Archive for NC-10 Congressional race
Oh if you’re a bird, be an early bird
Posted by: | CommentsSpeaking of Republicans, the North Carolina primary is only 111 days away, and I haven’t heard much in the way of revival music coming out of the GOP’s little tent lately. This time two years ago, Carl Mumpower already had his congressional primary campaign in full swing (in fact, I think we had even cut his TV commercial by now) — but aside from a few lackluster appearances from a partial complement of candidates, there hasn’t been much to tell me that anybody is doing much on the Republican side.
There are six guys that I’m aware of who are vying for the dubious honor of taking on Heath Shuler: Dan Eichenbaum, James J. Howard, Ed Krause, Greg Newman, Scott Stump, and Kenny West. Only two have active websites (Eichenbaum and Howard) and West’s Facebook page seems to have dried up and blown away — although you can see a cached version here. From what I’m told, Greg Newman hasn’t showed up to either of the two forums held so far (which were apparently poorly attended), and when it’s not regurgitating press releases from the Tea Party folks, the Buncombe County GOP’s website doesn’t tell me much either.
Daniel Johnson On The Teevee Tonight
Posted by: | CommentsWhile biden your time to see if the veep debate will palin comparison to the hype, you can check out Democratic candidate Daniel Johnson on UNC-TV. Johnson is the guy working hard to defeat the obsequious Pat McHenry in the neighboring 10th Congressional District.
Catch Daniel on UNC-TV’s “North Carolina Now” at 7:30pm tonight. Daniel was interviewed about the current financial crisis and his ideas to improve our health care system and our public schools.
Daniel Johnson Tells The Truth About Patrick McHenry
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Daniel Johnson is running against obsequious Patty McHenry in North Carolina’s 10th District. Johnson is hitting McHenry’s empty rhetoric on energy prices by showing voters his record. From the campaign’s press release:
Patrick McHenry Votes Against Lower Gas Prices
Congressman Patrick McHenry’s office says that he will be visiting Western North Carolina this week, and his office says he wants to talk about how to lower gas prices. But up in Washington, D.C., Congressman McHenry votes “no” to every attempt to establish a comprehensive energy policy that would lower gas prices for working families.
-McHenry voted “no” to requiring oil companies to drill on the 68 million acres that they already hold leases for, which could produce 4.8 million barrels of oil and 44.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily (H.R. 6251, 6/26/08). Drilling on these public lands could double U.S. oil production and cut oil imports by one-third.
-McHenry voted “no” to cracking down on oil speculators that artificially inflate the price of oil (H.R. 6604, 7/30/08).
-McHenry voted “no” to releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (H.R. 6578, 7/24/08). Each time the Strategic Petroleum Reserve has been tapped or deposits suspended, the price of oil has dropped by at least 19%.
-McHenry voted “no” to tax credits for investment in alternative energy (H.R. 2776, 8/4/07).
-McHenry voted “no” to cracking down on gas price gauging (H.R. 1252, 5/23/07).
-But McHenry says “yes” to $25,500 in campaign donations from oil and gas companies.
Daniel Johnson understands how skyrocketing gas prices shrink our families’ budgets and our businesses’ bottom lines. In Congress, Daniel Johnson pledges to work with both parties to establish an aggressive, comprehensive strategy for lowering prices at the pump. Daniel Johnson will vote to increase refinery capacity, to force oil companies to drill on the lands they already own, and to end tax breaks for oil companies making record profits so the U.S. can invest in alternative energy that creates jobs and brings down the price of a tank of gas.
For more about Daniel Johnson’s campaign to represent Western North Carolina from the 10th Congressional District, please visit www.danieljohnson08.com.
NC-10 Shocker: McHenry Caught Lying
Posted by: | CommentsThis little tidbit regarding the recent vote on emergency housing legislation comes from the Lenoir News-Topic:
The bill, known as the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act (HR 3221), passed the House on a 272-152 vote, following President Bush’s signal that he would not use his veto power to stop it. In a rare break with the Republican president, McHenry joined 148 other GOP members in voting against the bill, while 227 Democrats and 45 Republican representatives supported the act. There were three Democrats who opposed the legislation, and the McHenry campaign falsely claimed in a press release Thursday that Heath Shuler, a Democrat who represents the neighboring 11th Congressional District that includes Asheville, was among the ‘no’ votes. According to an Associated Press roll call of the vote, the Democrats who opposed the bill are Peter DeFazio of Oregon, Marcy Kaptur of Ohio and Nancy Boyda of Kansas.
