Today, Obama Campaign Surrogate Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) Further Lowered The Ceiling For Tax Cuts Under An Obama Administration To $120,000:
Gov. Bill Richardson: "What Obama wants to do is, he is basically looking at $120,000 and under, among those that are in the middle class, and there is a tax cut for those." (KOA-AM, Interview With Gov. Bill Richardson, 10/31/08)
Click here to listen...
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Obama And Guns
By Chris W. Cox
Op-Ed
The Washington Times
October 30, 2008
In speech after speech, Barack Obama has claimed he would "uphold the Second Amendment." Mr. Obama, of course, is a polished speaker who says "words matter." But records matter more. And while Mr. Obama is short on experience on most issues, he's long on anti-gun votes and even longer on rhetoric. ...
One of Mr. Obama's first statements on the issue really said it all. During his first run for the Illinois Senate in 1996, Mr. Obama said on a candidate questionnaire that he supported legislation to "ban the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns." When challenged about the questionnaire earlier this year, Mr. Obama blamed others, saying his campaign staff had filled out the questionnaire incorrectly. (Unfortunately for that story, a version of the questionnaire later appeared bearing Mr. Obama's own handwriting.)
Questionnaires aside, Mr. Obama has supported handgun bans even when they trap people who defend themselves. In a 2003 case, a resident of Wilmette, Ill., used a handgun to defend himself from a burglar with a drug habit and a long criminal record, breaking into his home for the second day in a row. Though authorities found the shooting justified, the armed citizen was charged with possessing a handgun in violation of Wilmette's handgun ban.
Illinois lawmakers proposed legislation that would make self-defense an "affirmative defense" against prosecution for handgun possession in towns like Wilmette. Mr. Obama voted four times against the measure, which passed over his opposition, and over a veto by Illinois' anti-gun governor, Rod Blagojevich, a long-time Obama ally.
Self-defense at home or outside the home - it's all just as bad to Mr. Obama. ...
Mr. Obama also claims he's no threat to hunters.
But in 2005, he voted for a ban on all but the smallest rifle ammunition used for hunting (or for anything else). If the measure had passed, it would have classified most rifle ammunition beyond the low-powered .22 caliber as "armor piercing ammunition," prohibited for civilian manufacture by federal law. The ammunition ban was hardly Mr. Obama's first act against hunters, either. In 1999, Mr. Obama proposed increasing firearm and ammunition excise taxes by 500 percent. Right now, a rifle that a manufacturer sells for $500 carries an excise tax of $55. Under Mr. Obama's proposal, that amount would rocket to $330. This would turn a tax willingly paid by sportsmen, which funds many of our wildlife conservation programs, into a tool to punish gun buyers. ...
As if voting for anti-gun plans wasn't bad enough, Mr. Obama also helped pay for them. He was a board member from 1994 to 2001 of the anti-gun Joyce Foundation, which is the largest source of funding for radical anti-gun groups in the country. ...
This is the real Barack Obama. This record matches the attitude Mr. Obama revealed when he said rural Pennsylvanians are "bitter" and "cling to guns." ...
Op-Ed
The Washington Times
October 30, 2008
In speech after speech, Barack Obama has claimed he would "uphold the Second Amendment." Mr. Obama, of course, is a polished speaker who says "words matter." But records matter more. And while Mr. Obama is short on experience on most issues, he's long on anti-gun votes and even longer on rhetoric. ...
One of Mr. Obama's first statements on the issue really said it all. During his first run for the Illinois Senate in 1996, Mr. Obama said on a candidate questionnaire that he supported legislation to "ban the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns." When challenged about the questionnaire earlier this year, Mr. Obama blamed others, saying his campaign staff had filled out the questionnaire incorrectly. (Unfortunately for that story, a version of the questionnaire later appeared bearing Mr. Obama's own handwriting.)
Questionnaires aside, Mr. Obama has supported handgun bans even when they trap people who defend themselves. In a 2003 case, a resident of Wilmette, Ill., used a handgun to defend himself from a burglar with a drug habit and a long criminal record, breaking into his home for the second day in a row. Though authorities found the shooting justified, the armed citizen was charged with possessing a handgun in violation of Wilmette's handgun ban.
Illinois lawmakers proposed legislation that would make self-defense an "affirmative defense" against prosecution for handgun possession in towns like Wilmette. Mr. Obama voted four times against the measure, which passed over his opposition, and over a veto by Illinois' anti-gun governor, Rod Blagojevich, a long-time Obama ally.
Self-defense at home or outside the home - it's all just as bad to Mr. Obama. ...
Mr. Obama also claims he's no threat to hunters.
But in 2005, he voted for a ban on all but the smallest rifle ammunition used for hunting (or for anything else). If the measure had passed, it would have classified most rifle ammunition beyond the low-powered .22 caliber as "armor piercing ammunition," prohibited for civilian manufacture by federal law. The ammunition ban was hardly Mr. Obama's first act against hunters, either. In 1999, Mr. Obama proposed increasing firearm and ammunition excise taxes by 500 percent. Right now, a rifle that a manufacturer sells for $500 carries an excise tax of $55. Under Mr. Obama's proposal, that amount would rocket to $330. This would turn a tax willingly paid by sportsmen, which funds many of our wildlife conservation programs, into a tool to punish gun buyers. ...
As if voting for anti-gun plans wasn't bad enough, Mr. Obama also helped pay for them. He was a board member from 1994 to 2001 of the anti-gun Joyce Foundation, which is the largest source of funding for radical anti-gun groups in the country. ...
This is the real Barack Obama. This record matches the attitude Mr. Obama revealed when he said rural Pennsylvanians are "bitter" and "cling to guns." ...
Monday, October 27, 2008
They Said It! Obama Regrets Court's Failure to Force Redistribution of Wealth
In 2001, Obama Said The Supreme Court Failed To Pursue A "Redistribution Of Wealth" And Talked Positively Of "Redistributive Change":
Obama Regrets That The Warren Court "Never Ventured Into The Issues Of Redistribution Of Wealth." Obama: "If you look at the victories and failures of the civil rights movement and its litigation strategy in the court, I think where it succeeded was to invest formal rights in previously dispossessed peoples ... But the Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society. And to that extent as radical as I think people tried to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn't that radical. It didn't break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers in the Constitution, as least as it's been interpreted. And the Warren Court interpreted in the same way that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties, says what the states can't do to you, says what the federal government can't do to you, but it doesn't say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf." (2001 Obama Interview On Chicago Public Radio WBEZ, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iivL4c_3pck, Accessed 10/27/08)
Obama Said One Of The "Tragedies Of The Civil Rights Movement" Was That It Lost Track Of Political And Community Organizing That Could Bring About "Redistributive Change." Obama: "[O]ne of the, I think, the tragedies of the civil rights movement, was because the civil rights movement became so court focused, I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change, and in some ways we still stuffer from that." (2001 Obama Interview On Chicago Public Radio WBEZ, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iivL4c_3pck, Accessed 10/27/08)
Obama: "[I]'m not optimistic about bringing about major redistributive change through the courts." (2001 Obama Interview On Chicago Public Radio WBEZ, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iivL4c_3pck, Accessed 10/27/08)
Obama Regrets That The Warren Court "Never Ventured Into The Issues Of Redistribution Of Wealth." Obama: "If you look at the victories and failures of the civil rights movement and its litigation strategy in the court, I think where it succeeded was to invest formal rights in previously dispossessed peoples ... But the Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society. And to that extent as radical as I think people tried to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn't that radical. It didn't break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers in the Constitution, as least as it's been interpreted. And the Warren Court interpreted in the same way that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties, says what the states can't do to you, says what the federal government can't do to you, but it doesn't say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf." (2001 Obama Interview On Chicago Public Radio WBEZ, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iivL4c_3pck, Accessed 10/27/08)
Obama Said One Of The "Tragedies Of The Civil Rights Movement" Was That It Lost Track Of Political And Community Organizing That Could Bring About "Redistributive Change." Obama: "[O]ne of the, I think, the tragedies of the civil rights movement, was because the civil rights movement became so court focused, I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change, and in some ways we still stuffer from that." (2001 Obama Interview On Chicago Public Radio WBEZ, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iivL4c_3pck, Accessed 10/27/08)
Obama: "[I]'m not optimistic about bringing about major redistributive change through the courts." (2001 Obama Interview On Chicago Public Radio WBEZ, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iivL4c_3pck, Accessed 10/27/08)
Saturday, October 25, 2008
The Election Choice: Taxes
In case you missed it...
The Election Choice: Taxes
By Brian Carney
Op-Ed
The Wall Street Journal
October 25, 2008
When it comes to taxes, the difference between Barack Obama and John McCain is arguably as wide as it's been in a presidential race since Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale battled in 1984. Sen. Obama is proposing to raise taxes more than any recent candidate, while Sen. McCain wants to cut them substantially. ...
