NCGOP E-Letter - July 30, 2008

JOHN MCCAIN: COURAGEOUS SERVICE

MCCRORY WORKS EASTERN N.C.

By Rob Christensen
News & Observer
July 30, 2008

CLINTON - Republican gubernatorial candidates like Pat McCrory have found eastern North Carolina politically barren.

One GOP gubernatorial candidate after another has stumbled in the sandy soil -- beaten by homegrown Democratic candidates, a Democratic tradition dating to the Civil War, and the state's largest black population.

But during his first extended swing through the coastal plain, McCrory, the Charlotte mayor, showed a populist touch that he hopes will connect with rural and small town voters. On Tuesday he was in New Bern, giving a tough anti-crime talk to a sheriffs' conference after spending much of last week in the region….

At a meeting room in a Piggly-Wiggly grocery in Clinton last week, McCrory said his wife -- a reluctant political spouse -- had developed a sudden interest in her husband's being elected governor after hearing about first lady Mary Easley's expensive European jaunts.

"My wife said, 'You know what? Maybe I'm really looking forward to you being governor because I hear the first lady can take trips to Italy by herself," McCrory said. "I said, 'No, it's not going to happen.' "

McCrory talks not only about Mary Easley's trips but about "academic elites" who don't want the community colleges to train electricians and other tradespeople. He warns of the "arrogance" of Raleigh, where he says five or six people run state government almost like "a secret society." And he says state government is not tough enough on criminals or illegal immigrants….

"I believe the ticket of Obama-Hagan-Perdue is far more to the left of the basic values of the people of North Carolina," McCrory told about 50 people last week in Clinton….

McCrory said he is preaching the same message across the state, emphasizing kitchen table issues such as supporting offshore oil and gas drilling and reducing the high school drop out rate.

"I don't think the voters really care where you come from," McCrory said, "but what you plan to do and what kind of leader you are."

Click here for the full article…

FROM THE BLOG: OBAMA POLICY A DISASTER FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

By Linda Daves
Chairman, North Carolina Republican Party

Barack Obama is offering more of the typical class warfare rhetoric employed by Democrat politicians this year on the campaign trail. Even while preaching his belief in a message of "unity" and campaigning on "change," he follows the same, tired Democrat political playbook to divide us according to the number on our pay stubs. It won't work this time. Voters are wise to this divisive tactic. When we look at who will actually be harmed by Obama's policy proposals on the economy, we know it won't be the rich. After all, those with plenty of money can make up for any new tax hikes Obama may propose.

Who will be harmed then? The answer is regular folks. With Obama increasing the top marginal tax rate, millions of small businesses who choose to file as individual income earners will be directly harmed. This is no small harm as Obama's plan would reduce the after-tax income for these small businesses from 55.4 cents on the dollar to 37.2 cents, a one-third reduction in after-tax income. Small businesses will then face the choice to either cut one-third of their costs or lay off one-third of their workers. Small business is the engine for job creation in North Carolina and across the country. In tough economic times and a declining jobs market, we need to enact economic policies that will help these businesses find their way to prosperity instead of placing government as the obstacle in their path….

Click here for the full article…

FROM THE PRESS ROOM: AT END OF SHORT SESSION, DEMOCRATS SHOW TRUE COLORS

NCGOP Press Release
July 29, 2008

RALEIGH—As the aftermath of this year's short session of the General Assembly is still being evaluated, the Democrat leadership in the N.C. House and Senate illuminated their thoughts on the process and their beliefs about fairness.

"(Legislators) could not agree on a bail-out for the health plan that serves roughly 650,000 state employees, teachers, retirees and their families. Those on the N.C. State Health Plan will have to worry whether their co-payments for services could be increased this year if the plan's finances deteriorate.

'We'll just deal with it on a week-to-week, month-to-month basis,' said House Majority Leader Hugh Holliman, a Lexington Democrat. 'If we get into real trouble we'll just have a special session.' …

At one point, state Sen. Richard Stevens, a Cary Republican, questioned the fairness of legislation that allowed Gov. Mike Easley to take $1 million from any state agency to devote to his Learn and Earn initiative that allows high school students to get a four-year college degree tuition free. Stevens asked why the money couldn't come from the Department of Public Instruction's budget.

Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand quickly rebuffed him.

'Because we're going to adjourn in a few minutes, and that's what it says,' said Rand, a Fayetteville Democrat.

The legislation passed both chambers a short time later. …" (Kane, Dan, Lynn Bonner, and Ryan Teague Beckwith, "Legislators end hectic session," News & Observer, July 19, 2008)

"Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, said lawmakers will take up any unresolved issues in January, when the next session of the Legislature convenes.

'The world won't end between now and then,' Rand said. 'I'll be ready to go.'" ("N.C. Legislature pushing hard to leave Friday," Fayetteville Observer, July 18, 2008)

Chairman Linda Daves, North Carolina Republican Party, made the following statement:

"The brazen incompetence and failures of Tony Rand, Hugh Holliman, and the Democrat leadership in the General Assembly has gone on for long enough. It is clear that the balance of power in Raleigh is concentrated in too few hands. The good-old boy politics, with a wink and a nod, the strong arm tactics, and the silence of all opposition is impeding progress in our state. The people of North Carolina should not have to pay the price for Democrat letdowns and arrogance any longer. I do hope we will see more progress in the next session of the General Assembly, but we will only be able to move our state forward if more members of the entrenched Democrat power structure aren't back to stand in the way."

From the blog: Why Drilling Works

By Chris McClure
Executive Director, North Carolina Republican Party

It's not exactly rocket science, but it is worthy of explanation why drilling for oil now can reduce prices at the pump right away. The reason for this is that even though the oil will not be available right away, the impact on future markets will be felt right away. Right now, foreign oil producers are not pumping oil at maximum rates because they would prefer to sell oil at an even higher price as oil continues on an upward pricing trend. Why sell oil now at $150 a barrel when next year that same oil may be worth $200 a barrel? However, if an oil producer knows the market will soon be transformed by an increased supply of oil due to expanded drilling in the United States, then the decision to hold back oil from the market is no longer as lucrative. As oil producing countries begin to pump more oil to sell at the current market price, the overall supply of oil goes up while demand remains basically static. This causes prices to drop right away and lowers the burden for North Carolina families. That is the argument that Republicans are making. We can reduce gas prices in the short term and work toward cleaner, more efficient energy in the future. As we work toward ending our dependence on foreign oil forever through the use of new technologies and transitioning to alternative sources of energy, why not give hardworking North Carolinians a little help at the pump? Democrats need to answer that question instead of continuing to stand in the way of progress. North Carolinians will welcome debate on how best to end our dependency on foreign oil in the years to come. Right now, they just want a little relief at the pump.

Click here to visit the NCGOP Seeing Red Again blog…

A Defining Week for Congress

By Rep. John Boehner
RealClearPolitics
July 28, 2008

The final week before the August district work period is typically among the busiest of all for Congress - and usually one during which major legislation is passed in advance of the lengthy recess away from Washington. The pressure is on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Barack Obama (D-IL), and their colleagues in the Democratic leadership to carry on that tradition this week by bringing to the floor of each chamber comprehensive legislation that increases production of American energy to address the number one issue on the minds of the American people: the rising cost of gasoline.

Today begins a defining week for Congress. All year long, gas prices have soared as a result of misguided Washington policies. Even with the small recent dip since President Bush ended the executive ban on deepwater drilling far off our shores (a ban that Congress also needs to lift in order for critical energy production to take place in the oil-and gas-rich Outer Continental Shelf), families and small businesses know we will never see $2 or even $3 per gallon gasoline until the Democratic Majority signals real support for American-made energy to lower gas prices. Over the next five days, Congress has a chance to make this commitment - but only if Democratic leaders allow it.

Throughout the summer, Republicans have asked for a vote on an "all of the above" energy strategy built on increased exploration, conservation, and innovation - the reforms Americans solidly support in poll after poll. And throughout the summer, the Democratic leaders of Congress have made every excuse to block a vote - all at the behest of a tiny band of radical special-interest groups that support high gas prices and aim to keep America's vast energy resources under lock-and-key. Speaker Peosi plainly stated in a recent CNN interview, in fact, that when it comes to allowing a vote on the reforms the American people expect and support, she has "no plans to do so." ...

Last week, House Republicans transformed our "all of the above" plan into a single piece of legislation: the American Energy Act, which encourages conservation and efficiency, promotes alternative forms of energy such as biofuels and nuclear, and increases production of American energy far offshore, on federal lands in the Inter-Mountain West, and in remote areas of Alaska's North Slope. This bill would pass Congress with a strong, bipartisan majority right now ... if only it was put to a simple up-or-down vote.

