AAC Blog
RNC Chairman Michael Steele is no stranger to controversy. He has put his foot in his mouth on more than one occasion with some outrageous comments, oftentimes about his own party.
Steele seems to have outdone himself with his latest gaffe while being interviewed by Roland Martin for TV One.
MARTIN: One of the criticisms I've always had is Republicans -- white Republicans -- have been scared of black folks.
STEELE: You're absolutely right. I mean I've been in the room and they've been scared of me. I'm like, "I'm on your side" and so I can imagine going out there and talking to someone like you, you know, [you're like,] "I'll listen." And they're like "Well." Let me tell you.
While what Steele says is likely true, it is not a good look for the leader of a party trying to re-brand itself as inclusive and diverse enough to win nationwide. And with the Republicans embroiled in civil war, Steele's constant contradictions don't help.
Here are some other groups that are scared of Michael Steele:
■women
■small children
■dogs
■cats
■ferrets
■fish
■people who wear boat shoes
■anyone who visited gop.com the day it launched
■wind musicians
■John Stamos
■Republicans who want to win elections
http://www.lacrossetribune.com/news/opinion/article_253ecafa-ca68-11de-99b4-001cc4c03286.html
Friday, November 6, 2009 | LaCrosse [WI] Tribune .
U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold has returned $270,000 to the federal treasury, money that was part of his office budget. That brings his total to more than $3 million in office savings since Wisconsin's junior senator took office. Feingold also has consistently turned down automatic mid-term pay raises totaling more than $70,000.
Feingold made deficit spending a focal point of the 1992 campaign that started his Senate career, and he continues to take matters of fiscal sustainability seriously: Last month he proposed a package that would take a half billion out of projected deficits over the next 10 years. And his Control Spending Now Act would ask the rest of Congress to find the same savings his office has routinely managed.
Would that more members of Congress followed suit.
Last weekend, Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) was all over TV promising to kill healthcare reform by supporting a Republican filibuster. Today, just hours after the House passed its bill, he repeated his threat on FOX.
Even though Lieberman campaigned against President Obama, Senate Democrats let him keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee because he promised to support Democratic bills. Now he's broken his promise.
Tell Harry Reid to hold Joe Lieberman accountable for blocking healthcare reform by taking away his committee chair.
Joe Lieberman is one of the reasons George W. Bush remained in the White House for so long, its time to FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE. When you put a stake in a Vampire's chest you must brake the stake off into the chest so no one can take it out.
IT IS TIME TO GET RID OF "THIS MEDDLESOME PRIEST"
The Southern Pines Pilot
BY FLORENCE GILKESON
Secretary of State Elaine Marshall turned to that notable philosopher Kermit the Frog of Sesame Street to encourage Moore County Democrats Saturday.
"It's not easy being green," she quoted Kermit as saying, adding her own observation that "It's not easy being a Democrat in Moore County."
Marshall, an announced candidate for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican Richard Burr, was keynote speaker Saturday for a Moore County Democratic Party fundraiser luncheon at Little River Resort and Golf Club.
She was referring to the Republican majority in the county's voter registration, a factor that means the GOP controls county government and most legislative seats.
"Your hard work is very valuable," she said. "In the face of adversity, don't give up. This is not a county that gives up."
Marshall, the first woman elected to statewide executive office in North Carolina, reminded her audience of Democrats that their votes added thousands to her grand total in the last general election.
The event, with a theme "Celebrating Community Leader-ship," honored Felton Capel, a Southern Pines businessman and community leader, and the late Voit Gilmore, a philanthropist, scholar and civic leader. The two men are recognized for their successful and peaceful efforts to end racial segregation in Moore County in the 1960s.
At the end of the program, the party presented a $1,000 check to the Coalition for Human Care. Algene Johnson made the presentation on behalf of Moore County Democrats in honor of Gilmore and Capel.
In accepting the gift, Caroline Eddy, Coalition executive director, said the money would be used to buy food, prevent utilities from being cut off, pay rent for people facing eviction and meet medical needs of needy families throughout the county.
'Can't Stand by and Watch'
In what was clearly a campaign address, Marshall focused on the health-care reform issue now commanding the attention of both congressional chambers.
"We can't stand by and watch as health-care costs keep going up," she said. "We can't stand by and watch. We have to have a public option of some sort."
She urged Democrats to call their congressional delegation despite the differences in their political affiliation and let them know they want health care reform with a public option.
