McIntyre's 30-min Taxpayer-funded Infomercial

January 1, 2009

 Good Morning,

North Carolina’s middle-class families might find themselves scratching their heads as they flip to Congressman Mike McIntyre’s new taxpayer-funded political TV show called “Capitol Conversations.” The 30-min taxpayer-funded infomercial for McIntyre gives him an unfiltered forum to pontificate to voters and doesn’t allow constituents to call-in with questions. Today’s Star News editorial says McIntyre is refusing to disclose the amount spent on the show, “It was produced ‘with House of Representatives resources,’ meaning taxpayers’ money or equipment paid for with taxpayers’ money, although how much of that money was not immediately disclosed.”

With North Carolina’s record-high 9.9% unemployment rate, doesn’t McIntyre think he should be working to reduce government spending and create jobs? Not wasting their hard-earned money on candidate infomercials? McIntyre needs to disclose how much this political show is costing his constituents today. Unfortunately this is only the latest example of McIntyre’s reckless misuse of taxpayer funds. This spring he went on a 10-day taxpayer funded trip to Rome and bragged about celebrating his wedding anniversary on the vacation.

Please consider the following comment from the NRCC as you cover McIntyre’s misuse of taxpayer dollars.

“First it was a taxpayer funded vacation to Rome, now Mike McIntyre is wasting North Carolina middle-class families’ hard-earned money on political infomercials. North Carolina voters are tired of McIntyre saying one thing in North Carolina and then doing another in Washington.” – NRCC Spokeswoman Andrea Bozek