If the Democratic Majority refuses to allow a vote later this week on the American Energy Act, House Republicans will stand firmly against a vote to adjourn for the August break. Prior to a lengthy recess, the adjournment vote is usually cast without a second thought. But this week, that vote could mean much, much more. A vote to adjourn without increasing production of American energy to bring down gas prices will be a vote against the American people and a vote against American energy independence. It will be a vote against increased energy exploration, conservation, and innovation. And yes, it will be a vote against lower gas prices - and for continued and dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

Just as this is a defining week for this "drill-nothing" Congress, the adjournment vote could be a defining one for the Democratic Majority. Casting a "yea" or "nay" on that vote would be the difference between heeding the calls of the American people, who strongly support more American-made energy to reduce gas prices, or continuing to defy their will by leaving town for five weeks of politics and vacations - and leaving them to fend for themselves amid energy costs that will only soar higher this fall and beyond.

John Boehner is a United States Representative from Ohio and the Republican leader in the U.S. House.

Click here for the full article…

Obama Policy a Disaster for Small Businesses

By Linda Daves
Chairman, North Carolina Republican Party

Barack Obama is offering more of the typical class warfare rhetoric employed by Democrat politicians this year on the campaign trail. Even while preaching his belief in a message of "unity" and campaigning on "change," he follows the same, tired Democrat political playbook to divide us according to the number on our pay stubs. It won't work this time. Voters are wise to this divisive tactic. When we look at who will actually be harmed by Obama's policy proposals on the economy, we know it won't be the rich. After all, those with plenty of money can make up for any new tax hikes Obama may propose.

Who will be harmed then? The answer is regular folks. With Obama increasing the top marginal tax rate, millions of small businesses who choose to file as individual income earners will be directly harmed. This is no small harm as Obama's plan would reduce the after-tax income for these small businesses from 55.4 cents on the dollar to 37.2 cents, a one-third reduction in after-tax income. Small businesses will then face the choice to either cut one-third of their costs or lay off one-third of their workers. Small business is the engine for job creation in North Carolina and across the country. In tough economic times and a declining jobs market, we need to enact economic policies that will help these businesses find their way to prosperity instead of placing government as the obstacle in their path.


Obamanomics Is a Recipe for Recession

By Michael J. Boskin
The Wall Street Journal
July 29, 2008

What if I told you that a prominent global political figure in recent months has proposed: abrogating key features of his government's contracts with energy companies; unilaterally renegotiating his country's international economic treaties; dramatically raising marginal tax rates on the "rich" to levels not seen in his country in three decades (which would make them among the highest in the world); and changing his country's social insurance system into explicit welfare by severing the link between taxes and benefits?

The first name that came to mind would probably not be Barack Obama, possibly our nation's next president. Yet despite his obvious general intelligence, and uplifting and motivational eloquence, Sen. Obama reveals this startling economic illiteracy in his policy proposals and economic pronouncements. From the property rights and rule of (contract) law foundations of a successful market economy to the specifics of tax, spending, energy, regulatory and trade policy, if the proposals espoused by candidate Obama ever became law, the American economy would suffer a serious setback. …


First, taxes. The table nearby demonstrates what could happen to marginal tax rates in an Obama administration. Mr. Obama would raise the top marginal rates on earnings, dividends and capital gains passed in 2001 and 2003, and phase out itemized deductions for high income taxpayers. He would uncap Social Security taxes, which currently are levied on the first $102,000 of earnings. The result is a remarkable reduction in work incentives for our most economically productive citizens.


The top 35% marginal income tax rate rises to 39.6%; adding the state income tax, the Medicare tax, the effect of the deduction phase-out and Mr. Obama's new Social Security tax (of up to 12.4%) increases the total combined marginal tax rate on additional labor earnings (or small business income) from 44.6% to a whopping 62.8%. People respond to what they get to keep after tax, which the Obama plan reduces from 55.4 cents on the dollar to 37.2 cents -- a reduction of one-third in the after-tax wage!


Despite the rhetoric, that's not just on "rich" individuals. It's also on a lot of small businesses and two-earner middle-aged middle-class couples in their peak earnings years in high cost-of-living areas. (His large increase in energy taxes, not documented here, would disproportionately harm low-income Americans. And, while he says he will not raise taxes on the middle class, he'll need many more tax hikes to pay for his big increase in spending.) …

Why Drilling Works

By Chris McClure
Executive Director, North Carolina Republican Party

It's not exactly rocket science, but it is worthy of explanation why drilling for oil now can reduce prices at the pump right away. The reason for this is that even though the oil will not be available right away, the impact on future markets will be felt right away. Right now, foreign oil producers are not pumping oil at maximum rates because they would prefer to sell oil at an even higher price as oil continues on an upward pricing trend. Why sell oil now at $150 a barrel when next year that same oil may be worth $200 a barrel? However, if an oil producer knows the market will soon be transformed by an increased supply of oil due to expanded drilling in the United States, then the decision to hold back oil from the market is no longer as lucrative. As oil producing countries begin to pump more oil to sell at the current market price, the overall supply of oil goes up while demand remains basically static. This causes prices to drop right away and lowers the burden for North Carolina families. That is the argument that Republicans are making. We can reduce gas prices in the short term and work toward cleaner, more efficient energy in the future. As we work toward ending our dependence on foreign oil forever through the use of new technologies and transitioning to alternative sources of energy, why not give hardworking North Carolinians a little help at the pump? Democrats need to answer that question instead of continuing to stand in the way of progress. North Carolinians will welcome debate on how best to end our dependency on foreign oil in the years to come. Right now, they just want a little relief at the pump.

ICYMI: A Defining Week for Congress

By Rep. John Boehner
RealClearPolitics
July 28, 2008

The final week before the August district work period is typically among the busiest of all for Congress - and usually one during which major legislation is passed in advance of the lengthy recess away from Washington. The pressure is on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Barack Obama (D-IL), and their colleagues in the Democratic leadership to carry on that tradition this week by bringing to the floor of each chamber comprehensive legislation that increases production of American energy to address the number one issue on the minds of the American people: the rising cost of gasoline.

Today begins a defining week for Congress. All year long, gas prices have soared as a result of misguided Washington policies. Even with the small recent dip since President Bush ended the executive ban on deepwater drilling far off our shores (a ban that Congress also needs to lift in order for critical energy production to take place in the oil-and gas-rich Outer Continental Shelf), families and small businesses know we will never see $2 or even $3 per gallon gasoline until the Democratic Majority signals real support for American-made energy to lower gas prices. Over the next five days, Congress has a chance to make this commitment - but only if Democratic leaders allow it.

Throughout the summer, Republicans have asked for a vote on an "all of the above" energy strategy built on increased exploration, conservation, and innovation - the reforms Americans solidly support in poll after poll. And throughout the summer, the Democratic leaders of Congress have made every excuse to block a vote - all at the behest of a tiny band of radical special-interest groups that support high gas prices and aim to keep America's vast energy resources under lock-and-key. Speaker Peosi plainly stated in a recent CNN interview, in fact, that when it comes to allowing a vote on the reforms the American people expect and support, she has "no plans to do so." ...


Last week, House Republicans transformed our "all of the above" plan into a single piece of legislation: the American Energy Act, which encourages conservation and efficiency, promotes alternative forms of energy such as biofuels and nuclear, and increases production of American energy far offshore, on federal lands in the Inter-Mountain West, and in remote areas of Alaska's North Slope. This bill would pass Congress with a strong, bipartisan majority right now ... if only it was put to a simple up-or-down vote.

If the Democratic Majority refuses to allow a vote later this week on the American Energy Act, House Republicans will stand firmly against a vote to adjourn for the August break. Prior to a lengthy recess, the adjournment vote is usually cast without a second thought. But this week, that vote could mean much, much more. A vote to adjourn without increasing production of American energy to bring down gas prices will be a vote against the American people and a vote against American energy independence. It will be a vote against increased energy exploration, conservation, and innovation. And yes, it will be a vote against lower gas prices - and for continued and dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

Just as this is a defining week for this "drill-nothing" Congress, the adjournment vote could be a defining one for the Democratic Majority. Casting a "yea" or "nay" on that vote would be the difference between heeding the calls of the American people, who strongly support more American-made energy to reduce gas prices, or continuing to defy their will by leaving town for five weeks of politics and vacations - and leaving them to fend for themselves amid energy costs that will only soar higher this fall and beyond.

John Boehner is a United States Representative from Ohio and the Republican leader in the U.S. House.

