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October 2008
Rocky Mount hip hop video for change
A Rocky Mount educator who identified herself as Lady J wrote a tribute song to get out the vote for Barack Obama. She helped produce the following video to accompany the song:
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Hagan to make final push through Rocky Mount
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kay Hagan will make her final pitch to Rocky Mount voters today.
A day after threatening legal action against her opponent, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, Hagan will meet with voters at the Rocky Mount Board of Education, Administrative Building at 800 N. Fairview Rd.
Dole released an ad Wednesday accusing Hagan of being “Godless.”
The event at 1:45 p.m. today is open to the public.
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Dole accuses Hagan of supporting ‘Godless agenda’
Elizabeth Dole told a crowd of cheering Rocky Mount supporters they must vote for her to preserve the standing of their religious beliefs.
“We’re trying to save honesty and integrity and hard work and personal responsibility and love of family and love of God,” Dole said at the event. “That’s what this is all about, and it’s a serious time.”
Today, Dole sharpened the rhetoric by releasing an ad questioning her opponent Kay Hagan’s faith:
http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/shared-blogs/communities/rmpolitics/upload/2008/10/doleaccuseshaganofsupporti/DoleGodlessAd.wmv
Hagan scheduled two press conferences and a conference call today to express her outrage over the ad. Dismissing the spot as a despicable divide tactic, Hagan’s campaign is demanding the ad be pulled immediately.
“It is beyond inappropriate and beneath Senator Dole to be attacking Kay and her Christian faith,” Hagan spokesperson Colleen Flanagan said. “As a Sunday School teacher and an elder in her church, Kay’s ‘love of God’ is strong, and her love of country and North Carolina are unquestionable.”
What do you think? Hagan is up in the polls. Does this ad cross the line in an attempt to swing last minute voters? Or is this commercial appropriate?
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Michelle Obama to visit Rocky Mount
Michelle Obama will make a campaign stop Wednesday in Rocky Mount.
The wife of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama will speak at an Early Vote for Change rally at 5:30 p.m. at Rocky Mount High School. Campaign officials said in a press release that Michelle Obama is slated to emphasize the importance of voting early and encourage her husband’s supporters to cast their ballots before the Nov. 4 general election.
She also is scheduled to address the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina at noon in Fayetteville.
Barack Obama also will return to North Carolina on Wednesday, attending an early voting rally at the Halifax Mall in Raleigh.
Republican John McCain also is visiting the Tar Heel State this week, with a campaign appearance scheduled for Tuesday at the Crown Center in Fayetteville. Country music star Hank Williams Jr. is scheduled to perform at the rally. Doors open for the event at 2 p.m., and people interested in attending are asked to arrive by 4:30 p.m.
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Rudy Giuliani checks in with the Telegram
Earlier this week, former Republican presidential nominee Rudy Giuliani claimed national headlines for being voice to thousands of robocalls made throughout the U.S. attacking Barack Obama on crime.
In the call, the former federal prosecutor and New York mayor attempts to portray Obama as soft on crime, saying the Democrat opposes “mandatory prison sentences for sex offenders, drug dealers and murderers.”
“With priorities like these, we just can’t trust the inexperience and judgment of Barack Obama and his liberal allies,” Giuliani says in the message being circulated throughout several battleground states, including North Carolina.
Taking a break from the surrogate campaign trail Sunday, Giuliani called the Telegram — the real one, not Robo Rudy — to take his message a step further.
“Senator Obama has the weakest record of anybody I’ve ever seen when it comes to crime,” Giuliani said in the Telegram interview. “Sometimes — when the media doesn’t want to take Obama to task for his record — Republicans have to do that. He has a very weak record on criminal justice. I’ve never seen a presidential nominee with this weak of a record.”
As Obama’s national lead has grown a week ahead of the election, the GOP has turned up the heat in questioning Obama’s record on a number of issues, including homeland security and crime.
Giuliani was in between campaign stops with TV hostess Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Cindy McCain in South Florida when he made the call. Giuliani predicted a Florida victory for McCain before saying he’d be willing to swing through North Carolina to stump for the McCain campaign.
“We might come,” he said. “We have 9 or 10 days left, I’ll go wherever they tell me. I’m working hard out here.”
When asked about rumors of a potential Giuliani 2012 presidential run should Obama win, Giuliani squashed the conversation. He hadn’t heard any such rumors, he said. Giuliani was a frontrunner to be the GOP nominee this year before McCain claimed the nomination.
“I’m not considering anything right now. No. No,” Giuliani said. “I’m just out here thinking about 2008 and getting the best person possible elected president. That’s all I’m thinking about.”
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Early voting record set after only 10 days
North Carolina voters set a record for early voting, state election officials said today.
Voters had cast 1,088,825 early votes as of Friday. In all of 2004 early voting, 1.1 million early votes were cast, the Charlotte Observer reported today. Voters pushed past that number today. Statistics for Nash and Edgecombe counties were not available, but will be reported here early next week.
Officials in each county have said the county early voting records will fall, though.
Here’s a breakdown of who has voted so far, according to state election officials.
Party: Democrats - 58 percent, Republicans - 25 percent, Unaffiliated - 17 percent. Race: Whites - 66 percent, Blacks - 30 percent, Other - 4 percent.
Analysts say Democrat Barack Obama needs between 20 and 22 percent of the vote to be comprised of black voters to have a reasonable shot at winning.
