On the surface, Greg Pence is like many a blood relative of an established politician. Questionable business background, alleged bank cheat…but with that all-important name recognition that appeals to uninformed voters!
According to The New York Times, Greg was “president of a convenience store chain…that filed for bankruptcy protection and was assessed penalties of $8.4 million by the State of Indiana for environmental damage, caused primarily by leaking underground storage tanks.” And there’s this: “A local bank where he also served on the board of directors, was forced to sue him to recover $3.8 million in debts that he had personally guaranteed, only to have to settle for pennies on the dollar.”
As for his ability to finance a run for Congress, his campaign war chest has been stuffed full thanks in no small part to —you guessed it — his dear brother Mike.
Based on his resume, it doesn’t appear that Greg deserves a seat in the House of Representatives. So why is it a positive that he is competing in tonight’s Republican primary for the 6th district in Indiana? Because it proves that our constitutional system is still operating as it should! Being over the age of 25, an American citizen and a resident of his state, Pence is free to throw his hat into the ring, even if that hat is unsightly and has a musty odor of impropriety.
The other good news? You don’t have to vote for him! If you’re a Republican, you can pull the lever for Jonathan Lamb. We don’t know much about Mr. Lamb, but he has signed a pledge to limit his time in Congress to six years. That sounds good to us, since those elected to the House tend to overstay their welcomes until they’re as old as…well, as old as Greg Pence.
Also running is Mike Campbell, who has the same name as the former lead guitarist for Tom Petty. Then there’s Jeff Smith, who lost in the last election by 50 percentage points to the previous incumbent. And some other white guy, because this is a Republican primary in Indiana, after all.
Only one out of every 600,000 people will ever actually win a Congressional race. Do you think it should be Greg Pence? If you’re living in Columbus, Indiana, you’re free to say yes. Or no!