Carolina Politics Online

As reported at WTVD-TV News 11 here in Raleigh, Pat McCrory is considering a run for governor in 2012. He is quoted that he will make a decision sometime next year.

McCrory says he’ll be making a decision on a possible run for governor sometime next year.

Pat McCrory was in Raleigh today trying to raise money to help Renee Ellmers defeat “I have you by the neck” Bob Etheridge- Democrat NC-2.

I have to say that early voting here in NC is critical and that every voter of any political leaning who wants some real change here in NC and nationally had better get to the polls.  Two more years of Obama and or Perdue will be a disaster PERIOD!

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is a taxpayer watchdog group that for years has been tracking and monitoring the wasteful spending being undertaken by our members of Congress. When I say waste I mean real waste, things that most all of us regardless of political ideology and views could likely agree on. Wasted spending like $1,454,000 for mosquito trapping research or $2,573,000 for potato research. Better yet, right here in our own backyard, UNC Charlotte received $762,000 for interactive dance software.

CAGW has a searchable database containing the 9,129 pork-barrel projects in the 2010 Congressional Pig Book. They also do a ranking of every member of Congress with a score of 100 indicating a taxpayer superhero and a score of 0 being a wasteful taxpayer abuser. Unfortunately, here in the Carolinas we have several big fat zeros. That list is below:

North Carolina congressional candidate Renee Ellmers has failed to capitalize on last month’s furor over incumbent Democratic Rep. Bobby Etheridge’s physical altercation with a questioner who stopped him on the sidewalk.

Video of Etheridge grabbing the man who stopped him — and demanding to know the man’s identity — spread quickly online and drew attention to the congressman’s long-shot challenger. But a month later, Ellmers, a nurse who heads the Dunn Area Chamber of Commerce, has just $42,000 in the bank and little support from national Republicans.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has yet to add Ellmers to its “Young Guns” program, which supports top recruits. Etheridge, meanwhile, has a war chest of $1.2 million.

Politico

The people that run the NRCC are nitwits.  Same goes with the Democrats’ campaign committee.  These groups are run by career political lackeys who think they are so in tune to what is going on out in the real world, but the fact is these stooges would climb over a glass door to see what’s on the other side.  Time after time the party apparatuses ignore candidates, who either end up pulling off an upset win or come close, simply because they are out of touch with the grassroots.  The DCCC completely ignored Larry Kissell in 2006 when he ran against Robin Hayes and Kissell only lost to him that year by a few hundred votes.  If the DCCC had gotten behind Kissell in ‘06 he could have won instead of having to do a rematch with Hayes in ‘08.

Renee Ellmers can defeat Bob Etheridge.  Yes, the race is in Etheridge’s favor at this point in time, but in years where there are electoral sweeps races in the most unexpected places can have unpredicted outcomes.  Besides, Etheridge’s seat was held by a Republican before him and the district leans slightly to the right of center.  Plus, throw in the fact that they have plenty of ammunition to throw at him this year.  For the NRCC to write this race off is pretty foolish, but again, if these people were intelligent they’d have real jobs where they actually produce something.

Gee, nobody saw this coming.

The plans, being tested in places like San Diego, New York and Chicago, are likely to appeal especially to small businesses that already provide insurance to their employees, but are concerned about the ever-spiraling cost of coverage.

But large employers, as well, are starting to show some interest, and insurers and consultants expect that, over time, businesses of all sizes will gravitate toward these plans in an effort to cut costs.

The tradeoff, they say, is that more Americans will be asked to pay higher prices for the privilege of choosing or keeping their own doctors if they are outside the new networks. That could come as a surprise to many who remember the repeated assurances from President Obama and other officials that consumers would retain a variety of health-care choices.

The New York Times

Shocking, eh?  No, not that this is happening.  It’s shocking that there were people in this country stupid enough to actually believe the President’s lies about being able to keep their current health coverage and doctor.  As ObamaCare slowly unfolds more people are figuring out just how badly we got bent over by our “representatives” in D.C.  Oh, and let us not forget who it was that brought this on us by voting in favor of ObamaCare.