Click here for the full article: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/07/a_defining_week_for_congress.html

NCGOP E-Letter - July 23, 2008

VETERANS PUSH FOR JOHN MCCAIN IN RALEIGH

Associated Press
July 22, 2008

RALEIGH, N.C. - Veterans backing John McCain are calling on North Carolina voters to consider the Republican candidate's military experience when making their pick for president.

About three dozen supporters gathered Tuesday at the Legislative Building in Raleigh to highlight McCain's Navy background. They also trounced Democrat Barack Obama's qualifications to be commander in chief.

West Point graduate and Army veteran Kate Kohler said the next president should offer the country good judgment and tested military experience - not merely hope….

Click here for the full article…

McCRORY MEETS THE PRESS
Governor wannabes meet the press

By Nelda Holder
Mountain Xpress News
July 23, 2008

The Democratic and Republican candidates for governor of North Carolina presented themselves and their platforms to a roomful of reporters and editors from around the state on July 18 during the N.C. Press Association’s summer convention. Afterward the two answered questions, touching on various issues.

Pat McCrory: The Charlotte mayor said that state government is plagued by an “inaccessible” culture and run by a “small power elite.” He pledged he would seek better transportation and energy planning, among other changes. “This is what the people have been telling me,” said Republican Pat McCrory, now in his 12th year as mayor of Charlotte. “First, the current culture of state government is inaccessible,” with a “small power elite that seems to run the state while at times ignoring parts of the state.”

Second, North Carolina’s high-school dropout rate hovers around 30 percent, while “manufacturers cannot find qualified labor” and “gangs have been infiltrating schools and neighborhoods.” The criminal-justice system has failed to deal with the problem, he added. “We should have been working on [this] for a long time.”

Gas prices and utility bills are causing a “tremendous strain” on family budgets, and North Carolina “must take a leadership role” regarding energy policy, said the candidate. He promised an energy initiative that would include planning for conservation, land-use policy, conversion to alternative energy, requirements for higher-efficiency buildings, and tax incentives for energy-saving homeowners and businesses. McCrory, who worked for Duke Power for some 28 years, cited the coal-fired Cliffside power plant now under development near Charlotte and the state’s historic use of nuclear power as steps toward energy self-sufficiency, as well as potential wind and offshore-oil resources. …

McCrory also outlined an expansive vision for transportation planning, vowing to “take the politics out of transportation. We should be appointing the DOT board based on their expertise.”e

Click here for the full article…

HAGAN CONTRADICTED

The NRSC
July 22, 2008

Kay Hagan claims she'll work across party lines, but her record in the State senate proves otherwise. Doug Clark of News & Record said that Democrats in the State senate "denied Republicans the chance to debate their budget." (News & Record, June 25, 2008) And, the News & Observer reported "year after year, leaders in the Democrat-controlled state Senate use the rules to close off debate and limit budget amendments." (News & Observer, June 19, 2008)

"You only need to look at the kind of state Senator I've been for the last 10 years to see what kind of U.S. Senator I'll be."

- Kay Hagan

http://www.SayNayToKay.com

MCHENRY NAMED “HERO OF THE TAXPAYER”

Press Release
July 21, 2008

Congressman Patrick McHenry recently received the “Hero of the Taxpayer” award by the nation’s leading taxpayer advocacy group, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR).

“Commitment and dedication to taxpayer’s interests, has been imperative in the fight against excessive taxation in the 1^st session of the 110^th Congress,” said Grover Norquist, President of ATR. “These Congressional ratings allow taxpayers to see, when it comes to their hard-earned money, exactly who the heroes and the ‘villains’ are in Congress. It is clear that Patrick McHenry has proven to be a hero.”…

“I have never voted for a tax increase on Western North Carolina families and never will. With a federal budget that is expected to grow to $3.1 trillion next year, there is no reason why the federal government can’t meet its obligations, and then some, without raising taxes,” Congressman McHenry stated.

Click here for the full article…

SHORT SESSION DISPLAYS DEMOCRAT FAILURES
Wait ‘Till Next Year

By Tom Campbell
NC Spin
July 17, 2008

Legislative adjournment may signal relief to some but to many more it is another year of frustration. The purpose of the so-called “short session” of The General Assembly was to adjust the budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1, but in years past this session has produced some significant legislation. Not this year.

What we witnessed was a system out of control, especially in our Senate. A handful of Senators made decisions behind closed doors and shoved them through to approval with only token opposition from other Democrats, who supposedly hold majority control. …

Even more offensive was the unwillingness to address North Carolina’s serious issues. The list is long. One-third of our ninth-graders drop out of school before graduating. The Mental Health reforms the legislature passed in 2001 are a disgraceful failure. Our roads are crumbling and congested. Schools need to be built, water and sewer systems need replacement and expansion, many of our bridges are structurally unsound and we are trying to pay for public needs with a tax code that is woefully out of date. Our courts and criminal justice system scream for modernization, sentencing reform, fixing the parole system, and we have waited over a year for leadership from our legislature as to what to do about resuming executions of those on death row. The state’s economy is softening and state revenue projections have been adjusted downward, while our legislature passed a record $21.4 billion budget.

We deserve better. We need more openness in government and we need more leadership from our legislature in solving problems. … The people of North Carolina deserve better than “Wait ‘til Next Year.”

Click here for the full article…

FROM THE PRESS ROOM: OBAMA FAILS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TEST AGAIN

NCGOP Press Release
July 22, 2008

RALEIGH— Last night, Barack Obama in an interview with Terry Moran of ABC News refused to recognize the success of the surge, or articulate support for the strategy – even after its universally reported success.

ABC's Terry Moran: "This is Obama’s second trip to Iraq. His first was in January 2006 when the country was plunged into horrific violence. But the surge of U.S. troops, combined with ordinary Iraqi’s rejection of both Al Qaeda and Shiite extremists have transformed the country. Attacks are down more than 80% nationwide. U.S. combat casualties have plummeted. Five this month so far, compared with 78 last July. And Baghdad has a pulse again. If you had to do it over again, knowing what you know now, would you – would you support the surge?"

Barack Obama: "No, because – keep in mind that –"

Moran: "You wouldn't?"

Obama: "Well, no, keep – these kinds of hypotheticals are very difficult. Hindsight is 20/20. But I think what I am absolutely convinced of is that at that time, we had to change the political debate, because the view of the Bush Administration at that time was one that I just disagreed with."

Watch interview excerpt with Barack Obama from ABC's "World News Tonight":

Chairman Linda Daves, North Carolina Republican Party, made the following statement:

"It is clear now that Barack Obama's foreign policy judgment is shaped not by the facts on the ground but on his standing in the polls. When John McCain called for a change in strategy in Iraq and supported the surge, he said losing an election was not as important to him as winning in Iraq. Not so for Obama. Obama would rather see failure in Iraq than admit that he was wrong to oppose the surge. This issue exposes Barack Obama's poor judgment and is an indictment on his ability to lead America as Commander-in-Chief.”

Obama's Judgment in Question on the Surge

Various members of the media are now openly questioning Barack Obama's judgment as he continues to oppose the troop surge strategy in the face of the universally recognized success of that strategy.

Media respond to Obama saying that he would still oppose the troop surge in Iraq:

Politico’s Jonathan Martin: “To have said anything other than ‘no,’ would've brought further howls of "flip-flop" and no small amount of grief from his base. But the CW on the Surge has gotten to a point where "no" is tough to explain.”

FOX’s Major Garrett: “Obama, who told CBS on Sunday, that he ‘never’ has doubts about his foreign policy, is in no way re-evaluating the surge or what he did or did not anticipate would arise from it. This may give fodder to John McCain’s camp and other skeptics of Obama’s approach to military tactics, strategic thinking and the ability to adapt his own views to unexpected events.”

ABC’s Sneak Peak: “Barack Obama told ABC News' Terry Moran today in Baghdad that he still opposes the troop surge in Iraq and said that he was ‘absolutely convinced’ at the time last year that the political debate on the issue had to change.”

Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder: “Sen. Barack Obama said it was ‘fair’ to notice that he did not anticipate that the surge of U.S. troops into Iraq would be coincident with the so-called Sunni Awakening and the decisions of Shia militias to reduce their footprints, the combination of which led to measurable declines in violence.”

Washington Post’s Dan Balz: “Obama's opposition to the troop ‘surge’ that has helped quell violence and U.S. casualties -- and that McCain vociferously supported -- leaves plenty of room for further questions about his judgment at that moment.”

In Case You Missed It: Washington Times – "The movement is over"

The Obama movement

Editorial
Washington Times
July 22, 2008,

Barack Obama no longer appears to be the leader of a movement that will herald a "new kind of politics"; he is instead just another candidate running for office.