Mr. Obama would roll back the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for taxpayers in the top two brackets, raising the top two marginal rates of income tax to 36% and 39.6% from 33% and 35%. The 33% rate begins to hit this year at incomes of $164,550 for an individual and $200,300 for joint filers. Mr. Obama claims no "working families" earning less than $250,000 would pay more in taxes, but that's because he defines income more broadly than the taxable income line on the IRS form. If you're an individual with taxable income of $164,550, you will pay more taxes.
The Democrat would also reinstate the phaseout of the personal exemptions and itemized deductions for married couples making more than $250,000 a year. Those phaseouts would raise the top marginal tax rate for millions of taxpayers by another 1.5 percentage points.
Capital gains and dividend taxes would increase to 20% from 15% for those making more than $250,000...
Mr. Obama's most dramatic departure from current tax policy is his promise to lift the cap on income on which the Social Security payroll tax is applied. Currently, the employer and employee each pay 6.2% up to $102,000, a level that is raised for inflation each year. The Obama campaign says he'd raise the payroll tax rate on incomes above $250,000 by as much as two to four percentage points -- though it's unclear if that higher rate would apply to the employee, the employer, or both.
In any case, lifting the cap would change the nature of Social Security from an insurance program -- which pays out based on how much you paid in -- into a wealth-transfer program that is far more progressive.
Taken together, these add up to about a 10-percentage-point hike in marginal tax rates for those making more than $250,000 a year, including millions of small businesses that pay taxes at individual rates. The "marginal" rate refers to the rate paid on the next dollar of income, and it has an especially strong influence on decisions to work and invest.
Meanwhile, House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel has proposed an additional 4% "surtax" on incomes above $200,000. This would further increase the top marginal federal income tax rate to close to 50% -- or slightly above that, depending on the rate of the new Social Security tax -- when combined with Mr. Obama's hikes. ...
In sum, Mr. Obama is proposing to use the tax code to substantially redistribute income -- raising tax rates on a minority of taxpayers to finance tax credits and direct income supplements to millions of others. How much revenue his higher rates would raise depends on how much less those high-earners would work, or how much they would change their practices to shelter their income from those higher rates. ....
The Election Choice: Taxes
By Brian Carney
Op-Ed
The Wall Street Journal
October 25, 2008
When it comes to taxes, the difference between Barack Obama and John McCain is arguably as wide as it's been in a presidential race since Ronald Reagan and Walter Mondale battled in 1984. Sen. Obama is proposing to raise taxes more than any recent candidate, while Sen. McCain wants to cut them substantially. ...
Mr. Obama would roll back the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for taxpayers in the top two brackets, raising the top two marginal rates of income tax to 36% and 39.6% from 33% and 35%. The 33% rate begins to hit this year at incomes of $164,550 for an individual and $200,300 for joint filers. Mr. Obama claims no "working families" earning less than $250,000 would pay more in taxes, but that's because he defines income more broadly than the taxable income line on the IRS form. If you're an individual with taxable income of $164,550, you will pay more taxes.
The Democrat would also reinstate the phaseout of the personal exemptions and itemized deductions for married couples making more than $250,000 a year. Those phaseouts would raise the top marginal tax rate for millions of taxpayers by another 1.5 percentage points.
Capital gains and dividend taxes would increase to 20% from 15% for those making more than $250,000...
Mr. Obama's most dramatic departure from current tax policy is his promise to lift the cap on income on which the Social Security payroll tax is applied. Currently, the employer and employee each pay 6.2% up to $102,000, a level that is raised for inflation each year. The Obama campaign says he'd raise the payroll tax rate on incomes above $250,000 by as much as two to four percentage points -- though it's unclear if that higher rate would apply to the employee, the employer, or both.
In any case, lifting the cap would change the nature of Social Security from an insurance program -- which pays out based on how much you paid in -- into a wealth-transfer program that is far more progressive.
Taken together, these add up to about a 10-percentage-point hike in marginal tax rates for those making more than $250,000 a year, including millions of small businesses that pay taxes at individual rates. The "marginal" rate refers to the rate paid on the next dollar of income, and it has an especially strong influence on decisions to work and invest.
Meanwhile, House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel has proposed an additional 4% "surtax" on incomes above $200,000. This would further increase the top marginal federal income tax rate to close to 50% -- or slightly above that, depending on the rate of the new Social Security tax -- when combined with Mr. Obama's hikes. ...
In sum, Mr. Obama is proposing to use the tax code to substantially redistribute income -- raising tax rates on a minority of taxpayers to finance tax credits and direct income supplements to millions of others. How much revenue his higher rates would raise depends on how much less those high-earners would work, or how much they would change their practices to shelter their income from those higher rates. ....
Thursday, October 23, 2008
ACORN's Acts Invite Fraud
In case you missed it, Chairman Daves wrote a special op-ed for the Charlotte Observer on ACORN.
ACORN's acts invite fraud
Group is partly subsidized by tax dollars, and must uphold public trust.
By Linda Daves
Special to the Observer
October 23, 2008
Already this election season, ACORN has been the subject of investigations in Durham and Wake Counties. More than 100 fraudulent forms have been identified as originating from ACORN workers in North Carolina.
ACORN directors have responded to criticism of their voter registration operations by saying that the fraudulent forms returned by their workers are a low percentage of the total forms they turn in. However, ACORN is an organization that is partially subsidized by tax dollars. The utmost standards of fairness and legality must be followed when it comes to organizations that are supported by the taxpayers.
Taking public money demands that you uphold the public trust. ACORN has failed again and again to show the ability to do just that. This is an organization that has paid campaign workers according to how many voters they register. This invites fraud and foul play.
Going through phone book
Is there any reason to be shocked then when we learn that ACORN workers are registering some voters dozens of times or just going through the phone book and copying down names and addresses?
This behavior is unacceptable.
Voters interested in free and fair elections should know that the North Carolina Republican Party remains vigilant against efforts to engage in voter fraud. We have a highly trained team in place to ensure that our elections are carried out in accordance with the law.
Deserve faith in process
Hardworking North Carolinians do not deserve to have their votes watered down by the fraudulent and illegal acts of a few. We deserve to have faith in our election process.
But if we choose to accept and tolerate registration fraud, people will lose faith in our democracy. Good people of both parties must stand against registration fraud and voter fraud to ensure the integrity of our elections and to protect the public's interest.
Possibly the most troubling aspect of ACORN's involvement in this year's election process is the organization's connections to Sen. Barack Obama. Sen. Obama paid ACORN $800,000 for voter registration efforts done on behalf of the presidential candidate. ACORN has publicly endorsed Obama and worked toward supporting his candidacy. Now the organization is embroiled in more than a dozen investigations in areas all across the country, including reports of investigations by the FBI.
Wants to elect Obama
ACORN has made it clear they will stop at nothing to elect Obama the next president whether by hook or by crook. Obama has made it clear that he will do or say anything to become president.
What will Barack Obama owe to this special interest group if he is elected president? How will he use our tax dollars to reward his friends if he makes it to the White House? I hope we never find out.
ACORN's acts invite fraud
Group is partly subsidized by tax dollars, and must uphold public trust.
By Linda Daves
Special to the Observer
October 23, 2008
Already this election season, ACORN has been the subject of investigations in Durham and Wake Counties. More than 100 fraudulent forms have been identified as originating from ACORN workers in North Carolina.
ACORN directors have responded to criticism of their voter registration operations by saying that the fraudulent forms returned by their workers are a low percentage of the total forms they turn in. However, ACORN is an organization that is partially subsidized by tax dollars. The utmost standards of fairness and legality must be followed when it comes to organizations that are supported by the taxpayers.
Taking public money demands that you uphold the public trust. ACORN has failed again and again to show the ability to do just that. This is an organization that has paid campaign workers according to how many voters they register. This invites fraud and foul play.
Going through phone book
Is there any reason to be shocked then when we learn that ACORN workers are registering some voters dozens of times or just going through the phone book and copying down names and addresses?
This behavior is unacceptable.
Voters interested in free and fair elections should know that the North Carolina Republican Party remains vigilant against efforts to engage in voter fraud. We have a highly trained team in place to ensure that our elections are carried out in accordance with the law.
Deserve faith in process
Hardworking North Carolinians do not deserve to have their votes watered down by the fraudulent and illegal acts of a few. We deserve to have faith in our election process.
But if we choose to accept and tolerate registration fraud, people will lose faith in our democracy. Good people of both parties must stand against registration fraud and voter fraud to ensure the integrity of our elections and to protect the public's interest.
Possibly the most troubling aspect of ACORN's involvement in this year's election process is the organization's connections to Sen. Barack Obama. Sen. Obama paid ACORN $800,000 for voter registration efforts done on behalf of the presidential candidate. ACORN has publicly endorsed Obama and worked toward supporting his candidacy. Now the organization is embroiled in more than a dozen investigations in areas all across the country, including reports of investigations by the FBI.
Wants to elect Obama
ACORN has made it clear they will stop at nothing to elect Obama the next president whether by hook or by crook. Obama has made it clear that he will do or say anything to become president.
