I am a teacher. I had no choice; both parents, two siblings and their spouses were in education in some capacity. If a gene exists for teaching, it runs rampant in my family. Of course that gene usually goes with the "struggling middle class" and the "you ain't never going'" [...]
As some of you are probably aware, the battle over Titan Cement's new facility in Hanover County is still raging. Dozens of (medical) doctors have joined to voice their concern, as well as hundreds of citizens and a few of my favorite environmental orgs. Most recently, these groups pleaded with [...]
The Family is one of the most frightening political organizations I have heard of. It grew out of 1930's roots of union-busting and a desire to foster "Totalitarianism for Christ" after the predicted fall of Democracy.
Today the group is on the forefront of the conservative side of "the culture" [...]
Some very good news about an old friend, received via email this week:
The Human Rights Coalition of North Carolina is pleased to announce Jerry Markatos of Pittsboro, N.C., as the recipient of its 2009 International Human Rights Award. Markatos is a “longtime unsung hero” in providing support for the [...]
In case you're feeling contemplative on this most gracious of days, here's another side to the story.
' [...]http://www.conservativenc.com/index.php/home/9-featured/1623-fmr-ncgop-c...
Fmr. NCGOP Chair Rouse reports on Central Committee Meeting
Tuesday, 24 November 2009 00:00
Editor's note: Former NCGOP Chair Frank Rouse sent the following email to a large group of party activists on Monday night.
Highlights of the Central Committee Meeting on Saturday:
In preparing for 2010, the budget was proposed to [...]
There's something about holiday breaks that pushes me into a pondering mood. Back when I was CEO of a company, the day before going on vacation was always emotional for me. It felt as though I was leaving forever and wanted people to know how much I appreciated them. [...]
Lively debate today at Daily Kos about Obama's performance. I believe this was triggered first by the epic FAIL emerging in healthcare reform, and then by Obama's intention to "finish the job" in Afghanistan, whatever the hell that means.
I have a Thanksgiving story for your consumption that has nothing to do with turkeys or pumpkin pie or crazy uncles.
Instead, in an effort to remind you what this holiday can really stand for, we’ll meet some people who are thankful today for simply being free.
It’s a short story [...]
Kudos go to Rep. Pricey Harrison for leading the charge and to the 19 other legislators who asked for an investigation. From this morning AP wire it is clear that the Attorney General is pursuing the investigation.
I am still baffled by the DSCC's lack of support for Elaine Marshall. Ms. Marshall is a seasoned North Carolina politician who has been re-elected repeatedly to both legislative and executive positions. She is a true trailblazer for women in North Carolina and she has proven her ability to raise [...]
So many stories about our senior Senator, all so very painful.
Markey Mark's recent post got me thinking, then I was looking at the NC Justice income fact sheets and figured I'd do a little number crunching in the hope that I can get an answer to a question I have long [...]
The Charlotte Observer bids adieu to Mayor Pat this morning, offering one singular thread of praise. According to the newspaper, McCrory was nothing short of a communistic central planner in the area of transportation policy, with the passion of a tax-and-spend socialist.
It's risky to try to proclaim anyone's legacy [...]
Among all the bad news we continue to hear about things going on in NC, here is some good news:
"North Carolina Named Nation's "Top Business Climate" for 5th Consecutive Year
Gov. Bev Perdue announced on Tuesday that North Carolina remains the state with the “Top Business Climate,” according to Site'" [...]
It's hard to imagine that there is another NC Congress-person with wackier (and more dangerous) ideas than Virginia Foxx, but Sue Myrick is ratcheting up the Crazy.
The former mayor of Charlotte who once tried to have Rock and Roll concerts banned from the Charlotte Coliseum and who claims to' [...]
With so many Republican chickenhawks wanting to pour more money into the black hole of Afghanistan, Congressman David Obey of Wisconsin has taken a powerful and smart position on the matter:
[He] made it clear that he is absolutely opposed to sending any more U.S. troops to Afghanistan and says [...]