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Taking a plunger to Washington?
Two weeks ago the Telegram named Joe the Plumber the winner of the final presidential debate. That, along with unending media coverage in the days that followed, has catapulted the Toledo handyman into a political career.
No joke.
Joe Wurzelbacher, the most famous plumber in America thanks to John McCain and Sarah Palin, told conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham Friday he’s considering a run for Congress in 2010.
That would pit Mr. Plumber against U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-9th District, which includes Toledo and Sandusky.
“I’ll tell you what, we’d definitely be in one heck of a fight, Marcy Kaptur definitely has a following in this area,” Wurzelbacher said of the possibility. “But, you know, I’d be up for it.”
Can you imagine the bumper sticker possibilities?
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Third party candidate says a vote for McCain is a vote wasted
Bob Barr says Republican John McCain is on his “farewell tour” across America.
“The wheels on the Straight Talk Express have come off,” said Barr, the Libertarian Party’s nominee for president. “Sen. McCain will be spending the last two weeks before the election on his farewell tour across America. Sen McCain’s mixed and angry message, as well as his support of big-spending policies, have killed any chance McCain may have had to win this election.”
Barr says this means Republican-leaning voters who are reluctant to vote for John McCain and his big government record, “can feel comfortable knowing that their vote for Bob Barr will be a vote for smaller government, less spending and lower taxes.”
“Now, principled conservatives can vote their conscience instead of voting for a faux-conservative just because he carries the Republican label,” explains Barr. “Small ‘L’ libertarians don’t have to vote defensively for the lesser of two evils because it is clear that McCain no longer has any realistic chance to win the election.”
“A vote for John McCain is a wasted vote,” Barr said.
The plea seems to reaffirm GOP fears that Barr could be to Republicans what Ralph Nader has been to Democrats.
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Candidates to meet at forum tonight
A handful of legislative candidates will meet for a forum tonight at Braswell Memorial Library on North Grace Street.
N.C. General Assembly candidates N.C. Rep. Joe Tolson, D-Edgecombe and Republican opponent Garland Shepheard who are vying for the N.C. House District 23 seat; Democrat Randy Stewart and Republican W.B. Bullock for the N.C. House District 25 seat; N.C. Rep. Lucy Allen, D-Franklin and her opponent for the N.C. House District 49 seat are among some of the names expected to turn out for the event.
The forum is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m. and end at 8:45 p.m.
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General Clark to stump for Obama in Rocky Mount
Former U.S. Gen. Wesley Clark, the one-time Supreme Allied Commander of NATO forces in Europe, will stop in Rocky Mount Wednesday to discuss Barack Obama’s plans to expand benefits for higher education and improve the quality of healthcare for veterans and service members.
Clark is a four-star general and served as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe where he commanded NATO’s first major combat action to stop ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, as well as peacekeeping operations in Bosnia. Clark‘s service also includes assignments as Commander-in-Chief of the US Southern Command and Command of the 1st Cavalry Division.
Clark unsuccessfully ran for president in 2004, before authoring “Waging Modern War” and “Winning Modern War.” He’ll speak at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday at Braswell Memorial Library.
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Daughtridge campaign challenges opponent’s resume
Bill Daughtridge campaign manager Dave Woolf wants to know what resume Janet Cowell was citing when she spoke with the Telegram last week.
The Democrat Cowell, who leads her Republican opponent by a small margin in their race for state treasurer, fired back at Daughtridge’s claim that she has next to no experience, saying in a Telegram interview that her time as a financial consultant trumps his role running a mid-size gas distribution company.
“I challenge her to show us where specifically in her career did she earn all this experience,” Woolf said. “Her financial experience dates to 1993, with two entry level positions. Since receiving her MBA, she has had no financial jobs. She’s been a (human relations) consultant.”
In response to Cowell’s claim that she is more prepared to handle big finances:
“She said, ‘We’re talking about managing large financial investments,’” Woolf said. “Exactly. That’s what you do when you run a mid-sized company each day.”
Woolf also took umbrage with comments from Public Policy Polling official Tom Jensen, who suggested it might be difficult for Daughtridge to win if record numbers of Democrats go to the polls voting for Barack Obama. Woolf said if “Jensen wants to be quoted as a polling expert, or whatever, he shouldn’t be working for Democrats. Tom Jensen works for Janet Cowell. It’s a fact.”
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Gov. Sarah Palin on SNL? You Betcha
Politics and entertainment continue to merger this election year as Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is set to appear tonight on NBC’s Saturday Night Live.
The question on everyone’s mind is if Palin will do a skit with her lookalike Tina Fey, who has portrayed the governor in multiple parodies. Our own crack staff of prognosticators suspects that Palin will portray Tina Fey in a skit, probably talking about how hard it is to shop for glasses. If we’re right, remember you heard it here first! If not, don’t worry about it.
There’s also a chance Palin will run into President Bush in the form of Josh Brolin, the actor who has the title role in “W.”, the Oliver Stone movie that opened this weekend. It’s a perfect opportunity for Palin to use Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s zinger from the debate earlier this week.
Just image Palin and Brolin standing side-by-side as she says, “Look, I’m not President Bush either.”
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Blogging the debate: One final chance for America to yell insults at their television
I have my computer. I have my remote. Refresh your browser ever few minutes for in-depth insights (I’ll have almost none) and thoughts (I’ll probably have plenty) on the the third and final presidential debate in Hempstead, N.Y.
