Free Republic

Another Republican candidate for governor is working again on getting some support down east. Charlotte Mayor and GOP gubernatorial hopeful Pat McCrory announced this week he was hiring former Carteret County party chairman Bob Pruett to lead his grassroots efforts in 39 eastern counties. Eastern North Carolina voters remain predominantly Democratic, but more have voted Republican in federal races in recent years. But the GOP has had a hard time translating that to governor. In 2004, Republican nominee Patrick Ballantine of Wilmington didn't fare that well as incumbent Democrat Mike Easley – from Southport – racked up big wins there....

Rep. Patrick McHenry says the candidates who want his seat in Congress don't want to talk about his voting record. Unfortunately for the North Carolina Republican, there's plenty of other material for them to work with. The contest has gotten so ugly that McHenry's GOP opponent has accused McHenry of putting American lives at risk after he returned from Baghdad - perhaps a new height in primary election squabbling. "It's getting a little testy out there," said Michael Bitzer, a political science professor at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C. "Campaigns are modern-day warfare, so you are going to pull out...

Dear JJ, I want to personally thank you for all you've done to support our campaign. Your continuing commitment over the past months to the values we share means so much to me. With the Pennsylvania primary approaching on April 22 and important states following soon after, I need your involvement now more than ever. The stakes couldn't be higher, as you well know. If we want to end the war in Iraq, restore America's reputation in the world, rebuild the middle class, reform our government, and provide affordable health care for all, we need to work together. The Republicans...

10th District Republican congressional challenger Lance Sigmon has released a TV commercial that details how in 2004 Rep. Patrick McHenry “purposely misled voters about his resume,” according to Sigmon. In the ad, Sigmon questions “why McHenry claimed to run a business that didn’t exist,” when he first ran for Congress in the 2004 Republican primary. The TV spot also states that McHenry improperly profited from a 2006 real estate deal in which “a campaign donor sold McHenry a house undervalued by at least $25,500. The highly respected political journal Roll Call, in an October 2007 article citing official North Carolina...

Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), an opponent of the war in Iraq, is in a statistical tie with primary challenger Joe McLaughlin, according to a poll released Tuesday by McLaughlin’s campaign. The poll, conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, shows Jones leading McLaughlin 43-41, with 5 percent supporting another candidate and 11 percent undecided. Forty-eight percent of voters said it was time for someone new in the congressional seat, while 46 percent said Jones deserves reelection. The poll surveyed 500 likely voters using an automated method licensed by Rasmussen Reports.

Mark Steyn’s review of the candidate’s Christmas campaign messages is a must-read today because it’s likely to be the funniest thing you’ll see all day. Here’s a taste: John Edwards’s message is the usual Dickensian affair about the two Americas. I forget the details, but the upshot is that one America is a land of spindly emaciated Tiny Tims with barely three farthings to rub together for their next cup of gruel, while the other’s a marshmallow world where Dick Cheney, high on wassail, shoots a brace of turducken out of season, and then chows down as the Radio City...

North Carolina Right to Life PAC joins South Carolina Citizens for Life (SCCL), its sister affiliate in South Carolina, in endorsing former Senator Fred Thompson for President of the United States of America. “By endorsing Fred Thompson for President, North Carolina Right to Life PAC wants all North Carolinians to know Senator Thompson’s long-standing pro-life record, his unwavering commitment to protecting unborn children from abortion, and our belief in his ability to win,” stated Barbara Holt, PAC President. “As President, Fred Thompson will be a strong advocate for life at all stages.” Fred Thompson amassed a 100% pro-life voting record...

Pat McCrory, mayor of Charlotte for nearly 13 years, said he has always wanted what's best for the Queen City. But he's being tugged by the question of whether he can be more effective leading the city as mayor or wielding his influence as governor. As he mulls his decision whether to run for governor in 2008, McCrory said he is still committed to guiding the city's growth and trying to solve its problems. But the city's issues in many ways are tied to the support and funding it gets from the state, which have been inadequate, he said.

Like noxious bugs swarming over a crumbling tenement, followers of Ron Paul have invaded the blogosphere. Their target is anyone who dares to criticize their hero. Bloggers have dealt with them in various ways. Some have tried banning them outright. Others allow readers to engage them in back-and-forth debates that can easily take a thread to several hundred responses. I used to find the Paulites annoying, but recently I had a revelation: Far from being scorned, Paul’s rabid fans should be welcomed and encouraged. We should do everything we can to make certain they keep pushing their man, sending him...