• G. K. Butterfield (NC-01)
• Bob Etheridge (NC-02)
• David Price (NC-04)
• Mel Watt (NC-12)
• Brad Miller (NC-13)
• Jack Spratt (SC-05)
• Jim Clyburn (SC-06)
• Senator Kay Hagan (NC)

Do you remember a month ago when I warned you about a piece of legislation called the Disclose Act?  Well, it passed the U.S.  House about an hour and a half ago.  Just to recap the dangers this bill presents:

The point of the legislation would be to force corporations sponsoring a political ad to disclose their identity, even to the extreme of the CEO having to appear at the end of the ad in a disclaimer.  However, it’s the more ominous language in the bill that has raised the eyebrows of those in the blogosphere and questioning if this legislation could unconstitutionally impact us as well.  The issue is with the language.

Under the bill, the F.E.C. would have the authority to require disclosures regarding the funding of “coordinated communications,” defined in the bill as “a publicly distributed or disseminated communication that refers to a clearly identified candidate for Federal office” and is publicly distributed or disseminated within four months prior to an election. In other words, political ads. And this bill would specifically target those paid for by someone or some entity other than the candidates.

The bill specifically exempts certain forms of media from being considered “coordinated communications” and regulated by it, but blogs aren’t specifically listed.

OpenCongress

And that is what is sounding the alarm.  Here is the language of the bill stating who exceptions apply to.

‘(4) EXCEPTION- The term ‘covered communication’ does not include—

‘(A) a communication appearing in a news story, commentary, or editorial distributed through the facilities of any broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine, or other periodical publication, unless such facilities are owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate;

There is no mention of blogs in the list of communication and there is no language specifically exempting the communication of a private individual like myself and others who write Web sites like this.

It’s uncertain if this bill will make it through the Senate. After all, as the saying goes the Senate is the place where legislation goes to die. If they do pass it then we have an open door to Stalinism right here in the United States.  Think it’s out of the question that the Federal government couldn’t abuse this law to shut down Web sites like this one and others that they feel are a threat to their power just like they do in countries like Iran, China, and Singapore?  Think again.

The following Congressmen from North and South Carolina voted for this bill today:

• Bob Etheridge (D-NC-02)
• David Price (D-NC-04)
• Larry Kissell (D-NC-08)
• Heath Shuler (D-NC-11)
• Brad Miller (D-NC-13)
• John Spratt (D-SC-05)
• Jim Clyburn (D-SC-06)

The following members voted against the act to preserve freedom of speech:

• G.K. Butterfield (D-NC-01)
• Walter Jones (R-NC-03)
• Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05)
• Howard Coble (R-NC-06)
• Mike McIntyre (D-NC-07)
• Sue Myrick (R-NC-09)
• Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10)
• Mel Watt (D-NC-12)
• Joe Wilson (R-SC-02)
• Bob Inglis (R-SC-04)

According to a Mississippi attorney, the college student in Washington D.C. last week wasn’t the first young man to be the recipient of physical aggression from Congressman Etheridge.  Brandon Leslie, a former resident of Moore County, claims that when he was a senior in high school in 1996 he too had an encounter with Etheridge at a high school football game similar to the incident in D.C.

Brandon Leslie, who moved away seven years ago and is now an attorney in Oxford, Miss., said he had an encounter with the now seven-term Democratic congressman from Lillington almost 14 years ago.

In the fall of 1996, when Leslie was a senior at Pinecrest High School, he said he met Etheridge at a Pinecrest football game. Etheridge – then the state superintendent of public instruction – was challenging incumbent Republican David Funderburk for his congressional seat. At the time, Moore County was part of the 2nd District, which Etheridge now represents.

Leslie said he introduced himself to Etheridge and asked him about his stance on a particular education program. He said Etheridge didn’t answer his question, so he pressed him two more times.

“And that’s when he grabbed me by the shoulders, he shook me, and I’ll never forget it, he said, ‘Son, you need to learn to respect your elders,’” he said by phone on Wednesday. “I was just so taken aback, I think my jaw just dropped, and he walked off.”

Leslie said he was angrier about Etheridge’s attitude and “patronizing” tone than the physical contact.

“It wasn’t to hurt me, it wasn’t to harm me,” he says. “It was that he was irritated and wanted to get my attention.”

The Pilot

According to the article the incident raised some raucous from the locals, but the media never ran with it.  Of course, back then the public Internet was still a new born babe and the alternative media really didn’t exist yet.  Even if Leslie had been able to catch it on tape, there was no such thing as a viral video in those days.  Unfortunately for Etheridge, technology caught up with him this year.

