A frisky ‘Guest Opinion’ piece
February 6, 2026
Former State Representative Charlene Fite is running to reclaim her throne, or seat, in the Arkansas State House of Representatives (HD24). She stayed away for a single term before her husband, Tom Fite, told her to run again. So–she is!
I mention her husband, Tom, because Lady Charlene and “Medicaid Fraud” Tom[i] (yes, poor Tom is prohibited from running for office himself due to previous Medicaid fraud charges[ii] – he was even thrown off the ballot years ago when he tried to sneak by this prohibition[iii]) are both obsessive compulsive political animals that function like a unit.
Their life, time, relationships, and moods are usually determined by the establishment’s political winds blowing at the time. They feel good when they are in Little Rock at the lobbyists’ parties and dinners and around other legislators and fellow swamp people. They don’t feel as good when they read reports after each session that show how Lady Charlene voted on economic issues. This unhappiness is shown by their continued hatred toward the Conduit for Commerce Economic Freedom Legislative Scorecard (not to mention all Conduits and its founders [iv]).
The Fites troll Facebook to see anywhere the Conduit Scorecard or other articles are shared to try and explain that the votes taken are not actually the votes taken because of X, Y, or Z. It is usually Medicaid Fraud Tom dictating and writing out the responses. I have begun to wonder if they are now utilizing AI tracking tools, as Medicaid Fraud Tom is in nearly every comment section across social media when any Conduit content is involved or posts about candidates who Conduit may be supporting. Talk about a stalker! Maybe it should be Medicaid Fraud “Stalker” Tom for a more accurate title.
For years during re-election time, Lady Charlene has traveled throughout northwest Arkansas defending her voting record and convincing people to send her back to Little Rock. On every occasion, she takes the opportunity to attack Conduit, their Scorecard, and tries to explain her votes highlighted by the Scorecard.
Unfortunately, Lady Charlene has now moved past stalker or obsessive territory and is now experiencing full-blown Conduit Derangement Syndrome (CDS). Similar to the Trump Derangement Syndrome from which leftists suffer, Lady Charlene now views and operates her life through a prism of Conduit and their actions. One must ask whether she has voted “for” and “against” legislation in past sessions to counter the recommended voting of Conduit – instead of what is best for the people in her district, or whether she has voted “for” or “against” legislation based on whether the sponsor is supported by Conduit. Her social media seems to indicate she thinks that voting against Conduit’s position is somehow a morally superior thing, no matter the actual impact of the legislation. Opposing Conduit, being against anyone associated with Conduit or candidates supported by Conduit, or simply blocking someone who references Conduit’s content online– is how Lady Charlene and Medicaid Fraud Tom function.
Recently, Lady Charlene took half of her allotted speaking time at a River Valley City Elders event to bash Conduit. They say baseball is America’s favorite pastime. For Lady Charlene, her favorite pastime is playing victim to the content Conduit publishes, showing how she votes. She never says Conduit’s reporting is “untrue” or “wrong.” She just addresses the votes mentioned and explains why she voted that way, and how unfair of Conduit to score it. Great – now the people can make their own decision about her votes and her reasons.
But sadly, Lady Charlene’s CDS was recently on full display during her time with the River City Elders. After briefly attacking her primary opponent, Republican Mellissa Koller, for having the audacity to run against her, seeing that Lady Charlene had given Ms. Koller a stuffed animal for a child, she then turned to explaining the votes highlighted in Conduit’s reports.
She then quickly pivoted to decrying that the reason for Conduit publishing her voting record is to try to stop Lady Charlene from exposing and stopping Conduit’s “secret mission” in Little Rock. This secret mission is apparently why Conduit affiliated PACs supported a lower taxes and smaller government opponent against Charlene Fite almost a decade ago. Unbeknownst to anyone, and according to Lady Charlene, the true, secret mission of Conduit is to elect people to the state legislature who are pro-abortion, want to mutilate children, support gay marriage, hate the military, and demand special tax breaks for candy and soda. Wow! You can’t make this stuff up. The organization known as the most conservative organization in state politics, with a mission focused on lower taxes and smaller government, has instead–a secret agenda that Lady Charlene alone has uncovered.
When Lady Charlene’s CDS tantrum was over, members of the audience attempted to ask her questions. She let them know her time was up– making it clear she had no desire to do so but had simply needed some time and a captive audience for her CDS outburst.
Yes – Lady Charlene has had a poor voting record on economic freedom issues. Therefore, Conduit has told the public of such votes and supported candidates who claimed they would do better. Lady Charlene has, by her own account, done good deeds in her life, including deeds for vulnerable populations. Often, those good deeds require voting to grow government and increase taxes on the rest of us. Although we hate to see her suffering from such a debilitating syndrome as CDS, for the benefit of her district, her constituents, and the entire state of Arkansas, we hope she will choose to be healed.
The cure is to realize Arkansas thankfully already has a lock on the moral issues we all hold dear. But what is needed now are legislators who will vote for less taxes and smaller government. The “economic freedom” of us all is at stake!
A line from Queen Gertrude in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet says, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” to describe Gertrude’s feelings toward another character’s insincere vow. This famous line has been used historically since then to describe someone whose over-the-top denial of something (such as their voting record) is suggestive that excessive, emphatic efforts to convince others indicate insecurity or guilt, implying that they are hiding the truth.
Lady Charlene doth protest too much about Conduit!
[i] https://talkbusiness.net/2011/07/state-police-officer-indicted-in-fite-matter-updated/
“Fite faced a federal jury trial in February 1984 on several counts of Medicaid fraud and bribery. The trial, held in the Eastern District of Arkansas, ended in a mistrial, and Fite eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge and was given three years probation.”
[ii] https://talkbusiness.net/2011/04/fite-loses-another-supreme-court-ruling/
[iii] https://talkbusiness.net/2010/11/arkansas-supreme-court-fite-ineligible-for-district-83-race/
[iv] It is reported that Tom Fite stood up at the end of a Crawford County Republican Committee meeting within the last election cycle (immediately following the introduction of the Conduit co-founders as visiting guests) and proclaimed them both to be Communists.