During the last six weeks, Mr. Obama has erred in making unabashed flips-flops. Despite the increased attention he is currently receiving on his overseas tour, American voters are beginning to see beyond the glitter that the talented speaker dispensed throughout the Democratic primaries and caucuses. Mr. Obama's poll ratings are the lowest since he clinched the nomination in early June, Rasmussen reported. …

Why has Mr. Obama's support eroded in such a short time? There are two factors that are now working against him.

The first is that he has given his Republican opponent vital ammunition. Throughout the Democratic primaries and caucuses, Mr. Obama was especially skillful at preventing Mrs. Clinton from dragging him down from his lofty pronouncements; he did not take her bait by engaging in conventional political attacks and counter attacks. In essence, he killed her candidacy with kindness. Soon after, he began to reverse or "refine" his position on key issues - such as NAFTA, the war on terror, campaign financing, faith-based initiatives, partial-birth abortion, FISA and gun control. He can now be tagged by Mr. McCain as inconsistent and deceptive.

The second factor is that the Iraq surge, which Mr. Obama predicted would fail, is in fact working and is stabilizing Iraq. Thus, his judgment as commander in chief is increasingly in doubt.

Mr. Obama had achieved a hard-earned and high level of trust among American voters -and yet, he foolishly and recklessly squandered it. The movement is over.

Click here for the full article: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jul/22/the-obama-movement

NCGOP E-Letter - July 16, 2008

FROM THE PRESS ROOM: NCGOP HONORS CONGRESSMAN HOWARD COBLE

NCGOP Press Release
July 15, 2008

RALEIGH—Congressman Howard Coble has been representing North Carolina's Sixth District in Washington since 1984. Today, he will pass former Senator Jim Broyhill as the longest serving House Republican in our state's history.

Chairman Linda Daves, North Carolina Republican Party, made the following statement:

"I want to congratulate Congressman Coble on his historic achievement. Since the time of his first election to Congress, he has provided stalwart conservative leadership in Washington. He has also been a visionary on copyright laws and technological issues. Congressman Coble's tireless service on behalf of his constituents has become well known throughout the Sixth District and helped him to gain re-election eleven times. We look forward to sending Congressman Coble back to Washington this November to continue his admirable service in the U.S. House."

NC REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL OFFICIALS SUPPORT OFFSHORE DRILLING

After President Bush lifted the executive order that banned offshore drilling, many Republican Congressional representatives from North Carolina joined in support.

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx

"With the elimination of the executive ban on drilling on the Outer Continental

Shelf it is now up to Congress to give coastal states the ability to develop new sources of domestic energy. Until Congress lifts its ban on drilling, billions of barrels of American oil remain under lock and key….”

Click here for Representative Foxx’s full press release…

Congressman Robin Hayes

"I applaud the President's decision to lift the Executive Order prohibiting offshore domestic oil production, and frankly I wish he had taken this action sooner," said

Hayes. "Now the burden is entirely on Congress to take action on this issue and many people believe there are a majority of votes in the House of Representatives to approve increased production as well….”

Congresswoman Sue Myrick

"It's about time," said Rep. Myrick, who in June called on President Bush to lift the moratorium. "I'm glad that he's done his part to make our coasts available for off-shore drilling instead of just talking about it. Now it's up to Congress to pass legislation that does the same."

Congressman Patrick McHenry

“I’m continuing to fight for lower gas prices and American energy independence by supporting efforts to overturn federal bans on drilling for American energy resources and making investments in the development of alternative energy sources, including clean coal, nuclear, solar and wind,” McHenry said. “Unfortunately, the Democrat majority has blocked these efforts at every turn.”

Click here for the full article on Representative McHenry…

REPUBLICAN SENATORS DOLE, BURR SUPPORT OFFSHORE DRILLING

North Carolina’s two senators are co-sponsors of legislation that would lift the ban on offshore drilling. Senators Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr are supporting lifting the ban after President Bush lifted an executive order this week.

Senator Elizabeth Dole

"The solution to our energy crisis is finding more and using less. Families struggling with record high gas prices can't afford for Congress to keep energy exploration options off the table."

Click here for Senator Dole's full press release…

Senator Richard Burr

"Four-dollar-a-gallon gasoline has affected every family in North Carolina, and it is time for the Democrat Leadership in Congress to stop blocking action and pass long-term energy legislation like The Gas Price Reduction Act, which I have cosponsored. This legislation would lift the congressional moratorium on Outer Continental Shelf exploration by giving states the ability to opt in on energy exploration off their coasts. We need a comprehensive approach to this energy crisis that allows us to find more and use less."

Click here for Senator Burr's full press release…

FROM THE BLOG: WHAT KIND OF BULLYING IS OK?

By Chris McClure
Executive Director, North Carolina Republican Party
July 15, 2008

The House and Senate will likely be voting on a bill today that will require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies that identify bullying as acts that may be based on a person's race, religion, physical appearance, or sexual orientation.

Am I missing something? Is defining "bullying" really a necessary job of the General Assembly? Are there school districts out there that are unwilling to punish bullying?

This is typical of Democrats to waste the state legislature's time fixing problems that don't exist by inserting themselves into decisions that are best made at the local level. Of course, bullying should be punished but it should be punished by local school districts, not meddlesome legislators in Raleigh on a power trip. By the way, isn't all bullying wrong even if it does not come within the guidelines of this definition? Would Democrats care to point out for me what types of bullying are acceptable? Are we suddenly to believe that bullying to steal lunch money or to make another kid do your homework is alright?

This is just the kind of bill that takes power out of the hands of local school officials and places it the hands of politicians in Raleigh by substituting their wisdom for the wisdom of teachers and school administrators. With so little wisdom to go around here in Raleigh, Democrats should save it for other endeavors.

Anti-bullying bill ready at General Assembly

RALEIGH, N.C. — The House and Senate are poised to take up a compromise school bullying prevention bill that restores a list of potential bullying activities.

Lawmakers who served as negotiators between competing versions of the measure have completed their work. Final votes in each chamber are expected Tuesday.

The House approved a version last year requiring school districts to adopt anti-bullying and harassment policies. The bill identified potential bullying acts as those that may be based on a person's race, religion, physical appearance or sexual orientation. …

Click here for the full article…

NC DEBT KEEPS RISING WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL

By Gary D. Robertson
Associated Press
July 14, 2008

RALEIGH, N.C. - The General Assembly is forever in debt to a 1991 court opinion that allowed North Carolina governments to approve certain types of borrowing without voter approval.

If this year's budget bill is signed into law by Gov. Mike Easley, opponents of that type of debt are worried North Carolina's lawmakers may be tempted to refrain forever from traditional borrowing.

This year, the Legislature went on a borrowing spree in the budget, authorizing $857 million in debt over the next four years. That's the largest amount ever approved in one year without requiring a public vote. Most of the borrowing is so-called "special indebtedness" that will pay for 1,500 prison beds, more than 15 university and state buildings, even an oyster hatchery and the renovation of the polar bear exhibit at the North Carolina Zoo.

"If the Legislature can authorize a billion dollars of debt without a vote, why would they ever offer another bond issue again?" asked John Hood of the conservative John Locke Foundation and a frequent critic of nonvoter approved debt….

But the "special indebtedness" is a way to build essential construction projects faster than possible when public approval is required, an important option as steel and concrete prices soar, according to proponents. The state's construction industry will get a shot in the arm and could generate as many as 20,000 jobs, lawmakers said.

"The contractors are hungry and the interest rates are low and we have a big new group of university students on the way," said House Speaker Joe Hackney, D-Orange. "Together with the stimulus effect, all that argues in favor with going ahead."…

Republicans who voted against the budget said they were disturbed by the amount of borrowing, as well as spending cash on planning for an additional $1 billion in future projects.

If lawmakers follow recent patterns, GOP legislators argue, these future projects should be paid for in the next year or two with even more nonvoter approved debt, ultimately leading to higher taxes to pay for it all.

"So we're now going to add (payment) requirements over $100 million to the next three or four years," said House Minority Whip Bill McGee, R-Forsyth. "I think problems are coming for the taxpayer."

For now, State Treasurer Richard Moore's office said borrowing levels remain fiscally sound, even with the debt in this year's budget. Moore's annual debt affordability study advised lawmakers could borrow on average $479.7 million annually for the next five years. The borrowing in the budget is spread out over time to keep below the cap….

Easley, who must decide by Friday whether to sign the budget bill into law, has wrestled in recent years with whether to support nonvoter approved borrowing. He asked legislative leaders in 2005 to require voters statewide to approve any borrowing more than $25 million, with exceptions for projects involving public health and safety. But his fellow Democrats in the Legislature ignored the idea….