Etheridge’s office has disputed Leslie’s claim, but Etheridge himself won’t address the accusation.

With a widely publicized video of a confrontation with two students on a Washington, DC sidewalk circulating, incumbent Democratic Congressman Bob Etheridge now trails Republican challenger Renee Ellmers according to a new SurveyUSA poll released today by the Civitas Institute.

According to the poll of 400 registered voters in North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional district, Ellmers leads Etheridge 39 percent to 38 percent. Twelve percent said they would vote for Libertarian Tom Rose and 11 percent said they were undecided.

Civitas

If any of you are thinking of getting me a birthday gift…

Bob Etheridge “Who Are You” T-Shirts: http://www.zazzle.com/who_are_you_tshirt-235939544822552294

Holy crap!! All the kid did was ask him a question and Etheridge goes crazy! The pressure must really be getting to these guys.

Renee Ellmers, I think you just found your new 30 second ad.

Update: Etheridge has issued a public apology. It is also being speculated around the blogosphere that he may have been drunk.  Apparently, he was leaving a fund raiser for Nancy Pelosi when this happened.  It would certainly explain his erratic behavior.

There may be a new war brewing between Congress and bloggers, specifically political bloggers like myself and thousands of others.  You may recall back in January, the case of Citizens United v FEC.  This was a case heard by the Supreme Court in which they gutted portions of Federal campaign finance reform laws, thus easing restrictions on the political speech of individuals via corporations and reaffirming the long held SCOTUS precedent of the Constitutional wording of “people” applying to corporations.  The decision never set well, particularly with the Democrats in Congress, and in response they are now pushing H.R. 5175, the “Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act” or more simply put, The Disclose Act.

The point of the legislation would be to force corporations sponsoring a political ad to disclose their identity, even to the extreme of the CEO having to appear at the end of the ad in a disclaimer.  However, it’s the more ominous language in the bill that has raised the eyebrows of those in the blogosphere and questioning if this legislation could unconstitutionally impact us as well.  The issue is with the language.

Under the bill, the F.E.C. would have the authority to require disclosures regarding the funding of “coordinated communications,” defined in the bill as “a publicly distributed or disseminated communication that refers to a clearly identified candidate for Federal office” and is publicly distributed or disseminated within four months prior to an election. In other words, political ads. And this bill would specifically target those paid for by someone or some entity other than the candidates.

The bill specifically exempts certain forms of media from being considered “coordinated communications” and regulated by it, but blogs aren’t specifically listed.

OpenCongress

And that is what is sounding the alarm.  Here is the language of the bill stating who exceptions apply to.

‘(4) EXCEPTION- The term ‘covered communication’ does not include—

‘(A) a communication appearing in a news story, commentary, or editorial distributed through the facilities of any broadcasting station, newspaper, magazine, or other periodical publication, unless such facilities are owned or controlled by any political party, political committee, or candidate;

There is no mention of blogs in the list of communication and there is no language specifically exempting the communication of a private individual like myself and others who write Web sites like this.  Now does that mean the Federal government will actually regulate the free political speech of bloggers?  I don’t know and sometimes I think they write these laws to be purposely ambiguous so nobody knows what the hell they are doing.  I can’t imagine that if they tried it would ever stand up in court.

I’ll keep an eye on this as it moves forward.  According to a press release I got from Congresswoman Virginia Foxx’s office, the House is set to begin debate on the Disclose Act next week and I don’t know what’s going to happen.  What I do know is that the Washington aristocracy is not going to shut me up no matter what Stalinist laws they try to pass and I know I’m not alone on that.  It will be a brutal blow back for them if they attempt to silence the free speech of the people.

North and South Carolina cosponsors of the Disclose Act are below:

• Jim Clyburn (D) SC-06
• Bob Etheridge (D) NC-02
• Walter Jones (R) NC-03
• Larry Kissell (D) NC-08
• David Price (D) NC-04
• Heath Shuler (D) NC-11

The State Employees Association of North Carolina (SEANC) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) are mobilizing in North Carolina and collecting signatures to form their own political party. I’m guessing that after 140 years of Democrats controlling the state legislature they are finally fed up with still being barred from holding the taxpayers hostage through public sector unionization and being unable to artificially inflate the fair market labor rate throughout the state, thus making it uncompetitive. The North Carolina First Party, which would be more aptly named as the Me First Party, is working on collecting the 85,000 signatures needed to get on the ballot, another reminder of the state’s grossly unfair ballot access laws.