What will Barack Obama owe to this special interest group if he is elected president? How will he use our tax dollars to reward his friends if he makes it to the White House? I hope we never find out.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
They Said It! Ayers Says His Radical Views Widely Known
William Ayers in 2002 interview with California radio station:
" I considered myself partly an anarchist then and I consider myself partly an anarchist now. I mean, I'm as much an anarchist as I am a Marxist which is to say I find a lot of the ideas in anarchism appealing. I'm very open about what I think, and nobody here is surprised about what I think. There is a struggle over various religious fundamentalism, Jihad being the most visible, but the religious fundamentalism of the Christians and of the Jews is equally troubling. Is one of those regrets that I took extreme measures against the United States at a time of tremendous crisis? No, it is not. I don't regret that." (FOXNews.com, 10/22/08)
It is worth noting that only seven days later Senator Obama appeared on a panel with Ayers and continued to work with him for months afterwards at the Woods Fund.
" I considered myself partly an anarchist then and I consider myself partly an anarchist now. I mean, I'm as much an anarchist as I am a Marxist which is to say I find a lot of the ideas in anarchism appealing. I'm very open about what I think, and nobody here is surprised about what I think. There is a struggle over various religious fundamentalism, Jihad being the most visible, but the religious fundamentalism of the Christians and of the Jews is equally troubling. Is one of those regrets that I took extreme measures against the United States at a time of tremendous crisis? No, it is not. I don't regret that." (FOXNews.com, 10/22/08)
It is worth noting that only seven days later Senator Obama appeared on a panel with Ayers and continued to work with him for months afterwards at the Woods Fund.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
They Said It! Biden Warns of Coming Crisis if Obama is Elected
"Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. Remember I said it standing here. if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy. And he's gonna have to make some really tough -- I don't know what the decision's gonna be, but I promise you it will occur. As a student of history and having served with seven presidents, I guarantee you it's gonna happen." Joe Biden (10/20/08)
Chairman Linda Daves said, "Where has Joe Biden been? We are already facing multiple crises both foreign and domestic. Why would we want to elect a president who invites more tests at such a critical time in our nation's history? Do we really want Barack Obama to face his first crisis in public life in the Oval Office? No, we should elect a president who has been tested countless times and has emerged with courage and grace. That president is John McCain."
Chairman Linda Daves said, "Where has Joe Biden been? We are already facing multiple crises both foreign and domestic. Why would we want to elect a president who invites more tests at such a critical time in our nation's history? Do we really want Barack Obama to face his first crisis in public life in the Oval Office? No, we should elect a president who has been tested countless times and has emerged with courage and grace. That president is John McCain."
Vote For the Republican Ticket!
Voting a straight party Republican ticket requires simple steps and it is good to have a reminder so that voters won't be confused at the polls.First, mark your ballot for John McCain for President and Sarah Palin for Vice President at the top of your ballot.
Second, mark the Straight Party for the Republican ticket just under the Presidential Contest.
Third, turn your ballot over and vote for judges and local elected nonpartisan offices.
Remember, the North Carolina Republican State Executive Committee has endorsed the following statewide judicial candidates.
N.C. Supreme Court
Robert H. (Bob) Edmunds
N.C. Court of Appeals
Jewel Ann Farlow
Doug McCullough
Dan Barrett
Robert N. (Bob) Hunter, Jr.
So get out and vote and vote early! North Carolina Democrats have controlled almost every area of this state for decades. Want change? Democrats can't bring it. They will do exactly what has been done before. How has that been working out for our education system, our transportation system, our tax system, our businesses, and our economy? Elect Republicans to check the abuses and excesses of Democrat legislatures and governors! We can do better, we will do better, and we will lead our state back to prosperity with new leadership in North Carolina!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
ACORN is a Threat to Democracy
A genuine threat
ACORN targets a weakness in democracy
Editorial
The San Diego Union-Tribune
October 18, 2008
To end the many obstacles Southern states put up before African-American voters as late as the 1960s, Congress worked for decades to make voting much easier. These efforts had a hugely positive effect – until the 1993 “motor voter” law. This measure and some related laws made registration so easy – and so difficult to verify because of a lack of resources and time – that they created nothing less than a structural weakness in American democracy.
This election year, we're seeing a determined, well-funded effort to exploit this weakness, led by ACORN – the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
Using corporate, partisan and taxpayer grants, the nonprofit group has spent $35 million this year to register 1.3 million people in 21 states. But it's highly likely that hundreds of thousands of these registrations are bogus. That's because ACORN relies on canvassers who appear to be paid based on how many signatures they get – an invitation to fraud – and because ACORN as an institution appears to collectively think such fraud is tolerable in the name of “social justice.” ...
Unfortunately, many Democrats depict concern over ACORN as Republican hysteria. They are right that voter fraud has been a tiny problem in recent years. But they ignore a key point: the stunning scale of bogus registrations this time around.
Even if a tiny fraction of these fake voters actually fill out a ballot, they have the potential to tip the presidential vote in battleground states – such as Ohio. Or Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina or Wisconsin – all swing states where ACORN has been active. ...
So, please, spare us the “social justice” rhetoric. What ACORN has done isn't noble. It's reprehensible. We hope that the FBI's investigation into the group is vigorous and thorough.
ACORN targets a weakness in democracy
Editorial
The San Diego Union-Tribune
October 18, 2008
To end the many obstacles Southern states put up before African-American voters as late as the 1960s, Congress worked for decades to make voting much easier. These efforts had a hugely positive effect – until the 1993 “motor voter” law. This measure and some related laws made registration so easy – and so difficult to verify because of a lack of resources and time – that they created nothing less than a structural weakness in American democracy.
This election year, we're seeing a determined, well-funded effort to exploit this weakness, led by ACORN – the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
Using corporate, partisan and taxpayer grants, the nonprofit group has spent $35 million this year to register 1.3 million people in 21 states. But it's highly likely that hundreds of thousands of these registrations are bogus. That's because ACORN relies on canvassers who appear to be paid based on how many signatures they get – an invitation to fraud – and because ACORN as an institution appears to collectively think such fraud is tolerable in the name of “social justice.” ...
Unfortunately, many Democrats depict concern over ACORN as Republican hysteria. They are right that voter fraud has been a tiny problem in recent years. But they ignore a key point: the stunning scale of bogus registrations this time around.
Even if a tiny fraction of these fake voters actually fill out a ballot, they have the potential to tip the presidential vote in battleground states – such as Ohio. Or Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina or Wisconsin – all swing states where ACORN has been active. ...
So, please, spare us the “social justice” rhetoric. What ACORN has done isn't noble. It's reprehensible. We hope that the FBI's investigation into the group is vigorous and thorough.
Friday, October 17, 2008
The Magic Number
"McCain's broader point is sound. Many small-business owners pay taxes on their business income as individuals, and if they are successful and employing people, they will pay higher taxes under Obama. This would be a tax on job creation, at the worst possible time. Where Obama's 95 percent promise is fundamentally dishonest is in how it discounts the effect of his health-care plan. Obama would require businesses to cover their workers or pay a tax. If the tax is relatively low, employers will choose to dump their employees into Obama's new public program, making a hash of his talking point that no one will lose his current coverage under the plan. If the tax is high, employers will provide coverage themselves, but will inevitably fund it by paying less in wages or hiring less. Obama is proposing a large new tax on employment." (Lowry, Rich, "O's Magic Number," The New York Post, 10/17/08)
ACORN turns in fake voter registration forms
In case you missed it...
N.C. elections board confirms 100-plus fake forms in Durham
By Mark Donovan
The Durham Herald-Sun
October 15, 2008
DURHAM -- A North Carolina State Board of Elections investigation has found more than 100 voter registration forms submitted in Durham by a group -- ACORN -- whose efforts have led to similar probes in other states, are fraudulent.
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now works to register low-income people as voters. ACORN claims to have registered 1.3 million people nationwide since 2007, including nearly 28,000 in North Carolina and 4,000 to 5,000 in Durham, according to county Board of Elections director Mike Ashe on Tuesday.
ACORN pays its field workers to sign up new voters, and some submitted registration forms included fake or duplicated information, according to the state Board of Elections.
Durham County's elections office last month gave about 120 suspect forms to the state for investigation. Wake County's elections office sent in about 30 suspicious forms last week, but other counties didn't report problems with forms from ACORN.
WRAL TV reported online Tuesday that the state had determined 104 of the 120 suspect Durham forms were bogus. ...
N.C. elections board confirms 100-plus fake forms in Durham
By Mark Donovan
The Durham Herald-Sun
October 15, 2008
DURHAM -- A North Carolina State Board of Elections investigation has found more than 100 voter registration forms submitted in Durham by a group -- ACORN -- whose efforts have led to similar probes in other states, are fraudulent.
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now works to register low-income people as voters. ACORN claims to have registered 1.3 million people nationwide since 2007, including nearly 28,000 in North Carolina and 4,000 to 5,000 in Durham, according to county Board of Elections director Mike Ashe on Tuesday.
ACORN pays its field workers to sign up new voters, and some submitted registration forms included fake or duplicated information, according to the state Board of Elections.
