Friday Open Thread: Starting With Shuler
ByQuite a lot of you are debating the merits of our Azure Canine Congressman in the wake of revelations about TVA and Genentech and after his vote against health care reform. I’m of a mind that the district isn’t going to get anyone better anytime soon, but I’m willing to have my mind changed. Shuler’s vote for the President’s energy bill is something we never would have gotten under any one of the Republicans. Further, his pro-labor, pro-education votes tend towards the side of the good.
A primary challenger is always a good idea, however, as it will help to remind Shuler that Democrats are the voters he has to rely on to advance to another general election. Absent a primary challenge, Shuler is free to drift to the right without consequence.
I’ve been shaking my head at the US Chamber of Commerce running pro-Shuler television ads in the wake of his anti-reform vote on health care. This is the same group that savaged Shuler for his pro-labor vote on the Employee Free Choice Act. It appears the US CofC is more than happy to run hot and cold.
What’s on your minds, peoples? I started the thread with Shuler, but it’s yours to take where you will.
15 Comments
November 20th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Seniors rally for health insurance reform: Tomorrow Sat Nov 21 @ 2:30pm @ Pack Place, Downtown Asheville. Rain or shine.
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November 20th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
I wish there was a word to describe
CongressmanC Street Resident Heath Shuler in light of his lack of candor regarding the TVA land swap.A simple, easy to spell, easy to pronounce word…
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November 20th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Has anyone had experience with e-books? I’m not interested in getting a Kindle from Amazon nor a Sony Book Reader. But I am interested in getting digital copies of some of the tomes I’ve been reading. I’d just like to be able to open them on my computer and copy and paste excerpts, without any of their proprietary software either. These big players are so busy hawking their device wares, they neglect to mention whether I can or can’t just open the darn thing on my computer.
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November 20th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20091114/NEWS01/911130361
http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20091113/SERVICES03/911131048
he could be toast. people don’t like liars, especially when they fired the last guy for his own ethical baggage.
these are the most vicious editorials i’ve seen in a long time, the press doesn’t forgive being had like that very easily.
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November 21st, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I’m not Shuler’s biggest fan, but criminy – this sort of thing happens in Asheville development circles all the time. Shuler’s got nothing on Coleman, and the TVA has nothing on our county commissioners.
My bet: on Monday Shuler does interviews and releases a statement that he misspoke, he apologizes for the appearance of impropriety, and he divests himself of the development. End of story.
What I find most amusing is that they’re theorizing at blueridgenow that this is Rahm Emmanuel’s revenge for Shuler voting against the health care bill. Ha. Based on the propaganda I consume, Emmanuel recruited folks like Shuler specifically to stop things like the public option. Not that I believe that, exactly – I’m just fascinated by the way the two ends of the spectrum mirror each other.
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November 21st, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Gordon,
It isn’t just that Shuler voted against the health care bill, he was one of 15 Democrats who voted against allowing it to proceed to the floor for debate — plus he voted for the Stupak amendment which will prove devastating to women in the future.
I think we often get ourselves in trouble by accepting the lesser of evils rather than looking for the very best.
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November 22nd, 2009 at 9:48 am
Hey Hooligans,
I was wondering if anyone had thoughts regarding two recent court rulings and sentencing. The two in question are ex-fireman Diez(the guy that shot the bicyclist) who received 4 months in prison and a guy that was busted selling LSD at a show who received 14 years.
I feel that both broke the law, clearly, but are these punishments fair?
Is one any more or less dangerous to society? Is there any talk by city council to push back against these types of absurd interpretations of the law and the continued burden placed upon taxpayers for non-violent drug charges?
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November 22nd, 2009 at 11:57 am
Tea Party folk have a Congressional candidate in NC-11, Dr. Dan Eichenbaum –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_xQw8W6dQU
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November 22nd, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Why is it that they can have a primary, but we can’t?
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November 23rd, 2009 at 11:14 am
I cannot believe that the Democrat party of Transylvania/Buncombe cts.is not vigorously seeking a REAL Democrat to challenge Shuler. Shuler betrayed our President and all us Democrats who voted for him….There is absolutely NO excuse to oppose ANY of President Obama’s primary bills…PARTICULARLY HEALTH CARE (his DEFINITIVE moment)…”C” Street is dangerous to our government…it’s supreme goal is to turn our country into a Theocratic Christian nation..Shuler is an avid supporter and actually led the prayer for “The Family’s” National Prayer Breakfast….Shuler is a liar and should come out of the closet and join his true party, the Republican party. There are thousands of us who can no longer trust him and will never vote for him again. Shay Donahue
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November 23rd, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Eichenbaum will win the 11th District GOP primary next spring (of the 6 candidates announced or considering).
MM
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November 23rd, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Michael,
I hope you’ll write about it. Sounds fascinating.
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November 23rd, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Really? Eichenbaum would beat Greg Newman? Wow.
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November 24th, 2009 at 7:25 am
Gordon and Doug,
I moved my comments above the fold so they’d be easier to find.
Cheers,
MM
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November 24th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Doug:
You can’t have a primary for the same reason we couldn’t have one after Charles Taylor got it…the good old boys club wouldn’t allow it, and would make sure you were exiled to the outer wilderness for even thinking such a thing.
I think Patsy Keever could beat Heath Shuler and go on to win the general election in 2010. Primarily because the Republicans are not very organized and no one has been able to build up a machine due to all the infighting. She is the only one I know of who could raise the money necessary to fell Shuler.
Thank God she’s running for a seat in the NC House.
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