Carolina Politics Online

Or… a bunch of Obamanicas got together to bitch about this tyrannical health care bill they’re trying to shove up our asses. Same difference.

President Barack Obama’s name and the message of “change” were the rallying call at a forum for Democratic would-be opponents against Republican Sen. Richard Burr Monday night.
That partly was because the forum was hosted by Durham for Obama, an organization counting 11,000 members that helped mobilize Bull City voters in 2008.

Another reason was that the message of “change” was still an effective invocation, generating enthusiastic applause from the 300 supporters, voters and volunteers who packed into the St. Joseph’s AME Church Monday night.

“America voted for change in 2008, and we have not seen it,” said Elaine Marshall, N.C. Secretary of State.

“We need to send a senator with the courage, intent and strength to bring change to the U.S. Senate,” said Ken Lewis, a Raleigh attorney.

The economy and health care were the hot topics Monday night. Some of the changes that the candidates proposed included creating more jobs through tax breaks for small businesses and investments in green technology, and including a public option in health care reform.

The Herald Sun

The crap going on in Washington, D.C. right now has sapped any patience I would have had for this story. At this point, I’m just going to deem that any person who even remotely supports this health-care abomination is a traitor and a wannabe despot. So there.

Your ReTHUGlican/DemoCRAP two-party duopoly at work:

Unaffiliated legislative candidate Mark Brody is suing the state over what he calls unfair and unconstitutional ballot access laws.

After collecting the 3,000 signatures it took to appear on the 2008 ballot, Mark Brody ran as an unaffiliated candidate for North Carolina House District 103.

He earned 30 percent of the vote.

Brody assumed his high numbers at the polls would secure him an automatic place on the ballot in 2010.

He was wrong. When he went to his County Board of Elections last month to file for office, he was turned away. The board said if he wanted to get back on the ballot he had to petition all over again. He has until June to turn in the signatures.

Brody refuses to petition again. He says doing so would lend legitimacy to what he calls an unjust and incomplete election law.

The Carolina Journal

Good luck with that. The Democrats control the legislature, and they’d probably outlaw the Republicans if they could get away with it. And if the Republicans take over this year, how sympathetic will they be to Mr. Brody and those like him?

This is really one of those things where voters need to hold their elected representatives accountable. Ask your state house or state senate candidate if they will ease up on these restrictive laws. If they won’t, ask them why they have a problem with freedom and free elections?

Cumberland County Democrats think they picked a couple of November winners Thursday night.

Attorney Phillip Gilfus bested two rivals and will serve out the term of Breeden Blackwell as county commissioner.

Nursing instructor and bookstore owner Diane Parfitt won a vacant state House 44 seat after someone else who sought the office bowed out.

The seat belonged to Margaret Dickson, a Democrat from Fayetteville.

State law allows local party officials to make binding appointments.

The Fayetteville Observer

As candidate filing season starts on Monday, seven Democratic state senators have already left or announced that this will be their last year in office – and the list includes some important movers and shakers from eastern North Carolina.

State Sen. R.C. Soles, believed to be the longest serving legislator in state history, has said he will end his more than four decades of public service this year – although he is departing under a dark cloud tied to his indictment for shooting a young man at his Tabor City home last August.

Also relinquishing their seats in Raleigh are New Hanover Sen. Julia Boseman, who has said she will seek a new District Court judgeship, and Duplin County’s Sen. Charlie Albertson, who intends to retire from public life.

Throw in state Rep. Sandra Spaulding Hughes’ decision not to seek re-election to Thomas Wright’s old seat, and the Democrats could see a potentially significant power outage if Republican gains in recent months continue through 2010.

The Star-News

Wow, I think the title says it all. This is being reported in the News and Observer today. Nothing I can say changed anything. I wonder if he will cut a deal or how many charges he could get convicted on?

The 64-page indictment alleges that Poole, 37, of Raleigh, extorted money from key Easley supporters and took corresponding action on environmental permits. It charges him with bribery, use of the mail in aid of racketeering, and says his actions deprived North Carolina citizens of his “honest services.”

I wonder if he would rather clean out the bunkers or just cut the greens?

Lanny Wilson, a very influential fundraiser for Easley and Perdue has resigned from his Department of Transportation position as reported in the News and Observer today.

He testified to the State Board of Elections that he gave large amounts of money to the Democratic Party with the intention of it being given to the campaigns of Easley andPerdue. This is a felony according to state and federal law. One has to wonder why our Democratic State Attorney General has not pursued this? No we don’t.