Should they be successful in their endeavor, I imagine it will not sit well with Democrats like Heath Shuler, Larry Kissell, Mike McIntyre, and Bob Etheridge who represent Republican leaning districts and will more than likely experience tougher reelection fights than normal this year. If all end up in close races losing a percent or two to a third party candidate could make the difference between victory or early retirement.

The stated goal of the North Carolina First Party is to “to give working families the ability to choose a candidate that will fight for their interests – or to identify Congressional candidates who will stay accountable to the needs of working families not Washington’s special interests.”  In other words, steal more and more money from your wealthier and more successful neighbors and hand it over to you even though you don’t deserve it.

Update: The House may be voting tomorrow.

Get the lie out first and ignore the truth later.  That is apparently the philosophy that the media and the Democrats are running with today.  You may have heard all the hype this morning about the CBO claiming that the health care bill will cost $940 billion and reduce the deficit by $130 billion over ten years, right?

Not exactly.

Although CBO completed a preliminary review of legislative language prior to its release, the agency has not thoroughly examined the reconciliation proposal to verify its consistency with the previous draft. This estimate is therefore preliminary, pending a review of the language of the reconciliation proposal, as well as further review and refinement of the budgetary projections.

You see, this is a preliminary estimate that does not include all the other changes that are being proposed to reconcile the House and Senate bills, yet the Democrats and their minions in the out of mainstream media are running around quoting this as fact.  It’s just more dishonesty in a long line of lies.

Here is one thing I am fairly certain of, though.  The House does not have the votes to pass this bill as of today.  If they did, they’d have already voted on it.  That doesn’t mean they won’t get them, however, so if you value your freedom and don’t want an unconstitutional government take over of your health care, then get on the phone and tell your Congressman to vote NO on this bill.

The four Democrats in our two states with the biggest potential of voting no on this are Heath Shuler, Mike McIntyre, Bob Etheridge, and John Spratt.  They all represent Republican leaning districts.  Definitely concentrate on them.

Heath Shuler
Phone: (202) 225-6401
Fax: (202) 226-6422

Bob Etheridge
Phone: (202) 225-4531
Fax: (202) 225-5662

Mike McIntyre
Phone: (202) 225-2731
Fax: (202) 225-5773

John Spratt
Phone: 202-225-5501
Fax: 202-225-0464

Renee Ellmers of Dunn, a nurse at the Trinity Wound Center has recently announced her candidacy for the Second Congressional District in North Carolina.  This is the seat currently held by Congressman Bob Etheridge.  Ellmers is the second Republican candidate to enter the race.  Dan Mansell has already entered the race and has unsuccessfully run against Etheridge in the last two election cycles.

The Sanford Herald alleges that the Republican committee for the Second District is unofficially endorsing Ellmers candidacy over that of Mansell because of his unsuccessful bids against Etheridge already.  That’s an understandable strategy, however in Mansell’s defense, he ran during two very bad election cycles for Republican candidates all across the country.

Etheridge has represented the district since 1997, defeating the only Republican to hold the seat in 100 years and he only served one term before losing to Etheridge.  Suffice to say, he’ll start off his reelection bid with the upper hand, however he is going to have some music to face from the voters come November.  The Cook Partisan Voting Index rates this seat as an R +2, meaning it actually leans slightly Republican.  This presents a problem for Etheridge because he has voted with the radical left of his party on every major issue this year:  the stimulus, Cap and Trade, and the unpopular health care bill.

Be it Mansell or Ellmers, both of them will have a lot of ammunition to use against Etheridge in the general election and unlike the past couple cycles where the national mood was favoring Etheridge’s party, he is now having to defend several unpopular votes he’s cast in support of a president with sinking approval numbers.  The shoe could very well end up on the other foot this time.

UPDATE: Etheridge is out. [N&O] With no more top candidates to recruit, Dems turn to this woman.

National Democrats are apparently stepping up their efforts to try and recruit Congressman Bob Etheridge (D-NC-02) to run against Senator Richard Burr in next year’s election.  They evidently think that Etheridge could bring a strong challenge to Burr.  While I realize Burr isn’t all that popular or well known around the state, I think they’re wrong.

