Carolina Politics Online

A follow-up to yesterday’s post regarding Sen. Walter Dalton’s rather lavish budget requests-

Jerry Meek says a Republican attack on Sen. Walter Dalton is off-base.

The state Democratic Party chairman told Dome that a criticism from the state Republican chairwoman about the candidate for lieutenant governor’s requested $277 million in state appropriations this year misses the benefits the bills would bring.

“If you look at the appropriations that Senator Dalton has proposed, you’ll see programs that help families protect their homes from foreclosures, help bring jobs and infrastructure to rural North Carolina, improve education and invest in programs that help the developmentally disabled,” he said.

The N&O

Wow. The Democrat Party Chairman is defending the Democrat Lt. Governor candidate. That’s a shocker.

As I said yesterday, precious few of these spending requests actually fall under what should be the government’s purview. If he really cared about N.C., he’d lower taxes and let individuals spend more of their money the way they want. But then he wouldn’t be able to show up at some ribbon cutting and pat himself on the back, would he? Sen. Dalton is simply using your tax money to get himself elected.

Since Sen. Dalton is all about “investing” our money to help N.C., may I offer a similar proposal? If any of you care about investing some of your own money in another program to help North Carolina, may I suggest a donation to the Pittenger for Lt. Governor campaign, and let’s kick this profligate Dalton out of office.

Sen. Walter Dalton is seeking more than $277 million in state spending.

The Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor has sponsored nine bills and co-sponsored 18 bills seeking appropriations in the upcoming state budget. A longtime state senator, he is serving an advisory role on the budget in the short session.

The N&O

What the hell could you possibly spend $277 million dollars on???

Dalton is the primary sponsor on bills totaling $208 million: $135 million for grants for local water and sewer projects, $20 million for the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center, $16 million for stem cell research, $14 million for the Cleveland Correctional Center, $10 million to provide services for the developmentally disabled, $5.8 million to help provide high-speed Internet access, $3 million for biotechnology training, $2.5 million for construction at historically black colleges and $2 million for small business entrepeneurship initiatives.

Among the larger appropriations bills he is cosponsoring: $44.7 million for Smart Start early childhood intiatives, $9.5 million for 4-H camps, $3 million for home foreclosure prevention, $3 million for loans for biotechnology start-ups, $1.6 million for a dropout prevention program in Durham and Vance counties, $1.4 million for water resource management and $1.25 million for biotechnology education.

It’s so easy to spend money when it belongs to someone else, isn’t it? This sort of waste is so God-awful disgraceful, it ought to disqualify Dalton from running for Lt. Governor of Drunken Sailor-Land, let alone North Carolina. Maybe, maybe, there are some legitimate government expenditures in there, like the $2.5 million for construction at historically black colleges (if they’re state schools). But how many of these projects can be accomplished through the private sector or personal initiative- especially if we had to pay fewer state taxes?

Here’s the scoop on Dalton’s opponent, State Senator Robert Pittenger-

Former Sen. Robert Pittenger sought $1.9 million in state spending.

The Republican nominee for lieutenant governor cosponsored three bills seeking appropriations in the upcoming state budget before resigning his seat.

Pittenger sought $1.5 million for three pilot career and technical high schools, $385,000 for Kids Voting and $100,000 for a study of the effectiveness of the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

The N&O

State Senator Robert Pittenger has resigned his Senate seat this afternoon so that he can concentrate on his  campaign for Lieutenant Governor.  Pittenger will be facing State Senator Walter Dalton, the Democratic nominee, for the office in November.  The Republican Party will choose a replacement to finish out Pittenger’s Senate term.  That is likely to be Bob Rucho who won the Republican primary a few weeks ago to succeed Pittenger in January.

News&Observer

The Democrats have decided to drop the ball on immigration and stick their heads in the sand.

“You talk about all the state issues as much as you want but the root of the problem is at the federal level,” Sen. Walter Dalton, D-Rutherford, said. “The federal government’s going to have to step up and do something to address the issue.”

Senator Robert Pittenger is trying to do something about illegal aliens and their costs to North Carolina.

“The legislative leadership here, the Democratic leadership, has not allowed this bill to get out of committee and they certainly won’t allow any debate on the floor about it,” Sen. Pittenger added.

The News&Observer further adds.

Democrats believe new laws, such as new driver’s license laws and giving sheriff’s offices more authority to check for immigration status, are having success. Republicans argue it’s not enough.

