Spratt, Ryan: Mutual regard has limits

Toward the end of the last meeting of the Bowles-Simpson deficit commission in December 2010, Republican Rep. Paul Ryan asked for the floor.

"I think this is the last time I'll be sitting at a table with my friend, John Spratt," he announced. "And you're a great guy, John, and it's been a real privilege to serve in Congress with you. We haven't agreed on everything but you have my respect, and I just want to say thank you for what you've done for our country."

Spratt, a Democrat, represented South Carolina's 5th District for 28 years and chaired the House Budget Committee before losing re-election in 2010. He was replaced on the budget panel by Ryan, who had been ranking minority member.

Spratt calls the Wisconsin congressman "bright, energetic and affable."

"I would regard him as a friend (but) one I disagree with vigorusly," Spratt says. "I was surprised to see (Mitt) Romney pick him because he brings not just Paul Ryan, who is personally attractive, but all his ideology on board."

Spratt was a major player in the negotiations that led to the 1997 balanced budget amendment, the first in generations and still the last. He worked with then budget chairman John Kasich, an Ohio Republican. He says Kasich did something Ryan would not -- compromise.

"He wants to do it his way," Spratt said of Ryan. "He doesn't want anything that can be construed as additional taxes or revenues in the package."

But Spratt, who had a reputation as a moderate, says Ryan's selection means a debate over substance.

"That will be the thing you hear about for the next two months," he says. "They've certainly brought front and center the key fiscal issues of our time: What would you do with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid....

"In the final analysis, the biggest concern is whether Ryan can make the bipartisan moves necessary to put the budget on an even keel. In this respect his vote against Simpson-Bowles is not encouraging, it certainly does not cast him in the role of a bridge builder."

Paul Ryan surprises Sunday morning worshipers at St. Gabe's

Greeting early morning worshippers at St. Gabriel's Catholic Chuch Sunday, Rev. Andre Mangango noticed the strangers with dark glasses and ear phones.

Then he realized the reason they were there: A Secret Service contingent escorting Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney's newly named running mate.

Ryan went to the south Charlotte church before he and Romney headed off by bus for rallies in Mooresville and High Point.

In a blog post this afternoon, diosesan spokesman David Hains quoted Mangango:

"He walked up to me and said, 'I am Representative Paul Ryan and this is my son.' I welcomed him to the church, congratulated him on being chosen and told him that we would be praying for him."

Ryan is the first Catholic on GOP ticket since William Miller in 1964. According to the National Journal, his selection also marks the first time that a presidential ticket will not include at least one Protestant. With Democratic Vice President Joe Biden, it also guarantees the first vice presidential debate between two Catholics.

St. Gabe's was still buzzing about the appearance at the 10:45 mass. Parishioner Simon Tsai was in the congregation when the priest anounced that the early service had a surprise visitor.

"The whole parish just applauded sponstaneously," Tsai recalled. "You can tell the enthusiasm.”


Tsai, a businessman, was impressed himself.


"It surprises me that he actually went to mass, especially when it's not a photo op," he said. "It's not just for show.”

Mitt Romney stopping in Mooresville Sunday

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will begin a day-long bus tour of North Carolina Sunday in Mooresville.

The candidate is expected to make other stops in the Piedmont Sunday though no details were available.

It will be the first of two Romney visits to the Charlotte area next week. He's scheduled to appear at a fundraiser Wednesday at Charlotte's Duke Mansion.

GOP chairman calls in cavalry for NC

Who says North Carolina isn't a battleground state?

Republican national Chairman Reince Priebus will appear at GOP headquarters in Cornelius Saturday to announce a coordinated effort in North Carolina with party officials from Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia.

The effort is "sure to go a long way toward turning the state red in November," Priebus said in a statement.

The occasion is part of what Republicans are calling their second "Super Saturday," a sort of dress-rehearsal for this fall's get-out-the-vote efforts.

RNC spokeswoman Rachel Adams said hundreds of volunteers across the state, operating from 20 GOP "Victory" offices, will reach thousands of voters through direct visits and phone calls.

The Obama campaign says it has more than 30 offices in North Carolina.

Man who seconded Barack Obama's 2008 nomination stumps in NC for Mitt Romney

When Artur Davis stumped for Democrat Larry Kissell in Charlotte in 2006, he was a rising Democratic star. The Alabama congressman was vice chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. An African American with a law degree from Harvard, he was an up-and-comer.

In 2008, he was the first congressman outside Illinois to publicly back then-Sen. Barack Obama, who would become a confidant. He went on to second the nomination of his fellow Harvard law graduate at the Democratic convention in Denver.

So how did the 44-year-old Davis come to campaign in North Carolina Thursday for Republican Mitt Romney?