Such funneling would violate limits on donations to individual candidates. Wilson was the main financial backer of several coastal developments, including the Cannonsgate development where Easley bought a lot at a six-figure discount.

Perdue had him on her short list for her cabinet and Senator Basnight has just emotion filled words of support for Lanny Wilson.

“Lanny has so much to give this state. He’s smart and he understands the department very well. I believe he could reorganize the department in a fashion that we would get much more out for our money,” Basnight said.

I hope people now see why North Carolina is considered to have one of the most corrupt state governments in our union.

James Protzman, the administrator of BlueNC has decided to branch out into the Internet radio gig and give it a try.  I will say those folks at BlueNC are definitely resourceful and innovative.  The first broadcast was this evening at 6:30 and according to Protzman this will be regular weekly spot every Monday, same time.

BlueNC Radio

R.C. Soles Jr., a N.C. State Senator from Tabor City will be indicted by a grand jury. This was reported in the News and Observer today.

The grand jury wrote in its presentment that it had reason to believe that Soles had committed a crime:

Twelve or more grand jurors concur in finding probable cause to believe that R.C. Soles, Jr. committed the offense of Assault With a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury against Thomas Kyle Blackburn in Columbus County on or about August 23, 2009 by unlawfully, willfully and feloniously shooting Thomas Kyle Blackburn and inflicting serious injury.

Looks like we have another Democratic being taken to the woodshed. I wonder if Democrats will call for his resignation like they did the drunk Republican? Will they treat him the same as Rep. Wright?

Congressman Watt was quoted in the News and Observer about black unemployment.

U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, a Charlotte Democrat, is among the ten members of the Congressional Black Caucus criticizing the Obama administration for not doing more for African-Americans in the recession.

He should know by now that the key to success in life is education. It is a shame that African-American males only have a graduation rate from high school in the mid 50% range. And it is even less at the next level of college education.

Encouraging ALL children at a early age to include making school fun. Increasing vocational training and encouraging our children to seek out their interests along with exceeding achievement of the basics. And most of all teach our children basic personal finance so they know what they can afford and what they need to save for.

Personal responsibility is a term that applies to all of us in life. And until we get out of the government knows best and will take care of me mentality, we are doomed to continue in this vicious unfair cycle.

Martin Nesbitt isn’t known for toeing the party line. Over nearly three decades in the House and Senate, he has been a loyal lieutenant of some Democratic leaders and a thorn in the side of others.

But in his new job, the Asheville senator will try to keep 30 Senate Democrats speaking with one voice.

The new post is the highest a mountain legislator has risen to since Nesbitt was a top House budget writer in the early 1990s and perhaps since the days of the late House Speaker Liston Ramsey, of Madison County.

In the Senate’s No. 2 job — in recent years, one of the most powerful in the state — Nesbitt will take the lead in deciding what’s on Senate Democrats’ agenda headed into their most important election in a decade.

The Citizen-Times

Is there really going to be a difference? Tony Rand was a bloated, out-of-touch tax-raiser who contributed mightily to the declining livability of N.C.

Martin Nesbitt, based on his voting record, is also a bloated, out-of-touch tax-raiser who contributed mightily to the declining livability of N.C.

Then again, Tony Rand was a corrupt walrus who by all rights ought to have gone to prison for some of the crap he pulled. I suppse I can’t say that about Nesbitt.

          It looks like the head of the Wake County NCAE had a fit of anger before writing a email to her members. Who was she angry at when she decided to write the email in question? The voters perhaps. Perhaps she just has anger issues when she does not get her way. Granted this is just speculation on my part, but they are worth asking.

News and Observer

“They don’t care about children and it [is] now clear that they don’t care about teachers…WE HAVE [to] PLANT OUR FLAG IN THE SAND HERE AND NOW,” Lanane wrote.

          Wow, you should have heard the stuff she said before the election and before John Tedesco’s runoff. This shows her lack of judgement and fairness when people go to her organization seeking endorsements. Lanane, Sutton, and many others truly need to apologize to the voters in Wake County. If not I expect the 2010 N.C. Legislative races to get really nasty when those supporting Democrats chime in.

This is incredible.

To all who would cast U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as political villain, Heath Shuler had this to say: “She’s the most misunderstood person in Washington.”

Along with questions about health care reform and cap-and-trade legislation, students wanted to know what Pelosi is like as a person.

“She’s very misunderstood,” the congressman said. “She’s a devout Catholic. Don’t get in a Bible discussion with her.”

