Carolina Politics Online

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.

U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell was proud to report in a news release that despite the snow covering Washington, his office is open.

“My staff is dedicated to making sure our constituents are able to reach our office and receive the help they need,” Kissell said in a news release. “I applaud their determination and perseverance in getting into the office and getting it open despite this historic snowfall. While our DC staff was snowed in, our District staff made sure anyone contacting our offices received assistance but I’m proud our DC folks are back at their desks.”

The N&O

Wow. What great determination by Kissell and staff -volunteers all- to trudge through the snow and get to work for N.C.

Oh wait, that’s right. They’re not volunteers. This is their freaking job. Taxpayers are actually paying you to be there, Larry. Get over yourself, already.

The woman who chaired Democratic U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell’s two congressional campaigns has turned against him.

Dannie Montgomery, a teacher from Anson County who served as first vice chair of the N.C. Democratic Party, said in a news release that Kissell “has turned his back on the grassroots supporters who propelled him to office,” Jim Morrill of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Under the Dome

Most of the bitching coming from the far left concerning Kissell is over his vote against the lack-of-health care bill.  Kissell did the right thing in opposing the bill because it is a complete and utter train wreck, but this is the problem when you are dealing with ideologues.  They don’t actually take the time to analyze the whole situation.  People like Dannie Montgomery are just peeved that Kissell didn’t tow the party line regardless of the harm it would have caused.  Apparently Montgomery and others expect Larry Kissell to walk through Congress with blinders on and be a rubber stamp for every single disaster that comes out of Congress just because it is the president’s idea.  Ironically, these are the same people that attacked Robin Hayes and other Republican Congressmen around the country for doing exactly that with George Bush.

Congressman Larry Kissell (D-NC-08) has had a stressful first year in Washington and it’s understandable.  He represents a district that leans Republican and has had to engage in a balancing act to keep the Republicans and conservative leaning independents in his district satisfied enough to reelect him this year, but not without pissing off his Democrat base.  On the surface it wouldn’t seem as if he’s been overly successful.  His potential Republican challengers are attacking him for voting with his party 96% of the time and his Democrat supporters are upset that he’s bucked his party on some major legislation, like the health care bill where Kissell voted no.

Critics on both sides fault Kissell’s record of voting with the majority of his party 96 percent of the time, more than North Carolina’s conservative Blue Dog Democrats – Heath Shuler and Mike McIntyre – but less than the state’s five other Democratic House members.

Democrats wish he’d stuck with the party on more votes, such as health care. Republicans criticize him for sticking with it too much.

“He comes from a district that trends conservative irrespective of party affiliation, and he votes 96 percent with the speaker of the House,” said 8th District GOP candidate Lou Huddleston of Fayetteville. “It’s that 96 percent that represent his true colors.”

Charlotte Observer

However, Public Policy Polling shows that as of right now, he’s in decent shape for seeing a second term in Congress.  Up against all the Republican candidates Kissell polls relatively the same:  54 – 38 against Tim D’Annunzio, 55 – 37 against Lou Huddleston, 53 – 39 against Harold Johnson, and 55 – 39 against Hal Jordan.  It obviously won’t stay this way.  None of the four Republican candidates are statewide names so their name recognition is still low.  Once the Republican primary is over and a candidate is elected to run on the ticket in a head to head race against Kissell we will begin to see the numbers shift.  As of right now, however, he doesn’t seem to be affected by Obama’s or the Democrats’ growing unpopularity around the country which should give him some solace for now.

The one true swing congressional district in the state is the 8th, which stretches from Charlotte to Fayetteville.

Freshman Democrat Larry Kissell is already facing a divided party because of his vote against the Democrats’ health care plan. Edge Republicans.