I believe that North Carolina needs to stop being a sanctuary state and step up to the plate. North Carolinians need to stop electing “If i do not see it, it doesn’t exist” Democrats.

NEWS&OBSERVER

Pat McCrory dropped in on the legislature Tuesday.

The Republican gubernatorial nominee made an appearance at a news conference with 30 Republican legislators.

Earlier in the morning, he was introduced to the Republican Senate caucus by state Sen. Fred Smith, a competitor in the GOP primary.

McCrory told reporters that the party is “a united front” on its goals of boosting the state’s education system, creating jobs, lowering crime and reducing the size of government.

Standing behind McCrory was state Sen. Robert Pittenger, a Charlotte Republican who won the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor, but McCrory failed to introduce him.

At the end of the news conference, Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger introduced Pittenger, and McCrory promptly apologized for forgetting him.

I have supported Pat McCrory from day one. I have been personally under attack by the left-wing of the Democratic party myself for laying the blame for failures in North Carolina at their feet. Since they control all three branches of government, I am still trying to figure out why they are trying to blame Republicans. I hope their confusion is not caused by their entrenched corruption.

10:19PM - All the big races have pretty much been called except the Democratic Lt. Governor’s race, but it looks like Walter Dalton is going to take that one. I’m heading to bed. Congrats to all the winners tonight!

10:09PM - Fred Smith has conceded the GOP Gubernatorial Primary to Pat McCrory.

10:02PM - With 75% of the vote in Carter and Hamby are tied 50-50 in the Democratic Primary for NC-05. With 60% of the vote in Bratton has a gigantic lead in the Democratic Primary for NC-06 with 60% of the vote and is likely to win that one. Johnson is leading Ivester 60-40 in the Dem Primary for NC-10. In the Democratic primary for NC-03 Weber is stomping Adame 70-30.

9:47PM - Democratic Labor Commissioner Primary

With 29 of 100 counties reporting:

• Mary Fant Dannon - 28%
• John Brooks - 25%
• Robin Anderson - 24%
• Ty Richardson - 23%

9:45PM - Democratic Lt. Governor Primary

With 26 of 100 counties reporting:

• Walter Dalton - 44%
• Hampton Dellinger - 35%
• Pat Smathers - 14%
• Dan Besse - 7%

9:42PM - Republican Gubernatorial Primary

With 26 of 100 counties reporting:

• McCrory - 46%
• Smith - 37%
• Graham - 9%
• Orr - 7%

9:39PM - Nick Mackey is leading Drew Saunders 54%-46%.

9:12PM - Walter Jones is leading Joe McLaughlin 62% to 38%.

8:59PM - Kay Hagan has officially won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate race.

8:52PM - Mumpower is leading the race for NC-11. Armor is getting crushed. McCrory still has a slight lead state wide but Smith is not far behind. Dalton maintains a slight lead over Dellinger.

8:32PM - I am calling Bev Perdue as the winner of the Democratic Gubernatorial Primary. She is leading handily in all the largest counties in the state.

8:23PM - Kay Hagan is going to win the Democratic Senate Primary and it’s looking fairly certain that Beth Wood is going to win the Dem nomination for State Auditor.

8:14PM - Congressman Brad Miller has clearly won his primary challenge. Dalton and Dellinger are duking it out pretty close in the Dem side of the Lt. Gov race. Pittenger is clearly going to win the Republican nomination for that seat. Congressman McHenry is leading challenger Lance Sigmon 61 to 39.

8:05PM - Jim Neal is getting smoked by Kay Hagan in all the big counties, Mecklenburg, Wake, Durham. Bev Perdue is also leading Richard Moore. McCrory is in the lead in these counties as well and is getting over 70% of the vote in Mecklenburg.

As we all know the North Carolina primary is coming up on Tuesday and there are lots of races across the state for voters to decide. I am going to weigh in on a few here. Note, I am giving my opinion on who I think will win, not necessarily who I think is the best candidate or would like to see win.

I have already given my opinion on how I think the 11th Congressional Republican Primary will turn out.

In the Lieutenant Governor’s race there are primaries on both sides of the aisle. The Republican race is easy to call. Robert Pittenger has it locked up, end of story. The Democratic race is going to be a little more tight, but I think Walter Dalton is going to prevail by about 7 points, with Dellinger finishing second.