"It won't make a bit of difference to Howard Coble, but call him anyway," she said. "It won't make any difference to Richard Burr, but call him anyway."
Coble, who represents Moore County in the U.S. House, is a Republican.
Gilmore's Legacy Continues
Eddy made the presentation on behalf of Voit Gilmore, who died in 2005 at the age of 87.
"Voit Gilmore was friend, father, husband, and philanthropist," she said, explaining that these characteristics are in addition to his service as a human rights leader and a travel expert.
Eddy went down a lengthy list of contributions Gilmore made to the overall community, including a gift of land to Pinecrest High School, a gift of 10 acres to the town of Southern Pines for the Head Start program, and more land to house the Coalition for Human Care, the latter large enough to accommodate a community garden, where families can grow their own vegetables.
Elsewhere, Gilmore donated land to the park system, now accommodating the Appalachian Highland Learning Center. His estate has also established the Voit Gilmore Distinguished Geography Professorship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned a doctorate in geography in his later years.
"Voit was changing the world when he was alive, but his legacy continues to change the world," Eddy said. "He was not afraid to take a stand."
Gilmore, who was white, and Capel, who is black, joined forces to carry out a joint integration of a movie theater in Southern Pines, a bowling alley, a golf course and other cultural and recreation sites in the county during the 1960s, when desegregation was an emotional and sometimes violent political issue across the country. In Moore County it was accomplished without violence.
"He was a visionary, a world traveler, a Tar Heel forever, a philanthropist and a Democrat forever," Eddy said.
Wilma Laney read a response on behalf of the Gilmore family, none of whom was able to attend the luncheon. His children are scattered across the United States and as far away as Ecuador.
'Be a Lifter, Not Leaner'
Jeff Capel II and Ken Capel deferred their comments on behalf of their father to their brother, Mitch Capel, a well-known entertainer and educator. Mitch Capel is best known by his storytelling persona, Gran'Daddy Junebug.
"I'm here to talk about my father, who taught me how to talk," Mitch Capel said. "We grew up Democrats in our household."
He recalled a childhood when on Election Days he wore a pin that said, "I'm too young to vote. What's your excuse?"
"My father was a great athlete, a great baseball player," he said. "He also taught us to be generous and how to do the right thing. He taught me to be a lifter, not a leaner."
Capel called Gilmore and his father "two of the strongest lifters I ever knew." He told of watching them as they integrated the Sunrise Theater, the bowling alley, the golf course and any number of other public places in the community.
He also paid tribute to his mother, Jean Capel, whom he called "a great woman."
Through the years, the elder Capel has received so many honors, awards and recognitions that his son said they really need to build another house to have enough wall space to display all these honors.
John "Bingo" Barringer followed the three sons but did not hesitate to list all the honors bestowed through the years but added that his long-time friend was the first black to serve on the Southern Pines Town Council and the first black Rotarian in Moore County.
"Fayetteville State University thinks so highly of him that they named the arena for him," he said. "So, he gets a good seat at all their games."
Mostly Barringer regaled the gathering with humorous anecdotes about Capel and his family.
In responding, Felton Capel said he could spend a lifetime telling all the things that Voit Gilmore did. He shared the fact that his affiliation with the Democratic Party dated to age three or four.
Finally, Ken and Jeff were persuaded to speak, although briefly, on behalf of their father.
"Voit Gilmore was a common name around the house when I was growing up," said Ken Capel, who recalled that Gilmore and his father accomplished racial integration peacefully.
Raleigh Telegram
By Lois Alley
WASHINGTON DC - North Carolina Senator Richard Burr (R) is being criticized for voting against an anti-rape bill sponsored by Democratic Senator Al Franken after a female defense contractor and others were allegedly raped overseas.
The bill would block defense contractors and others doing business with the United States from keeping employees from suing or filing criminal charges after they sign employment contracts.
The case came about when a female defense contract worker for a Halliburton subsidiary in Iraq was allegedly gang raped by co-workers in 2005 and she was barred from suing or filing criminal charges due to clauses in her contract mandating arbitration in such instances.
Franken's bill was passed in the US Senate and was voted for by female Republican Senators but was opposed by several male Republican Senators including Burr.
After the vote, the "nay" vote by Burr and others was widely criticized in the media including a clip on Jon Stewart's Comedy Central "Daily Show" and an article in the Huffington Post accusing Burr of showing poor judgment.