News & Observer

Rob Christensen is no more a gifted psychic than I am, but his logic does hold.  Swing districts in landslide years are considerably vulnerable to flipping seats.  As Kissell won in 2008 due to voter frustrations with Republicans, he may well lose in 2010 due to voter frustrations with Democrats.  He has also fractured the far left of his base over his health care vote, even though he made the right decision on that.  The race will definitely be one of the most competitive in the nation and the NRCC is going to put every resource they can into winning it back.

On a semi-related note, Christensen gives the edge to the GOP taking over the North Carolina State Senate for the first time since Reconstruction.  I wrote about this myself a few days ago.  As they say, great minds think alike.

While the Republicans are having their own caged death match to win the 8th district nomination, it’s possible that an even bloodier contest could take place on the Democrat side:

Some 8th District Democrats are courting a potential challenger to U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell, a sign of their continued frustration over his vote against a Democratic health care bill.

They’re wooing a Charlotte lawyer who ran for the seat in 2002. A Facebook page called “Draft Chris Kouri for the 8th District” says “Do more than simply tell Larry Kissell that you are ‘mad as hell (at him) and won’t take it anymore.’”

“It’s a legitimate groundswell,” said Mecklenburg County Democratic chairman Joel Ford. “Chris Kouri is entertaining it. And I believe that if Chris gets enough grass-roots support he’ll run.”

The Charlotte Observer

You gotta love those Dems… apparently not voting for the worst freedom-killing abomination to come out of Washington in recent memory makes you soft and a traitor. Jeeez…

Anyways, they can whine “grassroots” all they want. A broader look at the district-wide grassroots in the 8th ought to show anyone that Kissell is about the farthest left that district can go. Nominating an outright liberal in what should be a bad year for Dems is suicidal.

Yesterday, the Democrats in the U.S. House voted to raise the nation’s debt ceiling from $12.1 trillion to $12.39 trillion resulting in an increase to $40,300 for every man, woman, and child in America.  The very folks who rightly railed against the Bush deficits in 2006 have not surprisingly exposed their hypocrisy throughout the past three years as they continue to spend more and more money we do not have, bringing about the slow bankruptcy of America.

According to the Washington Examiner, the debt as a percentage of GDP has risen from 41% to 53% in just this past year alone.  At current projections the debt will reach 85% of GDP by 2018 and 100% by 2022.  Although, we may not even make it that far.

Long before the debt reaches such stratospheric levels, the commission warns, “Fears of inflation and a prospective decline in the value of the dollar would cause investors to demand higher interest rates and shift out of U.S. Treasury securities. The excessive debt would also affect citizens in their everyday lives by harming the American standard of living through slower economic growth and dampening wages, and shrinking the government’s ability to reduce taxes, invest, or provide a safety net.”

For those of you that ignorantly voted for President Obama last year, ask yourselves if this is the hope and change you expected to get.

Every Republican in North and South Carolina voted against fiscal bankruptcy.  They were joined by Democrats Mike McIntyre (NC-07) and Larry Kissell (NC-08).

Another Republican candidate has jumped into the race to secure the Republican nomination and rights to run against Congressman Larry Kissell of North Carolina’s Eighth District.  Harold Johnson, a former sports anchor for WSOC Channel 9 in Charlotte for 26 years officially announced this past Friday that he will enter the race as a Republican.  Johnson is also a retired U.S. Marine and pledges to run a clean campaign.  One hurdle he may face, however, is push back he may receive as being labeled a carpetbagger.  Johnson does not yet live in the Eighth District and he is already taking heat for it.

Fellow candidate Tim D’Annunzio released the following statement yesterday:

RAEFORD, NC – Tim D’Annunzio, Republican candidate for Congress in the 8th district of North Carolina, today denounced Howard Harold Johnson for his entry into the 8th district Congressional race. Johnson does not currently, nor has he ever, lived in the 8th district.

“Voters in our district, from Cumberland to Cabarrus County and in between, should be offended that a candidate who has never been a resident of this district is attempting to represent them in Washington,” said Tim D’Annunzio. “I have been a resident of Hoke County for thirty years and understand the dynamics of our district as it spreads from the military base at Ft. Bragg, to the financial hub of Charlotte.