10:40 p.m. — The debate is over, the lights are off, and the winner is …
Joe the Plumber!
Hands down, Joe C. Plumber of Toledo, Ohio, proved tonight that there is perhaps no one more qualified to be president of these United States of America. I went to school for four years to learn and master the English language. Look where it got me.
But Joe the Plumber took his father’s trade and turned it into a $300,000-a-year juggernaut of a business. Impressive. Very impressive.
Joe Plumber won my vote tonight. Perhaps his cousin Six-Pack will be his running mate in 2012.
Game over.
10:27 p.m. — McCain confuses down syndrome and autism
McCain says his running mate Sarah Palin knows more about autism than most Americans. Really? Is that because Palin’s newborn has down syndrome?
Any parent of a special needs child will tell you, autism and down syndrome are very much different.
Perhaps Palin studied the topic in college?
10:21 p.m. — Who won the abortion discussion?
That was the first exchange between the two I’ve seen on the convoluted subject. I doubt either candidate won or lost any voters on the discussion since America is so divided.
But was Obama’s suggestion to unite the two sides of the debate by seeking to reduce unwanted pregnancies on the mark? Was McCain correct by calling Obama “pro abortion?” Post below.
10:12 p.m. — Litmus, what?
McCain said he would not appoint someone to the U.S. Supreme Court based on their ideological views. He would focus only on their credentials.
However, a justice who has a history of supporting Roe vs. Wade, McCain said, would probably be “unqualified” by those standards.
I’m dizzy.
10:04 p.m. — Joe the Plumber provides classic moment in debate history
Obama’s response to McCain’s fourth — FOURTH! — reference to a Toledo plumber was a zinger. McCain said he wants to know how much Obama’s health care plan would fine Joe the Plumber if he decides to decline coverage.
Obama said he’d like to talk to Joe, as well. What will the fine be for the Ohio plumber if he doesn’t get health insurance under Obama’s plan?
“Zero, Joe,” Obama said, holding his fingers in an O.
“Zero?” McCain responded, almost bewildered.
“Like I said in our last debate, John, I will exempt small businesses,” Obama added.
McCain must have blinked 25 times in the 10 seconds that followed.
10:02 p.m. — I’m bored, let’s talk fashion
They’re talking about health care plans. We’ve done this a few times already, so mute the TV and listen up.
If we can dissect and discuss Sarah Palin’s outfits, we ought to do the same for the men. I like Obama’s tie, but am digging McCain’s pinstripe suit.
What are your thoughts?
9:56 p.m. — Nearly an hour in, who really cares?
Even with the kitchen-table format, this debate is shaping up just like the previous two. Tic-for-tat, back-and-forth bickering. If McCain was banking on a homerun tonight, he’d better change the tone, and fast.
(By the way, has anyone noticed that Obama is wearing a flag lapel pin, but McCain is not. Oh man! What a twist!)
9:50 p.m. — Cool-headed Obama has a tell
Check it out. Every time Obama get’s mad, he smiles and laughs under his breath.
Watch for it. Every time Obama laughs to himself, pretend instead he is shouting curse words into the air.
For the Joe Six Packs out there, make it a drinking game if you like. Enjoy!
9:47 p.m. — Biden vs. Palin
Why, Shaeffer asks, is your running mate better than his?
Obama didn’t say Sarah Palin’s name once. Playing it safe, I suppose. Likewise, McCain never spoke Joe Biden’s name.
9:41 p.m. — McCain is upset with T-shirts
It seems McCain is losing his calm quite a bit right now. I thought he might blow out of his seat when Obama said Lewis’ comments are no worse than some McCain supporters who have accused Obama of being a Muslim terrorist.
My wife, who is a teacher and hates all politicians equally, said the Arizona senator is reminding her of a few of her third-graders. He’s talked over Obama on a least four occasions. And his comment about T-shirts at Obama rallies, to her, sounded like a child tattling.
Now that’s insight.
9:34 p.m. — Candidates avoid tough question
The question was: “Will you say to each other’s face the negative attacks launched by your campaign.”
The candidates essentially rejected the notion. McCain talked about a third-party remark by Rep. John Lewis. Obama said he doesn’t mind being attacked for three more weeks.
9:29 p.m. — Obama lashes out at the conservative media
It’s normally a conservative thing to criticize the media, but Obama just referred to Fox News as if they were the RNC itself. I can’t wait to hear Shawn Hannity react!
9:26 p.m. — ‘I am not President Bush’
I don’t think I’ve heard McCain break ties with Bush with more force than just now. He looked Obama straight in the eye and told him he should have run four years ago if he wanted to face Bush.
9:21 p.m. — ‘During the depression’
John McCain just referred to the Great Depression, as if he were a working adult at the time.
Schaeffer is a great moderator so far. He’s forcing both the candidate to get more specific. Let’s hope that keeps up.
9:15 p.m. — McCain gives shout out to ‘Joe The Plumber’
I know I’m not the only one who watches CNN’s independent-voter tracker like a sickness. If you don’t essentially a pool of undecided voters (HOW ARE PEOPLE STILL UNDECIDED?!) sit in a room and press buttons every few seconds based on how happy they are with the candidate who is talking.
When McCain spoke out to a plumber from Toledo, Ohio, about his tax plan, I bet Joe was pretty pumped.
But the independent voters didn’t seem to connect.