Candidates for most of the big 2008 primary races are running neck-and-neck, according to the September poll of North Carolina voters by the Civitas Institute. In the Democratic presidential primary, former Sen. John Edwards polled 22 percent, followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton at 20 percent and Sen. Barack Obama at 19 percent. Twenty percent said none of those candidates, and 20 percent said they weren't sure. In the Republican presidential primary, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson polled 25 percent, followed by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani at 21 percent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 13 percent and...

North Carolina Rep. Walter B. Jones’ status as one of the most outspoken congressional Republican critics of President Bush’s Iraq war policies has drawn him national attention that he had not previously received in a House career now in its seventh term. But Jones’ maverick posture is not universally appreciated back home in eastern North Carolina’s 3rd District, a conservative Republican stronghold that gave President Bush 68 percent of its votes in November 2004 — more than a year and a half after the controversial war began. The Iraq issue is central to a challenge Jones has drawn for next...

Visiting Goldsboro Wednes-day, Onslow County Commis-sioner Joe McLaughlin an-nounced to a small crowd at McCall's Bar-B-Que & Seafood Restaurant that he will be challenging U.S. Rep. Walter Jones for the Republican nomination in the 3rd Congressional District. "This campaign's only about 36 hours old," McLaughlin laughed during his introduction. But he seems to already be generating some interest in the party's base. Running primarily against Jones' stance on the war in Iraq, McLaughlin said throwing his hat into the ring was a tough decision, but one he felt he had to make. "Since 1994, I have been a Walter Jones...

State Treasurer Richard Moore, who has overseen the sale of $5.5 billion in bonds since he took office in 2001, has steered much of the lucrative legal bond work to the law firms of lawyers who have helped finance his political career. Moore has raised at least $215,525 from some of North Carolina's elite law firms, including donations from some of the biggest names in state politics, according to a review of campaign finance reports filed with the State Board of Elections.

Patrick McHenry is the neighborly sort. The Cherryville congressman was recently spotted west of his congressional district to see if he could talk state Sen. Tom Apodaca into challenging a former football star, Rep. Heath Shuler, who earned national recognition last year by beating Rep. Charles Taylor of Brevard. Apodaca, a third-term state senator and rising star in Raleigh, is thinking about it. But McHenry hasn't stopped there. A member of the National Republican Congressional Committee executive board, he's taken it upon himself to find someone who can take back the congressional seat he believes Shuler won on a fluke....

Vernon Robinson: My New Conservative Herohttp://www.postchronicle.com/commentary/article_21227787.shtml By Sher Zieve Jul 12, 2006 I don't live in North Carolina but, if I did I'd campaign for Vernon Robinson. Running for the House of Representatives, Robinson is engaged in a campaign that firmly attacks the country's liberals and leftists in a most remarkable way. Robinson tells the unvarnished truth about them with great humor and some of the best sarcasm from a politician that I've ever heard. Robinson's truth has even recently been reported to have made a number of liberal "journalists" heads explode. No, THAT'S something I would have paid to...

According to a Public Policy Polling survey released today, likely voters in North Carolina's Eleventh Congressional District, are unhappy with the direction of the country, the President, and Republican Congressman Charles Taylor. If the election were held today, voters say that they would vote to elect Democratic challenger Heath Schuler, 46% to 42%. When leaners are added the margin remains at 4 percent, 49% to 45%.

Vernon Robinson's quest to become a congressman took an unusual turn yesterday as the filing deadline for local, state and congressional elections expired. Robinson dropped his plan to challenge seven-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, a Democrat and the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, in the 12th Congressional District and instead switched his filing to run in the 13th District, which is represented by Brad Miller, a Democrat.

You guys should check this group out. I met one of their members out in Ohio working with a congressional candidate. They knew what they were doing and I was impressed but i didn't realize that Alex had his own team until yesterday. I looked at their website its got some really solid ideas in terms of strategy. Check it out: http://www.vandenberg-strategies.com

After weeks of cajoling from high-ranking Democrats — including former President Bill Clinton — former football star Heath Shuler announced Monday that he would challenge Rep. Charles Taylor (R-N.C.) next year.