Hood likened the nonvoter-approved borrowing in recent years to the frog that will jump out of a pot filled with boiling water, but fails to notice a slowly rising temperature until it's too late.

"I think the taxpayers are at the risk of being cooked," Hood said.

Click here for the full article…

OBAMA'S IRAQ PROBLEM: CHANGE THAT WORKS FOR HIM

What kind of bullying is OK?

By Chris McClure
Executive Director, North Carolina Republican Party

The House and Senate will likely be voting on a bill today that will require school districts to adopt anti-bullying policies that identify bullying as acts that may be based on a person's race, religion, physical appearance, or sexual orientation.

Am I missing something? Is defining "bullying" really a necessary job of the General Assembly? Are there school districts out there that are unwilling to punish bullying?

This is typical of Democrats to waste the state legislature's time fixing problems that don't exist by inserting themselves into decisions that are best made at the local level. Of course, bullying should be punished but it should be punished by local school districts, not meddlesome legislators in Raleigh on a power trip. By the way, isn't all bullying wrong even if it does not come within the guidelines of this definition? Would Democrats care to point out for me what types of bullying are acceptable? Are we suddenly to believe that bullying to steal lunch money or to make another kid do your homework is alright?

This is just the kind of bill that takes power out of the hands of local school officials and places it the hands of politicians in Raleigh by substituting their wisdom for the wisdom of teachers and school administrators. With so little wisdom to go around here in Raleigh, Democrats should save it for other endeavors.

Anti-bullying bill ready at General Assembly

RALEIGH, N.C. — The House and Senate are poised to take up a compromise school bullying prevention bill that restores a list of potential bullying activities.

Lawmakers who served as negotiators between competing versions of the measure have completed their work. Final votes in each chamber are expected Tuesday.

The House approved a version last year requiring school districts to adopt anti-bullying and harassment policies. The bill identified potential bullying acts as those that may be based on a person's race, religion, physical appearance or sexual orientation. …

Click here for the full story…
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/3207167

In Case You Missed It: Obama Will Tax & Spend Despite His Promises

Bill Bolling
Op-Ed
Richmond Times-Dispatch
July 14, 2008

Barack Obama's campaign has asked voters to ignore their candidate's brief and inconsistent record and listen instead to the "value" in his words. ...

[O]ne thing remains clear, under an Obama presidency hard-working Americans and small business owners will see their taxes rise, job creation and exports suffer, and government spending skyrocket when they can least afford it.

During the Democratic primary Obama pledged not to raise taxes on the middle class, saying, "I not only have pledged not to raise their taxes, I've been the first candidate in this race to specifically say I would cut their taxes."

BUT OBAMA'S voting record this year shows that when it was time for action, he broke his word. Obama voted twice in favor of the Democrats' fiscal 2009 budget resolution that would raise taxes on individuals earning as little as $31,850. In addition, a review of his record indicates that he has voted at least 94 times for higher taxes while in the U.S. Senate -- amounting to a vote for a tax increase once every five days that Congress has been in session. ...

[I]n May, a Wall Street Journal Asia editorial cast Obama as "the most protectionist U.S. presidential candidate in decades," reflecting his then-opposition to NAFTA, CAFTA, the South Korea and Colombia free-trade agreements, and normal trade relations with China.

But now, Obama says he believes in free trade and has recoiled from his pledge to reopen NAFTA, admitting his primary rhetoric was "overheated and amplified"...

It's easy to question Barack Obama's commitment to fiscal responsibility. All one has to do is look at the more than $930 million in pork-barrel spending projects Obama has requested in his three years in the U.S. Senate. By comparison, in more than 20 years in the Senate, John McCain has requested exactly zero dollars in pork.

Likewise, while Obama has said he would account for every dollar of new spending he proposes, he hasn't said where the money will come from. ...

Actions speak louder than words, and on the issues that matter most to Americans it's clear that Barack Obama has no credibility. ...

To View The Entire Article, Please Visit: http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/opinion.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-07-14-0004.html

ICYMI: Obama's frequent regrets may make us sorry

By Luke Boggs
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
July 10, 2008

Barack Obama just may be the most regretful figure in American politics, no small feat for a freshman senator.

On Wednesday, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said he regretted allowing his young daughters to participate in a family TV interview with "Access Hollywood."

It was an abrupt shift from decision to regret, even for Obama. The family sat down for the interview on July 4, and the first segment ran on July 8. By the next morning, Obama was saying he regretted including his daughters, even before the other two parts of the interview could air. …

So what jumped out at me was how quickly Obama regretted his decision. And that, in turn, made me wonder how often the senator has regretted other choices. Answer: pretty often. (Googling "Obama" and "regrets" yields more than a million hits.)

In November 2006, Obama said he regretted buying property adjacent to his Chicago home from Tony Rezko, a longtime supporter and big-time fund-raiser who has since been convicted of mail and wire fraud, aiding and abetting bribery and money laundering.

In February 2007, as his presidential campaign was beginning, Obama said he regretted saying that the lives of American soldiers who died fighting in Iraq had been "wasted."

In April 2008, Obama said he regretted his choice of words when he told some well-heeled donors in San Francisco that "bitter" folks in Middle America who have lost economic hope "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them."

To be sure, these are choices worth regretting. Anyone can understand why Obama would regret his land deal with a convicted felon. And even liberal Democrats like Obama have been careful not to say American lives have been "wasted" in Iraq, even as they imply the same thing when they dismiss the war effort as corrupt, inept, unnecessary and worse.

Obama's most costly regret, however, may well prove to be his condescending shot at those decent, hardworking Americans he said were desperately clinging to God and guns and bigotry. It was a regret-worthy statement that said volumes about Obama's easy contempt for those in what elites call "flyover country."

Perhaps the American people are looking for a regretful guy this time around. …

But I'm not so sure. After all, a lot of Americans understand that you don't get a bunch of easy do-overs in the Oval Office. You have to make tough calls, even when they may be politically costly.

I can't help wondering what Obama might regret in four years as president. What might he regret doing —- or not doing —- on the world stage? What might he regret saying —- or not saying —- to Putin or Kim Jong-il or Ahmadinejad?

Only time will tell. Depending on what happens in November, we may begin to find out next January. When we do, some voters may well have regrets of their own.

Click here to view the full article…
http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/stories/2008/07/10/boggsed.html

NCGOP E-Letter - July 9, 2008

Jesse Helms

Editorial
Dunn Daily Record
July 7, 2008

Unlike so many in politics, Jesse Helms understood the responsibility that comes with public office. He therefore refused to compromise on matters of principal.

He wasn't about to waste an opportunity to fight for individual liberty and a smaller, less intrusive federal government. And he took every opportunity to extend freedom to those in other parts of the world.

It's more than a little ironic that many lesser men in politics have bent with the ebb and flow of public opinion, only to lose the next election. Sen. Helms, on the other hand, ignored the pollsters yet never lost at the polls.

Calling Sen. Helms a patriot is not an overstatement. So it is fitting that he died on the Fourth of July….

It's sad to lose a tenacious leader who had the courage to stand alone, if need be, on important issues. It's also sad to lose such a gentle, sweet man. Of course, major news outlets often portrayed the former while ignoring the latter. But even those who bitterly disagreed with Sen. Helms' positions would acknowledge his kindness.

The late Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota, a champion of the far left, once said of Sen. Helms, "I think one of the ways you judge a person is just the way you watch them treat people ... I don't think there is anybody in the Senate who treats them (pages and support staff) with more grace and is kinder and more appreciative."

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who served under President Bill Clinton, once said Sen. Helms "was the kindest, most infuriating, politest, most aggravating and nicest politician I had to deal with in the United States Senate."…

Sen. Helms also used his influence to increase funding to fight AIDS around the world, an issue with which he worked with rock superstar Bono. "[W]ithout his taking a stance on AIDS," Bono said, "We would have lost a lot more lives."

In 1976 Sen. Helms resurrected the political career of Ronald Reagan, who had lost a succession of Republican presidential primaries. Gov. Reagan's North Carolina victory that year kept him alive as a national player, enabling him to run again - and win - in 1980. Many political observers agree that without Jesse Helms there would have been no President Reagan. And President Reagan, of course, played a pivotal role in the fall of the Soviet Union.

It's hard to imagine how different the world would be today if it were not for Jesse Helms; we do know America lost a great leader in his death. And we know our republic would benefit if more of our leaders exhibited his kind of fortitude.

Click here for the full editorial…

At rest, Helms stirs a crowd
Conservative icon draws humble, grateful -- and surprising -- loyalists

By Jay Price
The News & Observer
July 8, 2008

RALEIGH - Jerry Musselwhite wanted to make sure he saw Jesse Helms one last time. So Musselwhite left his home in Lumberton at 6 a.m. Monday for Raleigh, where the former U.S. senator was to lie in repose after dying July 4.