Bob Etheridge has this image that he is some middle of the road moderate, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.  Look at his voting record:

• Voted for Wall Street Bailout?  Check!
• Voted for the Porkulus bill?  Check!
• Voted for Crap and Tax?  Check!
• Voted for the largest budget deficit in American history?  Check!
• Voted for the health care bill that will put people in jail for not buying insurance?  Check!

Bob Etheridge has more in common with far left radicals than he does with the people of North Carolina and I think the Burr campaign will take Etheridge’s record and absolutely destroy him.  That’s my opinion.

In related news to this race, former state legislator Cal Cunningham has decided to bow out and not run.  He was being embraced by the left wing extremists at BlueNC.

Additionally, Republican Dan Mansell of Selma has decided to make another run for the Second Congressional District seat.  I think if Mansell is well funded he can make a similar case and mount a competitive challenge to Etheridge, although it will be more difficult for him to defeat Etheridge than Etheridge to defeat Burr.  Of course, if Etheridge does run against Burr and NC-02 is an open seat then Mansell has an excellent chance of winning because this seat leans slightly Republican according to the Cook Political Index.

HR 3962, the infamous Pelosi health care bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives last night by a mere five votes.  This doesn’t mean that we’re doomed.  The U.S. Senate still has their own version to pass and then it has to be reconciled with the House bill and both chambers have to vote on the final combo bill.  It is unlikely this will all happen before the end of the year, so there is time for the American people to stop this.

I want you to understand what this bill does.  It is going to cost in excess of $1.2 trillion over the next ten years.  This is all new spending on top of what our government spends today.  Bear in mind, we have a $1.7 trillion budget deficit this year alone an $11 trillion debt.  It’s actually even worse than that, though.  The $1.2 trillion figure is what the House reps are saying.  The CBO has a much, much larger price tag.

Senator Gregg: Updated CBO Estimate of House Bill Pulls Back the Curtain on Majority’s Intent to Grow Government by $3 Trillion

Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH), ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee today commented on the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) more detailed cost estimate of the manager’s amendment to the House health reform bill.

Senator Gregg stated, “The CBO estimate released last night finally sheds light on the smoke and mirrors game the majority has been playing with the cost of their health care reform proposal. Over the first 10 years, this legislation builds in gross new spending of $1.7 trillion – and most of the new spending doesn’t even start until 2014. Once that spending is fully phased in, the House Democratic bill rings up at more than $3 trillion over ten years.

“Additionally, this bill cuts critical Medicare and Medicaid funding by $628 billion, accounts for nearly $1.2 trillion in tax and fee increases and will explode the scope of government by putting the nation’s health care system in the hands of Washington bureaucrats. The $3 trillion price tag defies common sense – we simply cannot add all this new spending to the government rolls and claim to control the deficit.

“If we continue to pile more and more debt on the next generation, they will never be able to get out from under it. The health care system needs reform, but this massive expansion of government, financed by our children and grandchildren, is the wrong way to proceed.”

This bill will fine employers who do not provide health insurance to their employees.  This is a double edged sword.  Many small business, for one, don’t provide it because they can’t.  Of those companies that do, the fine that would be implemented by the Federal government will actually cost less than providing the benefits.  The obvious result is that many companies out there will simply drop employee health benefits and force them onto the public “option.”  Personally, I think this is by design because the Democrats have been very open about wanting a single payer government run health care system and that is exactly the path we will go down.

This bill will make your current insurance policy even more expensive.  Remember how the whole point of health care “reform” was to lower the cost.  Yeah, that’s out the door.  Taxes on medical devices and supplies as well as on insurance companies and mandates requiring them to cover anyone who walks through the door regardless of age or preexisting conditions will raise the price of your insurance.  This will put many more Americans on the public “option” because they won’t be able to afford the premium increase or their company will stop offering the benefits and just pay the fine.  We are headed towards a two-tiered health care system.  High quality health care for the elite rich of our nation who can afford to pay outside the public “option” and a watered down rationed system for the rest of us.

This bill was 1,990 pages long.  Everyone that voted for this bill doesn’t have the slightest clue what is in it.  They haven’t had it long enough to know and many of them have already admitted that they don’t read the bills anyway.