'Rats running ads questioning Taylor's involvement with two men convicted of bank fraud and his business partnership with a former KRG general.

This guy doesn't fool around! "The minister of a Haywood County [North Carolina] Baptist church is telling members of his congregation that if they're Democrats, they either need to find another place of worship or support President Bush. Already, the Reverend Chan Chandler has ex-communicated nine members of East Waynesville Baptist Church. Another 40 members have left in protest. During last Sunday's sermon, he acknowledged that church members were upset because he named people, and he says he'll do it again because he has to according to the word of God. Chandler could not be reached for comment today, but...

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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is launching a Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity that will be led by former U.S. Senator and vice presidential candidate John Edwards. The Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity will be a nonpartisan initiative, bringing together UNC-Chapel Hill faculty and other national public policy experts to examine innovative and practical ideas for moving more Americans out of poverty and into the middle class. The center will have an advisory committee of senior faculty representing multiple disciplines across campus. In addition to leading the center, Edwards also will serve as a guest...

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2004 US Senate Elections These are the states I am watching: Florida: I believe that Martinez will help Bush here. I think Cubans that are having doubts about Bush will support him when they vote for Martinez. I think most Hispanics would like to have Martinez representing them and that will push him past Castor. Castor comes off very old and too loyal to the “party.” And she is in real trouble when she has to explain about how she handled the “terrorist professor” when she was the president of USF. She has been around in politics for over ten...

Gannett Fails One-Newspaper Communities/Counties- Port Huron Times Herald a Queue for Government Intervention? In particular, with today’s concentration of all reporting medium with just a few companies- who determines the void or lack of reporting in the best interest to citizens. I’ve challenged a Gannett newspaper, the Times Herald of Port Huron Michigan of its obligation citizens in one-newspaper counties. There appears to be an immediate need to make certain legislation be brought requiring corporate newspapers to better report news and serving the communities they cover. At a crucial time with the 2004 Primary literally days away- this particular newspaper,...

The poll of 600 likely Republican voters in St. Clair County Michigan’s State Representative District 81 countywide found Alloway leading Pavlov by 12 points, 48 percent to 40 percent in a three-way race with Yale Republican Steve Pray Nader included in the ballot test.

“A Michigan Impossible until we work together ending illegal state house electioneering practices” Joe Alloway-R Michigan House District 81 St. Clair County Michigan PORT HURON – JULY 11, 2004 - Please listen to a recent interview (http://66.92.134.175/~benburch/old/TrupianoShow-(10-5-2004).mp3) exposing Michigan’s #1 area to reform and that’s ending illegal activities in Michigan’s House Republican Caucus Communications Office! Very few citizens asked have no idea of what that word means. Folks, the bottom line is we’ve had some major problems in this antiquated, 50-person staffed office and they’re just coming public. Take recent revelations of state employees assigned to representatives as campaign managers...

I just got back last week from driving across the country, I live in Washington State and drove to PA in see my wifes family and took I-80 and I-90 back home. With my Bush/Cheney sticker from 2000 in my back window along with my W-04 sticker I got a aproviel rating of about 75% judging from the honks and thumbs ups from fellow drivers. Funny how I got the 1 finger salute from the folks with the Kerry stickers. My question to you is do you vent your hate and anger at fellow drivers on the road with a...

The first-term Democrat, who is under investigation over the handling of funds for a foundation he started, had announced that he wouldn't seek a second term.

Last night, I was told that a report was recently published by some DC think-tank. This report ranked members of congress in order of taxpayer-friendliness, i.e. it examined their votes on tax-related bills and determined where any particular member of congress came in on higher or lower taxes for their constituents. The same person who told me about the report told me that a whopping 75% of house and senate members from my state were in the top 20 LEAST friendly to taxpayers in their voting records. Have any of you heard of this report? Can you point me to...

Are you a registered voter?? Do you know anyone who needs to register?? Check this out: http://www.ConservativeAlerts.com/vote.htm Ultra liberal "MoveOn" is attempting to register 100,000 new left wing voters. WE need to register 200,000 new conservative voters!! Just click on the above link, click on your State, fill in the necessary information, print it out, and mail it in!! It's a simple as that!! As you all know, this will be the most important election in our lifetime. Our future depends on it, and the future of our children depends on it. It is an election we MUST win!! DO...