For all his imperial power, Marc Basnight still has a way with words, as evidenced in his letter last week to thick-headed admirals in the US Navy. The Elizabeth City Daily Advance has the story.
“The people of northeastern North Carolina do not wish to have an outlying landing field [...]
If you do nothing else this week, set aside five minutes to read this excellent column on wealth redistribution by NC Policy Watch's Rob Schofield.
Crossposted on Amplify
Once again Colbert has proven to be the man. Check out this clip from Thursday's show about William Phillips choosing not to say the Pledge of Allegiance because gays cannot marry.
#TCOT is a twitter hashtag used on twitter to organize "Top Conservatives on Twitter."
If you do a search for #tcot on twitter, you get a firehose of right-wing extremism and snark. It's not that useful to search #tcot by itself because there is way too much to' [...]
Persons interested in North Carolina politics have been all abuzz over the last two weeks about the surprise decision of Senate Majority Leader and uber-lawmaker Tony Rand to retire.
Equally surprising – and yet still related to Senator Rand – is the most common reason for visitors [...]
Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin announced his appointment of five new members to the N.C. Joint Underwriting Association and the N.C. Insurance Underwriting Association, better known as the FAIR and Beach plans, respectively.
"I’m proud to announce the new appointees to the FAIR and Beach plan boards, and" [...]
The intrusion of god into public policy has long been a source of concern for me. It started early in my Navy career, at the Naval Academy to be precise, when roughly four thousand Midshipmen were rousted out of bed on Sunday mornings and marched off to church. We were [...]
Does anybody have any insight into this? Sounds like Mel Watt got leaned on by Obama's boys to go along with the Big Money Protection Racket.
In an unprecedented defeat for the Federal Reserve, an amendment to audit the multi-trillion dollar institution was approved by the House Finance Committee with' [...]
Our favorite irascible media tyrant is in the news once again, and once again it’s time for me to bring you a story of doing one thing while wishing for another.
In a November 6th interview, Sky News Australia’s David Speers spent about 35 minutes with the CEO of NewsCorp, Rupert [...]
I realize that budgets are tight all across America and all but I need someone to explain to me why taxes can't be raised on the rich, and only the rich for once, instead of cutting education funding. North Carolina has been run by Democrats for as long as I' [...]
The cost of bigotry idiocy
If NC state Senator Jim Forrester had his way, North Carolina taxpayers would be over $5 million poorer this November.
As he does every legislative session, Senator Forrester filed a bill this past February to write discrimination into the state constitution -- even though marriage [...]
No matter what side you're on in the Great American Abortion Debate, you'll find this article of interest. I discovered it this week in UU World, the Unitarian Universalist monthly magazine. It traces the history of religious practices around abortion, including the Catholic Church's radical change in 1917, driven' [...]
lllicitizen's blog on Heath's advising and extending his remarks using Genentech talking points is doubled down by the Smoky Mountain News this week reporting on more trouble with his dealings with TVA in East Tennessee.
Read more [...]For those following the wild dispute over the Yadkin River Dam between We the People and polluting profiteers at Alcoa, you'll find Bob Geary's story in this week's Independent to be a sight for sore eyes. I'll share a few snippets, but you'll really want to read the whole' [...]
Like most of you on this blog, I would expect, I get a minor mountain of email every day, proffering petitions to sign urging action on timely causes that I support, or begging for more money to fight the good fight for yet another day.
I try hard to sign what [...]
The composition of this picture in the New York Times is extraordinary. A combination Last Temptation, Last Supper, Moses on the Mountain, and Beatles album all rolled into one.
I've always been a supporter of Israel. Today I believe their government's continued expansion could signal the [...]
Hi Elaine:
Wish you a Happy Birthday! We are so proud of you. You will be the next US Senator from North Carolina! May your birthday wish come true! GOD Bless you and your family!
[...]
And happy birthday! We're honored that you'd squeeze in time for BlueNC tonight. Thank you.
As you've no doubt read, our community members have posted some interesting and thought-provoking questions, which we'll weave into this live blogging event.
Thanks again for visiting with us.
(Those who don't' [...]
