Pssst... Cheap gas in Montgomery County

Want gas for $1.80-a-gallon? Then head to the Montgomery County town of Biscoe tomorrow.

Republican Vernon Robinson, running for Congress in the 8th District, will be pumping 1,000 gallons at that price beginning at 11 a.m. at the E-ZEE gas station at 306 N. Main St.

Biscoe is the home of Democratic U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell. Robinson is one of several Republicans trying to unseat him.

According to Robinson, $1.80 is "the same price gasoline sold for when Larry Kissell and Barack Obama assumed office in January 2009. " Not only is he using the gimmick to make a point, but he's taking a page out of Kissell's playbook.

When Kissell first race unsuccessfully in 2006, he sold gas for $1.22/gallon, the price it was when his GOP opponent, then-Rep. Robin Hayes, took office in 1999. Kissell even ran ads showing motorists lined up for the cheap gas. Today, Kissell welcomed Robinson to his home county.

"I welcome Mr. Robinson to Montgomery County and thank him for spending his campaign money trying to help the citizens of our district stretch their hard-earned dollars in this way," Kissell said in a statement. "I encourage all the other candidates to likewise follow my lead ...

"In a political season already stained by rancor, ill will and brutally negative ads, I congratulate Mr. Robinson for taking the high road and spending his money to help working folks out just a little bit."


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Steen jumps into Kissell race with legislative support

N.C. Rep. Fred Steen of Rowan County will become the latest Republican in the increasingly crowded race for Democratic U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell's seat when he announces tomorrow in Landis.

Joining Steen will be a dozen fellow GOP legislators, including at least one reported to have considered the congressional race himself.

Steen will enter the race Thursday morning in front of Landis town hall, where he served five terms as mayor.

Among the lawmakers expected to be at his side: Rep. Justin Burr of Albemarle, once himself mentioned as a candidate for the 8th District seat.

Steen will become the sixth candidate to announce for the seat. He'll join Dan Barry, Richard Hudson, Scott Keadle, Vernon Robinson and John Whitley.

Machine gun socials return to the 8th

In 2010, Republican congressional candidate Tim D'Annunzio made national headlines when he hosted a pair of machine gun socials in the 8th District.

Now Republican Vernon Robinson is picking up where D'Annunzio left off.

Robinson, from Winston-Salem, plans to run in the 8th District in 2012. He's sponsoring a machine gun fundraiser on Sept. 26 at Eagle Guns in Concord. For $50 supporters can fire a magazine of a fully-automatic submachine gun. There will be a door prize: a new AR-15.

"By hosting this event, Vernon Robinson declares his solidarity with those who enjoy shooting and owning guns," Robinson campaign director Steve Arnold said.

Robinson, who has run for office before, has a way of making news.

As a Winston-Salem alderman in 2004, he bought a one-ton granite marker with the Ten Commandments on one side and the Bill of Rights on the other and planted it at City Hall. The city hauled it away.

He ran for Congress that year in a 5th District Republican primary. Before losing a runoff to Virginia Foxx, he raised almost $3 million from a network of supporters across the country.

In 2006 he ran against Democrat Brad Miller in the 13th District. Making immigration an issue in that race, he ran a TV ad with mariachi music in the background.

"If Miller had his way," it said. "America would be nothing but one big fiesta for illegal aliens and homosexuals."