Durham County's elections office last month gave about 120 suspect forms to the state for investigation. Wake County's elections office sent in about 30 suspicious forms last week, but other counties didn't report problems with forms from ACORN.
WRAL TV reported online Tuesday that the state had determined 104 of the 120 suspect Durham forms were bogus. ...
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
NCGOP E-Letter - October 15, 2008
ONE-STOP VOTING BEGINS TOMORROW
One-stop voting begins on Thursday, October 16 and ends on November 1, 2008. Use the link below to search for the One-Stop Voting Sites in your county. Any questions about these sites or the times that they are open should be directed toward your county’s Board of Elections office.
Click here for the list of One-Stop Voting Locations throughout the state…
PAT McCRORY ENDORSED BY FOUR MAJOR NEWSPAPERS THIS WEEK
FOR GOVERNOR, MCCRORY’S ACHIEVEMENTS GIVE HIM THE EDGE
Asheville Citizen-Times
…As mayor, McCrory led in the development of a 25-year land use, transportation and infrastructure plan for Charlotte, which is now in its 13th year. He used the bully pulpit of the mayor's office to fight for sidewalks, bike paths and a strong tree ordinance. He increased the bus line by 80 percent and implemented a light rail line. Thanks in part to these efforts, in 2000, Charlotte was one of only four cities to be distinguished as a “most livable city” by Partners for Livable Communities. In 2005, Money Magazine listed the city among its Top 3 Best Places to Live and it was named one of the 20 Cleanest Cities in America by Readers Digest.
During his tenure as mayor, McCrory has also distinguished himself in the areas of public safety and economic development….
We recommend McCrory because we feel he is best prepared to lead the state through the period of significant growth it is and is expected to continue to experience….
ELECTION ’08: GOVERNOR
Winston-Salem Journal
…Of the three, McCrory stands out as most likely to do great things for this state. Life in Raleigh has been tough for our only two Republican governors. Just ask Jim Martin and Jim Holshouser. But we believe that McCrory has the managerial skill and the record of success working with Democrats to help him hurdle those political problems. Pat McCrory promises to be a charismatic leader and a progressive governor for this state. The Journal endorses him enthusiastically.
EDITOIRAL ENDORSEMENT: MCCRORY FOR GOVERNOR
Greensboro News & Record
…Pat McCrory's stump speeches and debate performances make a good case for his candidacy. But his record as the longest-serving mayor of North Carolina's largest city makes an even better one….
McCrory is willing to step forward and defend his positions. Even as Perdue chose not to take part, he debated the issues last week in a televised forum with Libertarian candidate Mike Munger, 50, chairman of Duke University's political science department. This was the second time Perdue bypassed a debate with her two opponents….
But the governor is rarely a cultural warrior in North Carolina, nor should he be one. McCrory's skills and experience are best suited to provide what Raleigh needs most right now: a broad view, a clear plan and an ambitious vision.
WE RECOMMEND MCCRORY FOR GOVERNOR
Charlotte Observer
…McCrory would bring an urgently needed energy to the office. While we don't agree with him on every issue, he knows where he stands on most aspects of state government and why he stands there. He's too sure, sometimes, that his position is right, but that certitude is preferable to Perdue's tendency to base her stands on what she believes is politically expedient….
But we detect no core compass within her. She speaks in platitudes, not specifics. She often appears governed by polls, changing her stance, for instance, on oil drilling and refusing to lead on the issue of illegal immigration. On immigration, Perdue seems not to understand either the law or the reality, and doesn't explain a rational basis for her position, giving the impression it's simple political convenience.
McCrory's success will depend in large measure on his willingness to seek wise counsel, study the issues without political blinders and make independent decisions. He has done so in some, though regrettably not all, cases as Charlotte mayor, taking the right course even when it brought some heat. That's more appropriate to the kind of leadership North Carolina needs.
Click here to read each of the full endorsements…
McCAIN VOWS TO BE AMERICA’S ‘FIGHTER’
By Rob Christensen and Ryan Teague Beckwith
News & Observer
October 14, 2008
WILMINGTON - Sen. John McCain, conceding he is behind in the presidential race, cast himself Monday as the fighter America needs to face its enemies abroad and to restore the economy at home.
"The national media has written us off," McCain told 2,500 people at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington. "Senator Obama is measuring the drapes.
"But they forgot to let you decide. Friends, we got them just where we want them. What America needs in this hour is a fighter."
McCain drew several contrasts between himself and Obama: experience versus inexperience; fiscal restraint versus high taxes and increased spending; and withdrawal from Iraq "with honor" rather than a precipitous withdrawal.
McCain advisers said the Arizona senator was retooling his message to feature more "straight talk" about the economy.
"These are hard times," McCain said. "Our economy is in crisis. Our savings are in danger. Our retirement is at risk. Jobs are disappearing. The cost of health care, of children's college, and gasoline are rising all the time."
"The next president won't have time to get used to the office. We will have to act immediately and to do that we will need experience, courage and judgment, and a bold plan to take this country in a new direction."
McCain compared Obama with President Herbert Hoover, who was in office when the country went into the Great Depression in 1929. He said Obama's proposal to raises taxes would be the wrong remedy for an economy in decline. (Obama has said he would raise taxes only on those who make more than $250,000 per year and would reduce taxes on the middle class.)
"The last president to raise taxes and restrict as Senator Obama proposes was Herbert Hoover," McCain said. "They say that those who won't learn the lessons from history are doomed to repeat them."…
Click here for the full article…
DOLE TOUTS HER SUCCESS FOR N.C.
By Suzi Carter
Richmond County Daily Journal
October 14, 2008
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole was “surrounded by friends” at a campaign gathering with the Richmond County Republican Party Tuesday at Ellerbe Springs Inn and Restaurant.
Party members and some undecided voters gathered to meet the senator, who arrived to a round of applause. Party Chair Teressa Beavers introduced Dole.
“We need strong women in the public arena and we need to send Sen. Dole back to Washington,” Beavers said. “She’s served under five presidents and she’s done a great job for North Carolina.”…
“The beauty of North Carolina is something to be proud of,” Dole said. “I’ve already been in our 100 counties and I’ve been to many of them many, many times.”
The tobacco quota buyout was top on Dole’s list of accomplishments. The buyout brought in $4 billion to North Carolina’s economy.
“The buyout allows people to retire, pay their debts, grow another cash crop or continue growing leaf,” Dole said. “We got that done by getting votes. How many senators know about tobacco? We go after people one-by-one in the Senate to get their votes.”
Speaking to the concerns of Richmond County, Dole also brought up textiles and the Trade Adjustment Assistance program.
“The recent economic transition made things quite tough for this state and every trade agreement that is presented, I look at it and ask, ‘How will this affect North Carolina?’” she said. “I want to double the funding for the Trade Adjustment Assistance program and make it available to every textile worker who has lost a job. What that does is gives people the opportunity to get training to work in today’s workforce.”
Dole also described some of the work she has done on the Senate Armed Services, Banking, Aging and Small Business and Entrepreneurship committees.
“I work on committees that matter to North Carolina,” she said. “And Rep. Robin Hayes and I have worked together on many things. We worked together on base closing rounds ... And brought 9,000 additional jobs to Fort Bragg.”
As a member of the Senate Banking Committee, Dole said that she worked on legislation to “reign in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac” as early as 2003. The legislation would have placed a regulator over the two mortgage companies.
“It is infuriating to me that all of this could have been prevented if they had just listened,” she said about opposition from Democrats who blocked the legislation….
“This is a time to pull out all the stops and we’re going to win this,” Dole said. “You’re doing something bigger than yourselves, bigger than me or Robin Hayes, when you get involved in the election because this is an important time for our country ... Sure things get tough, yet as I recall, in the Bible it says to face adversity so we’re not going to give up."
Click here for the full article…
PAT McCRORY'S “FUTURE” AD
Click here to view the video…
GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE TONIGHT
Tonight at 7 p.m. is the final gubernatorial debate for this election.
Please read the below information to see where you can view the debate tonight at 7pm:
Stations Broadcasting the Debate on October 15th, 7-8pm
**North Carolina News Network, a statewide radio network, is offering 75 radio
affiliates across the state to take the debate.
** Also, live streaming online at www.wsoctv.com
Statewide
UNC-TV, Air on 10/19 @ 1pm
Charlotte
WAXN-TV, Live
WCCB, Fox 18, Live
WSOC-TV, Live
WTVI, Live
Triad
WGHP, Fox 8, Live
Greenville
WNCT, Using parts later in eve/next day
Triangle
WRAL-TV, Live
WUNC-FM, Live
WPTF-AM (680AM), Live
They Said It! Obama Wants to "Spread the Wealth Around"
Obama Tells The Tax Truth
New York Post
Editorial
October 15, 2008
An unscripted moment with an Ohio plumber produced a startling confession from Barack Obama Sunday: The Democrat's "middle-class tax cut" is in fact a scheme to "spread the wealth around."
Toledo plumber Joe Wurzelbacher - who had asked the Democratic nominee why he wanted to jack up his taxes just for "fulfilling the American dream."
