Carolina Politics Online

On Saturday, D’Annunzio got into a flap with officials at the Cumberland County Republican Convention in Fayetteville.

During a forum, candidates drew cards with random questions. When rival Lou Huddleston of Fayetteville was asked if he supports eliminating federal agencies, he replied without mentioning D’Annunzio.

When D’Annunzio tried to respond, organizers told him according to their ground rules, he couldn’t. Party chair Suzanne Rucker took his microphone. He walked off the stage.

On his blog, D’Annunzio said the forum was “put together to enable the home town candidate to attack me while not giving me any opportunity to respond with the truth.”

Charlotte Observer

If the rules were followed consistently throughout the forum then I have to call bullshit on this accusation of there being some kind of conspiracy theory in favor of Lou Huddleston, which is who D’Annunzio is referring to.  The rules are the rules.  They drew questions at random.  Nobody can control who got what question and if they weren’t allowed to opine on the questions of other candidates then that’s the way it is.  It’s not the way I would conduct a debate, but the rules should have been understood before it started.  On the other hand, if they were allowing other candidates to do follow ups and not D’Annunzio then he has a point to be upset.  All of that aside, I think he conducted himself poorly by walking off the stage and it’s more negative press that he doesn’t need.  He’s already been getting poked pretty hard by the alternative media.

Lou Huddleston, of course, is taking advantage of this and calling for D’Annunzio to drop out of the race.  That’s not necessary.  The voters are perfectly capable of making that decision on election day.

This incident is one of two obstacles to put a rut in the D’Annunzio campaign just this week.  His top political adviser Jack Hawke resigned from the campaign regarding a dispute over a blog that D’Annunzio has been writing called “Christ’s War” which according to the Charlotte Observer “combines politics with Biblical references and end-times theology.”

Hawke said he advised the candidate to take it down after a February Observer story quoted passages from it.

It disappeared from public view for a while but then reappeared. Another news story about the blog ran Thursday in Raleigh’s News & Observer.

“He took it down, told me it was down and down to stay,” said Hawke, who advised former Gov. Jim Martin and gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory. “Next I knew it was in the N&O telling me it was back up. … I don’t think any candidate should get up at 3 or 4 in the morning, sit down in front of a computer and pour your heart out. It’s just not a smart thing to do.”

Charlotte Observer

Catherine Welborn, the Executive Director of Change the Congress in 2010, is putting together a “Meet the Candidates” forum in Charleston next month.

Change the Congress in 2010, a Federal PAC, is sponsoring this event that is free and open to the public.  Since many people never get to meet the candidates, this is a great opportunity to get ‘up close and personal’ and ask the candidates questions that may be important to you.

Candidates for any race and from any party are welcome to attend and Meet the Public.  Candidates must provide whatever they may need and are expected to take leftover campaign materials with them.  Contact Catherine Welborn at 843.270.1650 or by email at CWelborn@ChangetheCongressin2010.com (email preferred) for further information.

The forum will be held at the Custom House Steps on East Bay Street in Charleston on April 10th from 11am to 2pm.

A poll conducted last week by Rasmussen of the Republican gubernatorial primary in South Carolina shows Henry McMaster the current favorite.  Out of the four candidates he leads with 21% of the vote.  He also has the highest favorable ratings.  Lt Governor Andre Bauer comes in second with 17% of the vote, yet ironically has the highest unfavorable ratings by a mile with 21% of respondents viewing him very unfavorably and 22% somewhat unfavorably.

1* 2010 South Carolina GOP Primary for Governor

For Release March 8, 2010

Keadle Asks for FEC Investigation

Scott Keadle takes issue with Congressman Patrick McHenry’s abuse of the franking privilege in a recent mailer to residents of North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District.

“Mr. McHenry has spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars sending thinly-disguised campaign mail to voters. All of them have pretty pictures and explain what a great guy he is. All of them cost a lot of money, and add to the mountain of bills that McHenry and the Washington politicians have piled on the struggling taxpayers in this district,” said Keadle.

“This is an abuse of his office and McHenry should charge all costs to his campaign fund and not taxpayers,” said Keadle. “This is just one more example of how out of touch this Congressman is with the struggling citizens of North Carolina.”

“I’m calling for the Federal Elections Commission to investigate the printing and mailing of this slick color brochure,” added Keadle.

In anticipation of McHenry’s denial of adding to the size of government, Keadle said: “Mr. McHenry, please do not insult us further by denying that you voted for bigger government when you were in the majority under the Bush administration. In FY2006, for instance, you voted to increase taxation of North Carolina families by more than 5% of their paycheck. Saying a Republican President made you do it doesn’t make it right or ‘conservative’.”