“We don’t need a member of the biased, mainstream media representing our interests in Washington. Our community deserves better than that. What we need is someone who knows how to create jobs and get this country back on track to economic stability. As a small business owner, I have created hundreds of jobs right here in North Carolina and will push for lower taxes and less regulation to reduce unemployment and encourage economic growth.

“Mr. Johnson is an outsider who thinks his sports casting background will win him votes. Ironically, the vote he won’t get is his own. My message to him is clear – stay out of our district.”

Johnson’s campaign Web site is http://voteharoldjohnson.com/ and at the moment is a work in progress.

Furthermore, the Charlotte Observer is reporting that Democrat Party leaders in the Eighth Congressional District have had their phones ringing off the hook from angry party faithful pissed off over Kissell’s decision to vote no. There are already talks of primary challenges, which if successful would probably hand the seat back to the GOP. Nobody to the left of Kissell will be able to hold that seat.

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)

Keep up the pressure.  This oppression of American freedom has to be stopped.

The Obama Administration’s push for health care reform suffered a severe blow from North Carolina’s Eighth U.S. Congressional District after Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell announced he will vote “No” on the bill being presented.

In a statement, Kissell said the bill’s $399 billion in proposed cuts in Medicare benefits forced his hand.

“From the day I announced my candidacy for this office, I promised to protect Medicare,” he said in the statement. “I gave my word I wouldn’t cut it and I intend to keep that promise to the citizens of the Eighth District and the senior citizens of the nation.”

He continued to say he believes “comprehensive health care and insurance reform is necessary,” but could not vote for the bill as it is currently written.

Richmond County Daily Journal

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.

As a general rule of thumb, I will not post press releases from the NRCC or the DNC  (yet that doesn’t stop them from sending me 10 a week) because they typically are just cheap partisan pot shots.  This one, however, I do think has some legitimate merit.

Earlier this month, Larry Kissell joined 22 other members of Congress in petitioning leadership to provide a greater level of transparency in the House’s handling of legislation.

“We have always believed that transparency and openness are essential to a fair and working government…Rep. Brian Baird has put forward a proposal, H Res 554, which would prohibit the House from considering legislation that has not been made publicly available, via the Internet, to Members of the Congress and the general public for at least 72 hours. We strongly agree with the intent of this proposal.” (letter from Rep. Larry Kissell and 22 other members to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, 10/5/09 )

That was then, this is now. When it was time to back up his words with his vote, Kissell balked.

“Larry Kissell proved once again that he prefers to let his party craft their big-government machinations behind a cloud of secrecy when he voted late yesterday to kill a measure that would have shined the light on important legislation. Kissell sided with his Democrat colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee to squelch a Republican amendment that would have required all committee legislation to be available online within 24 hours of consideration and all amendments to be available online within 24 hours of passage.” (see NRCC release below)

FOR AN EXPLANATION, CALL LARRY KISSELL AT (202) 225-3715

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL ANDY SERÉ AT (713) 806-7720

According to a press release sent out by Col. Lou Huddleston’s Congressional campaign, the Colonel pulled in $102,000 from 106 donors in a 35 day period.  That’s not too shabby at all for a political newcomer.  Huddleston is running for the Republican nomination in the race for North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District, a seat now occupied by Congressman Larry Kissell who won it just last year.  The GOP hopes to retake the seat.

I think Huddleston’s chances are decent.  You’re always the underdog when going up against an incumbent, unless the incumbent has received really bad press or is in some kind of scandal.  Next year, however, is looking like it’s going to favor the Republican Party unless the job market takes a swing for the better, which I don’t think is going to be the case because the Obama Administration is not doing what it needs to do to make that happen.  The 8th is a Republican leaning district so it won’t be a walk in the park for Kissell to hang on, even with the advantage of incumbency.  He’ll need to pull in a lot of money for his campaign as well and Kissell is known for his weak fund raising prowess.  So far this election cycle Kissell has raised $406,000.