Asheville-Citizen Times

Wow.  Don’t even start on the whole “devout Catholic” thing.  I am Catholic, while not a practicing one, I was raised in a Catholic home with a Catholic mother and I know that one of the biggest tenets of Catholicism is the respect of life, including that of the unborn.  Abortion is the anathema of the Catholic church and Pelosi is a huge supporter of abortion on demand.  As a Libertarian, I am not completely on board with outlawing abortion even though I consider myself pro-life, but I also would not be described as a devout Catholic.  No devout Catholic politician would protect the right to an abortion.

But that aside, Pelosi may be a Bible “scholar,” but that doesn’t mean that she isn’t the lying, corrupt, sleazy politician that she is.  The woman is manipulative and conniving and she is an extremist left wing socialist by all comparisons.  She is steering this country into a head on collision with disaster and her actions are going to destroy the lives of millions of Americans if her agenda is not stopped.

It’s rather striking to me that Shuler would take the time to even have this discussion.  I mean, I don’t expect him to trash her or say anything negative, but that also doesn’t mean he should be painting her like she is the sugar plum fairy either.  His words tell me very clearly that in the next Congress he will be prepared to reelect her as Speaker.  We can’t have that.  We cannot have the extremist fringe running this country.

I supported Shuler’s reelection last year, but next year I don’t think I can.  He did well his first term, but since he’s survived his first reelection he’s started to slip.

At a gathering Saturday morning of 30 Democratic Party leaders from the 41st House district in western Wake County, Heagarty, former director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, was elected to replace former Rep. Ty Harrell.

Heagarty, 39, was selected from six candidates. The other five vowed to support him in next fall’s election.

A graduate of Enloe High School and N.C. State University, he is on track to receive his law degree from N.C. Central University in the spring.From 2000 to 2007, Heagarty was executive director of the N.C. Center for Voter Education, a nonpartisan group that aims to improve the quality and responsiveness of election systems.

 The N&O

And what about Ty “Light Up the Night” Harrell? He had to resign after the House and the State BOE launched separate investigations into campaign finance irregularities. In July, his wife filed for divorce, claiming that Harrell was ”engaging in an adulterous affair with his mistress with whom he is still involved”, and that Harrell “would stay out until the early morning hours, spending time with other women and engaging in excessive use of alcohol.”

I remember seeing his wife campaign for him last November, and she filed for divorce in July. I wonder when she decided that enough was enough?

I’d also like to remind the residents of N.C. House District 41 that you knew that Ty Harrell was a tax cheat. It came out during his first campaign in 2006 that he was several years delinquent on taxes. But you still elected him, only to see him raise your own taxes. Nice. Then you re-elected him in 2008. You get what you vote for, District 41. When you knowingly elect a tax cheat, don’t be surprised if he proceeds to cheat on his wife and cheat the system too.

MyNC.com

The Republican leader of the North Carolina Senate says state government seems “to have been caught off guard” by a court ruling that will mean the release of 20 violent convicts next week.

This is a law and order issue. The one complaint anyone can have is the lack of transparency. Then again every person has certain rights even if they are incarcerated. Can we at least demand some sort of supervision and counseling for these inmates?

News and Observer

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Production at the North Carolina plant that Dell Inc. is closing in Winston-Salem will be moved to Mexico and other countries, according to a federal document.

I have always been against these types of tax policies and credits. The return on our money is so crappy that we could just pay people half of what it costs to get these jobs and have the government put the rest towards reducing the budget.

People have asked me why I am running for the State House 33 seat in the North Carolina legislature.
I have to respond that “We are losing our freedom and God given rights on a daily basis”.

People ask me why in a state so dominated by the Democratic Party why I am running as a Republican.
I have to respond that “My core principles are a best fit in the Republican Party. It is apparent with the level of corruption and quid pro quo that is happening in North Carolina, we are corrupt only second to Illinois”. Let me be blunt, the Democratic Party leadership is responsible.

I have been asked what we can do about jobs in North Carolina. I have been asked what we can do about returning this state and District 33 back to prosperity.
First we need to reduce the tax burden on the small businesses and people who are the spenders in this capitalist society. And at the same time we need to go back to zero based budgeting. It is common sense to only budget what we NEED and what we can AFFORD as a state.

Another question that has come up is the Defense of Marriage act.
Unlike my opponents I am fearless when it comes to defending marriage being defined as the union of one woman and one man at one time. This is especially important in District 33. I will put any opponent I face next year in the spotlight concerning this issue.

I have been asked about forced annexation and property rights in this state.
Those two issues are both separate and connected in some way. The municipalities are allowed to annex without reservations any blocks of unincorporated land in their zone of influence. And the Supreme Court allows a government to take from you to give to another private entity. These are both issues where we need to pass laws not allowing either one of these issue without those citizens approving it.