I don't know Joe Sinsheimer, but I like how he writes, and especially what he writes. Joe gave me permission to post this letter in full, a letter from him to Governor Perdue.
__________________________________________
November 18, 2009
Governor Bev Perdue
Office of the Governor
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0301
Dear Governor Perdue,' [...]
Heath Shuler: One of the reasons I have long supported the U.S. biotechnology industry is that it is a homegrown success story that has been an engine of job creation in this country and in my home state of North Carolina.
Oh, that's cool. But that sounds familiar...
Joe Wilson: One of' [...]
To all those moderates and right of center hand-wringers who say that emergency rooms are the ultimate safety net for the uninsured, your delusions have just been dashed.
Patients who lack health insurance are more likely to die from car accidents and other traumatic injuries than people who belong to [...]
Who'd have thought I'd ever agree with Sarah Palin. This excerpt from the Atlantic, emphasis added:
"We were informed today that she (Sarah Palin) no longer wishes to do talk radio interviews in the car. It's too distracting," wrote a senior Palin adviser, in an e-mail to senior headquarters' [...]
The recent disclosure that Charlotte-based law firm, Moore & Van Allen, was working in behalf of unnamed clients against certain provisions of the proposed health care legislation (Charlotte Observer, 16 November 2009), is troubling.
They are not doing legal work; they are engaged in advocacy regarding legislation through their governmental affairs [...]
Most of what I can find about Senator Martin Nesbitt leans in the direction of positive in my view. I hope that bodes well for his tenure as majority leader in the NC Senate. A discussion I found on the Asheville Citizen Times website is encouraging.
Read more [...]We strive to be, if anything, a participatory space around here, and I’ve had a question come to my inbox that is very much deserving of our attention.
To make a long story short, our questioner wants to know why, on the one hand, despite the passage of the American Recovery [...]
That's why it's somewhat bizarre that North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr is standing behind legislation he introduced last March that would restore gun ownership rights to veterans designated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Justice as "mentally incapacitated" or "mentally" [...]
I was lucky enough to meet Kenneth Lewis this morning for a cup of coffee. We talked for an hour, sitting at the corner table at 3 Cups in Chapel Hill. I'll report more on our conversation later in the week, but I do want to tell this' [...]
As you may have read, Secretary Marshall will spend an hour with us Wednesday night, starting at 7:00. Please drop in your questions here ... just in case you aren't able to make it on Wednesday.
The chief actuary for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has delivered his scoring of HR 3962 to members of Congress and the news isn’t good. Not only does it look like the bill will wind up costing more than projected by the CBO, the pledge that the bill [...]
Because it is an excellent safety precaution that saves lives and keeps insurance costs down, North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance Wayne Goodwin this past week received both his seasonal flu vaccine and also the H1N1 vaccine.
"Stay healthy, protect yourself and your family, and fight the flu before" [...]
Wake County has only 173m, about 3.5%, of 5.1 billion alloted for NC stimulus recovery fund projects from the feds, according to Onvia Tracking. We are behind Cumberland, Wayne, and Rowan counties. We can do better and, if elected to the NC Senate in 2010, I'll work to "bring home'" [...]
For those who missed the national news, here is the real-time video of the November 10, 2009 Tennessee Ocoee Gorge rockslide.
Since late October, rockslides have closed two primary connectors between western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. The Pigeon River Gorge I-40 rockslide severed the route between Asheville, North Carolina and [...]
On Wednesday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m. we will have a live blog discussion with U.S. Senate candidate, Elaine Marshall. We are lucky that James was able to get this set up in the middle of all the frantic activity surrounding the healthcare debate and the on again, off again [...]
If you sign the Credo petition, they'll send Bob Etheridge a coathanger. See http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/send_a_coathanger/
Also see the SFGate article on what Bob and his pals really voted for (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/13/EDAM1AJ8NV.D...)
' [...]Why won't the DSCC support Elaine Marshall for U.S. Senate? Things have changed a lot here in NC since she last ran for national office in 2002. Who would have guessed that "Blue NC" would be true? That a black community organizer with the middle name ... would win in' [...]