That stimulus bill vote could haunt Kissell, Biden acknowledged Wednesday.

“He had the nerve and the wisdom to take a chance,” Biden told supporters. He turned to Kissell. “Even though I know you got the living devil beat out of you at home.”

McClatchy

Wisdom?  I doubt it.  More like the fear of a newly elected Congressman afraid to buck his party.  The porkulus was an unpopular vote with the American people and has become even more so with its lack of success and historically high price tag.  Biden did get one thing right.  That vote will most definitely haunt Kissell in next year’s election.

Retired Army Col. Lou Huddleston (R) announced Wednesday that he would run against Rep. Larry Kissell (D-N.C.) in 2010.

“Since Larry Kissell has gone to Washington, things have gotten worse, not better,” Huddleston said in a statement. “The citizens of the 8th congressional district deserve a principled leader who represents them, not a yes man for the out-of-touch politicians in Washington.”

The Hill

Lou Huddleston may be a familiar name.  He ran for North Carolina State House in the 44th District last year against Margaret Dickson.  She defeated him pretty handily, but the 44th is a fairly Democratic district plus Dickson had the incumbency advantage, not to mention the Obama effect at work.  The 8th Congressional District leans slightly Republican so that would give Huddleston a better recipe for success this time, but ultimately it will depend on how voters feel about Kissell and the Democrats in general next year.

A day after saying his plans were “undetermined,” former U.S. Rep. Republican Robin Hayes said today he won’t run for congressional seat he lost last November.

“I’m going to do everything I can to help recruit and finance and give what experience and assistance I can to make sure that that person – and it’s not going to be me – is properly prepared,” Hayes told News 14.

Hayes’ announcement came a day after a top GOP official suggested Hayes would not challenge Democrat Larry Kissell, who beat him in 2008.

Charlotte Observer

Who the hell wants Robin Hayes back anyway?  What did he ever accomplish in Congress anyhow?  I can’t think of a single initiative off the top of my head.  It shouldn’t be hard for the Republicans to come up with a suitable recruit in this district.  If they can’t find a credible challenger to reclaim a Republican leaning district then they ought to hang their heads in shame.

The Club for Growth has released their annual RePORK card that gauges how responsible our Congressional representatives have been with our tax dollars.  The result is usually pretty atrocious and this year is no different, but we do have a few responsible representatives in our states’ delegations.  The ratings are based on 68 amendments introduced in the House that would have stripped wasteful earmarks out of 12 annual spending bills.  Representatives who voted for all of the amendments received a score of 100%.  Those that voted for none received a zero.  So how did our guys and girls stack up?

Virginia Foxx (R-NC-05) was the only member to receive a perfect score of 100%.  However, there were a few others who weren’t far behind her.  Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) received a 99%, voting against only one of the amendments.  Gresham Barrett (R-SC-03) and Sue Myrick (R-NC-09) both received a 97%.  Bob Inglis (R-SC-04) a 96%.  All others were below 90% which means the rest have some work to do, some a little and some are completely worthless.

Two more Congressmen that stood out to me were our two Blue Dog Democrats in North Carolina:  Heath Shuler (NC-11) and Mike McIntyre (NC-07).  Bear in mind that the Blue Dogs are supposed to be fiscal conservatives.  Apparently, these two didn’t get the memo.  Shuler supported only one amendment out of the 68 and McIntyre found the only way to top his poor showing by voting for none of them.

Also on the wall of shame for frivolously throwing your tax dollars away are the following pigs who received a zero score:

• G.K. Butterfield (D-NC-01)
• Jim Clyburn (D-SC-06)
• Bob Etheridge (D-NC-02)
• Larry Kissell (D-NC-08)
• Brad Miller (D-NC-13)
• David Price (D-NC-04)
• Jack Spratt (D-SC-05)
• Mel Watt (D-NC-11)

It’s interesting to note that all the high scoring members of Congress are Republicans and all the ones with the shitty scores are Democrats.  That really illustrates the differing views the two parties have on the role of the Federal Government.

President Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel has insisted that a vote on the House health care disaster will take place prior to the August recess.  There is a very simple reason for this.  Obama knows that Americans are opposed to this bill coming out of the House and these Congressmen are going to catch hell when they get home over the recess.  The odds are better for House passage if the vote takes place before they are all confronted with their constituents.

Remember, Obama has lied about being able to keep your private insurance.  The bill clearly states that within five years of passage all employers must switch you over to a government managed health care plan.  If you refuse, you’ll be fined by the Federal government.  It will cost another trillion dollars (we are already $11 trillion in debt now) and still won’t cover every American.

This is one of the most irresponsible monstrosities to ever come out of D.C.  Call your Congressman NOW and tell him to vote against this.  It’s literally your life on the line, folks.

I doubt any of the Republican Congressmen in North or South Carolina will vote for this, but call them anyway.  Also, concentrate heavily on the following Democrats who represent Republican leaning districts:

• Bob Etheridge (NC-02)
• Mike McIntyre (NC-07)
• Larry Kissell (NC-08)
• Heath Shuler (NC-11)
• John Spratt (SC-05)

I live in Spratt’s district and already called his Washington office.  They have told me he is undecided at this point so keep the pressure on him to vote no.

You can get your Congressman’s contact information at the link below:

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt

Linwood Faulk, a nuclear security coordinator for the Tennessee Valley Authority, is considering a challenge to Eighth District Congressman Larry Kissell in next year’s election.  Faulk, a Republican, is not a stranger to politics.  He ran against State Representative Douglas Younge for the 46th District seat in the North Carolina State House in 2000 and 2002.  According to the Fayetteville Observer, Faulk was only 22 at the time.

The Republicans at this point in time have no declared candidate to run against Kissell, although several rumors abound, some involving Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory and former Congressman Robin Hayes whom Kissell defeated last year.  If Faulk announces he will be the first.  He sent me the following press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Linwood Faulk
PO Box 279
Hope Mills, NC 28348-0279
linwood@linwoodfaulk.com
www.linwoodfaulk.com

July 14, 2009

I am sending you this correspondence to inform you that I am currently considering becoming a candidate for the United States House of Representatives in North Carolina’s 8th Congressional District for the 2010 election cycle.

Since challenging the “tax and spend” political establishment of the General Assembly in 2000 & 2002, I have separated myself from political involvement and dedicated my career to our nation’s homeland security through the defense of our commercial nuclear facilities. I, like many other average citizens, increasingly feel that the direction of our government institutions is fiscally and constitutionally irresponsible. I fear that this path will likely be detrimental to many of our country’s traditions as a republican democracy.
The need for new ideas in 2010 has compelled me to consider sacrificing my current position in the nuclear industry and return home to engage in this monumental debate.

Having been born and raised in Scotland County, as well as, having lived and worked in Cumberland County, I have an undeniable desire to ensure dedicated representation of the people of the 8th district. These people, including my own family and friends, are hard working North Carolinians who have continued to see their job market evaporate, energy costs soar, and tax burdens increase. We must now, more than ever, stand up and demand our voices be heard.

During the coming weeks, I will be evaluating my potential Congressional candidacy. This decision would include my departure from the Tennessee Valley Authority to return with my wife and daughter to our traditional home in North Carolina’s 8th District. I greatly look forward to discussing this potential campaign with you and the constituents of the district, some of whom have already encouraged me to return and join this fight.

Please feel free to contact me at linwood@linwoodfaulk.com or PO Box 279, Hope Mills, North Carolina 28348-0279. You can also learn more about me and my potential candidacy at www.linwoodfaulk.com.

Respectfully,

Linwood Faulk