“Joe the plumber,” Obama countered, makes more than $250,000 a year. I should have been a plumber.
9:07 p.m. — Bob Schaeffer, CBS sets the tone
Anyone else stand up and cheer when Schaeffer said he didn’t want to hear anymore “talking points?” We’ll see how it goes.
John McCain is talking dollars and sense right now regarding his plan to buy up bad mortgages. But all can think is, what is McCain looking at? He seems to be staring over the moderator’s shoulder and into the audience.
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Obama wins student poll in landslide
A poll of nearly 250,000 students handed Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama a 57 percent to 39 percent victory over GOP rival John McCain.
The survey of 8- to 13-year-old students in third through eighth grades - conducted every four years by children’s publishing company Scholastic - began at the start of the school year and closed Oct. 10.
Student voters in the poll have accurately predicted the winner of every presidential contest since 1940 except two: in 1948, when kids choose Thomas Dewey over Harry Truman; and in 1960, when they picked Richard Nixon over John F. Kennedy.
This year’s vote also recorded the highest percentage of write-in votes in the history of the poll, with about 4 percent of students casting such ballots for Hillary Clinton, Ron Paul, Ralph Nader and Stephen Colbert, among others.
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Debate night in North Carolina
Tonight is the big debate. No, not the one between Barack Obama and John McCain (although that certainly will be a BIG debate). We’re referring to the 7 p.m. debate between all three of North Carolina’s gubernatorial candidates.
This debate, the final of five involving both Democrat Bev Perdue and Republican Pat McCrory and the only involving all three candidates, could be a deal breaker for either of the two frontrunners. Duke professor Mike Munger is running as the Libertarian nominee.
McCrory has outperformed Perdue in previous debates, according to polling data. After each debate, McCroy seemed to gain ground in the race. If that trend continues and enough undecided voters tune in to the debate, the debate could go a long way toward helping McCrory become just the third Republican governor in the last century.
But if Perdue pulls of a strong performance, it could enhance her small lead and perhaps seal the race in her favor.
If you can handle sitting through about 4 hours of debate, consider tuning in to watch the governor candidates square off prior to the main event in Hempstead, N.Y.
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Georgia congressman to visit Rocky Mount
U.S. Rep. John Lewis will appear this weekend at a “Get Out To Vote” rally in Rocky Mount.
Lewis, D-Ga., once described by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as “the conscience of the U.S. Congress,” last weekend chastized the John McCain campaign for its “negative tone” in attacking Democrat Barack Obama, likening it to that of incendiary segregation advocate George Wallace in the 1960s.
“What I am seeing reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history,” Lewis wrote in a statement posted on the Politico’s Web site. “Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse.”
A leader in the Civil Rights movement and former chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Lewis played a key role in the struggle to end segregation during the 1960s. He has represented Georgia’s 5th Congressional District, which encompasses nearly all of Atlanta, since 1987.
The rally begins at 10 a.m. Saturday at Martin Luther King Park at 800 East Virginia St.
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Perdue to visit Rocky Mount
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bev Perdue will make a campaign stop next week in Rocky Mount.
Perdue will attend a “Meet & Greet” with voters at 4 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Nash County Democratic Headquarters at 2509 Sunset Avenue.
Perdue, who found herself trailing GOP rival Pat McCrory in the polls for the first time nearly two weeks ago, is back ahead in the race, according to the latest poll from Raleigh-based Public Policy Polling.
An Oct. 7 PPP survey reports Perdue leading the Charlotte mayor by a margin of 46 percent to 43 percent - a reversal of the 44 percent to 41 percent McCrory lead reported Sept. 30 by PPP.
“This race continues to be very close, but Bev Perdue has definitely made progress over the last week,” said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling. “She’s connecting better with voters as she talks more about the economy, and that’s helping to bring some of her base voters home.”
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McCrory to dump on Eastern N.C.?
Democrat gubernatorial candidate Bev Perdue says Republican Pat McCrory wants to dump trash in Eastern North Carolina.
McCrory responded to the ad during a Telegram interview, saying, “It’s a downright lie. She should withdraw the ad immediately.”
McCrory said the claim stems from a vote he cast because he was opposed to a bill that would have added a $2 dollar tipping fee to every city in North Carolina.
“I don’t want to allow garbage from New York to be dumped in the eastern part of the state,” McCrory said, adding that he thinks Perdue is attempting to play to reservations Eastern North Carolinians have about electing a governor from the western part of the state.
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McCrory: ‘They scratched my sticker’
Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory was shocked last week when a minor fender bender became statewide chatter.
McCrory wasn’t even driving last week when his campaign car was clipped from behind. No one was hurt in the incident, and damage was minimal.
“Look, they scratched my sticker,” McCrory said pointing to the damaged bumper moments before a Rocky Mount fundraiser in his honor. The point of impact seemed to be centered on a Pat McCrory campaign sticker. “That’s all about it. Just a scratch. And it was all over the Internet for whatever reason.”
Who would post such meaningless news?
McCrory has not had the damage repaired. “No time,” he said.
Maybe after Nov. 4.
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McCain makes terrorism link top campaign issue
Republican John McCain announced last week plans to change the conversation and focus on Democrat Barack Obama’s past. Three weeks prior to election day, the McCain campaign said it wants voters to ask, “can we trust this guy,” officials said.