"I'm getting ready to buy a company that makes $250,000 to $280,000 a year," Wurzelbacher had told Obama. "Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?"
At last! The truth outs!
Obama's plan isn't about sinking hooks into Wall Street CEOs and other fat cats, as he usually says. Fact is, there's not enough of them to raise the cash necessary to finance his other grand plans.
No, to do that, he'll have to go after ambitious working-class guys like Wurzelbacher - who's been a plumber for 15 years and is looking to better himself and his family while just maybe creating a few jobs.
The American Dream?
Wurzelbacher personifies it - but Barack Obama seems determined to tax it to death and be done with it, period.
That's been the case all along, of course. What's different is that the Democrat finally said so. ...
New York Post
Editorial
October 15, 2008
An unscripted moment with an Ohio plumber produced a startling confession from Barack Obama Sunday: The Democrat's "middle-class tax cut" is in fact a scheme to "spread the wealth around."
Toledo plumber Joe Wurzelbacher - who had asked the Democratic nominee why he wanted to jack up his taxes just for "fulfilling the American dream."
"I'm getting ready to buy a company that makes $250,000 to $280,000 a year," Wurzelbacher had told Obama. "Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?"
At last! The truth outs!
Obama's plan isn't about sinking hooks into Wall Street CEOs and other fat cats, as he usually says. Fact is, there's not enough of them to raise the cash necessary to finance his other grand plans.
No, to do that, he'll have to go after ambitious working-class guys like Wurzelbacher - who's been a plumber for 15 years and is looking to better himself and his family while just maybe creating a few jobs.
The American Dream?
Wurzelbacher personifies it - but Barack Obama seems determined to tax it to death and be done with it, period.
That's been the case all along, of course. What's different is that the Democrat finally said so. ...
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
ICYMI: ACORN under investigation again in NC
State reviewing ACORN voter forms
By Lynn Bonner
The News & Observer
October 14, 2008
The State Board of Elections is investigating suspicious voter registration forms submitted by an organization whose problems have drawn national attention.
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, known as ACORN, conducted a voter drive that registered nearly 28,000 people in North Carolina. But some of the forms it filed had information that may have been copied from phone books, local election officials said.
Durham County's elections office turned over about 120 suspect forms to the state for investigation about three weeks ago, and Wake County's elections office sent in about 30 suspicious forms last week. ...
The office received information about the Wake forms Friday, Bartlett said, but no other local elections official has alerted the state office to ACORN-related problems. The head of elections in Mecklenburg said that county did not have problems with ACORN forms. ...
He said he expected the board's investigator to refer the Durham case to the local district attorney for prosecution.
ACORN is a community organizing group that runs issue campaigns and was active a few years ago in ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage. It pays workers to register voters. ...
ACORN must return to the local elections boards the forms its workers submit, even the questionable ones. ACORN separates forms with potential problems from the rest and notifies election officials about them, McCoy said. ...
After McCoy and officials from ACORN's national office met with Mike Ashe, the Durham elections director, ACORN retrained staff and developed a system to trace problems.
"A lot of ACORN people just filled out the same name multiple times," so they would be paid, Ashe said, and "one or two were getting information from the phone book."
By Lynn Bonner
The News & Observer
October 14, 2008
The State Board of Elections is investigating suspicious voter registration forms submitted by an organization whose problems have drawn national attention.
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, known as ACORN, conducted a voter drive that registered nearly 28,000 people in North Carolina. But some of the forms it filed had information that may have been copied from phone books, local election officials said.
Durham County's elections office turned over about 120 suspect forms to the state for investigation about three weeks ago, and Wake County's elections office sent in about 30 suspicious forms last week. ...
The office received information about the Wake forms Friday, Bartlett said, but no other local elections official has alerted the state office to ACORN-related problems. The head of elections in Mecklenburg said that county did not have problems with ACORN forms. ...
He said he expected the board's investigator to refer the Durham case to the local district attorney for prosecution.
ACORN is a community organizing group that runs issue campaigns and was active a few years ago in ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage. It pays workers to register voters. ...
ACORN must return to the local elections boards the forms its workers submit, even the questionable ones. ACORN separates forms with potential problems from the rest and notifies election officials about them, McCoy said. ...
After McCoy and officials from ACORN's national office met with Mike Ashe, the Durham elections director, ACORN retrained staff and developed a system to trace problems.
"A lot of ACORN people just filled out the same name multiple times," so they would be paid, Ashe said, and "one or two were getting information from the phone book."
Friday, October 10, 2008
ICYMI: Obama Camp Downplays Payments to ACORN
Obama Camp Downplays Payments To ACORN
By S.A. Miller
The Washington Times
October 10, 2008
Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama's campaign distanced itself Thursday from its $800,000 payment linked to the liberal ACORN organization, which is under investigation in several states where it is suspected of filing fraudulent voter registrations.
Federal Election Commission reports show ACORN-affiliated Citizens Services Inc. got $832,598 from the Obama campaign for get-out-the-vote work during the primaries. ...
Still, the contributions to Citizens Services draw the Obama campaign closer to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, and the growing voter-fraud scandal that this week spread to the battleground state of Ohio.
Citizen Services is inextricably tied to ACORN. Along with nonprofit sister organization Project Vote, Citizens Services and ACORN share the same New Orleans address and the same executive staff while money flows freely between the three entities. In 1996, Project Vote's tax returns show it paid ACORN more than $4.6 million for campaign services and Citizens Services more than $779,000 for legal and administrative services.
The ACORN political action committee endorsed Mr. Obama for president.
Its national voter-registration drive - which is targeting low-income, minority and young voters who tend to vote Democrat and likely favor Mr. Obama at the polls - is implicated in investigations of bogus voter applications in a dozen states, many of them battlegrounds. ...
By S.A. Miller
The Washington Times
October 10, 2008
Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama's campaign distanced itself Thursday from its $800,000 payment linked to the liberal ACORN organization, which is under investigation in several states where it is suspected of filing fraudulent voter registrations.
Federal Election Commission reports show ACORN-affiliated Citizens Services Inc. got $832,598 from the Obama campaign for get-out-the-vote work during the primaries. ...
Still, the contributions to Citizens Services draw the Obama campaign closer to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, and the growing voter-fraud scandal that this week spread to the battleground state of Ohio.
Citizen Services is inextricably tied to ACORN. Along with nonprofit sister organization Project Vote, Citizens Services and ACORN share the same New Orleans address and the same executive staff while money flows freely between the three entities. In 1996, Project Vote's tax returns show it paid ACORN more than $4.6 million for campaign services and Citizens Services more than $779,000 for legal and administrative services.
The ACORN political action committee endorsed Mr. Obama for president.
Its national voter-registration drive - which is targeting low-income, minority and young voters who tend to vote Democrat and likely favor Mr. Obama at the polls - is implicated in investigations of bogus voter applications in a dozen states, many of them battlegrounds. ...
Democrat Supporters Suspected of Voter Fraud
In case you missed it...
Fraud suspected in voter sign-up
By Stanley B. Chambers Jr.
The News & Observer
October 10, 2008
DURHAM - State Board of Elections officials are trying to determine whether about 100 voter registration forms submitted by a local chapter of a national grassroots organization to the Durham County Board of Elections are fraudulent.
Similar accusations have been lodged across the country against the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, which goes by the name ACORN. In Durham, the claims were made last month after the group submitted about 5,000 voter registration forms to the county board of elections.
"All of a sudden, I started seeing the same names over and over again," said Mike Ashe, county elections director. He said some forms had similar names but different addresses or dates of birth.
Durham election workers enter the information from a registration form into a system that verifies voters' Social Security and driver's license numbers. Another elections employee reconfirms the information.
ACORN uses paid workers to register voters on the street. Ashe and Johnnie McLean, deputy director of the state Board of Elections deputy director, said they believe the problem stems from volunteers being paid according to how many people they register. ...
The campaign of Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory issued a news release Thursday, saying the FBI has raided the group's offices in North Carolina and Nevada. ...
Amy Thoreson, spokeswoman for the FBI's Charlotte office, would not discuss any North Carolina investigation, citing Department of Justice policy.
ACORN volunteers have registered more than 1.3 million voters in 18 states, including more than 26,000 in North Carolina, according to its Web site. ...
McLean said she didn't know when the state's investigation will be completed. If the accusations are valid, those involved may face criminal charges, she said.
Fraud suspected in voter sign-up
By Stanley B. Chambers Jr.
The News & Observer
October 10, 2008
DURHAM - State Board of Elections officials are trying to determine whether about 100 voter registration forms submitted by a local chapter of a national grassroots organization to the Durham County Board of Elections are fraudulent.
Similar accusations have been lodged across the country against the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, which goes by the name ACORN. In Durham, the claims were made last month after the group submitted about 5,000 voter registration forms to the county board of elections.
"All of a sudden, I started seeing the same names over and over again," said Mike Ashe, county elections director. He said some forms had similar names but different addresses or dates of birth.
Durham election workers enter the information from a registration form into a system that verifies voters' Social Security and driver's license numbers. Another elections employee reconfirms the information.