The doors at Hayes Barton Baptist Church weren't open when Musselwhite arrived, so he sat on a low wall for a breakfast of Mountain Dew and a cigarette.

"I just wanted to come to show how I respected the man," Musselwhite, 60, said as he waited. "He might have stepped on some toes, but when Jesse Helms spoke, it carried the truth."

Helms' funeral today, also at Hayes Barton Baptist Church, is expected to draw prominent political figures from North Carolina and elsewhere. Monday was largely for folks like Musselwhite, who showed up in jeans and an N.C. State University baseball cap.

Musselwhite had left his home early in case the crowd was large. It wasn't -- Helms has been out of the public eye for years, after all -- and only about 35 people were waiting when the doors opened. Jeans seemed to outnumber neckties early in the day as a slow but steady trickle of people filed past the flag-covered coffin, which was flanked by two N.C. Highway Patrol troopers in dress uniform and an oil painting of Helms seated at a desk with a sheaf of papers in his hand.

The pace picked up later in the day, when Helms' family welcomed visitors, and more formal dress became the norm. By the end of the evening, hundreds of people had paid their respects….

Many who did talk to journalists said they knew Helms or at least had met him, and offered stories about his good manners or something he had done for them. Most offered some variation on the same theme: You knew where Helms stood because he had the courage to say exactly what he thought.

Many also hastened to add the caveat that they didn't agree with Helms on everything, such as his steadfast opposition to the civil rights and gay rights movements.

Lilly Rose DeVee, 62, said she knew Helms for years when she worked in the art department at WRAL-TV, where Helms read an editorial after the newscast from 1960 to 1972. DeVee described herself as a liberal Democrat and said she disagreed with Helms about social issues.

But she said she admired Helms and learned a lesson from him.

"Jesse Helms taught me something important, and that is to be yourself, to say what you mean, mean what you say and stand behind it," she said….

Former Wake County commissioners Chairman Gary Pendleton came to the church with five members of the staff from his insurance and financial planning office. He recalled when he was in his early 20s going down to the Wake County Board of Elections with Helms and a group of about a dozen other disgruntled Democrats, and switching their affiliation to the GOP.

It was a bold move at a time when Democrats greatly outnumbered Republicans, and a crucial step in Helms' rise to national and international prominence. But it also turned out to be a pivotal moment for Raleigh and Wake County.

Pendleton went on to work full time for Helms' 1972 Senate campaign, and those Helms also took under his wing included Tom Fetzer and Helms' nephew, Paul Coble. Fetzer and Coble both went on to win terms as mayor of Raleigh, and Pendleton was the second Republican elected since Reconstruction to the Wake County Board of Commissioners.

None of the trio, who jokingly call themselves "The Three Amigos," ever would have run for office without Helms' tutelage, Pendleton said.

"He molded us to stand firm, to not pay attention to polls and do what you think is right," Pendleton said….

Click here for the full article…

State budget includes big debt
Rise in spending is reduced, compared with past 2 years

The Associated Press
July 8, 2008

The General Assembly tentatively approved last night a nearly $21.4 billion final budget bill for the new fiscal year, a plan that slows down the recent rapid rise in spending but provides a hefty IOU in the form of $857 million in debt.

The bill is the result of two weeks of intense negotiations between House and Senate Democrats. It increases spending by 3.4 percent, or $698 million, compared with more than 9 percent growth in each of the previous two years.

The relatively small increase results from a slowing economy that provided a meager surplus for the year ending June 30 and required legislators to make some last-minute changes to try to satisfy fellow Democratic Gov. Mike Easley.

"Not everybody gets what they want, but I believe this is a very good budget for the state of North Carolina," said Sen. Linda Garrou, D-Forsyth, a chief budget-writer, before the Senate gave it initial approval by a vote of 34-16.

The Senate and the House, which minutes later approved the spending plan 97-21, were scheduled to cast the second of two required votes today. Easley will be asked to sign the bill into law….

But some Republicans complained that the budget still spends too much in uncertain economic times and borrows too much without requiring statewide voter approval. And they warned that the budget would require higher taxes to pay for the debt in the future.

"I think given the economic times that we've got, it would be much more prudent for us to look at our situation realistically," Sen.Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, the minority leader, said during the Senate debate….

Easley was worried that there wasn't enough revenue after tax collections missed estimates by $63 million total in May and June, forcing some last-minute spending reductions. Easley, who has never vetoed a budget bill, is in his final year in office.

"The overcollections were not what we expected them to be," said Rep. Mickey Michaux, D-Durham, the chief House negotiator.

Easley however, failed to get all he wanted for his signature. …

The bill also permits the state to borrow $857 million over the next four years to build 1,500 additional prison beds, university and state buildings -- even renovating the polar-bear exhibit at the N.C. Zoo in Asheboro.

Democratic leaders say that the borrowing -- the most authorized by the legislature in a single year in recent memory and more than either the Senate or House budget proposals offered -- could generate 20,000 jobs in the state during a tough economy. They also say it remains within the level of borrowing that State Treasurer Richard Moore says is reasonable….

Click here for the full article…

Easley's last year in office: a long rough patch

By Gary D. Robertson
Charlotte Observer
July 6, 2008

Gov. Mike Easley spent his first year in office helping the state climb out of a fiscal crisis.

In his final year, Easley seems to be spending as much time trying to defend himself from public controversy as keeping the state out of another budget shortfall.

"I've referred to it as the quack of the lame duck," joked Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham.

For his role in mental health reform, destroyed e-mails and expensive taxpayer-funded overseas trips, Easley has been accused of bad judgment, shifting blame, or tone-deafness to the problems of every day residents.

"It is easy to make fun of people when you are trying to do the right things," Easley said in a television interview last week with WRAL-TV. "It is easy to tell half the story. It's easy to demagogue."

His popular achievements as governor - such as More at Four, the state lottery and alternative high schools - may be overshadowed as he leaves the Executive Mansion in January if the dustups continue. Controversy also gives the Republican Party verbal ammunition in the November election that Democrats are out of touch with the average citizen.

"He's having a bad last year," said Gary Pearce, a longtime Democratic consultant to past clients such as then-Gov. Jim Hunt and Sen. John Edwards. "They say first impressions count, but when you're going out of office, last impressions can last a long time."

The most recent predicaments surfaced after The News & Observer of Raleigh reported six-figure expenses for business recruiting and cultural exchange trips to Europe led by Easley or his wife, Mary. He's also had to defend his wife's $80,000 pay increase at N.C. State University, where she is taking on expanded duties….

Easley took heat earlier this year for failing to get out in front of fixing a state mental health system whose 2001 reforms worsened treatment in some areas and may have wasted hundreds of millions of dollars on unnecessary, overpriced care.

In March, Easley ultimately shared some of the blame, but not before he or his staff ordered the firing of Debbie Crane, the spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services. Then Crane alleged Easley's press office directed public relations workers at cabinet-level agencies to delete e-mails sent to and from the governor's office.

Several media outlets ultimately sued him, alleging his administration and he personally violated the state's public records laws. Easley has said nothing unlawful was done.

Even at the Legislature, where he has historically enjoyed success, relations with the Democratic leadership have been strained this year.

Lawmakers refused to give average 7 percent raises to public school teachers because he wanted to raise taxes to do it. And then he criticized Democrats for spending too much and offering too many tax breaks in the budget during uncertain economic times.

"His rhetoric wasn't very helpful," said House Speaker Joe Hackney, D-Orange, "but we tried to listen to the substance."

Despite Easley's rough patch, Blue believes Easley's legacy will depend on whether he his education initiatives worked, not whether he got along with lawmakers or the media.

"At the end of the day against a long line of history, he'll be judged whether he responsibly managed the state's resources," Blue added.

Click here for the full article…

ANOTHER BOGUS ATTACK BY DEMOCRATS ON McCRORY
Charlotte does not have 'highest tax rate'

Editorial
The Charlotte Observer
July 3, 2008

“Pat McCrory is trying to have it both ways,” said Jerry Meek, a Fayetteville lawyer who chairs the N.C. Democratic Party. “His city has had the highest tax rate in the state for seven years running and now McCrory wants to be a fiscal conservative. That's like drinking Slimfast and eating ribs.”

Spiffy quote. Wrong information.

Here are the facts.

Mr. Meek quotes a John Locke Foundation study that did say, “Charlotte continues to top the list of cities with the highest local government costs in North Carolina, according to a new report from the Raleigh-based Center for Local Innovation.”