Since then, Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has repeatedly highlighted Obama’s former association with one-time domestic terrorist William Ayers. Obama and Ayers were both asked to serve on a Chicago-based educational committee and Ayers held a coffee-shop fundraiser for Obama in 1995.
The New York Times concluded that Ayers, who in recent years has been recognized by Chicago city officials as an outstanding citizen, did not have a substantial relationship with Obama.
Today, though, McCain launched a new campaign ad that questions Obama’s relationship with the former radical and released a statement from a man whose family was targeted in the 1960s by Ayers’ group, The Weather Underground.
“Barack Obama may have been a child when William Ayers was plotting attacks against U.S. targets — but I was one of those targets,” John M. Murtagh said through a McCain campaign press release. “Barack Obama’s friend tried to kill my family.”
Watch the video
The Obama-Ayers link first arose during the primary, but was brushed aside by Obama as “the politics of distraction.” Obama contends that the Ayers link is a stretch and an attempt by McCain to shift focus from the economy.
Obama said Wednesday, “I can take four more weeks of John McCain’s attacks, but America can’t take four more years of John McCain’s Bush policies.”
What do you think? Is McCain playing dirty? Or is this connection worthy of extensive conversation?
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Fact checking Sarah
Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin played attack (bull)dog in Greenville Tuesday night, but how much of her speech was accurate?
Palin told the audience that the election is about the “truthfulness and judgment” needed to be president. But the Alaska governor occasionally stretched the truth herself Tuesday.
Have no fear. We’ve got the facts.
Ties to mortgage meltdown
The claim: Palin tried to link Obama to the failure of housing giant Fannie Mae by noting that two Obama supporters once led the troubled company. The government seized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, another housing finance company, last month to prevent their collapse from worsening the global credit crisis.
“What’s next, claiming that he didn’t know two of his biggest supporters were running Fannie Mae, the subprime mortgage giant?” Palin said.
She referred to Jim Johnson, who chaired Fannie Mae from 1991-1998, and Franklin Raines, his successor who stepped down in 2004 in an accounting scandal.
The verdict: Exaggerated — Palin over spoke Obama’s ties to Raines and Johnson while omitting any mention of a closer relationship between a top McCain aide and the failed housing giants. Raines and Johnson support Obama but do not have strong ties to him or his campaign. Johnson briefly headed Obama’s vice presidential search last spring but resigned amid controversy over loans he got with help from an executive of Countrywide Financial Corp., a lender damaged by the mortgage meltdown.
Meanwhile, until August, Freddie Mac paid $15,000 a month to a lobbying firm headed by McCain campaign manager Rick Davis.
More taxes?
The claim: Palin warned the crowd that Obama would raise most people’s taxes.
“The phoniest claim in a campaign that’s full of them is that Barack Obama is going to cut your taxes,” she said, adding that Obama has repeatedly voted for higher taxes.
The verdict: Inaccurate — Obama has promised a tax cut for those making less than $250,000 per year — about 90 percent of all taxpayers. Only those making over $250,000 would get tax increases under Obama’s proposal.
McCain has pledged not to raise any taxes.
McCain health care plans
The claim: Palin pushed back against an Obama TV ad suggesting McCain’s health care plan would force employers to drop coverage for millions.
“Every middle class American family will have a $5,000 credit, tax credit, to buy the health care coverage that you choose and Barack Obama’s calling that a tax,” Palin said. “I don’t know how he can capture this and spin it into being a tax on Americans. No, it is a credit.”
The verdict: Misleading In fact, McCain’s plan would tax health care benefits people receive from employers in order to finance the $5,000 tax credit. Obama’s ads argue the new tax would raise the cost of insurance for employers, forcing millions off the rolls.
The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center found McCain’s tax credit would be more generous than the current tax break initially but could fall behind in later years. The center also found his plan would increase the deficit by $1.3 trillion over 10 years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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LIVE FROM GREENVILLE — Palin lands in Eastern North Carolina
Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin makes her first visit to the Carolinas tonight during a rally at East Carolina University. The Telegram will be here throughout the night, providing insight, quotes, and bizarre observations. Refresh your browser regularly.
5:20 p.m. - Live country music, pink barracudas and Pat McCrory
Minges Coliseum is beginning to fill up in anticipation of Sarah Palin, whose Straight Talk Air II should be landing at the Pit Greenville Airport any moment. In the meantime, a five-piece family country and folk band is entertaining the crowd of loyal Republicans.
A banjo, a fiddle, a violin, a guitar and a cello make for great political pregame tunes.
There a few high ranking officials floating around the crowd, including gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory. I’ll do my best to catch up with at least one of them.
There are at least 1,000 pink Palin T-shirts in the crowd already.
5:30 p.m. - The schedule
A 15-year-old campaign worker just handed me a schedule of events. In short, the Wells Family Country and Folk Band is going to keep playing the rest of the hour before giving way to local conservative radio disk jockey Henry Hinton. Hinton will introduce a handful of candidates who intend to address the crowd, including U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr and McCrory.
It appears Dole will be alowd to speak for 45 minutes, while McCrory and Burr are each limited to five minutes. Not sure if that’s a typo, or if Dole has a lot on her heart this evening. We shall see.
Palin is due up at 7:05 p.m.
5:45 p.m. - Preparing to ‘preach to the choir?’
Earlier today I asked N.C. Wesleyan political science professor Dr. Cameron Mathews his thoughts on Palin’s planned visit to North Carolina. Previously, Matthews told me it would be highly unlikely for a Democrat to win here. That was in April.