ACORN uses paid workers to register voters on the street. Ashe and Johnnie McLean, deputy director of the state Board of Elections deputy director, said they believe the problem stems from volunteers being paid according to how many people they register. ...
The campaign of Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory issued a news release Thursday, saying the FBI has raided the group's offices in North Carolina and Nevada. ...
Amy Thoreson, spokeswoman for the FBI's Charlotte office, would not discuss any North Carolina investigation, citing Department of Justice policy.
ACORN volunteers have registered more than 1.3 million voters in 18 states, including more than 26,000 in North Carolina, according to its Web site. ...
McLean said she didn't know when the state's investigation will be completed. If the accusations are valid, those involved may face criminal charges, she said.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
NRA Endorses McCain
In case you missed it...
National Rifle Association endorses McCain
Associated Press
October 9, 2008
The National Rifle Association is endorsing Republican presidential nominee John McCain.
NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre announced the endorsement Thursday. LaPierre and the chairman of the NRA's political action committee were making stops in Pennsylvania, Missouri, Colorado and Nevada to talk about the move. ...
The NRA's Political Victory Fund has spent more than $2.3 million opposing Democratic nominee Barack Obama.
National Rifle Association endorses McCain
Associated Press
October 9, 2008
The National Rifle Association is endorsing Republican presidential nominee John McCain.
NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre announced the endorsement Thursday. LaPierre and the chairman of the NRA's political action committee were making stops in Pennsylvania, Missouri, Colorado and Nevada to talk about the move. ...
The NRA's Political Victory Fund has spent more than $2.3 million opposing Democratic nominee Barack Obama.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
NCGOP E-Letter - October 8, 2008
GOV. SARAH PALIN ENERGIZES CROWD
By Brock Letchworth
The Greenville Daily Reflector
October 8, 2008
Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin energized a crowd of about 8,000 Tuesday night by lauding Sen. John McCain's military service and vision for reform and questioning the judgment and policies of Sen. Barack Obama.
Palin, who spoke for about 30 minutes at East Carolina University's Minges Coliseum, said McCain, the GOP presidential nominee, is offering “real and pragmatic solutions to move the country forward,” while claiming that Obama, the Democratic nominee, has surrounded himself with questionable personalities.
“This election is important because it is about truthfulness and judgment,” Palin told the crowd. “I can tell you John McCain has it and Barack Obama does not.”…
“We're circulating nearly $700 billion dollars a year to other countries asking them to wrap up production of energy sources so we can purchase it,” Palin said. “Those dollars should stay here in America.”…
Palin called Ayers one of Obama's earliest supporters, saying he hosting a 1995 meeting kicking off Obama's bid for the Illinois State Senate. She dismissed claims by the Obama campaign that he did not know about Ayers' past before they met. Ayers was a founding member of the Weather Underground group, which claimed responsibility for bombings at the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol in the early 1970s.
“You mean to tell me he didn't know he had launched his own political career in the living room of a domestic terrorist,” Palin said….
“(Obama) has committed to nearly $1 trillion in new government spending and yet he hasn't told you where that money is going to come from,” Palin said. “You can do the math and go with your gut and you're going to draw the same conclusion, and that is that Barack Obama is going to raise your taxes.”
Palin's comments drew chants of “Nobama” throughout the speech.
She closed her speech by saying the GOP would embrace the values of democracy and virtues of freedom worth fighting for.
“Understand that from now until election day, you are going to hear our opponents go on and on about how they will fight for you,” Palin said. “But since my running mate won't say this on his own behalf, I will take it upon myself to say it for him. And that is truthfully, John McCain is the only man in this race who has ever really fought for you.”
Click here for the full article…
SUPPORTERS FEEL CONNECTION TO PALIN
By Ginger Livingston
The Greenville Daily Reflector
October 7, 2008
People attending Tuesday's rally featuring Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin spoke about the connections they shared with Alaska's governor.
Trevor Brown and Taylor Buchanan of Greenville are expecting their first child in February. They said she shares their conservative values.
“I planned on voting for them once Palin was announced,” Buchanan said. “I feel like she relates more to the everyday person than most politicians.”…
Sammy and Mettie Henry of Durham brought their children, Clarence, 23, Faith, 15, and Emmanuel, 6, to the rally. Clarence, who is wheelchair-bound, has cerebral palsy.
Sammy Henry said Palin shares their conservative values and their belief that God has a plan for all his children.
The couple said they intimately understand and support her decision to give birth to her youngest child, Trig, who has Down syndrome.
When Mettie Henry was pregnant with their daughter, the couple was told a medical condition would lessen her chance of carrying the baby to full term. The doctors said the couple should consider an abortion.
“We believe in God and whatever he gave us we knew it would be OK,” Mettie Henry said. Faith is a happy and healthy teenager, they said. …
U.S. Army Specialists Jeff Friedrich and Greg Hernandaz with the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment based at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville were two of 10 people able to get tickets from the Republican Party's Fayetteville audience. After Palin's speech, they received hugs, handshakes and words of gratitude from the departing audience….
“I'm a firm believer in Republican ideals and I was very excited to hear what she had to say and be among like-minded people,” Friedrich said. “To participate in this and feel the energy ... I am grateful to have that.”
Hernandaz said Palin's speech re-affirmed his support of the McCain-Palin ticket. “I believe she fights for the same ideals we ultimately fight for,” he said.
Both men said it would be an honor to have McCain, a former U.S. Navy pilot and prisoner of war, serve as their commander-in-chief.
“He's a man amongst men. To serve under him would definitely be an honor,” Friedrich said….
Click here for the full article…
OBAMA, MCCAIN CLASH OVER ECONOMY
By John Broder and Michael Cooper
News & Observer
October 8, 2008
With public anxiety mounting over financial markets and the economy, Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain engaged in a muted debate Tuesday night over who was to blame and whose plan would successfully address the problems.
In the second presidential debate, at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., Obama faulted the Bush administration, and by extension McCain, for a deregulatory environment that he said had led to the economic meltdown. And McCain, pledging to aid struggling homeowners, offered a proposal to direct the federal government to save families from foreclosure by buying mortgages they could no longer afford.
"As president of the United States," McCain said in response to an audience member's question, "I would order the secretary of the Treasury to immediately buy up the bad home loan mortgages in America and renegotiate at the new value of those homes, at the diminished value of those homes and let people make those, be able to make those payments and stay in their homes.
But the candidates often seized on the questions to attack each other's records. While Obama and McCain were outwardly civil, each watched warily, sometimes with a thin smile, sometimes with a look of exasperation, as the other spoke directly to the audience.
McCain criticized Obama's record in the Senate, saying he had voted for billions of dollars in unneeded spending, including $3 million for a "projector for a planetarium in Chicago." …
McCain called American workers "innocent bystanders" in the economic storm and said one of his priorities would be to rid Washington of cronyism, greed and corruption….
Both candidates repeated some of their favorite refrains and accusations from the campaign trail. McCain once again promoted offshore drilling -- "We've got to drill offshore, my friends, and we've got to do it now," he said -- while Obama said that McCain's proposal of a $5,000 tax credit for health insurance, which would be taxable, was in effect "what one hand giveth, the other hand taketh away."
In response to a question about what each candidate would ask Americans to sacrifice, particularly in face of the economic crisis, McCain said that he would advocate a spending freeze on large parts of government.
"I'm going to ask the American people to understand that are some programs we will have to eliminate," McCain said. He added, "We will have to examine every agency and every bureaucracy of government."
The two candidates laid out different approaches to high energy prices, with Obama proposing a large-scale federal research and development effort for alternative energy sources, and McCain advocating increased use of nuclear power….
Click here for the full article…
Click here to view the debate…
FROM THE NCGOP PRESSROOM: MEET KAY "ME TOO" HAGAN
RALEIGH—Last night, after the Senate voted to pass the financial bailout bill currently before Congress with Senator Elizabeth Dole voting against the legislation, Kay Hagan released a late press release saying, "Me too."
After initially refusing to take a position on the legislation, Hagan only weighed in after Senator Dole had cast her vote. ("Hagan: No on Wall Street bailout," News & Observer, 10/3/08)
This is not the first time Kay "Me Too" Hagan has used this tactic. On offshore drilling, Kay Hagan initially opposed drilling even as Senator Dole opened up the possibility. Hagan was quoted as saying, ""I am opposed to the offshore drilling off the coast of North Carolina. We cannot drill ourselves enough oil to get us out of this problem." (News 14 Carolina, 7/16/08) Later, she changed her position to "Me too."
On illegal immigration, she initially opposed the 287g program criticizing Senator Dole's leadership in implementing the program and calling for its replacement. (Fisher, Hugh, "Hagan: Change Washington, Oust Dole," Salisbury Post, 2/29/08) Later, she changed her position to "Me too."
Kay Hagan also faced charges of plagiarizing portions of Barack Obama's energy plan earlier this year. (Baker, Mike, "Hagan's energy talk draws comparisons the Obama," Associated Press, 6/18/08) Obama released his plan and Hagan said, "Me too."