Shuler Campaign Manager Andrew Whalen said McHenry’s assertion is incorrect.
“My boss voted for it,” Whalen said. “If Mr. McHenry is choosing to make this false claim, it’s poor staff work. It must reflect on his leadership. I don’t know what Mr. McHenry is doing here and why he would try to hide behind us to hide his vote.”
Johnson Campaign Manager Lauren Moore said, “Congressman McHenry is dead wrong. He and his staff need to get their facts straight.”
McHenry spokesman Brock McCleary said the release was based on an incorrect Forest City Daily Courier article that said Shuler had voted against the bill. McCleary then contended that Shuler changed his vote.
“Sometimes these folks have the ability to change their vote after the fact,” McCleary said. “It was four, and now it is three (against). He changed his vote.”
Whalen disputed McCleary’s allegation.
“That’s not the case at all,” Whalen said. “They can claim anything that they want, but that is not the case. It would appear that they made a mistake, and now they are trying to cover it up.”
Whoops.
More on Patty’s cowtowing to the subprime mortgage industry @ Pat Go Bye-Bye.
McHenry Watch Blog is Back!
Posted by: | CommentsIt looks like after about a month and a half of inactivity, our favorite* website dedicated to the unseating of NC-10’s Rep. Patrick McHenry, Pat Go Bye-Bye, is back! And with two posts (one on him loaning his own campaign $175K, and another covering a radio spot linking him to Big Oil), no less!
Check it out! And while you’re clicking, why not put a little coin into Daniel Johnson’s effort to get the smarmy, sleazy McHorny off our payroll once and for all.
* Considering that PGBB was maintained by our own Drama Queen (who we love dearly and miss terribly) before she was sidelined with other more pressing priorities, we’re a little biased.
Open Thread: Your Plans
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s a little over three months until the general election, and I’ve been trying to figure out how best to apportion my time. The Shuler – Mumpower race is boring, though Hot Carl’s war with Republicans is passably entertaining. Susan Fisher is running unopposed. Jane Whilden is running against a weak candidate. Martin Nesbitt is going to crush R.L. Clark. I can’t get excited about Kay Hagan though I’d love to see Liddy Dole go home to twinkly-eyed Bob. Bev Perdue leaves me wanting more as well. The Daniel Johnson – Pat McHenry race in the 10th looks like a real squeaker, but it’s hard to get excited about a Democrat who’s to the right of Shuler even if it means that McHenry gets evicted. The Larry Kissell – Robin Hayes race in the 8th looks like a lock for Kissell, though it’ll take consistent effort to keep it that way.
So I guess I’m not seeing any races to get excited about outside of the Buncombe County Commission and the Presidential race. Volunteering time to Holly Jones and Barack Obama will likely be my plan.
How are you going to expend your political energies?
NC-11: It’s all about the Lincolns, baby.
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A novel concept, via the AC-T:
Republican Congressional candidate Carl Mumpower has launched his “Lincoln Campaign,” an effort to raise money $5 at a time.
In a press release this week, Mumpower says “there is simply no such thing as clean special interest money” and asks his supporters to make a $5 donation to his campaign and ask three friends to do the same.
“We are grateful for any contribution within legal limits, but $5 from enough people can be more powerful than a lot of money from those accustomed to buying America’s future,” Mumpower said.
Just as an aside, am I the only one who thought of Ren & Stimpy shouting “FIVE BUCKS!!??!” while reading this article/press release? Anyway, I digress…
Mumpower garnered total contributions of $27,744 and had $2,172 cash on hand during the same time period, according to Federal Election Commission. To close the cash on hand gap at $5 per donation, Mumpower would need contributions from 146,706 people.
That’s the cash on hand gap as it stands now. By the time late September/early October rolls around, he may need FIVE BUCKS!!??! from all 166,427 registered Republicans in the 11th district, as well as some of the 115,778 unaffiliateds. But I’m just spitballing here.
Oh, and, what would an article about the NC-11 Congressional race be without at least dropping Bill Sabo’s name?
Congressional incumbents win re-election more than 90 percent of the time, according to UNC-Asheville political science professor Bill Sabo, and a challenger needs at least $800,000 to mount a serious challenge.
“I am going to win or lose standing up straight through our “Lincoln Campaign” – obligated only to the common good and holding fast to a committed set of principles,” Mumpower said.