Cherryville, NC - State Representative Patrick McHenry made it official today. McHenry filed the appropriate papers at the North Carolina Board of Elections to enter the race for Congress in North Carolina's Tenth Congressional District. "To say that filing the appropriate candidacy papers today marks the beginning of my campaign would obviously be incorrect," McHenry stated after filing, "because my campaign has been gathering steam since I announced at the beginning of the year." In fact, several recent events show that McHenry's campaign has seized the momentum in the Tenth District Race. Early in April, McHenry captured an overwhelming victory...

I've seen the senate races heating up, but not nearly as much on the house seats. I'm mostly using information from DC POLITICAL REPORT and POLITICS1. STATES Alabama DISTRICT 3 - The other Mike Rogers (R) won in 02 with 50.3% over Democrat Joe Turnham(48.2%) in an open seat. So far, it looks as he is facing Democrat Bill Fuller, Ex-State Human Resources Commissioner. I haven't heard much about this race, but the first defense is hardest. Alaska SENATE - Lisa Murkowski(R) vs Ex governor Tony Knowles. This will be a tough race as Knowles is an ex-governor and Murkowski...

Senate Races to Watch 2004 South Dakota- I expect this one to be a barnburner. Thune is back and now there is a third party candidate (Tim Giago) that leans towards Daschle’s ideology. The Indian reservations in SD have been a haven for democratic votes and Tim Johnson owes his re-election to them. But now that an Indian candidate has applied to run, the Democrats are in trouble here. I expect Bush to visit often and the Republicans to put great effort into this race. The only thing that bothers me is the Janklow factor. He has done some damage...

ATR Release 3/31/2004 Support for Tax Reform and Spending Restraint Continues to Grow In North Carolina 5th Congressional District Taxes and Spending Dominate WASHINGTON - North, South, East, and West, taxes continue to dominate political discussion in America . Voters in Alabama , California , and Oregon have rejected tax increases. President Bush and Sen. John Kerry talk about taxes every day. And without question, this will also play out in Congressional races throughout the country. Case in point: North Carolina 's 5 th District. A plan put forward by candidate Nathan Tabor, an Americans for Tax Reform pledge signer,...

Journalists, political pundits and other Hysteric Left activists are desperately trying to spin some cosmic significance out of Sunday's Spanish elections. The "conventional wisdom" is that the Spanish Election results are some sort of significant defeat for President Bush and the War on Terror. As usual the "News Media's" thinking is neither conventional nor wise. What all the various activists miss is the reality of American Exceptionalism. As much as the International Political Left hates, and try's to deny, the reality is the USA operates on a completely different political level then the rest of the world. On Sunday, the...

Durham City Councilman Thomas Stith edged closer to becoming a candidate for lieutenant governor Monday when he established a campaign committee for the office, he said. Stith, who is serving his third term on the council, has said he's considering running for the Republican nomination. He probably will make an official announcement within a couple of weeks, he added. "I guess that puts us one step closer," he said of the newly formed committee, which is a necessary precursor for raising or spending money for a campaign. Stith also said he has been reaching out to Republican leaders across the...

RALEIGH - Robert Brawley, a former longtime legislator and Iredell County insurance agent, announced Tuesday he would seek the Republican nomination for state insurance commissioner. Brawley, 60, was a House member from 1981 to 1998, rising to become a co-chairman of the chamber's Finance Committee and budget negotiator. Brawley said he believes he can do a better job than the five-term commissioner, Democrat Jim Long, in part by negotiating for car insurance rates directly with automobile insurers, instead of through the N.C. Rate Bureau, and by improving department inefficiencies. "The Department of Insurance affects every man, woman and child in...

The reason for my apology was that throughout this primary season we have been hearing about the record turnout of voters participating in Democrat caucuses and primaries. I bought the lie. The truth is that, except for Iowa and New Hampshire, there has not been any sort of record turnout for the Democrats. Even in New Hampshire the vote was far less than what the Republicans had when they last had a contested primary in 2000. The Democrats this year had 219,787 votes in their primary. The GOP in 2000 had 239,523 votes. That 20,000 difference is major in a...