Jon Stewart called such an amendment to protect women a slam dunk and compared some of the statements from Republican Senators on cutting ACORN funding after a video appeared showing ACORN workers helping a fake prostitution ring.
NC Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, a Democrat who is running against Burr in 2010, criticized Burr's vote on the bill.
"Senator Burr has obviously been in Washington too long," said Marshall, who was quoted in an article in the Raleigh News & Observer. "This is a clear-cut case of right versus wrong, and Richard Burr got it wrong."
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The Charlotte Observer
By Gary L. Wright
Former United Way director's biographer pleaded guilty to bilking millions from investors
Charles Devernie Harrison, a dining companion and biographer for former United Way CEO Gloria Pace King, was sentenced Monday to 14 years in prison and ordered to pay more than $13 million in restitution in connection with an investment scheme.
Harrison, 53, a former employee of the United Way in Charlotte, pleaded guilty to helping run an operation that took money under the pretense of putting on concerts for churches, universities and other nonprofit groups. Prosecutors said more than 200 investors gave more than $11 million to his company.
Many of the victims, prosecutors said, were elderly who often invested their retirement savings.
Prosecutors said Harrison and his co-conspirators induced potential investors by telling "deceptive half-truths." The conspirators used some of the investors' money, prosecutors said, to pay personal expenses for such things as clothing, travel and entertainment.
U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger gave Harrison, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud, security fraud and money laundering, the maximum punishment.
N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall called Harrison's sentencing "a major victory for North Carolina's investing public."
"We are sending a clear message that North Carolina will not tolerate financial crime and that we will put financial criminals behind bars," Marshall said.
Harrison's lawyer, Noell Tin, declined comment.
King was fired in 2008 amid controversy surrounding her $1.2 million pay package.
Bill Diehl, King's lawyer, has said his client wasn't aware of Harrison's legal problems. "She knew nothing about what he pleaded guilty to," Diehl told the Observer.
King hired Harrison in 1995 as her temporary executive assistant, according to a sworn statement by United Way's chief financial officer, Shelley White. He was promoted in July 1996 and given a $50,000 a year salary. But he left the agency a month later.
In 2007, court documents show, Harrison was paid at least $1,000 in United Way money to create a 23-page, leather-bound book highlighting King's life in business.
United Way says King spent more than $5,000 in agency money on the book.
Elaines new website:
www.elaine marshall.com
About Elaine
Elaine Marshall made history in January of 1997 when she was sworn in as North Carolina’s Secretary of State, becoming the first woman ever elected to statewide executive office. She won the seat by defeating legendary race car driver Richard Petty, who, less than a year earlier, had been considered virtually unbeatable.
Elaine has been re-elected every four years since, while more and more women were elected statewide. In 2008, seven of the ten elected statewide officers were women—and Elaine Marshall led the field with the highest vote total.
She has continued to make history as she transforms the office of Secretary of State. The Secretary of State’s office today is a key law enforcement agency protecting charitable givers, consumers and investors against securities fraud and financial scams. Elaine has received international recognition for her efforts to protect copyrights and deter counterfeit goods.
Elaine has cut the costs of doing business for companies and individuals —helping small businesses create jobs. She has stood up to the special interests by working for reform of lobbying laws. And she has kept North Carolina up to date with improved information technology, making information available to businesses, investors and individuals. Her efforts have made North Carolina one of the most af- fordable places in the United States to do business.
Elaine Marshall was born in rural Lineboro, Maryland in 1945. Her father was a farmer who, for many years, served a volunteer fire fighter and community leader, and her mother was the organist in the family’s small rural church for more than 60 years.
Elaine earned her law degree from Campbell University in 1981 and distinguished herself as a tough advocate for her clients in the courtroom, where she represented women who were victims ofdomestic violence. In 1993-1994, Elaine served in the North Carolina Senate, where she was named Rookie of the Year and listed among Legislators to Watch by the News & Observer. In the Senate, she was a powerful advocate for improving healthcare in North Carolina.
Elaine remembers, “When I grew up and became the owner of a small business, I discovered that if I wanted a line of credit, my husband had to go to the bank and apply for the loan—because I was a woman. I witnessed other instances of inequity and discrimination in my community, directed at men, women, children, and families who would have little chance of realizing their dreams.