—30—

Contact:
Garry Ballard
Keadle for Congress
press@keadle.com
704-775-8037

Victor Rawl, a Democratic member of the Charleston County Council and a former circuit court judge, announced his Senate candidacy Monday at events in North Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Spartanburg.

Rawl, 64, served briefly in the state legislature and retired as a lieutenant colonel in the South Carolina National Guard.

In running against the first-term DeMint, Rawl gives Democrats at least the prospect of a competitive race. Chad McGowan, an attorney who had raised about $250,000, dropped his campaign against the incumbent last month.

Read more: Politico

Republican candidate for governor Henry McMaster said at a campaign stop that he opposes using the state’s economic development incentives program for retail projects.

McMaster, the state attorney general, told a gathering Saturday at Sun City Hilton Head that such tax incentives would give an unfair advantage to some retailers.

The State

It’s nice to know that somebody in the alleged party of small government is opposed to doling out our tax dollars to more corporate interests.  Although, I would be curious to know which side McMaster would have come down on regarding the Boeing deal last year.  His statement comes on the heals of a shopping mall being planned in Beaufort.

S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster, a Republican candidate for governor, said during a campaign stop in Sun City Hilton Head Saturday that he is “not convinced the law should be changed” to give tax incentives to retail developers such as the Sembler Co.

Sembler plans to build Okatie Crossings, a 280-acre shopping center and luxury outlet mall in Beaufort and Jasper counties. Sembler has said the incentives are critical to its plan.

Saturday’s statement, which came in response to a question from a Sun City resident, was the first time McMaster has spoken publicly on the bill for which Sembler is lobbying.

That bill could come to the Senate floor as soon as Tuesday.

“I’m not sure we should be in the business of judging one retail establishment against another,” McMaster said of choosing which retailers should get tax incentives.

The Island Packet

If Okatie Crossings can’t be profitable without taxpayers shelling out corporate welfare to Sembler Co., then why are they building the mall in the first place?  If you need a government subsidy to be in the black then it sounds like a bad investment to me.  Builders typically aren’t in the habit of making bad investments so this leads me to speculate that Sembler Co. can indeed be profitable without the incentives, they just want to see how much of their obligation they can pawn off on the taxpayers.

Let’s see how the Republican controlled state legislature, the party that has railed against the Obama stimulus program, votes when this bill comes up this week.

For some in attendance at an executive council meeting for the Columbia Housing Authority held Monday, Feb. 22, it was a surprise when they learned that a man running for governor had been seated among them as he rose to deliver a speech.

If any of them had ever seen Morgan Bruce Reeves on TV before, it wasn’t in a campaign ad. And it was a long time ago, perhaps when he played pro football for the Colts when they hailed from Baltimore, not Indianapolis.

A former player for the National Football League who is running a grassroots write-in campaign for governor of South Carolina, Reeves told the community gathering that he had amassed the necessary 10,000 signatures needed to land him on the ballot in 2010.

The Irmo businessman spoke to a crowd of about 50 at the Cecil A. Tellis Center off Harden Street near the Drew Wellness Center. His speech, peppered with hallelujahs from the majority black audience members, offered a brief biography of his life and his reasons for running for governor.

“I’m not running as a Democrat and I’m not running as a Republican,” Reeves said. “I’m running as a strong-bid third party candidate. And I think that a third party candidate would be refreshing for South Carolina.”

Columbia Free Times

I can’t disagree with that.  A third party candidate anywhere would be refreshing and Reeves is the kind of third party candidate who can actually mount a competitive challenge.  The reason for this is that he has a name that will already be known to some, has a past that will spark interest in those that don’t know him, and if he actually is able to get Magic Johnson to campaign with him that will really raise his profile.  If you’re going to run for office as an independent or third party candidate you have to have either some existing name recognition or a lot of money like Ross Perot.  Reeves already has the 10,000 signatures needed to qualify so he is already over the biggest hurdle that third party candidates face before they even begin, ballot access.

President Obama is sinking all of his remaining political capital into destroying the American health care system and the question to be asked here in the Charlotte area is will Larry Kissell capitulate or buck his party again and vote against ObamaCare?  Kissell represents a swing district that leans slightly Republican and although a Public Policy Polling poll taken a couple of months ago showed him hovering over 50% in hypothetical November match ups, this issue will make or break that.

As reported today in the Charlotte Observer, Kissell insists that his position has not changed and that he has no intention of supporting the current proposal in Congress and that is probably a good thing.  The American people are not seeing eye to with this administration.  Over half the country opposes the bill and almost two-thirds of Americans think it would be better to pass smaller incremental bills that address specific individual flaws in the system.

