WHERE’S POSITIVE BEV?
The North Carolina Republican Party released a new web video entitled, "Where's Positive Bev?" The ad questions what happened to Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue's promise to run a positive campaign and her criticism of third party ads being used in the race for Governor.
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN LEADER EXPECTS N.C. TO REMAIN GOP
The Associated Press
Winston-Salem Journal
August 7, 2008
Chairman Mike Duncan of the Republican National Committee said yesterday that he doesn't expect that North Carolina will break with its long tradition of voting for a Republican presidential candidate this year.
But Duncan acknowledged that Democrat Barack Obama does hold some advantages.
"We just can't take a state as important as North Carolina for granted, even though it's had a great history," Duncan said. "We understand that we have to have a competitive campaign here."
During a visit with other GOP leaders in Raleigh, Duncan touted the policies of Republican candidate John McCain, a senator from Arizona, and said that the party is united behind his campaign. Some had questioned if Republicans would solidly support McCain's candidacy….
McCain has distinguished himself with a more comprehensive energy policy that includes both short- and long-term solutions to increasing supply and demand, Duncan said.
"The Democratic values and certainly the values that Barack Obama has been putting forth in this campaign don't match up well here in North Carolina, whether it's on national security, whether it's on gun ownership, whether it's on energy," he said.
Duncan and other top Republicans suggested that voters seem to be cooling to Obama's candidacy now that he has all but sealed his party's nomination.
"I think you'll see more and more people saying, ‘Wait a minute. I'm going for the substance, rather than the rhetoric,'" said Linda Daves, the chairwoman of the N.C. Republican Party….
Duncan would not predict whether the GOP will make any inroads this year into the Democrats' majority in each chamber in Congress, acknowledging that the slumping economy and rising energy costs could deter some voters from voting for GOP candidates.
But in North Carolina, Duncan said that Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole is "very well-positioned" to be re-elected, and Rep. Robin Hayes, who narrowly won his fifth term two years ago, also can win the 8th District.
The Republican National Committee also announced yesterday that N.C. Sen. Richard Burr will serve as a co-chairman of the party's platform committee, which outlines the principles and policies for the GOP every four years.
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MCCRORY SPEAKS AT REPUBLICAN HEADQUARTERS GRAND OPENING
By Morgan Wall
The Mt. Airy News
July 30, 2008
Surry County's Republican Headquarters held its grand opening Wednesday morning, featuring an appearance by gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory.
McCrory, the mayor of Charlotte, cut the ribbon signaling the grand opening of the headquarters after making a brief speech to those in attendance. Several other candidates and elected officials, as well as members of the community, were at the event to hear what McCrory had to say.
After an introduction by Bennie Harris, county GOP chairman, and Paul Johnson, Surry County commissioner, McCrory spoke briefly on the major points of his campaign. He was even able to joke with attendees about Andy Giffith's endorsement of Democrat candidates.
While Griffith endorses Democrats, McCrory said, “I'm convinced Andy Taylor, the sheriff, would elect Pat McCrory. He would be afraid to put Otis in the jail cell because he would be in there with 20 or 30 other criminals. He would be disgusted with the gangs we have in North Carolina.”
He also spoke about economic development, education and the current energy crisis. McCrory believes that it is difficult to attract new industry to the state because North Carolina has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the country. When the state is able to attract new industry, he believes the drop out rate within the schools is leading to a lack of employees to the industry….
“We live in the greatest state and it's time we have a governor that quits dividing us. I'm giving the same message in the east, the piedmont and the west,” he said. “If we're going to win this election, we've got to get out of this building.”
The headquarters, which has been open since the end of February, is located next to Roses off Independence Boulevard.
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McCain urges Congress back to resolve energy problems
McCain visits Fermi 2
By Tina Lam
Detroit Free-Press
August 5, 2008
NEWPORT -- As supporters and opponents demonstrated outside the gates to the Fermi 2 nuclear plant, John McCain toured the plant for 45 minutes with politicians and plant workers.
After looking into the main turbine generators and control room, he said the country needs to get serious about energy independence. He noted that his first experience with nuclear power was in the Navy.
“I knew it was safe then,” he said. “I know it’s safe now.” He said Democratic leaders in Congress, which is now on a five-week recess, should call legislators back into session to deal with energy challenges the country faces.
McCain was accompanied by Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, a strong backer of nuclear power….
"We've got to come up with some other energy answers," said Mike Bouchard, former Oakland County Sheriff, who met McCain on the tarmac after his plane arrived. "We've got to look at nuclear, wind, solar, natural gas, everything we can," he said. Bouchard said people are angry about rising gas prices and meanwhile, Congress has recessed for five weeks without providing any solutions….
Across the street, about a dozen pro-McCain women wearing pins, carrying blue McCain signs and holding an American flag, held up signs of their own. "McCain for clean energy, good jobs," said one green sign….
At the airport, Goldie Feinberg, 80, was one of the lucky few who got to greet McCain as he stopped off the plane. A former Democrat and ex-Hillary Clinton supporter, Feinberg has switched allegiances and now volunteers all day, four days a week for McCain. "He's been a stand-up guy all along," she said.
One of the things she likes about McCain is his ability to work across the aisle in Congress, she said. "If anyone can unify us, it's McCain," she said.
His character, integrity, honesty and service to his country all draw her to him, she said. "He's my man."…
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FAMILY
ILLEGAL ALIENS AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES: LET THE VOTERS DECIDE
Dr. Jameson Taylor
Civitas Institute
August 6, 2008
Kudos to N.C. Community College System (NCCCS) President Scott Ralls. Faced with the prospect of yet again changing the community college system’s stance on enrolling illegal aliens, Ralls asked the State Board of Community Colleges to take up this controversy at its next meeting on August 15. Before making a decision, the board should consider that the NCCCS has changed its mind four times over the past seven years about whether to admit illegal aliens. The board should also consider that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has suggested North Carolina decide for itself whether to admit illegal aliens to its community colleges. By this, I don’t think DHS meant a largely anonymous state board, albeit one that includes a handful of elected officials, such as Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue and Treasurer Richard Moore. “Deciding for itself” means letting the voters – or their elected representatives – resolve this question, as they should have done during the 2008 session.
Of course, the problem is that the General Assembly doesn’t want to decide – or at least they didn’t in an election year. This explains why the House failed to consider a proposal by Representative George Cleveland (R-Onslow) that would have banned illegal aliens from all state colleges and universities. Likewise, legislators failed to take up a counter measure, sponsored by Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford), that would have prevented the community college system from inquiring about immigration status for admission purposes. In May, House Speaker Joe Hackney (D-Orange) confessed that the Democratic caucus hadn’t talked about it. This is primarily because one week before the session began the attorney general’s office made the problem go away. They did so by suggesting that the colleges reinstitute their previous policy (implemented in 2001) of not admitting illegal aliens while also petitioning the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for clarification. Oddly enough, the colleges took this advice, knowing DHS was likely to reply as it did, as foreshadowed by an unofficial letter to the News & Observer dated May 9, 2008. Even more curious is that DHS’s formal response was not released until one week after the 2008 session ended, thus permitting the General Assembly to go home without having to vote on this issue….