“So as a lawyer, I stood up for people without a voice. As a citizen, I went to the General Assembly and took on the insurance industry to get coverage for mammograms and Pap Smears. As a member of the North Carolina Senate, I got needed healthcare services, especially for our state’s rural areas. And as Secretary of State, I have made protecting consumers and creating jobs my top priorities.”
Elaine is a member of the Divine Street United Methodist Church in Dunn. She is married to Bill Holdford and has five step-children and seven grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys ACC football and basketball, cooking, gardening, and sailing.
Dear Friends:
I hope this newsletter finds you and your family doing well. I’m staying very busy meeting with constituents and various groups and interim committee assignments. If there is anything that I can help you or your family, (such as child support, unemployment benefits, etc) please contacts me. I’m here to serve you and I will be happy to hear from you.
Speaker Joe Hackney has appointed me to serve on three prestigious interim committees: Education Oversight, Election Oversight, and Tax Reform. I am staying busy with these committees and I feel these appointments are good for our district and I am honored to be on them. If you have any questions about any of these committees, please let me know.
Last week, I had the opportunity to be the emcee of the Charlotte East Black Tie Gala. I truly enjoyed the evening of elegance, community pride, and celebrating East Charlotte. Thank you for all of you who came to the event.
Happy November!
Rep. Tricia Cotham
(HB=House Bill) (SB= Senate Bill) (SL= Session Law)
You can click on the blue link to see the legislation in greater detail.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE AND ETHICS REFORMS
I have supported strong campaign finance reform and ethics legislation in the past and believe that we need to continue working to restore the public's trust in government.
I will strongly consider the recommendations made by the State Board of Elections and any other suggestions that will strengthen our campaign finance and ethics laws. It is important to note that the elections board was largely considering actions that are already illegal in North Carolina. We have some of the toughest, most stringent campaign and ethics laws in the nation, but we cannot legislate behavior.
State Health Plan
_This legislation maintains a financially stable State Health Plan to ensure that all members of the plan have affordable access to health benefits and services (SB 287 – S.L. 2009-16). The General Assembly put $250 million into the plan so that it could meet its current obligations and then had to make changes and increase rates to keep it solvent going forward. These decisions were not easy to make, but they help ensure the plan’s financial integrity and allow us to continue providing the plan free of charge to state employees.
Following is some important information about our plan:
_Estimates show that over 70,000 plan members use tobacco, resulting in a cost to of $2,000 per member per year more than the cost of providing coverage for nonusers of tobacco.
_ More than 60 percent of North Carolina adults are obese or overweight. Obesity is linked to an increase in health care spending of $2,445 per member per year.
_Weight management and cessation of tobacco result in improved health and substantial savings in health care costs. We have put smoking cessation and weight management programs in place and will ask those who use tobacco or those who are obese to pay some of the increased cost of their health care coverage.
The Beach Plan
_ The General Assembly has strengthened the state’s Coastal Property Insurance Pool, presently known as the Beach Plan (HB 1305 – S.L. 2009-472). Among other things, the law decreases the maximum coverage limit per home from $1.5 million to $750,000 and caps the amount of money that private insurance companies who participate in the plan are liable for at $1 billion. Homeowners outside of the 18 coastal counties that participate in plan could be asked to pay up to 10 percent more a year only if storm damage in a season exceeded $3 billion. The most the plan has ever paid out in claims in a previous year is $150 million.
The law will not allow rates to increase until three conditions are met: 1) the Beach Plan surplus would have to be exhausted. Right now, that stands at $800 million. 2) Reinsurance held by the plan would have to be spent. Currently, the plan holds $1.2 billion of reinsurance. 3) Homeowner insurance companies doing business in North Carolina would have to pay $1 billion in assessments toward claims. Then, only after that $3 billion was gone, would the plan assess homeowners statewide.
Under the former plan, only homeowner insurance companies doing business in North Carolina could have been assessed for losses due to storm damage. The assessment would be based on how many policies they have in the state. Some companies doing business in North Carolina could not withstand those assessments. Some companies left the state or reduced the number of homeowner’s policies they sold in North Carolina in order to reduce potential losses. For smaller companies, the assessments could exceed the premium earned. That wasn’t tenable for us and we didn’t believe it was a good business model.
As availability of homeowner’s policies decrease, prices increase. North Carolina needs as many companies writing homeowner’s insurance in North Carolina as possible so that consumers are able to choose from many companies and shop for the best price available.
