Editing Geoff Davis (section)

===Tenure===
Davis has a solidly [[Conservatism|conservative]] voting record; according to his congressional website, he has positioned himself as [[pro-life]] and in favor of industrial deregulation.

In November 2005, Davis made headlines for his response to [[Pennsylvania]] representative [[John Murtha]]'s call for withdrawal from Iraq, saying, "Ayman Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's deputy, as well as Abu Musab Zarqawi, have made it quite clear in their internal propaganda that they cannot win unless they can drive the Americans out. And they know that they can't do that there, so they've brought the battlefield to the halls of Congress. And, frankly, the liberal leadership have put politics ahead of sound, fiscal and national security policy. And what they have done is cooperated with our enemies and are emboldening our enemies." Davis faced harsh criticism for his remarks, including, for example, from the Democratic Veterans of Northern Kentucky, and sparked a drive led by national Democratic Party leaders to get Ken Lucas to run against him in 2006.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/17/politics/17text-gop.html?pagewanted=print | work=The New York Times | title=House Republicans Respond to Murtha | date=November 17, 2005 | access-date=May 3, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051122/NEWS0103/511220343/1059/NEWS01|title=Cincinnati Enquirer - cincinnati.com|website=Cincinnati.com|access-date=February 1, 2018}}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/17/AR2005111701536_pf.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | title=An Unlikely Lonesome Dove | first=Dana | last=Milbank | access-date=May 3, 2010}}</ref>

Davis is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online [[poker]]. In 2006, he supported H.R. 4411, the [[Goodlatte]]-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.04411:|title=Thomas (Library of Congress): HR 4411|access-date=February 1, 2018|archive-date=November 25, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081125231725/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.04411:|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2008, he opposed H.R. 5767, the Payment Systems Protection Act (a bill that sought to place a moratorium on enforcement of the [[Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act]] while the [[U.S. Treasury Department]] and the [[Federal Reserve]] defined "unlawful Internet gambling").

In October 2009, Davis filed the REINS (Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny) Act which would give Congress an up or down vote on major rules. A re-introduced version of the bill passed the House on December 7, 2011, but was not taken up by the Senate.<ref>{{cite web |title=Actions Overview H.R.10 — 112th Congress (2011-2012) |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/10/actions?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22Regulations+from+the+Executive+In+Need+of+Scrutiny%22%5D%7D&r=1&s=4 |website=Congress.gov |date = December 8, 2011|publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=July 15, 2019}}</ref>

In 2011, Davis voted for the [[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012]] as part of a controversial provision that allows the government and the military to indefinitely detain American citizens and others without trial.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/ndaa-bill-how-did-your-congress-member-vote-384362|title=NDAA Bill: How Did Your Congress Member Vote?|website=[[International Business Times]]|date=December 16, 2011|access-date=December 5, 2016}}</ref>

====Contributors====
{{Update|type=section|date=October 2011}}The Davis campaign has received contributions from the [[Americans for a Republican Majority]] Political Action Committee (ARMPAC), which was led by former Texas Congressman [[Tom DeLay]]. As of June 30, 2006, according to the [[Federal Election Commission]], of the $2.4 million contributed to the Davis campaign for the current 2006 electoral cycle, $10,000 was contributed by ARMPAC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_detail/H2KY04071/|title=FEC Disclosure Report Search Results<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=December 5, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061020224714/http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_detail/H2KY04071|archive-date=October 20, 2006}}</ref> Tom DeLay is the subject of indictments sought by [[Ronnie Earle]], the district attorney for [[Travis County]], [[Texas]], alleging violations of Texas campaign-finance law. Judge [[Pat Priest (judge)|Pat Priest]] has dismissed one indictment against DeLay, the second has not yet come to trial.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/05/AR2005120500426.html | newspaper=The Washington Post | title=DeLay's Felony Charge Is Upheld | date=December 6, 2005 | access-date=May 3, 2010 | first1=R. Jeffrey | last1=Smith | first2=Jonathan | last2=Weisman}}</ref> The charges against DeLay are considered by some to be politically motivated.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007330|title=Opinion & Reviews - Wall Street Journal|access-date=December 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20051003-094234-1323r.htm|title=Prosecutorial politics|newspaper=[[The Washington Times]]|access-date=December 5, 2016}}</ref> Democrats have indicated that they consider the ARMPAC contributions to be a campaign issue.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060417/17fallout.htm|title=The tricky politics of scandal – U.S. News & World Report<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=February 1, 2018}}</ref> Davis was never accused of any misconduct.

Davis has received donations from Republican [[Duke Cunningham]], who pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion. Davis has not chosen to give back the money from Cunningham, while many other recipients have.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_com/H0CA45012|title=FEC Disclosure Report Search Results<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=December 5, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231230252/http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_com/H0CA45012|archive-date=December 31, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_give/H2KY04071|title=FEC Disclosure Report Search Results<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=December 5, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070107040818/http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_give/H2KY04071|archive-date=January 7, 2007}}</ref> Davis received a donation from Congressman [[Bob Ney]], who pleaded guilty for bribery and his involvement with convicted felon [[Jack Abramoff]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_com/H4OH18079|title=FEC Disclosure Report Search Results<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=December 5, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060221031000/http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_com/H4OH18079|archive-date=February 21, 2006}}</ref>

====Controversies====
On April 12, 2008, at a Northern Kentucky Lincoln Day dinner, Davis compared the campaign slogans of [[Barack Obama]] to the sales pitch of a "snake oil salesman". He said in his remarks at the GOP dinner that he participated in a "highly classified, national security simulation" with Obama.

"I'm going to tell you something: That boy's finger does not need to be on the button," Davis added. "He could not make a decision in that simulation that related to a nuclear threat to this country."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://polwatchers.typepad.com/pol_watchers/2008/04/republicans-tal.html |title= My Weblog|website=polwatchers.typepad.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415020307/http://polwatchers.typepad.com/pol_watchers/2008/04/republicans-tal.html |archive-date=April 15, 2008}}</ref>

Davis also made reference to Obama as being put into the Senate by someone who will probably spend many years of his life in prison (presumably a reference to [[Tony Rezko]]) and that Obama had never had a real job before.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://polwatchers.typepad.com/pol_watchers/files/geoff_davis_on_obama.mp3 |title= My Weblog|website=polwatchers.typepad.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416022107/http://polwatchers.typepad.com/pol_watchers/files/geoff_davis_on_obama.mp3 |archive-date=April 16, 2008}}</ref>

Davis later apologized for his comment in a letter:

{{blockquote|Dear Senator Obama:

On Saturday night I gave a speech in which I used a poor choice of words when discussing the national security policy positions of the Presidential candidates. I was quoted as saying "That boy's finger does not need to be on the button."

My poor choice of words is regrettable and was in no way meant to impugn you or your integrity. I offer my sincere apology to you and ask for your forgiveness.

Though we may disagree on many issues, I know that we share the goal of a prosperous, secure future for our nation. My comment has detracted from the dialogue that we should all be having on legitimate policy differences and in no way reflects the personal and professional respect I have for you.

Sincerely,

Geoff Davis<ref>{{cite news|website=POLITICO|title=Apology| url=http://www.politico.com/static/PPM43_080414_apology.html | access-date=23 April 2023}}</ref>}}

====Resignation====
On July 31, 2012, Geoff Davis resigned from Congress due to family health issues, effective immediately. Governor [[Steve Beshear]] called for a special election to fill the seat to occur the same day as the general election in November, which would allow the winner to be sworn in immediately.