Vote.com has a vote on President Bush's current Ads. Please take a minute to vote here http://www.vote.com/vote/60212434/index.phtml

http://newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/3/6/121052.shtml Well isn't this intresting. The "objective news media" supposed 9-11 surviors protesting Bush's ads are actually anti-war stooges financed by John Kerry's wife. Please take a moment and vist the New York Times, Washington Post, MSNBC, CBS, NBC and ABC etc to email the Omsbudsman, the Publisher, the News Editor and demand to know why they allowed clearly partisan advocates of Kerry's Presidential Campaign were presented on their "News" programs with no reference to their ties to the Kerry camp. We absolutely must demand the "News Media" be held accountable for their free advertising for the Kerry camp.

http://www.georgewbush.com/tvads/ Here is a link to the 1st three Bush Re-election ads. As expected the DNC directed its "Objective News Media" mouthpieces at CNN, NBC, CBS and ABC to generate phoney hysteria about these ads. Compared to the demogagery and lies spread by the Kerry Campaign, Moveon.org and the DNC about Bush for the last 6 months, this is probably the mildest sets of ads that have run so far this political season. Please email this link to every person on you email contact list. We need to get as many people as possible to see these ads. They are...

As your State Treasurer, Ed Meyer Will:Restore Trust and Integrity to North Carolina's Government The corruption scandals that have plagued North Carolina government have harmed the trust once held by many citizens in their elected officials. As a Reagan Republican, Ed Meyer will bring the highest sense of trust and integrity to State government. Ed Meyer will not accept campaign contributions from the executives or employees of the companies that manage government employee pension funds for which the State Treasurer is a fiduciary. Ed Meyer will bring a high level of disclosure of Treasurer Office operations and investments to the...

Conservatives should write in Tom Tancredo in the primary ballot to demonstrate the depth of concern we have with the President. If enough do this, he will get the message.

Vernon Robinson is the Fundraising Champion in the Race for North Carolina's 5th Congressional District Race Becomes Most Expensive in the Country Robinson is Nation's Top Non-Incumbent WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- The Robinson for Congress Campaign (R-NC5) filed its year-end report with the Federal Election Commission on Saturday, January 31st. Winston-Salem City Councilman Vernon Robinson trounced his self-financed millionaire opponents and finished first in fundraising for both the 4th Quarter and the year. Indeed, the fundraising race was not particularly close, with Robinson, a nationally-prominent conservative, raising substantially more in the fourth quarter ($430,689.98) than all of his opponents COMBINED (that...

Former N.C. Rep. Dan Blue, a 2002 Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, said he will meet with advisors today to decide if he should make another bid for the Senate this year. Blue, 54, who would be running against his former 2002 primary opponent Erskine Bowles, said he would make an announcement about his candidacy before the candidate filing period begins Feb. 9. Both would be vying for the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C. "I have no particular date to announce, but I know time is running short," Blue said from his residence in Raleigh. Blue, an...

Republican Bill Cobey plans to give his good friend, retired U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, a starring role in his campaign for governor. Cobey, who has already received Helms' endorsement, on Thursday unveiled a television ad featuring the 5-term senator and conservative icon. The humorous ad features Helms praising a self-effacing Cobey. At a news conference, Cobey said Helms' backing means more than most endorsements, which typically carry little weight with voters. "Sen. Helms is the exception to the rule. He is a man people trust," the former congressman and state Republican Party chairman said. Cobey enters the race for the...

PINK HILL - Say hello to Erskine Bowles version 2.0. The Charlotte investment banker, former Clinton White House chief of staff and 2004 U.S. Senate candidate stopped in the Smith community in northern Duplin County on Thursday to meet and greet voters and supporters. "They're going to promise us a lot of things," said 68-year-old Doris Hatcher, a staunch Democrat from Chinquapin. "I just hope they come through on most of them." Bowles built largely on the same platform he used during his miss at the Senate in 2002 when he ran against Elizabeth Dole. A must-have federal tobacco buyout...

Former school board chair Wilhelmenia Rembert will run for Mecklenburg County commissioner this year, she told the Observer Thursday night. Rembert's entry into the 2004 at-large race comes less than three months after her school board re-election bid fell 402 votes short. If she wins in November, the county's balance of power could shift. Republicans now have a 5-4 advantage. With the six districts split evenly between the parties, Democrats will likely need to win two of the three at-large seats to regain control. Rembert, a registered Democrat, said the county's issues fit her interests. "It really would offer me...