If Kissell were to change his mind and vote for the bill it will mark the end of his very short political tenure.  Hell, even if he doesn’t vote for it and it still passes it could seal his defeat.  The original House bill only passed by five votes so it’s hard to predict how this is going to turn out if the Democrats decide to proceed with reconciliation, but the word is the White House is putting on the pressure.

Congressman Patrick McHenry has sponsored H.R. 4705, a bill that would redesign the $50 bill with the likeness of the late President Ronald Reagan.  According to a press release from McHenry’s office he had the following to say regarding the bill:

“Every generation needs its own heroes,” said Congressman McHenry.  “One decade into the 21st century, it’s time to honor the last great president of the 20th and give President Reagan a place beside Presidents Roosevelt and Kennedy.”

It’s an interesting proposal and I certainly don’t have an issue with it, but the timing is questionable in my mind.  McHenry has two primary opponents facing him in the May election and I just wonder if he his invoking Reagan to appeal to the tea party demographic.

The campaign of Scott Keadle, one of McHenry’s primary opponents, had the following comments:

“While President Reagan certainly deserves to be memorialized, I doubt whether he would have focused on this issue when we have such urgent problems facing North Carolina’s workers and families.”

Scott Keadle, a candidate for the Republican nomination for North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District, will speak at the Catawba County Candidates’ Forum Thursday, March 4.

Keadle will speak about issues important to the people of the 10th District at 6:30 p.m. at Bennett’s BBQ Restaurant, 1819 Fairgrove Church Road SE, Conover.

A 45-year-old Mooresville dentist, Keadle is currently an Iredell County commissioner.

North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District currently includes all of Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln and Mitchell counties, along with parts of Gaston, Iredell and Rutherford counties. The Republican primary is May 4.

Garry Ballard
Keadle for Congress Campaign
press@keadle.com
704-775-8037

Talk radio host Jason Lewis of Minneapolis will be headlining a fund raiser for South Carolina Fifth District Congressional candidate Mick Mulvaney in Charlotte on Friday.  The even will be held at the Greek Isles Restaurant at 200 East Bland St in Charlotte and starts at noon.  Apparently the seating is limited so they are asking people to arrive early to ensure they get a spot.  Attendance is free, but guests are responsible for their own meals.

More information on Facebook

Nikki will be in Rock Hill this Wednesday, March 3rd speaking at Winthrop University. The event will be held at Barnes Recital Hall, 855 Ebenezer Avenue, Rock Hill, SC 29733. It starts at 8 p.m. and is open to everyone.

I would love to go this event and I’ll even be at Winthrop at that time, but I’ll be in class. If you can make the time, however, I recommend stopping by and listening to Haley speak. She’s got good ideas to take our state forward.

Winthrop University here in Rock Hill released the results of their latest political polling for the state.  The conclusion?  Most people really don’t much about the people running for governor on either side of the aisle.  I guess that’s not overly surprising.  Most people really don’t start paying attention until the last couple weeks before an election.  Over 75% of people polled knew very little about any of the Democrats running.  When it came to favorable ratings among all candidates of both parties, Lt Gov. Andre Bauer squeaked out through the top of the pack.

Regarding other questions that were asked, people in the state like Michelle Obama better than her husband.  Jenny Sanford is held in fairly high regard and Republicans are far more fond of Senator Jim DeMint than they are of Senator Lindsey Graham.

U.S. Senate- Republican Primary
Richard Burr (i)- 55%
Brad Jones- 10%
Eddie Burks- 3%
Undecided- 31%
(moe-3.9%; PPP, 646 Republican voters, Feb. 12 to 15)

U.S. Senate- Democrat Primary
Elaine Marshall- 29%
Cal Cunningham- 12%
Ken Lewis- 5%
Marcus Williams- 2%
Undecided- 51%
(moe-4.9%; PPP, 400 Democrats, Feb. 12-15)

Elaine Marshall- 14%
Cal Cunningham- 4%
Ken Lewis- 5%
Undecided- 77%
(moe-5%; Civitas, 367 Democrats, Feb. 15-18)

h/t- The N&O

The battle is on for N.C.’s 9th Senate District, which is based in Wilmington. Yesterday local attorney Thom Goolsby, who ran unsuccessfully for AG back in 2004 and dropped out of a state house race in 2008, filed as a Republican.

Later today another attorney, Michael Lee, will also file as a Republican. Lee ran against Boseman in 2008 and narrowly lost this swing seat in a bad Republican year.

Democrat incumbent Julia Boseman announced a few months ago that she would not seek re-election. Democrats have coalesced around former UNC-Wilmington Chancellor Jim Leutze.

Adam Brickley who writes for Race 4 2012 was a CPAC blogger who had the fortunate experience of crossing paths with Katherine Jenerette, Republican candidate for South Carolina’s First Congressional District.  In his own words, he was very impressed with her after speaking with her and decided “in a moment” that she is needed in Congress.