One month out, polling numbers are shifting toward Democrat Barack Obama, though. And although John McCain’s campaign still contends that North Carolina is a solid Republican stronghold that he should have no problem winning, Matthews said he is no longer sold.
“At this point in an election, you shouldn’t be preaching to the choir,” Matthews said. “If the McCain campaign thinks this is a solid Republican state, then Sarah Palin is essentially preaching to the choir. Even if they are confident they are going to win, they can’t be too confident. They wouldn’t send the vice presidential nominee to the state if they weren’t at least a little nervous.”
Preaching to the choir? How fitting. The Wells Family band just finished playing one of my favorite hymns. The pledge of allegiance was supposed to be recited six minutes ago, “the schedule” says. This could be a long night.
6:07 p.m. - No luck with other candidates
It looks like I’m going to have to wait until Dole, McCrory and Burr get on stage to hear from them. The press is on lock down tonight, behind metal railing and restricted to our small section and restroom.
One female reporter escaped to purchase a box of popcorn, but I’m sure she was reprimanded. Anyway, I’m not allowed anywhere else in the arena, so there will be no insight from any Republican lawmakers.
I did, however, talk with Democratic U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield via cell phone earlier. Butterfield, an adamant Obama supporter, said this morning he welcomes Sarah Palin’s visit to Eastern North Carolina - as long as she’s hear to talk about the issues that matter to his constituents, that is.
“It was my hope that she wouldn’t come in and attempt to smear Obama’s campaign any worse than she already has,” Butterfield said. “Shockingly, it has been (McCain’s) intent to smear senator Obama instead of talking about the issues. That’s a mistake. The American people don’t want a negative campaign. To deliberately engage in smear politics, that is a grave mistake.”
Palin has served as McCain’s attack (bull)dog in recent days as she has repeatedly worked to link Obama with William Ayers, a Chicago education professor and onetime radical war protester in the ’60s. At least twice since the McCain campaign released its intentions to change the tone of the race, Palin has accused Obama of “palling around with terrorists.”
We’ll see how that plays out later.
6:19 p.m. - Obama chided during opening prayer
Rev. Leake, in the invocation for tonight’s events, asked the Lord to punish the Democrats for lying about McCain and Palin, before comparing the Alaskan governor to one of the most revered of all biblical women.
“God, we ask that you close their mouths and help people know the truth,” Leake said of Obama and Joe Biden. “Because the truth will set you free. We thank you for this kind lady who you have brought out of nowhere. We consider her another Esther, who will save this nation out of turmoil.”
The crowd exploded with excitement after saying amen.
6:27 p.m. - Signs of a ‘Palin nation’
A number of people in the crowd are waving homemade signs that say, “Palin Nation,” “N.C. [heart] McCain and Palin” and “We love lipstick,” among other things.
The signs were handed out by campaign workers before the rally began.
6:36 p.m. - A dig on community organizers
Republican N.C. Rep. Louis Pate said he was thankful when the organizers invited him to speak at the rally tonight.
“Notice, I didn’t say community organizers,” Pate said to a standing ovation.
Obama worked for several years as a grassroots community organizer in poor neighborhoods in Chicago.
6:40 p.m. - McCrory: ‘It takes a mayor’
When Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory was introduced, this arena went bananas. McCrory was given as big of an ovation as Obama received in Raleigh last month. Wow.
“Sen McCain gets it,” McCrory said. “It takes a mayor to clean up government. It takes the mayor to be problem solver. It takes a mayer to be a tax cutter. It takes a mayor to be a visionary. It takes a mayor and John McCain gets it.”
It will also take a mayor, the Charlotte mayor said, to be the next governor of North Carolina.
6:55 p.m. - Dole outraged at Democrats over Wall Street problems
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole spoke briefly about Palin, but is focusing on her previous attempts to real in mortgage giants. It was the Democrats, Dole said, who put us in this mess.
“It’s almost like they break something, they blame it on the Republicans, and the next thing you know it’s a bumper sticker,” Dole said. “Well, we ain’t gonna let that happen this time, right?”
Palin should be up to the mic within the half hour.
7:10 p.m. - McCain video recalls war tales
The Palin convoy is on its way from the airport. In the meantime, the crowd is watching a video recalling McCain’s military career and his commitment as a prisoner of war.
Nothing new here. Many members of the media are taking a restroom break. Back in five minutes.
7:23 p.m. - CNN, MSNBC, Fox News in the house
The national (liberal?) media just walked in. Palin is in the house. Updates from her speech coming in minutes.
7:30 p.m. - Burr: Palin is one of ‘us’
In introducing Palin, Burr said this:
“Most of the people in this crowd and around this country already feel like they know her because she is one of us. Everyday she wakes up and balances her professional life with her family life. She wakes up with a first thought of breakfast for the kids just like you and I.”
She was introduced two minutes ago. People are still screaming.
“Sarah! Sarah! Sarah!”
7:33 p.m. - Standard hometown pandering
Referring to Greenville as “sports town USA,” Palin said she know the people of ECU know something about turning an underdog into a winner. She said the same of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays two days ago.
Is this how they determine where to send governor Palin? Towns with underdog sports teams?
7:36 p.m. - Maverick
Palin said McCain is a Maverick. That’s three minutes in, for those scoring along at home.