The new law also requires the Beach Plan to retain any surplus it may generate and to use that money as an additional buffer to future assessments. This was a consensus bill intended to protect our insurance market and to help the working and middle-class people who live along our coast. If insurance carriers continued to leave our state, as many did in Florida, taxpayers would ultimately bear a larger share of the burden
This weekend is TAX Free on Energy Star Appliances:
This Friday to Sunday, consumers can save extra money on all energy star/energy efficient appliances. Consumers will not have to pay state or local sales taxes on home appliances such as clothes washers, freezers, refrigerators and other items that carry the “Energy Star” label. Products that earn the “Energy Star” label operate more efficiently and that means they help cut the production of greenhouse gases. These appliances use less energy to save consumers money on their power bills.
For additional information, see the N.C. Revenue Department Energy Star tax holiday fact sheet at:
http://www.dornc.com/aboutus/education/salestax_holiday_energy_star.pdf
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Please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas. I am honored to serve you. If I can be of assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please call my office at (919)715-0706. My assistant, Rosa Kelley, will be happy to talk with you.
Have a GREAT day!
Tricia
If a North Carolinian is raped while working for a defense contractor in Iraq, should she be allowed to take her case to court?
If you think the answer is yes, you're with most North Carolinians — and the vast majority of Senators. But, Senator Burr sided with defense contractors — his big campaign contributors — who prefer to save on legal fees and use their own arbitrators.
Senator Burr chose his defense contractor buddies over rape victims — just one outrageous example, reminding us what this race is all about: representing North Carolinians and standing up for justice and ordinary people, not playing big money, Washington games.
But, if we are going to expose these extreme positions, we need your help. Will you donate $50 dollars and help us put together the resources we need to make our case against Senator Burr?
https://services.myngp.com/NGPOnlineServices/contribution.aspx?X=rlQlkVL17gXg+HPnSZ1s9Vdy5tAu/TKDkQ6Neo9iuBI=
It wasn't a complicated question: Should a rape victim have the right to take their case to a judge and jury? The vast majority of people say "yes." But, when it came to a vote in the Senate, Richard Burr said NO to women and voted against it even though 68 Senators including every female Senator, both Democrats AND Republicans, voted yes. Burr said "no," siding with the Defense contractors and his big money contributors.
It's outrageous — a horrendous breach of justice to women like Jamie Leigh Jones, a Houston employee of Halliburton/KBR in Baghdad who was raped by seven fellow firefighters. She wanted her day in court, but was forced to take it to a closed door arbitration hearing - and the arbitrator was selected by Halliburton/KBR!
The case against Sen. Burr has never been more clear. North Carolina needs new leadership. But, the only way we are going to get it is by joining together in common purpose to fight for what we believe in.
Please help us put together the resources we need to continue to build this grassroots campaign across North Carolina:
https://services.myngp.com/NGPOnlineServices/contribution.aspx?X=rlQlkVL17gXg+HPnSZ1s9Vdy5tAu/TKDkQ6Neo9iuBI=
Thanks for everything,
Ken Lewis
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/10/cheney_sending_wilson_to_niger_was_amateur_hour_at.php
October 30, 2009 | TPM Muckraker
Zachary Roth
Dick Cheney told FBI investigators that his response to hearing that Joe Wilson had been sent to Niger to assess whether Saddam had tried to buy yellow-cake was that it was "amateur hour" at the CIA.
That's according to a summary of the FBI's interview with Cheney, which was conducted as part of Pat Fitzgerald's investigation of the leak of Valerie Plame's name. The document was just released by the Justice Department, thanks to a lawsuit by CREW.
In his interview with the FBI, conducted in May 2004, Cheney frequently claimed to be unable to remember key details from the Plame episode.
You can look through the documents here, and tell us what else you find.
Update: For instance, the FBI agent writes, in reference to Wilson's famed New York Times op-ed:
The vice president is relatively certain that he spoke to someone about the article but he cannot remember exactly who it was.
Also: Cheney "advised that he has no idea" who leaked Plame's name to Bob Novak.
And: When Cheney then spoke to then-CIA director George Tenet about Wilson's CIA-approved trip to Niger, "he had a sense that the DCI [Tenet] was defensive and embarrassed about the issue and had not known what was going on with regards to this mission."
And: Cheney said he probably discussed Wilson -- but not Plame --with Condi Rice, Karl Rove, and Andy Card.
And: "He does not recall any discussion with Libby of perceived nepotism associated with Wilson's selection for the CIA assignment."—