But Mr. Meek apparently failed to look beyond the quote. The report reaches that conclusion by combining city and county taxes. Mecklenburg County's tax rate is relatively high, for reasons we'll address in a minute. Charlotte's isn't.

The property tax is the main revenue source for N.C. cities. In 2007-08, Charlotte's property tax rate was .4586 cent per $100 property valuation. That's lower than the rate in, for instance, Mr. Meek's Fayetteville (.5300). It's also lower than the rates in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham, Greenville, Salisbury, Hickory, Chapel Hill and Rockingham, to cite a few.

Charlotte raised its property tax rate only once in the past decade. Mayor McCrory vetoed the increase, but City Council's Democrats overrode his veto….

Mecklenburg County is about to spend more than $300 million to build a new jail. One reason is that the present one is packed with prisoners awaiting trial. The state provides too few prosecutors and courts to handle the caseload.

The state is responsible for teacher pay, but its one-size-fits-all salaries are too low to attract and keep good teachers in Mecklenburg County. So the county has spent millions to supplement the state's funding.

A “fiscal conservative,” to use Mr. Meek's term, knows there's nothing conservative about neglecting community needs. Our city and county – and many others across this state – have raised the money to meet local needs.

The state, by contrast, has inadequately funded courts, highways and teacher salaries. That's neither liberal nor conservative. It's irresponsible.

Click here for the full editorial…

FROM THE PRESS ROOM: N.C. REPUBLICAN SENATORS CALL FOR DOMESTIC DRILLING
North Carolina’s Families Demand Action

Press Release
Senator Phil Berger and Representative Paul Stam
July 3, 2008

With record high gas prices continuing to climb, the Republican Senate Caucus today sent letters containing an outline of a plan to increase domestic oil production. The proposal also calls for a long-range policy designed to provide for future energy needs and development of the next generation of power resources. Letters were sent to the North Carolina Congressional Delegation, President Bush, and presumptive presidential candidates Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama. Senate Republicans called for action by the Federal Government on issues including drilling in ANWR and exploration and drilling for oil and natural gas off the coast of North Carolina along the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), 45 to 100 miles offshore. The proposal, if adopted, should lower fuel prices in the short term and will implement a long-range plan for energy independence.

Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) said, “North Carolina's people, especially our working families, are seeing their economic security and stability threatened by high fuel prices. Those high prices and the domino effect on the cost of food and other necessities, demand the immediate and full attention of all elected officials in North Carolina and beyond. Thus far, calls for help have fallen on deaf ears as Democrats, in control of Congress at the Federal level and entrenched in power in North Carolina’s Legislature, ignore obvious steps to deal with the growing problem.

“Dependence on foreign sources of energy, especially oil, exposes our country and our economy to great risk as we have seen all too clearly in the last year. We cannot afford oil and energy dependency that leaves us this susceptible to economic harm. By supporting domestic exploration and drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf and elsewhere, we will see additional supplies become available, reduce upward price pressures, and lessen our dependence on foreign supplies. The law of supply and demand teaches us an increasing supply of oil in the market will cause prices to fall. Once oil producing countries see us take these steps toward self-sufficiency in energy, much of the current speculation on future prices will lose its attraction as there will be a substantial risk of downward price movement. This is the only plan that will work and will do so quickly.

“For North Carolina, as a coastal state, deep sea oil exploration and drilling on the outer continental shelf has the additional prospect of bringing new jobs and industry. For years, we have seen various government plans to create a thriving, sustained economy in the eastern part of our state; this plan will make those dreams a reality without costing the state treasury millions of dollars for risky incentive- laden gambles. The leasing of exploration and drilling rights will actually bring money into our state’s coffers. And with available modern technology, oil exploration is environmentally safe and provides new and significant benefits to coastal marine assets. Lease proceeds could be used, in part, to help fund significant initiatives for wetlands and estuary restoration. Every North Carolinian wins by adoption of this approach.”

Senator Bob Rucho (R-Mecklenburg), an advocate of immediate OCS exploration and a signer of the policy statement, said, "The people of North Carolina, facing the negative consequences of the energy crisis, expect their elected officials to lead, follow or get out of the way. Our Federal Delegation should step up and support North Carolina’s working families by implementing these recommended policies to immediately lower oil and gas prices and promote the development of alternative energy technology, long-term energy independence and economic prosperity for all North Carolinians."

NCGOP E-Letter - July 2, 2008

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Dear Republican Friends,

On July 4, 1776, 56 delegates of the Second Continental Congress gathered in a stuffy room in Philadelphia to make one of the most important decisions the world may ever know. 56 brave souls chose that day to forgo the comforts afforded them by staying loyal to a despotic, controlling regime and instead embark on a journey to liberty that would threaten all their lives but change the course of history forever. We celebrate Independence Day for the 232^nd time this year still commemorating that faithful day and the bravery of the Founding Fathers whose stand for liberty yet echoes throughout our country.

The actual document of the Declaration of Independence was penned mostly by Thomas Jefferson. According to Jefferson, the purpose of the Declaration was “not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of . . . but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take.” As conservatives, we are wholly committed to defending the principles of liberty and resistance against government tyranny that the Founders laid out for us on the first Independence Day. We defend our freedom not with new principles or new arguments, but unapologetically with the same values and beliefs that have provided strength to our country and our greatest leaders throughout our history. A faith in God and country, in the inherent dignity of men and women, in the fact that democracy is our last, best hope for freedom; these are the values that have shaped this nation and made it great. We celebrate it today and we celebrate those who have fought and died to defend our freedom and way of life, including the brave men and women who place themselves in harm’s way everyday to see that we continue to enjoy our freedoms.

Years later, after a young America had prevailed in its fight for independence, a different group of delegates convened to create a Constitution for the new nation. The story is often told that upon the adoption of the Constitution, Ben Franklin was approached by a group of citizens who asked what kind of government the delegates had created. Franklin answered, “A republic, if you can keep it.” What we must recognize now more than ever is that the duty of keeping our republic falls on us as citizens and descendents of the Founding Generation. We must work to protect and preserve the principle of freedom and legacy of liberty that we have received as precious gifts. We are the ones who must pledge ourselves anew to the cause of defending the values that have knit our union together and kept us strong while growing from a fledgling nation to the greatest defender of democracy the world has ever known. We must be the ones to do this because there is no one else. We must understand that still today we have a republic, if we can keep it. Thank you for all your hard work and sacrifice on behalf of our country, our state, and the Republican Party. God bless you and God bless America!

Happy Independence Day!

Linda Daves
Chairman, North Carolina Republican Party

McCRORY: Offshore drilling could benefit eastern N.C.

By Brock Letchworth
The Daily Reflector
July 1, 2008

Eastern North Carolina would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of offshore oil drilling if the state was permitted to do so, Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory said Monday morning.

Speaking during a campaign stop at the Greenville Convention Center, McCrory said pursuing offshore drilling permits would be one of his first acts as governor if he is elected in November.

The Charlotte mayor said he would meet with the Coastal Resources Commission to change coastal energy policies. He would then issue an executive order providing for safe, technologically sound deep-sea exploration and drilling before petitioning the federal government to permit North Carolina the right to drill off its coast.

Drilling could provide thousands of new jobs for the east and produce revenue which would go a long way toward balancing the state's budget, he said.

"The east has a higher unemployment rate and lower per capita income than the rest of the state, but it does not have to be that way," McCrory said. "With safe, environmentally sound drilling in the deep sea off our coast, we can create new high paying jobs, jobs that the people of our poor counties can fill." …

McCrory said the Manteo Project is evidence of the possibilities. The project, located 45 miles off the state's coast on the Continental Shelf, indicates there are nearly 1.5 billion barrels of oil or equivalent gas there, McCrory said.

Officials also project the area could contain as much as five trillion cubic feet of natural gas, the equivalent of 833 billion barrels of oil, he said.

McCrory said the state could see as much as a 37.5 percent revenue share if drilling is approved. The additional money could be used to protect the environment, help schools and address the infrastructure needs of the state, he said.

"At a time when the North Carolina budget is in dire shape, we think this will help bring more revenue to state government," McCrory said. "I'm not sure where else we're going to get that money in the next decade. It is our job as leaders to prepare for the future. I think future generations will depend on this."

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EASLEYS CAUGHT SPENDING TAXPAYER MONEY ON TRIPS OVERSEAS… AGAIN

NC governor defends wife's taxpayer-funded trip

Associated Press
Forbes.com
July 1, 2008

RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley on Tuesday defended overseas cultural exchange trips led by his wife that cost taxpayers $109,000, saying such visits can reap exponentially larger monetary rewards for the state with art exhibits.

The Democrat also said the weak exchange rate for the U.S. dollar in Europe made the trips he and his wife have taken more expensive.