Palin had this to say about the Obama campaign:
“For a campaign that says it’s all about the future, our opponent still spends a lot of time pointing to the past. They spend a lot of time looking to the past because that is where you find the blame. We look to the future because that is where you find the solutions.”
7:45 p.m. - Victory vs. surrender
Palin accused Obama of fear mongering before saying this:
“John McCain is the only man who talks about wars America is fighting, and unlike our opponent, he isn’t afraid to use the word victory,” Palin said to chants of USA. “Senator McCain, he believes in our troops and he believes in their missions. And, I tell ya, as a mother of one of those troops, he is exactly the kind of man I want.”
7:58 p.m. - Palin makes terrorist connection
Palin continued to point out Obama’s association with Ayers.
“Wait a minute,” Palin said. “(Obama) didn’t know he had launched his political career in the living room of a domestic terrorist?”
Palin also told the crowd that Obama intends to raise their taxes. More on that later.
That’s a wrap
Palin essentially delivered the same speech that she has used the last few days. Throw in a few Pirates references, and call it a night.
The crowd is disbursing. I have a story to write.
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Palin in Greenville tonight, the Telegram will be there
If you weren’t among the 600 Nash County residents to claim a ticket to Sarah Palin’s Greenville visit, fear not. The Telegram will be there from start to finish with live blogging and commentary.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory and U.S. Sen. Richard Burr are each expected to be in attendance. Who else will show up? Will Palin repeat her fierce criticism of Barack Obama leading into the second presidential debate tonight? Check back at the blog at 5 p.m. for behind the scenes reporting and everything you never wanted to know about a major political rally.
Palin will not be granting one-on-one interviews, a campaign spokesperson said. We’ll see if we can’t change their mind.
In the meantime, read these articles to prepare for tonight’s visit:
McCain gets mean in the face of falling poll numbers
How the ‘guilt by association’ approach could hurt McCain
‘Pallin around’ with terrorists? Who are these terrorists?
Obama thinks he’s going to take N.C.
Palin and the Straight Talk Air II will touch down in Greenville around 5 p.m. See you then.
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Palin in Greenville Tuesday, tickets available at Nash GOP
The Nash County Republican Party has about 200 tickets available to hear Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin speak in Greenville Tuesday.
Palin will attend a rally Tuesday evening at East Carolina University in Greenville.
Palin will speak at the Road to Victory Rally at Minges Coliseum. The event will the first campaign appearance in North Carolina for either Palin or McCain. Seating for the rally will begin at 5 p.m.
Nash County Republican Robbie Davis said residents can stop by the county office today between 4 and 7 p.m. The county has already handed out 400 tickets to the event, Davis said.
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Palin to speak in Greenville
Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin will attend a rally Tuesday evening at East Carolina University in Greenville.
Palin will speak at the Road to Victory Rally at Minges Coliseum. The event will the Alaska governor’s first campaign appearance in the Carolinas.
Seating for the rally will begin at 5 p.m.
Palin’s campaign visit will take place prior to running mate John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama’s second debate Tuesday night in Nashville, Tenn.
Meanwhile, Obama made his third visit to North Carolina in two weeks Sunday at a rally in Asheville. Recent polls show Obama leading McCain by a slight margin in North Carolina which is considered a battle ground state in this year’s presidential election.
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Perdue says she’ll “skin” McCrory on election day
Democratic governor’s candidate Bev Perdue said she will “skin” Republican gubernatorial rival Pat McCrory on election day during a speech Saturday at dinner in Asheville.
The Associated Press reported that Perdue joked about not knowing how to field-dress a moose like Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, but said she will skin McCrory on Nov. 4.
The comment came after Perdue blasted McCrory on transportation, health care and his support from President Bush.
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From governor to school board
Local political experts aren’t sure, but Nashville resident Dennis Nielsen might be the first person in state history to run for governor and a local school board in the same election cycle.
Nielsen fought hard in a few primary debates against Decmocratic powerhouses Bev Perdue and Richard Moore, but couldn’t quite garner 5 percent of the vote. Now he’s running against District 5 school board member Greg Camp.
Nielsen laughed when confronted with the prospect of making state history with his two candidacies.
“I would say this about that,” Nielsen said. “I think what that shows in my case is that I’m interested in doing for the state, and the people of the state, whatever I can do to help wherever I can. From the top clear down to the bottom, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help out, whether as governor or on the local school board.”
Surprisingly, Nielsen’s transition from gubernatorial candidate to a contender for the Nash-Rocky Mount School Board has been quite smooth. Nielsen simply rearranged his gubernatorial campaign Web site and focused more directly on his plans for education.
One problem, though. We’re not sure if local school board members have the authority to “give state tax credits to parents who home school their own children,” as Nielsen suggests on the campaign Web site. It seems the plan was a remnant of Nielsen’s failed gubernatorial push.
Either way, Nielsen said he plans to make his opinions known, regardless of popularity.
“I’m of the belief that we need people willing to server and work for our community,” Nielsen said. “I’ve never been one to go to the bar and complain. If you’re not working to fix things, then you have no room to talk.”
More on Nielsen
Did we mention that Nielsen is a genuine hero, as depicted through at least one memorial statue and in the 1992 docudrama, “Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232”?
After a photographer famously captured an image of Nielsen carrying a small boy to safety after the crash of flight 232 in Sioux City, Iowa, a reporter asked Nielsen how it felt to save the child. His response?
“God saved that boy. I just carried him!”
Click here for more fun Nielsen facts!
