About 35 people used their lunch break Thursday to protest Alabama Congressman Spencer Bachus, who has taken criticism this week for reports that he used “insider” information learned while serving in Congress to benefit himself financially.
The ralliers gathered with signs in the parking lot of Bachus’ district office in a Hoover office park around 12:15 p.m. to call for Bachus’ resignation and listen to speeches by local talk radio personalities Matt Murphy and Dr. Gina Loudon.
“It’s time to find one good man, one good woman, that’s willing to stand up and represent the interests of the people and not the interests of Wall Street or the big banks,” Murphy said. “One good man or woman to stand up and say that it’s time that the reign of Spencer Bachus ends.”
Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-Alabama) is accused of trading on and profiting from information he obtained while a member of Congress, a practice that could be a crime in the business world.
Bachus was one of several lawmakers whose market trades were questioned in a new book by Peter Schweizer, a research fellow at a Stanford University conservative think tank, the Hoover Institution. The book, Throw Them All Out, was featured Sunday at The Daily Beast, and on 60 Minutes.
The rally followed call by conservative media magnate Andrew Breitbart for Bachus’ resignation:
“I am calling for Spencer Bachus to step down, not from being the head of the House finance committee—I think that he should be in Joe Paterno-ville,” Breitbart said in an interview, referring to the former Penn State head football coach who was fired for his role in the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal. “He should be an exile in Alabama-ville, and he should—his constituency should surround his district office and call for him to be there, with pitchforks,” Breitbart said.
A Birmingham-based Tea Party group called the Rainy Day Patriots organized the rally, which they called a “Rally to Call on Congressman Bachus to Resign.”
“The reason what you’re doing here today is so important is because if Spencer Bachus would be gone, if we could ‘Boot Bachus’ — that’s been the hashtag on Twitter, for those of you on Twitter — if we can boot him, then we can make a point that we are willing to police our own,” Loudon told the crowd. “We are willing to take a stand. We are unafraid.”
One of Dee Campbell's sign equating Bachus and Pelosi.
Dee Campbell, an Alabaster resident, held a sign that said “BACHUS AND PELOSI BECOME MILLIONAIRES WHILE YOUR 401k TANKS! KICK OUT INSIDER TRADERS TRAITORS!” Campbell mentioned that she hoped to irk Bachus, a conservative Republican, by equating him with Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a liberal California Democrat who is often reviled by conservatives.
“We’d love him to resign, but of course that’s not going to happen,” Campbell said, referring to Bachus. “Hopefully we’ll get rid of him in the next election cycle, and have someone with integrity that’s actually a servant to we, the people.”
To learn more about the allegations against Spencer Bachus, read Weld‘s coverage, or tune in to Matt Murphy’s radio show Friday morning at 9 a.m. on 100WAPI 100.5 FM—Murphy’s guest will be Peter Schweizer, the author of the book, “Throw Them All Out,” that prompted the 60 Minutes piece and made highlighted Bachus’ market trades.