It’s ambitious. It makes good copy. Time will tell if Mumpower & the Principles (hey, sounds like a good band name, doesn’t it?) will stand up and insist that the NRCC and the inevitable glut of other special interests and lobbying groups refrain from flooding the WNC/Upstate SC radio and TV markets with Shuler attack ads, but in the meantime we wish Teh Mump the best of luck with this strategy.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for someone to give five bucks to and the thought of giving it to Mumpower makes you throw up in your mouth a little bit, give it to Heath Shuler. On the other hand, Professor Sabo does have a point about the high percentage of incumbent Congressional re-elections, and there are a few challengers running in NC who do need your help:
- Larry Kissell, who was 330 votes shy of defeating Flip-Floppin’ Robin Hayes in the 8th District in 2006 and declared a 2008 rematch just mere seconds after conceding
- Roy Carter, who’s running against current 5th District Bush rubber stamp Virginia Foxx
- Daniel Johnson, who could very well be the one to defeat that obsequious creep in the 10th District, Patrick McHenry
Or, heck, you could even click on the button at the top of the left sidebar and help us out with our operating costs! 
Now it’s up to you, Daniel
Posted by: | CommentsIn the 10th, Republican Lance Sigmon got creamed by sleazy Pat McHenry 67 to 32. BUT did anyone notice he almost beat our little man in the most populous county in the district?
Patrick McHenry (REP) 50.94% 7,038
Lance Sigmon (REP) 49.06% 6,778
And while Lance Sigmon might not help out the Democrats come November, it doesn’t look like he’ll be behind lil Pat either. From GoBlueRidge net:
“I’m not going to help them [Democrats] either, I’m just not going to endorse him [Patrick McHenry].
McHenry has already started throwing mud at our guy. This is from his website:
But Nancy Pelosi’s chosen recruit, a trial lawyer from Raleigh, already has his pockets stuffed with cash from Washington liberals, and we know there will be more to come.
That didn’t work next door in the eleventh in 06 but who knows, Pat, a lack of imagination never stopped you before, eh?
Here’s Johnson’s response:
“This is an untrue personal attack, and exactly the kind of politics that we in the 10th District are sick and tired of,” said Johnson, “I am proud of my record serving the state of North Carolina as a prosecutor and standing up for the victims of violent crimes. I was encouraged to run by leaders from our community, and I look forward to serving my friends and neighbors in Washington.”
The politics of division and the politics of fear are exactly what are keeping Congress from finding real solutions to the serious problems facing our community and our nation. The Johnson campaign looks forward to a campaign about the issues affecting our families in the 10th District–the rising cost of gasoline and healthcare, the need for new, high-paying jobs, and the care of our military men and women.
And talking about cash, Johnson had raised $217,062 and had $166,188 unspent by the mid-April reporting date. McHenry raised $871,846 during the same period. He spent $679,844 and had $325,663 in cash.
Go throw some money at Daniel, folks!
The Quick’n'Dirty – Shuler’s For Hillary
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Looks like Army of Mumpower has pulled off an improbable victory against an opponent so lackluster as to be unable to defeat him.
Don Yelton came in third for the Republican Buncombe County Commission race, just ahead of expatriate Ron McKee.
J. Ray Elingburg came out in front of Bob Hill, which is sad. Cecil lost to Bill Stanley by just over a thousand votes. If it weren’t for Republican crossover votes, Stanley couldn’t have taken Bothwell. Will these same Republicans vote for him in the general? We’ll see. Holly Jones owned the County Commission race tonight.
Democrats who won for County Commission: Jones – Bailey – Peterson – Stanley
Republicans: Dunn – Carroll – Yelton – McKee
Jim Neal got creamed by the Hagan in the Senate primary
Goodwin and Wood won for Insurance and Auditor.
Last I looked the Commissioner of Labor race was up for grabs.
Walter Dalton enjoyed the splitski spoils of the progressive candidates, eking out a victory. Score one for the DINOs.
Pat McHenry wasn’t in the kind of freefall we’d imagined. He’ll be around through November. Give money right now to Daniel Johnson.
Oh, and did I mention that Barack Obama kicked Hillary Clinton’s desperate ass 56 – 42? However, he won only one county in the 11th Congressional District, which means that Congressman Heath Shuler will cast his superdelegate vote for Hillary per his announcement yesterday. As of this posting it’s 51-49 in Indiana, with Clinton barely in the lead.
It’s about 36% voter turnout (and 10% of those voted early). What does it take to get folks to vote these days?
I’m thinking some sleep would be good about now. Congratulations and condolences to whomever they correspond. The Asheville Brewing Company was absolutely insane tonight, so thanks for everyone who made it so.
Democrats worked very hard over the last several months, and we registered oodles of new voters. We’re going to romp over John McCain come November.