There are primaries on both sides in the 10th Congressional District as well. On the Democratic side I believe that Daniel Johnson will prevail over Ivester quite handily. On the GOP side, I think McHenry will win by a large margin. I think Sigmon’s ad about the Iraq attack after McHenry ran his video was a bit much for people to swallow and may have backfired on him. I think people viewed it as a cheap and dirty shot. I guess we’ll see on Tuesday. McHenry’s internals show him winning in a landslide. I don’t foresee as bad of a bloodbath as McHenry says it will be, but it won’t be a close race.

The Third Congressional District is going to be closer than people think, in my opinion. I predict that Walter Jones will triumph in the end, but not by a landslide margin. I think most Republicans in the district hold him in decent to high regards. I don’t feel that McLaughlin hitting Jones on his reversal of the war is a winning issue. The majority of Americans have grown tired of Iraq and that includes Republicans. Despite the high proportion of military families in the district, I don’t see Jones in much danger. People are also assuming that military families are automatically dedicated to the continued job in Iraq and that’s not a horse I would bet my money on.

In the U.S. Senate race Kay Hagan is going to trounce Jim Neal. That’s all I have to say about that.

Regarding the Presidential race, Barack Obama is going to win, but I don’t think he’ll break a ten point spread against Clinton. She has been gaining ground on him due to two things: her win in Pennsylvania and the continued media focus on Jeremiah Wright.

And now for the big one, the gubernatorial race. Bev Perdue wins the Democratic nomination hands down. Throughout the campaign she has generally lead Richard Moore, but there have been a few times that he has caught up with her in the polls. However, I think his sleazy attack ad about her husband selling Confederate memorabilia in his stores hasn’t played well with the public and it’s going to cost any chance he may have had.

On the Republican side, this is going to be close. While it’s technically a four man race, only Fred Smith and Pat McCrory are viable contenders on Tuesday. I think McCrory is going to pull this out, but not by much. It may not be enough for him to avoid a runoff and if that’s the case I think the following runoff election will favor Smith.

So there you have it. Tuesday awaits!

The N.C. Lieutenant Gubernatorial Candidates Forum will be televised at 8 p.m. and again at 10 p.m. Thursday on UNC-TV.

Participating in the forum are Democratic candidates Walter Dalton, Hampton Dellinger, Patrick Smathers and Dan Besse and Republican candidates Timothy Cook, Greg Dority and James Snyder. The only candidate not participating is Robert Pittenger because of a scheduling conflict. The moderator will be Shannon Vickery, UNC-TV’s executive producer for content.

The News-Record

Robert Pittenger likes to make things happen.

Bringing ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to Charlotte. Organizing a gala at Washington’s Kennedy Center. Flying evangelist Franklin Graham to a war-torn Guatemala and dinner with its embattled president.

And when he wanted to show Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools officials a model school in Cary last week, he flew them up in a friend’s private plane.

But he has found it hard to make things happen in Raleigh.

That’s why after three terms in the Senate, the Charlotte Republican is running for lieutenant governor.

“That’s the nature of a reformer,” Pittenger says. “It will help advance those efforts.”

Charlotte Observer

I agree that Pittenger would make a fine Lieutenant Governor for North Carolina. He is someone who is not afraid to put himself out in front of an issue and take his case to the people. He stands by his convictions and is a very principled man. North Carolina would be lucky to have him in their number two position next year.

DURHAM — A Republican running for lieutenant governor said Wednesday that he favors revamping the management of the N.C. Department of Transportation and the system the state uses to allocate road-construction dollars.

DOT is so “totally mismanaged” that the only solution is to fire state Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett, eliminate the board that supervises the agency and force it to rely more heavily on the private sector, said state Sen. Robert Pittenger, R-Mecklenburg, during a campaign swing through Durham.

“From a business standpoint, [DOT] is dysfunctional and politically-driven,” Pittenger said in an interview with The Herald-Sun.

The Herald Sun

Boy isn’t that the truth. NCDOT has been extremely wasteful and there was some extensive media attention on this a few months back. I do agree that Tippett should be replaced.

Pittenger, a prolific fundraiser for Senate Republicans and conservative causes, said he raised $1.15 million during the second half of 2007, the period that the most recent reports cover.

Among Democratic hopefuls, Winston-Salem city councilman Dan Besse reported raising $29,178, with $4,000 in loans. He had $122,402 in cash to start 2008.