I have been asked about redistricting and how that will affect us in the future.
Republicans have to win the State House and or State Senate next year. And we need the help of independents and Conservative Democrats next year. Not winning is not an option. Gerrymandering, some of which has been struck down by the courts, disenfranchises many voters.

How are Republicans going to win?
We need the grassroots volunteers and most of all we need money. $20 dollars from many people will add up for us state level candidates, and donations of $100 will be critical. In my case I can expect my opponent to raise close to $50,000. My campaign as an example will need at a minimum of $20,000 to get out the mailers to like minded voters before the election. If 1,000 people gave $20 or even 500 gave $40 that would equal the minimum.

I am enthusiastic about the results of the School Board elections in Wake County. It was a bipartisan effort by everyone along the entire political spectrum that brought change to our schools. Unlike the current House 33 seat holder, I will be on a mission to do what is right for all of House 33’s citizens. Listening to the citizens will be my first priority.

Five elite and rich Democrats formed a group in order to deceive the voters of three Wake County School Board districts according to the News and Observer. In today’s October 10th, 2009 print edition the recently formed Wake Citizens for Good government paid for a ad on WRAL. The ad cost $11,000 to run.

Here is a list of who gave, all five of them.

PPP Democratic pollster Dean Debnam- $4000 and loaned $6,000 which he got back.

Democratic political strategist Ken Eudy gave $4,000

National Education Association Executive Director John Wilson gave $4000.

Both Democratic fundraiser Kinda Davis and former Raleigh Councilwoman each gave $2000.

These five people aired a false ad claiming that voting for Chris Malone, Debra Goldman, and Deborah Prickett would raise our property taxes to pay for neighborhood schools. Apparently they didn’t put in the ad the graduation rate of African-American males under the current forced busing policies.  

We need to remain vigilant and get John Tedesco elected to bring to the school board honesty, transparency, and professionalism. I can’t wait to see what the anti-parent forced busing side comes up with now.

News and Observer

Sutton, who is not up for election this week, called a move to neighborhood schools, which several candidates are pushing for, an attempt to “turn back the clock” on school integration.

 

I hope that Republicans win either the NC State House or State Senate next year. If that happens maybe we can get away from these gerry-mandered school board and other political districts that guarrantee election results.

I feel confident that all people of many different democgraphics and political persuasions would be inclined to tell the truth if EVERY election was a toss up. Making statements like Mr. Sutton did would have consequences. I bet right now he feels immune to be able to make any statement he wants. I hope that he feels the heat after this election and thinks twice about running in 2011.

John W. Pope Civitas Institute

In a recent USA Today article summarizing how states balanced their budgets this summer, Vice President of the National Taxpayers Union Pete Sepp declared, “With a few exceptions, states have been able to avoid the doomsday projections that big tax hikes were on the way.”

Unfortunately, North Carolina was one of those “exceptions.”

Democrats like Chairman David Young always use the class warfare theme of taxing the rich. Except in this instance they raised the sales tax and created many new fees. And of course a higher sales tax has an ever increasing impact on the poor and middle class. The more money they take out of your pocket means less freedom for you and more power to the government.

I do hope everyone sees through the smoke and mirrors being put out by the North Carolina Democratic leadership. Even a newly appointed Democrat in House 33 has only towed the party line. She has not voted against any Democrat bill. One has to wonder how many Democrats below the leadership actually read the bills.

If you disagree with the last tens years remember that off year municipal and next year’s elections are your opportunity to throw off the yoke of a possible socialist agenda. I do not use that word lightly and I do not throw it around. I implore you to fight back against the tide.  I am truly afraid of what is happening to us locally and nationally.

If I may say to Speaker Hackney, “You lie”.  The Republicans not only presented many plans to correct the over spending of the Democrats, they introduced numerous amendments. Hackney and the Democrats voted NO on over 95% of Republican amendments. The Democrats are the party of NO and do it my way or the highway. I find it despicable that Hackney and the Democratic leadership are trying to smear the GOP. Hackney does not even know basic math. The Democrats have the votes in both the state house and state senate to do whatever they want.

It is also childish of Hackney to distract from the fact that the Democrats raised taxes on fixed income elderly and all of the workers of our state. It is a fact that the more of your money the government takes from you the less freedom you have.  I am for one tired of my tax money going to pay off Democratic loyalist in cushy $100k plus jobs. Our government is full of dedicated hardworking people who deserve true leadership not Democratic syncophants.

The Republican Party will return to you your freedom while bringing responsibility and transparency back to our government.