Probably the most destructive part of this bill is the individual mandate.  Never in the history of our nation, one that prides itself of personal freedom and liberty, has our government passed a law forcing the American people to  buy a product.  This is blatantly unconstitutional and I imagine that if the Senate companion bill passes with the same mandate, which it does possess, and this is signed into law there will be Constitutional challenges to this piece.   I want you to understand the ramifications if such a mandate is held up by the Supreme Court.  Going forward our government will have no limitation of powers.  Once they are told by the highest court in the land that they are allowed to tell us what to buy based upon the court’s interpretation of the Commerce Clause or providing the general welfare, they will have complete control over the American people.  Our nation as we know it today will be a thing of the past.  We are heading into a Soviet style government.  Make no mistake about it.

All Republicans in North and South Carolina voted against this bill.  Democrat Congressmen Larry Kissell, Mike McIntyre, and Heath Shuler also voted against the bill.

The following Democrats voted to throw you in the gulag if you don’t buy health insurance.

• G. K. Butterfield (NC-01)
• Bob Etheridge (NC-02)
• David Price (NC-04)
• Mel Watt (NC-12)
• Brad Miller (NC-13)
• Jack Spratt (SC-05)
• Jim Clyburn (SC-06)

Queen Pelosi has set a vote for this Saturday, November 7th for the $1.05 trillion tyrannical health care bill they have pieced together in the House. The Democrats hold 258 House seats; 218 aye votes are needed to pass, which means 41 Democrats need to defect from their party in order to stop this, assuming no Republicans vote for it and I don’t think any will. That might sound like a tall order, but it may not be. The Blue Dog Democrats as well as other more moderate Democrats representing Republican districts are considerably nervous after Tuesday night’s election wins for the GOP in Virginia and New Jersey, so there will be considerable resistance to this bill, mainly on the grounds that it is too expensive.

This can be stopped, but the public has to take action. If your Congressman is a member of the Blue Dog coalition absolutely call their offices and tell them to oppose this bill.  In North Carolina we have two Blue Dog Democrats, Congressman Heath Shuler (NC-11) and Congressman Mike McIntyre (NC-07).

If your Congressman isn’t a member of the Blue Dogs, but still represents a moderate or Republican leaning district, like my Congressman, call them too. They are just as vulnerable to an angry public.  I would recommend contacting Congressmen Bob Etheridge (NC-02), Larry Kissell (NC-08),  and John Spratt (SC-05).  And even if you have an out of touch far left kook “representing” you in Congress, it doesn’t hurt to call them either. You might be surprised. And call the Republicans too, just to be sure.

If you don’t want to be thrown in jail for not buying a government approved health care plan, then you had better take some action. If you don’t you only have yourself to blame when intrusive government comes barreling down on you and your family.

Well, this is quite the political oddity.  According to Public Policy Polling, Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) has experienced a drop in his already dangerously low approval rating for an incumbent, but his lead among his potential opponents has actually increased.  Yeah, I can’t wrap my brain around that one either.  Perhaps it’s a sign of some general frustration North Carolinians might have with the Democrats running the state and the country.

General Election Matchups
Burr 46 — Cunningham 27 — Und 27
Burr 44 — Etheridge 33 — Und 23
Burr 45 — Foy 29 — Und 26
Burr 44 — Lewis 30 — Und 26
Burr 44 — Marshall 32 — Und 24
Burr 43 — Wicker 30 — Und 26

Burr 45 — Generic D 34 — Und 22

Today in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009 whizzed through the House by a vote of 331 to 83.  This takes your hard earned money and hands it over to the unemployed for another 13 weeks.  It’s a good thing that “stimulus” bill is putting all of those back people to work, huh?

So instead of our Congress implementing real economic growth policies that would take the unemployed off of the unemployment roles as they begin to find work again, the Congress decided to add to our $11 trillion national debt in more welfare handouts.  All so they can send out glossy pamphlets to their constituents that say, “Vote for me!  I gave you more of other peoples’ money!”

So which House members, you ask, in our Carolinas are responsible for the passage of this bill?  The answer is easy.  All of them, except for two.  Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05) was the only representative to vote for fiscal responsibility.  But I said two didn’t vote for the bill.  The other was Congressman Gresham Barrett (R-SC-03).  He didn’t show up to vote.  I guess he is too busy running for governor.

Just an FYI, Congressman Bob Etheridge (D-NC-02) cosponsored this bill.