After spending a few minutes with her – I think this woman definitely has a shot. For one, she is a PISTOL - and I’m not even sure that term does her justice, even when bolded, italicized, underlined, and capitalized. She sat and chewed that fat with several bloggers for a few minutes - and this woman doesn’t just come off as a real person, she IS a real person. In all my political experience I have NEVER met a candidate with such a total lack of pretension.

Of course, she’s solid on the issues, and very well spoken (although in a very down to earth fashion) – but it was the “what you see is what you get” attitude that really hit home for me. She pulled absolutely no punches and made no apologies for either her demeanor, her thick southern accent, or anything else about herself.

Jenerette was my favored candidate in the 2008 GOP primary for relatively the same reasons.  She has the right ideas, the right background, and the will and nerve to fight the corrupt status quo in Washington.  Had she defeated Brown in the primary, the general election would have been quite a race between her and Linda Ketner, both of them being two very intelligent and assertive women in South Carolina, a state that I don’t believe has ever sent a woman to Washington.

With there being such a large pool of candidates for this seat this year I will probably spend a lot of time on this particular race until the primaries approach so keep stopping by to see what’s new.

Sen. Richard Burr made his re-election campaign official on Monday when he filed for re-election.

But he’s not going to have the Republican primary all to himself. Over the last year, many conservatives have shown displeasure (to put it mildly) with Burr’s support of some budget-busting spending bills.  He voted for the first bailout in the last months of George W. Bush’s administration, for instance. Sure, Burr looks like a piker now that Obama’s in office, but it’s too little too late for some conservatives.

Brad Jones, a 65, who runs an electronics businessman, said he is running to provide a more conservative alternative to Burr, Rob Christensen reports. Jones said the Burr “rubber stamped” all of the spending policies of President George W. Bush and voted for the bank bailout.

“I want to give people an alternative,” Jones said. “I’m more of a Jesse Helms conservative. Now that there is a Democrat in the White House, he (Burr) is acting more conservative.”

Eddie Burks, a 48-year-old Asheboro City Councilman, calls Burr “unresponsive and inaccessible.”

“Have you seen any leadership from Sen. Burr?” Burks asked in an interview. “I haven’t. Most people can’t tell me anything they like about the senator.”

The N&O

Cal Cunningham, North Carolina candidate for the U.S. Senate, has mirrored the calls of some of his Democratic colleagues around the country, calling for an end to the use of the filibuster in the Senate.  Many members of the Democratic Senatorial caucus have been getting frustrated with the increased use of the filibuster by the Republicans to stop legislation from moving forward and allowing it to die in the Senate.

The filibuster is an interesting piece of American history.  It is not a part of the Constitution or even the original Congressional rules when they were first established, but it has been around off and on since 1837 when the first one took place.  At times during Senate history there was no cloture procedure to end a filibuster.  At other times it’s required a 2/3 vote of Congress.  Today and most recently it is 60.  It also used to be far more brutal for the filibustering party.  Just a few decades ago they would stand up there and talk for the entire duration of the filibuster, not just symbolically stop the legislation like today.  These guys have it easy now.  They just say they are filibustering and that’s all there is to it.  In the good ole days, the longest traditional filibuster that ever took place was done so by our own former Senator in South Carolina, the late Strom Thurmond who filibustered the 1957 Civil Rights Act for 24 hours and 18 minutes.

The call to bring about an end to its use is stemming from how frequently it has been put into effect since just the turn of the century.  Most recently, it is the left that feels it is being abused too much by the GOP, although the Democrats were just as bad about it when the Republicans had the majority.  I can’t say that I agree with Cunningham that we should do away with it altogether.  I think it should remain a rule to protect the governing minority, but the rules surrounding its use could probably use some overhaul.  Personally, I think they should require a filibuster to be a true filibuster like back in Thurmond’s days.  Make them stand up there and speak for hours, having to piss in a bucket (yes, that actually happened), until eventually one side gives.  That would limit the use of the tactic to only when there is a major struggle going on in the Senate.

The majority flips back and forth between the parties every few election cycles. If the filibuster were to be done away with and Cunningham ends up getting elected to the Senate this year he may wish he had the ability to use it again down the road when the Republicans are in charge and pushing and agenda he doesn’t particularly care for.  So as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.

Join us for a hometown campaign jump start for

Cal Cunningham
Candidate for U.S. Senate

Barbecue Dinner

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Richard Childress Racing Auditorium
425 Industrial Drive
Welcome, NC

Individual Tickets
$25

TO RSVP, please visit www.calfornc.com/events/jumpstart.

To sponsor the event or for more information, please contact Crystal Perkins, 336-248-2010 or crystal@calfornc.com.