Legislative research has shown that Kay Hagan has voted with Democrat State Senate Leader Marc Basnight more than 99 percent of the time during her ten years in the N.C. Senate. ("Opinion: Dole More Independent Than Hagan," Raleigh Telegram, 9/9/08) In the State Senate, her vote was "Me too."
Chairman Linda Daves, North Carolina Republican Party, made the following statement:
"We need better than Kay 'Me Too' Hagan in Washington. In difficult times, we need experienced, seasoned leaders who will take a stand and represent the interests of North Carolinians. As the Democrat leadership in the State Senate pushed for higher taxes, doubled the state debt, nearly doubled state spending, shorted the public schools hundreds of millions of dollars, ran the state health plan into the ground, and got our state into a budget crisis, Hagan said, 'Me too.' It is clear that if Kay Hagan is sent to Washington, she will be nothing more than a reliable liberal vote out of touch with North Carolinians and our values."
THE WRONG TRACK
CIVITAS RELEASES CONSERVATIVE EFFECTIVENESS RANKINGS
Civitas Action is a 501(c)(4) non-profit that educates and informs North Carolinians on policy issues as well as the actions of their elected officials.
The Civitas Conservative Effectiveness Ranking (CER) is the only rating system in North Carolina that allows citizens of the state to gauge how effective their state legislator is in upholding conservative principles. Each member of the House and Senate is ranked on a scale of 0 to 100, based on their voting record.
Click here to find your representatives and their conservative effectiveness rankings…
They Said It!
Last week, Democrat Representative Artur Davis of Alabama said:
"Like a lot of my Democratic colleagues I was too slow to appreciate the recklessness of Fannie and Freddie. I defended their efforts to encourage affordable homeownership when in retrospect I should have heeded the concerns raised by their regulator in 2004. Frankly, I wish my Democratic colleagues would admit when it comes to Fannie and Freddie, we were wrong."
("Barney Breaks It Down," WSJ.com, 10/8/08)
"Like a lot of my Democratic colleagues I was too slow to appreciate the recklessness of Fannie and Freddie. I defended their efforts to encourage affordable homeownership when in retrospect I should have heeded the concerns raised by their regulator in 2004. Frankly, I wish my Democratic colleagues would admit when it comes to Fannie and Freddie, we were wrong."
("Barney Breaks It Down," WSJ.com, 10/8/08)
Friday, October 3, 2008
ICYMI: Joe Biden and the Truth
By Jack Kelly
October 3, 2008
"All you have to do is go down Union street with me in Wilmington or go to Katie's Restaurant or walk into Home Depot with me where I spend a lot of time and you ask anybody whether or not the economic and foreign policy of this administration has made them better off in the last eight years," said Sen. Joe Biden in the vice presidential debate to bolster his assertion he's in touch with the concerns of the middle class.
That answer suggested otherwise.
"It came as a surprise to us in Delaware that Joe Biden recently had a meal and talked with patrons at Katie's Restaurant on Union Street in Wilmington," said an email to National Review Online.
"Katie's Restaurant closed years ago. It was on Scott Street in Little Italy."
The people who fill up at his neighborhood gas station can't pay for a full tank of gas, Sen. Biden said. Sen. Biden lives in a 7,000 square foot estate on a four acre lakefront lot in Greenville, which is described as "northern Delaware's priciest area."
Sen. Biden says things which are not true with passionate conviction.
"Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that's the Executive Branch," Sen. Biden said, dismissing Sarah Palin's expressed intention to play a role in legislative affairs.
Article I of the Constitution defines the role of Congress, the legislative branch, and declares that "The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided." That is the only responsibility of the vice president delineated anywhere in the Constitution. Article II describes the responsibilities of the Executive Branch. The election of the vice president is mentioned in Article II, but that Article says not a word about the powers and duties of the vice president as vice president.
Under Sen. Obama's tax plan, the wealthiest Americans will "pay no more than they did under Ronald Reagan," Sen. Biden said.
Sen. Obama wants to raise the top income tax bracket to 39.6 percent. Ronald Reagan had lowered it to 28 percent. ...
"We've spent less in Afghanistan in seven years than we spend in a month in Iraq," Sen. Biden said.
According to the Congressional Research Service, spending on the war in Afghanistan since 2001 has been about $172 billion. We've been spending a little less than $10 billion a month in Iraq.
Sen. Biden was off by a factor of about 1,700 percent. ...
While most of the things Sen. Biden said that are not true could be chocked up to ignorance . . . some were outright lies.
The greatest of these was when Sen. Biden denied Sen. Obama had said he would meet face to face with Iranian dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad without preconditions. Sen. Biden was present at the Democratic primary debate in South Carolina in July of last year when Sen. Obama made that pledge, which he subsequently repeated several times.
"The truth matters," Sen. Biden said at several points in the debate. Maybe not so much to him.
Click here for the full article...
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/10/joe_biden_and_the_truth.html
October 3, 2008
"All you have to do is go down Union street with me in Wilmington or go to Katie's Restaurant or walk into Home Depot with me where I spend a lot of time and you ask anybody whether or not the economic and foreign policy of this administration has made them better off in the last eight years," said Sen. Joe Biden in the vice presidential debate to bolster his assertion he's in touch with the concerns of the middle class.
That answer suggested otherwise.
"It came as a surprise to us in Delaware that Joe Biden recently had a meal and talked with patrons at Katie's Restaurant on Union Street in Wilmington," said an email to National Review Online.
"Katie's Restaurant closed years ago. It was on Scott Street in Little Italy."
The people who fill up at his neighborhood gas station can't pay for a full tank of gas, Sen. Biden said. Sen. Biden lives in a 7,000 square foot estate on a four acre lakefront lot in Greenville, which is described as "northern Delaware's priciest area."
Sen. Biden says things which are not true with passionate conviction.
"Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that's the Executive Branch," Sen. Biden said, dismissing Sarah Palin's expressed intention to play a role in legislative affairs.
Article I of the Constitution defines the role of Congress, the legislative branch, and declares that "The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided." That is the only responsibility of the vice president delineated anywhere in the Constitution. Article II describes the responsibilities of the Executive Branch. The election of the vice president is mentioned in Article II, but that Article says not a word about the powers and duties of the vice president as vice president.
Under Sen. Obama's tax plan, the wealthiest Americans will "pay no more than they did under Ronald Reagan," Sen. Biden said.
Sen. Obama wants to raise the top income tax bracket to 39.6 percent. Ronald Reagan had lowered it to 28 percent. ...
"We've spent less in Afghanistan in seven years than we spend in a month in Iraq," Sen. Biden said.
According to the Congressional Research Service, spending on the war in Afghanistan since 2001 has been about $172 billion. We've been spending a little less than $10 billion a month in Iraq.
Sen. Biden was off by a factor of about 1,700 percent. ...
While most of the things Sen. Biden said that are not true could be chocked up to ignorance . . . some were outright lies.
The greatest of these was when Sen. Biden denied Sen. Obama had said he would meet face to face with Iranian dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad without preconditions. Sen. Biden was present at the Democratic primary debate in South Carolina in July of last year when Sen. Obama made that pledge, which he subsequently repeated several times.
"The truth matters," Sen. Biden said at several points in the debate. Maybe not so much to him.
Click here for the full article...
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/10/joe_biden_and_the_truth.html
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
NCGOP E-Letter - October 1, 2008
ELECTION NIGHT VICTORY PARTY!
Make plans now to join us on election night, November 4th, to celebrate Republican victories! The party will take place at the North Raleigh Hilton at 3415 Wake Forest Road. So come out, enjoy the night, and invite your Republican friends to celebrate with us.
In the meantime, let's get to work to make sure we win this November!
You can volunteer now at your local Victory 2008 Headquarters located across the state at these locations:
Asheville Victory Office
16 Regent Park Blvd, Suite I
Asheville, NC 28806
(919) 866-2130
Boone Victory Office
149 Meadowview Drive
Boone, NC 28607
(573) 647-1616
Charlotte Victory Office
1515 Mockingbird Lane, Suite 218
Charlotte, NC 28209
(704) 910-0696
Cornelius Victory Office
8301-17 Magnolia State Drive
Cornelius, NC 28031
(704) 987-4301
Durham Victory Office
4600 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 539-5928
Fayetteville Victory Office
201 S. McPherson Church Road, Suite 204
Fayetteville, NC 28303
(910) 864-6584
Gastonia Victory Office
224 South New Hope Road
Gastonia, NC 28055
(704) 868-3330
Greensboro / High Point Victory Office
3800 Tinsley Road, Suite 103
High Point, NC 27265
(336) 885-0467
Greenville Victory Office
103B Commerce Street
Greenville, NC 27858
(252) 321-1996
Hickory Victory Office
1899 Tate Blvd. SE, Suite 1105
Hickory, NC 28602
(828) 324-1639
Jacksonville Victory Office
487 Western Blvd
Jacksonville, NC 28540
(910) 347-7442
Raleigh Victory Office
1506 Hillsborough Street
Raleigh, NC 27605
(919) 828-6423
Wilmington Victory Office
3145 Wrightsville Avenue
Wilmington, NC 28403
(910) 251-8493
Winston-Salem Victory Office
2110 Cloverdale Ave. Suite D
Winston Salem, NC 27103
BOB DOLE, MCCRORY VISIT COUNTY
By Seth Stratton
Davidson Dispatch
September 27, 2008
Bob Dole, former senator from Kansas and former Republican presidential candidate, and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, also a Republican, stopped in Lexington on Friday to meet with fellow Republicans and push their respective campaigns; Dole for his wife and McCrory in his bid for governor.
