Friday, October 31, 2008
politics / media / Raleigh / North Carolina Charlotte O, N&O blast Dole
Posted by Bob Geary on Fri, Oct 31, 2008 at 9:51 AM
Charlotte Observer: Somewhere, Jesse Helms is laughing.
The News & Observer: Despicable.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
politics / North Carolina Hagan sues Dole: Charges ad = slander
Posted by Bob Geary on Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 5:22 PM
From the Hagan campaign:
GREENSBORO, NC- Kay Hagan filed a lawsuit against Elizabeth Dole and the Elizabeth Dole Committee, Inc., after Dole declined to remove her new television ad, described by North Carolina newspapers as "indecent," a "gross misrepresentation," "dishonest," and "beyond the bounds of acceptable political disagreement."
See the legal papers here: hagan-vs-dole
"Like her time in the U.S. Senate, Elizabeth Dole has made her choices here, and that's her decision," said Hagan Campaign Communications Director Colleen Flanagan said. "But it's equally our decision not to allow someone to slander Kay Hagan, impugn her character, her convictions and her faith, without any consequences. Elizabeth Dole would love nothing more than to distract from the issues and her record for the last 5 days of the campaign. In filing this suit, we've made clear that these kind of despicable tactics will not be tolerated, and our campaign is moving forward with the most important task at hand: defeating Elizabeth Dole, and giving North Carolina's families a voice in the U.S. Senate that they've been sorely missing."
politics / media / News / national / North Carolina CNN's Campbell Brown unloads on Dole for "godless" ad
Posted by David Fellerath on Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 4:55 PM
Today, CNN anchor Campbell Brown declared Sen. Elizabeth Dole's now-infamous ad—which attempts to link challenger Kay Hagan to some unspeakable coven of godlessness—to be one of the most disgusting ads in the country:
Is this really what it's come down to: We're fighting two wars, our economy is a disaster, and Sen. Dole's message to voters is to falsely accuse her opponent of not believing in God?
In a feature called "Cutting through the Bull" she says of this "ridiculously misleading" ad: "To all of you politicians desperately trying to hold on to your jobs now wallowing in the mud, willing to stoop to any level, just say no to your own craven ambition."
politics / North Carolina Extended hours for early voting
Posted by Lisa Sorg on Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 4:54 PM
If you're not one of the 1.7 million people who have already voted in North Carolina, you'll have extra time on Saturday, Nov. 1 to do so.
After an emergency meeting this morning, the N.C. State Board of Elections mandated asked that all 100 counties keep their polls open from 9 a.m. to at 5 p.m. Saturday. The closing time is four hours later than originally scheduled.
Saturday is the final day of early voting. Tuesday, Nov. 4, is Election Day. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. that day.
Durham County / News Hot air: Meals tax backers, opponents make their case
Posted by Vernal Coleman on Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 4:32 PM
For you Durhamites still on the fence about the proposed county-wide prepared meals tax, Bull City Rising has video of two of the principle figures behind the groups supporting and opposing the tax laying out their arguments at Tuesday night's Inter-Neighborhood Council Forum.
Our favorite part arrives 35 seconds in, when Dallas Woodhouse of Americans for Prosperity, a conservative, anti-tax lobbying group name checks Dr. Lavonia Allison of the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People, calling her his "new best friend."
Click here to watch of Robert Teer Jr. making the "for" case.
Hat tip to Kevin of BCR for the video.
music / Wake County / Raleigh / national Barr, Nader and Baldwin to debate in Cleveland
Posted by Matt Saldaña on Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 4:27 PM
Sad the debates--and with them, the winks, shoulder pats, split-screens and refusals to answer questions--are over? There's one more left.
Third-party candidates Bob Barr (Libertarian Party), Ralph Nader (independent) and Chuck Baldwin (Constitution Party) will debate today at 4:30 p.m. at the City Club of Cleveland. Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney was invited, though is not confirmed for the event. (Her campaign Web site is down.) Watch the live stream here, or later tonight on C-Span (time unconfirmed).
An earlier attempt at a debate among the four candidates unraveled, resulting in a last-minute debate (streaming video) between Nader and Baldwin on Oct. 23. In an interview with the Indy, Barr said he did not participate in the debate, organized by Free and Equal, because “it was very poorly organized, and we weren’t given enough notice.”
Barr is the only candidate on the North Carolina ballot. Nader and McKinney secured write-in status; Baldwin did not.
business / Raleigh / national Will Obama redistribute the wealth? He'd better.
Posted by Bob Geary on Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 2:40 PM
From NC Policy Watch in Raleigh, Rob Schofield sends word of important work by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington. To summarize: The yawning income gap in the U.S. between the rich and everyone else, along with the wealth gap, continues to worsen. Our national wealth distribution makes us look like a banana republic. (Or, to stay with the food meme, too few Americans are like Barack Obama, who did share his peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and who does want to raise taxes on incomes in excess of $250K/year so as to afford a "middle-class" tax cut.)
But the Center's data also tell us, Schofield says, that we're not so far gone that sensible policies can't bring us back:
The presentation serves as a powerful reminder that America's problems are, contrary to the contentions of the market fundamentalists, fully within our ability to directly and intentionally influence with straightforward public policies.
politics / national / North Carolina I'm a believer: "atheist" in anti-Hagan ad taught Bible studies
Posted by Lisa Sorg on Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Barry Yeoman reports for the Indy that one of the alleged atheists in Sen. Elizabeth Dole's attack ad versus Kay Hagan is actually... drum roll please...a former Bible/ Sunday School teacher who is studying theology at Harvard Divinity School.
politics / North Carolina Hagan ad on Dole ad: It's offensive ... she's bearing false witness
Posted by Bob Geary on Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 1:01 PM
Hagan: I believe in God and Elizabeth Dole knows it. She even faked my voice.
Game on now over whether Dole's "godless ad" went (way) over the line, and whether the Hagan campaign can jam it down Liddy's throat. Hagan's full statement today is below:
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
politics / Raleigh / national AP: Palin in Raleigh on Saturday
Posted by Bob Geary on Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 5:42 PM
At the State Fairgrounds. Dress is consignment shop.
(Update: NewRaleigh.com, the first to Palinize this yesterday as far as I know, now has the ticket details.
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