Sen. Walter Dalton of Rutherfordton said he had $904,192 in cash entering 2008 after raising $382,909 in the second half of 2007.

Slightly behind was Hampton Dellinger of Durham, who reported $726,439 on hand after raising $243,536 during the period, including a $100,000 loan from his parents.

Canton Mayor Pat Smathers, who also is seeking the Democratic nomination, reported raising $60,270 in the second half of the year, with $13,500 in loans, and had $5,178 on hand as of Dec. 31.

Greg Dority, the only other announced Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, announced yesterday that he was starting a fundraising committee with a goal of raising $100,000 before the primary.

Winston-Salem Journal

RALEIGH — N.C. Sen. Robert Pittenger officially kicked off his campaign for lieutenant governor Monday, the first of two expected candidates from Charlotte this week for the state’s two highest offices.Pittenger, a Republican, pledged to put the bully pulpit of a statewide office behind the budget-cutting proposals he has repeatedly tried to push through the state Senate. Almost since taking office in 2003, he has complained that Democratic leaders ignored his suggestions.

The Charlotte Observer

I definitely favor Senator Pittenger on the GOP side. He has been the most outspoken voice on the illegal immigration problem in North Carolina and is a fiscal hawk when it comes to waste.

On the Democratic side, I am partial to Senator Dalton. He is a moderate and much more inline with the voters of the state than those two hippie crackpots he’s running against in the primary.

Republicans could be facing a bloody primary over the N.C. Senate seat held by Sen. Robert Pittenger, who is exploring a campaign for lieutenant governor.

On Friday, Charlotte City Council Member Andy Dulin said he’s considering a run at the seat, joining former Sen. Bob Rucho. Dulin said he’s weighing family concerns and hopes to decide next week.

The Charlotte Observer

Republican Sen. Robert Pittenger of Charlotte announced Thursday he won’t run for re-election to the state Senate next year, taking what he calls “another step towards running for Lieutenant Governor.”

Pittenger, a three-term incumbent, endorsed former state Sen. Robert Rucho for his seat. His district covers south Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.

Charlotte Observer

This will be interesting to see how this plays out. Pittenger has been very outspoken on the illegal immigrant problem in North Carolina and that will be a big issue with voters across the nation next year.

State Sen. Robert Pittenger of Charlotte has taken a big step toward a run for lieutenant governor.

Pittenger filed papers Monday with the State Board of Elections changing his campaign committee to a campaign for the state’s No. 2 office, reports The Charlotte Observer’s Mark Johnson.

“I wanted to make sure I filed the papers correctly in the event I make that decision” to run, Pittenger said.

News & Observer

Pittenger is a strong fiscal conservative and has taken a firm stance against the illegal immigration problem that is growing throughout North Carolina. He would make a good lieutenant governor.

State Sen. Robert Pittenger of Charlotte says he is considering a run for N.C. lieutenant governor in 2008.

Pittenger, a Republican serving his third term in the Senate, said he hopes to make a decision soon about his plans for next year.

Charlotte Observer

It could be a good career move for Pittenger if it gives him a foot in the door to the governor’s mansion. Pittenger has been running ads on the radio for months regarding passing stiffer immigration enforcement laws in the state and also ads favoring repeal of the half cent transit tax in Mecklenburg County.

A group pushing repeal has been bolstered by a recent 30-second television advertisement by State Sen. Robert Pittenger, a Mecklenburg Republican. Pittenger wants the General Assembly to allow Mecklenburg to use all or some of the transit tax for road projects. The money today is restricted to public transportation.

City council member Pat Mumford, who is leading the group trying to keep the tax, said the group’s “full media strategy” will be implemented this weekend. That includes yard signs, direct mail and television and radio ads. The Vote Against Repeal Committee has said it will likely raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, though it hasn’t released a list of donors.

Charlotte Observer

The main opposition to keeping the transit tax is due to the massive amount of cost overruns in the light rail project, poor logistical planning, and the notion that the current plans will not solve the transportation woes the area is facing. I personally think the transit tax should be kept and the money should focus on finishing the I-485 outer loop and widening the highways and other roads. Charlotte is receiving a massive influx of people and well on its way to becoming Atlanta Part II. If something isn’t done we’re going to have a commuter nightmare on our hands not far down the road.