Washington County Tea Party Patriots event, 8:06, 5/25/12]
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