"I wish it didn't cost that much," Easley told reporters, but "it cost what it costs."

Mary Easley, an executive assistant and a Highway Patrol trooper traveled to France in May 2007, while the first lady and state arts leaders also went to Russia and Estonia in May this year.

For the France trip, taxpayers paid more than $27,000 for the chauffeured Mercedes sport utility vehicle that Mary Easley used, according to The News & Observer of Raleigh, which first reported on the expenses.

Another $8,900 was paid to the first lady, the assistant and a state highway patrol trooper, who provided security, to stay in a hotel and participate in a Monet-themed tour.

For the Estonia and Russian trip, business-class airfare for five people traveling cost more than $34,000, the newspaper reported. In St. Petersburg, Russia, the group stayed in an $800-a-night hotel and had ballet tickets that cost about $1,100. …

A taxpayer-funded trip to Italy taken by the Easleys, state commerce officials and others in April cost more than $170,000. Easley said the trip was designed to attract Italian residents and companies to come to North Carolina.

The state's travel policy, covering both elected and appointed officials, prohibits luxury accommodations "for the convenience or personal preference of the employee in the performance of official state business."

State Republican leaders jumped on the recently disclosed trips. GOP chairwoman Linda Daves said the Easleys are again "lavishly spending taxpayer money on vacations overseas."

"I think we all agree that a certain amount of cultural exchange ... is an appropriate thing," said Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, but "the average person that's out there, standing by the gas pump paying $4, $4.15 per gallon ... just is not very well served by our leadership in those kinds of decisions."

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FROM THE PRESS ROOM: NCGOP CHAIRMAN RESPONDS TO GOVERNOR EASLEY’S REMARKS ON THE STATE BUDGET

RALEIGH—On Sunday, Governor Easley attacked the repeal of the state gift tax included in the state budget, saying “It makes no sense to provide almost $20 million in tax cuts to the wealthy in this economic environment.” (Biesecker, Michael, “Taxes, raises may stymie budget,” The News & Observer, June 30, 2008, http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1125065.html)

FACT CHECK

• North Carolina’s gift tax is far harsher than the federal gift tax. The federal gift tax allows $1,000,000 in lifetime gifts without tax. The NC gift tax only allows $100,000 in lifetime gifts.
  

• North Carolina is one of only three states with a state gift tax at all. (Connecticut and Tennessee are the others.)


• Current NC gift tax law does not distinguish between the rich and non-rich. The NC gift tax affects many middle class families. A common example is siblings settling finances of a sick or elderly parent with one sibling giving to the other a “gift” of more than $12,000 and being forced to pay NC gift tax.


• An argument can be made that the middle class is more adversely affected by the NC gift tax because the rich are able to easily pay the tax. The rich also employ accountants and lawyers who find ways to lower their overall tax burden. The middle class giver is often completely unaware of the NC gift tax at the time of the gift and is only later hit with the tax bill which they must pay out of their own pocket.


• From a revenue collection standpoint, it makes more sense for the state to encourage lifetime gifts because that causes the recipient of the gift to pay income tax on any appreciation of the gift if the recipient decides to later sell the gifted asset.


• The NC gift tax also discourages retirement and location of businesses to North Carolina for those who can afford to locate elsewhere. Why retire to NC or locate a business in NC when our neighbors in the Southeast and across the nation have no such tax? The income and sales tax collections that would be gained from those who might decide to retire or move their business here but for this tax could make up a large share of the difference in revenue when the gift tax is repealed.

Chairman Linda Daves, North Carolina Republican Party, made the following statement:

“Either Governor Easley is misinformed on the nature of the NC gift tax or he has deliberately mischaracterized it in order to continue the class warfare rhetoric typical of the Democrat leadership in Raleigh. The Governor loves high taxes so much that he opposes the repeal of even the most unfair, capricious taxes in North Carolina. What makes no sense in this economic environment is to continue tax policies that have made us the highest taxed state in the Southeast. North Carolinians want more money in their pockets and not in the feeding trough of free spending Democrats in Raleigh.

Meanwhile, those who are truly being shafted in this budget are children. While Governor Easley remains in lockstep with teachers’ unions and tries to protect his prized rhyming pet programs, we do nothing to broaden our approach to educating North Carolina’s children. The truth is we have no idea whether Governor Easley’s programs are offering results because there is no oversight or study being offered on their effectiveness. The same is true of dropout prevention grants which have thus far done nothing to lower the abysmal graduation rate in North Carolina.

It is time to look at new ideas like lifting the cap on charter schools so that parents have more choices in their children’s education. It is time to think about raising teacher pay for those teachers who volunteer to teach the most at-risk students. It is time to consider expanding vocational education so that students can learn skills that will help them get a job instead of merely getting frustrated with the curriculum and dropping out. It is time for fresh vision and a renewed commitment to excellence in education in North Carolina. Over the past eight years, that is a test that Democrats have consistently failed.”

Perdue Advances Dishonest Argument

Dunn Daily Record

Editorial
June 23, 2008

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue - who is now running for governor - owes much to the North Carolina Association of Educators, the primary agenda of which is to fight every effort to allow parents to choose which schools their children will attend.

Wealthy parents, of course, can choose any school for their children. And there is growing support for the idea of giving that choice to all parents, not just the wealthy. And it would be easy to do. For an amount much smaller than is spent to send a student to a public school, a parent could be given a voucher that could be used in any school.

And as long as the amount of the voucher is less than the current per-pupil public school expenditure, those remaining in public schools would actually benefit.

Let's say it costs $5,000 per year to send a child to a public school (the real number is higher). And then let's say we offer parents a $2,500 voucher. So for every parent who uses a voucher for her child, there would be an additional $2,500 available for the remaining public school children.

To extend this illustration, if just 1,000 students were to take advantage of such vouchers, there would then be an additional $2.5 million for the remaining children. Just imagine how much more per child North Carolina's public schools would have if 10,000 vouchers were used; Or 100,000.

Still, the NCAE makes the intellectually dishonest argument that vouchers would somehow make public schools poorer. The only way that could possibly happen would be for the amount of the voucher to be larger than the per-pupil public school expenditure.

There's only one organization that might be weakened if vouchers were adopted: The NCAE, which would end up with fewer dues-paying members. So candidates who receive a coveted endorsement from the politically powerful NCAE know they must also repeat the group's dishonest argument. And that is exactly what Lt. Gov. Perdue did this weekend. …

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FROM THE BLOG: Why we need more judges like Justice Scalia

By Brent Woodcox
Communications Director/Assistant Legal Counsel, North Carolina Republican Party

By a slim 5-4 majority, the Supreme Court upheld the right of private citizens to "keep and bear arms" this week. Though we thought that this right was guaranteed in 1791 when the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution was first adopted, the reality is that we are always one rogue decision of the Supreme Court from having even basic liberties stripped from us. For today, we can breathe a collective sigh of relief as those who would further erode the freedoms guaranteed us by the Founding Fathers have been defeated once again. This is why the issue of the role of judges and judicial appointments is so important. Please read Justice Scalia's brilliant opinion on behalf of the Court in Heller for yourself, but I particularly enjoyed this section and wanted to share it with you.

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District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. ___, (2008)

We know of no other enumerated constitutional right whose core protection has been subjected to a freestanding "interest-balancing" approach. The very enumeration of the right takes our of the hands of government--even the Third Branch of Government--the power to decide on a case-by-case basis whether the right is really worth insisting upon. A constitutional guarantee subject to future judges' assessments of its usefulness is no constitutional guarantee at all. Constitutional rights are enshrined with the scope they were understood to have when the people adopted them, whether or not future legislatures or (yes) even future judges think that scope too broad. We would not apply an "interest-balancing" approach to . . . the First Amendment . . . The Second Amendment is no different. Like the First, it is the very product of an interest-balancing by the people--which JUSTICE BREYER would now conduct for them anew. And whatever else it leaves to future evaluation, it surely elevates above all other interests the right of law-abiding, responsible citizens to use arms in defense of hearth and home. ...

We are aware of the problem of handgun violence in this country, and we take seriously the concerns raised by the many amici who believe that prohibition of handgun ownership is the solution. The Constitution leaves the District of Columbia a variety of tools for combating that problem, including some measures regulating handguns. . . But the enshrinement of constitutional rights necessarily takes certain policy choices off the table. These include the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home. Undoubtedly some think that the Second Amendment is outmoded in a society where our standing army is the pride of our Nation, where well-trained police forces provide personal security, and where gun violence is a serious problem. That is perhaps debatable, but what is not debatable is that it is not the role of this Court to pronounce the Second Amendment extinct. ...

To read the full opinion, click here...