A group of about 50 supporters gathered at the offices of the Davidson County Republican Party during lunchtime to hear Dole speak. Prior to taking audience questions, Dole addressed some of the national economic problems that recently arose and what his wife, Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., is doing to help solve them….
Dole said his wife, along with other Republican leaders, worked on a bill to investigate the government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac five years ago but it never came to a vote until it was bundled with another bill this July.
Also, according to a New York Times story printed Friday, Dole and Republican colleagues Sen. John Sununu of New Hampshire and Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, all members of the Senate Banking Committee, sponsored legislation in 2005 that would have further regulated Freddie and Fannie but those versions of the bill never came to a vote in the Senate….
"I think most people understand ... if there's a real crisis, we have to deal with it. But let's just don't take care of the ones way up here and forget about those in the middle and the ones below that. And that's what people are watching for. Is this going to be fair to the different economic classes of people we have here and everywhere else? And that is what Elizabeth is looking at," Dole said….
The former Senate majority leader said North Carolina was a key state when he ran as a vice presidential candidate with the late President Gerald Ford in the 1976 election and he predicted it would be key again in this year's presidential election, even if Democrats outspend Republicans. North Carolina has voted for a Republican presidential candidate in each election since then.
"We're not electing a speech, we're electing somebody," Dole said about Sen. Barack Obama. "If we have a conflict somewhere in the world that involves your grandson, or your son or your daughter, who do you want in the Oval Office making a judgment in what we do? The question is very simple, who has the experience, and it's a no-brainer."…
McCrory also stopped by the campaign headquarters to shake hands with some supporters. When asked if there was anything the state could do to help with the financial fiasco, the mayor said the issue is one that needs to be handled in Washington because it transcends the state's and nation's borders, and has truly become a global concern.
"No one knows what this is. No one knows about the details. I do know that something has to be done to correct past mistakes of the past 20 years," McCrory said. "I think it is a crisis. I think it is a crisis that will impact everyone. But I'm hoping for a resolution. I think the crisis is the uncertainty of what the solution is ... from top financial minds, to politicians to the general public, it's extremely complex."…
Click here for the full article…
FROM THE NCGOP PRESSROOM: PERDUE OUT OF TOUCH WITH THE MIDDLE CLASS
September 29, 2008
RALEIGH—Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue has already offended blue collar workers across North Carolina this month by suggesting that Pat McCrory's plan to expand vocational training at North Carolina's high schools and community colleges "harkens back to the old low expectations." (WRAL Debate, 9/9/08)
On Friday, Beverly Perdue discussed the current economic crisis with the Greenville Daily Reflector. "North Carolinians can take comfort in knowing the major banks that make North Carolina their base of operations are stable, she said." (Burns, Bobby, "Bev Perdue drops by," 9/29/08) Today, Wachovia was bought out by Citigroup in a deal brokered by the FDIC.
Perdue, while speaking of job losses in North Carolina, also said the state was "fundamentally healthy and on the right track." (Burns, Bobby, "Bev Perdue drops by," 9/29/08)
August marked the eighth consecutive month of job losses in the state. The August unemployment rate of 6.9 percent marked the highest jobless rate since January 2002. ("NC unemployment rate reaches 6.9 percent," WRAL.com, 9/19/08)
A poll conducted by Civitas in September found that 48 percent of North Carolinians feel the state is on the wrong track while only 35 percent believe the state is headed in the right direction. (September 2008 Decisionmaker Poll, 9/24/08)
Chairman Linda Daves, North Carolina Republican Party, made the following statement:
"When it comes to the struggles of ordinary people, Beverly Perdue just doesn't get it. Locked behind closed doors as part of the power elite in state government over the last eight years, Perdue has been blind to the afflictions of real North Carolinians. As job losses continue to mount, state debt explodes out of control, and tax policies become even more unfriendly to small businesses, Beverly Perdue just keeps advocating more of the same. We need a governor who is willing to engage the people, learn their struggles, and address the problems we face. Over the last eight years, Perdue has failed to offer that kind of leadership."
BROKEN RECORD
The North Carolina Republican Party released a new web video today entitled, "Broken Record." As Beverly Perdue continues to highlight her record from her twenty-two year career in state government, voters should know the facts about her failures of leadership.
FROM THE NCGOP BLOG: Obama Fact Check on Tax Increases
September 29, 2008
At Friday’s Debate, Obama Denied Voting To Raise Taxes On People Making As Little As $42,000 Per Year
At Friday's Debate, Barack Obama Said It Was "Not True" That He Voted To Raise Taxes On Those Making As Little As $42,000 A Year. JOHN MCCAIN: "But again, Senator Obama has shifted on a number of occasions. He has voted in the United States Senate to increase taxes on people who make as low as $42,000 a year." BARACK OBAMA: "That's not true, John. That's not true." MCCAIN: "And that's just a fact. Again, you can look it up." OBAMA: "Look, it's just not true." (Presidential Debate, Oxford, MS, 9/26/08)
FACT CHECK: "McCain Was Right" That Barack Obama Voted To Raise Taxes On Those Making Just $42,000
Barack Obama Voted Twice In Favor Of The Democrats' FY 2009 Budget Resolution That Would Raise Taxes On Those Making Just $42,000 A Year. (S. Con. Res. 70, CQ Vote #85: Adopted 51-44: R 2-43; D 47-1; I 2-0, 3/14/08, Obama Voted Yea; S. Con. Res. 70, CQ Vote #142: Adopted 48- 45: R 2- 44; D 44- 1; I 2-0, 6/4/08, Obama Voted Yea)
· In March 2008, Obama Hailed His Vote For The Budget As Making "Significant Progress In Getting Our Nation's Priorities Back On Track." Obama: "The budget passed by the Senate tonight makes significant progress in getting our nation's priorities back on track. ... We need change in this country, and this budget is an important step in helping bring it about." (Sen. Barack Obama, "Obama Statement On The Senate's Passage Of The FY 2009 Budget," Press Release, obama.senate.gov, 3/14/08)
FactCheck.org: Barack Obama Did Vote For Higher Taxes On People Making $42,000 Despite Saying The Opposite. "Obama denied voting for a bill that called for increased taxes on 'people' making as little as $42,000 a year, as McCain accused him of doing. McCain was right, though only for single taxpayers." ("FactChecking Debate No. 1," FactCheck.org, http://www.factcheck.org/, 9/27/08)
· "Yes, As We’ve Said Before, Obama Did In Fact Vote For A Budget Resolution That Called For Higher Federal Income Tax Rates On A Single, Non-Homeowner Who Earned As Little As $42,000 Per Year." ("FactChecking Debate No. 1," FactCheck.org, http://www.factcheck.org/, 9/27/08)
National Rifle Association Endorses Robin Hayes for Congress
Hayes Earns Coveted “A” Rating from Sportsmen and Gun Owners
Press Release
October 1, 2008
Concord, NC - Today the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund endorsed Congressman Robin Hayes (NC-08) for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
“On Behalf of our nearly four million members of the National Rifle Association, the NRA Political Victory Fund is proud to endorse Robin Hayes’ candidacy for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in the eighth congressional district of North Carolina,” said Charles H. Cunningham, Director of Federal Affairs for the NRA Political Victory Fund.
“During his tenure in the House, Robin Hayes consistently supported the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen demonstrating a strong commitment to the Second Amendment and our hunting heritage,” said Cunningham. “Based on his solidly pro-gun/pro-hunting voting record in Congress, as well as his responses to our Federal candidate questionnaire, Robin Hayes has earned an ‘A’ rating and endorsement from the NRA-PVF. We urge our members and all other gun owners and sportsmen in the eighth congressional district of North Carolina to vote for Congressman Hayes’ reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives.”
Hayes said he is ‘honored’ to have the support of the National Rifle Association.
“I am honored to have the support of an organization devoted to the protection of gun-owners rights and the 2nd Amendment,” said Hayes. “This year, we won a major victory when the Supreme Court affirmed that there is a personal right to keep and bear arms for self defense. But there is still more work to be done, and I will continue to work hard in Congress to support the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding gun-owners, hunters, and sportsmen.”
Hayes has also earned endorsements from the US Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, the National Right to Life, the North Carolina Troopers Association, the National Vietnam & Gulf War Veterans Coalition, Veterans for Freedom, Team America PAC, the American Golf Star Mothers Association, the POW/MIA Grassroots Association, Vietnam Veterans of North Carolina, and the Metrolina Vietnam Veterans Association
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