I am greatly concerned about our society’s inability to grasp the significant threats that global warming poses. Even though there is much positive progress, the overall trend, especially with the Senate’s dithering over real climate change legislation and Copenhagen looking wobbly, is that we aren’t making enough progress fast enough.
[...]In an email to members this morning, Progressive Democrats of America calls HR 3962, "a very bad bill."
This bill is, so far, a very bad bill that will further enmesh corporations into our government and our daily lives without addressing the problem. It diminishes all of our rights, not [...]
Thank goodness. According to the Dome, the DSCC may be scrambling to find another conservative white guy to fill his non-existent shoes. If I were Elaine Marshall or Ken Lewis, I'd be ready to blow something up.
' [...]I'm not sure why this one tickled me, but here you go.
A professor at the University of Mississippi was giving a lecture on 'Involuntary Muscular Contractions' to his first year medical students. Realizing this was not the most riveting subject, the professor decided to lighten the mood slightly. He' [...]
PDNC has released a statement today that calls for the North Carolina Democratic Party to lead the fight against political corruption. We have invited Party Chair David Young (see letter here) to join us in making sure that the necessary reforms are put into [...]
Not that Mr. Kissell seems to care, but for those on his staff who track such things, many people throughout the state who worked for him are more than a little pissed. I'm talking about those who contributed to his campaign, who held fundraisers on his behalf, who knocked on' [...]
The N&O is all a-twitter today with stories about Big Bad Bob and his Senatorial dithering. Will he run? I hope he does. I'd love to watch him twist and turn, trying on one hand to defend his anti-women agenda, trying on the other hand to define the infinitesimally' [...]
You can tell a lot about the integrity of a person by the way he or she apologizes. Let's say, for example, that someone knocks you over while running toward their gate in an airport. The person could say, "Hey, I'm sorry I knocked you over" and that would be' [...]
Actually I don't watch Fox "News" - willingly. My gym has 4 tv's facing its cardio area so I do get a dose of the Fox every so often while peddling or running. You see, I have no choice; the owners of the gym always have one of the' [...]
The opinion piece below was published in the Charlotte Observer on Nov. 5, 2009. I am republishing this piece on behalf of Dean Naujoks, the Yadkin Riverkeeper (www.yadkinriverkeeper.org).
The Yadkin Riverkeeper is one of the many environmental groups in opposition to Alcoa receiving a new 50-year license from [...]
Inside the so-called mind of a pro-life hypocrite.
“I’ve had several cases over the years in which the anti-abortion patient had rationalized in one way or another that her case was the only exception, but the one that really made an impression was the college senior who was the president [...]
As reported by Vicki Hyatt, editor of The Mountaineer, the Pigeon River Gorge section of I-40 has and will continue to be a rockslide-hazardous corridor. The following is a reprint of her November 3, 2009 article “I-40: A troubled history.”
Rock slides that halt travel between Haywood and Newport, Tenn., [...]
Lenoir County, no matter what anyone thinks was transformed on Nov. 3rd. The City of Kinston elected its first Republican Mayor since Reconstruction (Congrats BJ Murphy).
With that victory also came claims of the demise of the Lenoir County Democratic Party. Well, let me just say [...]
While the Republican Party seems to most relish the outward signs of patriotism, such as waving the flag, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, and sending troops into harm’s way with aplomb, it is the Democrats who have the longer record prosecuting our nation’s wars since World War I.
Indeed, it [...]
When I think that Congress and Barack Obama allow our nation to do business with criminal mercenaries who take millions of taxpayer dollars and use that money to bribe Iraqi officials, it turns my stomach. We've known about these murdering thugs for years now, and yet' [...]
Democratic Party Against Women
Me, I'm wondering why I should bother to vote again for my congressman, Brad Miller, who seems to be just another one of the "so-called progressive men [sic] telling us to calm down and look at the big picture." The big picture' [...]