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Biden says Helms changed his career
In answering a question during the vice presidential debate last night about what he has learned during his years in the U.S. Senate, Democrat Joe Biden — a polar opposite in many ways to the traditional southern conservatives — said that Jesse Helms forever changed the way he looked at things.
“Mike Mansfield, the former leader of the Senate, said to me one day — he — I made a criticism of Jesse Helms. He said, ‘What would you do if I told you Jesse Helms and Dot Helms had adopted a child who had braces and was in real need?’ I said I’d feel like a jerk. He said, ‘Joe, understand one thing: Everyone’s sent here for a reason, because there’s something in them that folks like. Don’t question their motive.’”
Biden said he still disagrees with Helms’ views, but he learned to never again questioned people’s motives.
Helms referenced by a Democrat on the first national ticket headed by a black man? Who could have predicted that? Even after passing away earlier this year, Helms just keeps on surprising us.
Biden attended Helms’ funeral in Raleigh earlier this year.
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Biden, Palin debate offers little controversy, few major sound bites
An unprecedented audience of Americans gathered around their TVs last night to watch a vice presidential debate that promised great political theater. Many wanted to see what mistakes Sarah Palin would make, fresh from her less-than-impressive interviews with CBS anchor Katie Couric. Many others watched wondering what gaffe Joe Biden would make in debating with the Republican governor from Alaska. It’s what he’s known for, after all.
Those viewers were most likely disappointed last night. After weeks of practice, Palin was prepared to answer most of the questions, although she did blatantly ignore the moderator’s prompt on at least a couple occasions. Aside botching the name of U.S. General David McKiernan and a few factual inaccuracies, Palin held her own.
Likewise, the rigid format of the debate kept Biden from spouting off on any tangents. All in all, it made for a fairly docile hour and a half. Below are a couple of the highlights:
Palin questions Obama’s tax record, Biden strikes back at McCain
Fact check: Did Obama really vote to raise taxes 94 times?
Biden was correct in his assertion that Palin was working with a “bogus standard,” according to Factcheck.org, a non-partisan project of the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center. The “94 times” claim has been repeated and repeated again by the McCain camp and other Republicans hoping to paint Obama as pro taxes. But by that standard, McCain has indeed voted to “raise taxes” more than a couple hundred times, the non-partisan group says. The standard doesn’t hold.
Palin’s summary ignores the fact that some of the votes were for measures to lower taxes for many Americans, while increasing them for a much smaller number of taxpayers. The total also includes multiple votes on the same measures and budget votes that would not directly lead to higher taxes.
The lone 40-second sound bite? Many watch these debates looking for that one exchange, that one sound bite that will be run again and again. Other than the above rant, this debate lacked that type of clip, it seems.
What stood out to you during the debate? Any memorable moments other than what is posted above?
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Palin to stump in Greenville
Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is scheduled to deliver a speech in Greenville next week.
Palin will appear Tuesday at a Republican Road to Victory rally at East Carolina University’s Minges Coliseum. Doors open at 5 p.m.
The Greenville stop will be the first appearance in North Carolina by either Palin or John McCain since the general election began in May. Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Bided have collectively made more than a half dozen visits to the Tar Heel state since then.
Palin loves to read
And if you plan to attend the event, be sure to bring a copy of the Rocky Mount Telegram to be signed by the first Republican VP nominee. Palin is regular reader of the paper!
Some have said the media has been harder on Palin than any other vice presidential candidate ever. She is a different type of candidate, though. By claiming to read all of the newspapers — every single one — that certainly is a perspective no other vice president has offered.
Seriously, though, do you think Palin’s interviews with CBS anchor Katie Couric have hurt her this week? Or do you think the media has been unfairly hard on her? Is Katie Couric — Katie Couric! — a “gotcha journalist,” or have her questions been fair? Comment below.
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McCrory takes lead in polls, wrecks his car
One day after Public Policy Polling released a study showing Republican Pat McCrory leading Democrat Bev Perdue in the race for governor, McCrory was involved in a minor car accident.
McCrory, who was headed to Winston-Salem for a campaign speech at the time of the wreck, wasn’t injured and later made it to his scheduled event, spokeswoman Amy Auth said.
But for Perdue, who entered the race a strong favorite, the damage seems to be far worse. For the first time in a PPP poll, McCrory has taken the lead over Perdue with a spread of 44 percent to 41 percent.
“It is remarkable that as other Democrats on the ballot do better than could ever have been imagined, Bev Perdue is doing far worse than most people anticipated,” said Dean Debnam, president of Public Policy Polling. “She’ll need a more coherent and relevant message over the final five weeks of the campaign if she’s going to connect with the voters she needs to win.”
Most other Democrats are polling far better in North Carolina.
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Obama to prepare in N.C. for next debate
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama will prepare in Asheville for his next debate with Sen. John McCain, Obama’s campaign told the Asheville Citizen-Times.
The campaign hasn’t said how long or where he’ll stay as her drills for the second presidential debate to be held Tuesday at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.
Obama will spend “a couple of days” before the debate in “the Asheville area,” spokesman Paul Cox said.
Republican John McCain’s campaign has not commented about where he might prepare for the town-hall style debate.
Obama and his running mate Joe Biden have visited North Carolina more than a half dozen times since beginning the general election. McCain and Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin have made no visits to the state.
The most recent polls show the presidential race at a dead heat in the Tar Heel state.