Admittedly, my ability to read tea leaves in today's political environment pretty much sucks. I was certain that Cunningham would run - and I was dead wrong. But that won't stop me from continuing to speculate about what might happen next. For example, I am happy to predict that [...]
There has been a great wailing and gnashing of teeth over the past day or so as those who follow the healthcare debate react to the Stupak/Some Creepy Republican Guy Amendment.
The Amendment, which is apparently intended to respond to conservative Democrats’ concerns that too many women were voting for the [...]
Dear Friends,
After giving a serious and thorough look at a race for the U.S. Senate, I have decided not to seek office at this time. This has been a very difficult decision, but I’m sure there will be another day and there are many other ways to serve.
I am [...]
I subscribe to a free service that delivers, in their words, "eclectic little excerpts delivered to your email every day." It's called Delancey Place and I really enjoy the diversity and depth of the entertaining, informative, and thought provoking material they send. Today's email really hit me hard. The article [...]
Whether you are deliriously happy, incredibly sad, or still uncertain about how you feel about what has emerged from the House this weekend, it’s probably safe to say that one thing everyone is...is sick of the whole thing.
Of course, we’re far from done—but just to give us all a break, [...]
Currently licensed professional counselors (LPCs) and licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) are not eligible for Medicare reimbursement. I believe that the House health care bill has a provision that would rectify this, but the Baucus Senate bill doesn't.
The request is simple enough: call Kay Hagan (202-224-6342) and Richard' [...]
According to Open Left, NC Dems who voted for the Stupak amendment to restrict women's rights:
Etheridge, Bob NC-2
McIntyre, Mike NC-7
For the last couple of years, I've been operating under the assumption that Paul Krugman was correct when he said, "Now we’re living in an age of one-letter politics, in which a politician’s partisan affiliation is almost always far more important than his or her personal beliefs."
In the various battles on Capitol Hill and elsewhere, working out the details of health care reform, many compromises have already been made. During this time, the most critical part of health care reform, the public option, has been teetering on the chopping block. I believe that many Democrats view [...]
November,2009
Much Ado About Nothing
Dear Citizen:
Another several months have flown by and yet another election cycle has come and gone. To hear the talking heads tell it, one would think that Obama was on the ballot and that the Republicans had won great victories, boding a comeback. Neither is true. This [...]
After a vote to weaken and limit coverage for women, the U.S. House passed landmark health care reform legislation.
OK, so it is bi-partisan by only one vote. Joseph Cao from Louisiana voted Yea.
[...]Ahhh, Stupak and fellow Dems and Republicans want to force women using the public option to buy a supplemental plan to cover abortions even though the Capps Amendment preserves/protects the Hyde language which basically says no federal dollars will be used to pay for abortions.
Rep. Capps said current federal language [...]
I don't know if you have been following the debate on the floor of the House, but I've noticed a trend with the last two committees given time to speak. The Republicans of (I think Ways and Means) screamed and yelled about it being a freedom killin', job killin' bill. [...]
While some national organizations have Larry Kissell listed as in the pocket of the insurance industry, when I contacted North Carolina Health Care of for American Now they said that they haven't given up on Rep. Kissell to do the right thing.
NC HCAN believes that Kissell may misunderstand the bill's [...]
If you've been following the announcements coming out about the healthcare debate over the past two days they have certainly included some mixed messages. A couple of days ago I received an email from PDA (Progressive Democrats of America) excited that Speaker Pelosi was going to allow a 20 minute' [...]
It becomes more and more obvious that health care reform is needed. In just one short Google search on the NC 11th Congressional district the following information was found. It is appalling that the amount of uninsured in the district. In a quick search of Congressman Shuler’s official website ([...]
In 2007, I was fortunate enough to become a 'reporter' by way of becoming a radio talk show host in Colorado. I began interviewing candidates in Colorado and had several candidates on my show who went on to successful victories. And, being an ex-Pat from North Carolina, I took [...]
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of listening to a group of veterans discuss the importance of working toward energy indepence. They were traveling throughout North Carolina, as well as other states, to tell about their experiences and share their view of energy independence as a national [...]
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