After losing a 2010 bid for governor of Alabama, Davis moved to suburban Washington to practice law. Last May, he announced he was switching parties.

"I made a decision that on every single issue we’re debating in the country right now, what Republicans were saying made more sense to me than what Democrats were saying," he said by phone during a swing through eastern North Carolina.

"I saw a Democratic solution that always amounted to 'Let's take more money from people that are successful and grow the footprint of government... That became the two-pronged, all-purpose solution to every economic problem."

When running for governor in 2010, Davis was the only member of the Congressional Black Caucus to vote against President Obama's health care bill. He joined 33 other Democrats, including Kissell.

Coincidently Thursday, the N.C. Democratic Party launched a new anti-Romney web site: MittAmerica.com.

The flip side for Larry Kissell?

Democratic U.S. Rep Larry Kissell has been getting hammered from both sides lately.

On the one hand, Republicans running for his seat have bashed him. So have African American activists in his 8th District, who went so far last week as to announce a write-in candidate to replace him.

But Kissell also claims the support of a group unlikely to support many Democratic candidates. The campaign features them on a web site called conservativesforkissell.com.

It includes testimonials from registered Republicans like Roddey Dowd Jr., the Charlotte industrialist who recently hosted Mitt Romney at his Charlotte Pipe and Foundry plant. "Principle always trumps convenience," Down says in a blurb on the site.

The list includes CEOs and business owners. And people like Timothy Rowe, a tax accountant from Wingate.

“I am 70 years old and have been a registered Republican my entire life and voted in every election," he says on the site. "Congressman Kissell is the first Democrat I would vote for and support financially.... I appreciate his commitment to our armed services families."

With a lot of Republicans gunning for him, and many Democrats opposing him, Kissell needs all the help he can get.

Huckabee endorses Pittenger (after saving his life)

Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has endorsed 9th District congressional candidate Robert Pittenger. It's not the first favor the former Arkansas governor has done for him.

In 2008 Pittenger, then a candidate for lieutenant governor, was on the dais eating lunch at the state GOP convention in Greensboro. Rep. Howard Coble, who was sitting next to him, cracked a joke. When Pittenger started laughing, part of his lunch lodged in his throat.

Huckabee, on other end, heard the commotion and rushed over, performing a Heimlich maneuver that cleared Pittenger's throat.

"To me this is just typical Mike Huckabee," Pittenger said at the time. "He's just a decent fun guy who cares about people."

Pittenger critics question 2003 vote, and promise

Republican Jim Pendergraph is calling for a federal investigation over 9th District opponent Robert Pittenger's 2003 Senate vote that involved property he owned at the time.

And the Waxhaw town commission is asking Pittenger to donate land he promised to that same year.

Pendergraph called for a federal probe into what he called "the apparent case of public corruption" involving Pittenger's 2003 vote. Pittenger, then in the Senate, voted on a bill that annexed property owned by a partnership he led into the town of Waxhaw. The property's value increased as a result.

"We are confident that fair mined people will reject his last minute slanders and smears," said Pittenger spokesman Brian Mullis. "The simple truth is that this issue was reviewed by a Democrat-controlled independent legislative ethics committee five years ago, and nothing came of it."

Meanwhile the town manager of Waxhaw sent Pittenger a letter asking, in effect: Where's our land?

In 2003 Pittenger told town officials he was giving them 30 acres of land for a park or possible school site. According to the town, and deeds, the tract was never transferred.


  

"The council felt where is this land that belongs to the town of Waxhaw, to the people, and lo and behold it has not been transferred," said Mayor Pro Tem Erin Kirkpatrick.

Pittenger's campaign had no immediate response. It released a 2003 letter from the then-mayor thanking him for the land donation.

UPDATE: From Pittenger campaign spokesman Brian Mullis: "We have given public notice of a gift. (Former Mayor Jack) Hemby didn’t request a deed at the time because it was unknown of the future use or location of the property. We are happy to provide further assurance if needed to the Town and the County, agreed to by Mr. Hemby and Robert Pittenger."

Outside money pours into 8th District

The 8th Congressional District was already one of the biggest recipients of outside money in North Carolina. Now it's one of the biggest in the country.

Today a group called the American Action Network is dropping $300,000 into TV ads targeting Republican Scott Keadle. He faces Richard Hudson in Tuesday's GOP runoff. The Network is one of two party establishment groups helping Hudson, a former Capitol Hill staffer, in the runoff.

The YG Action Group, associated with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, has poured in more than $400,000 on Hudson's behalf this month alone.

But Keadle isn't defenseless.

The Club for Growth has spent around $700,000 on ads supporting him and opposing Hudson.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, only three districts in the country have seen more outside spending.

Obama slipping among black NC voters? (Maybe not)

President Obama's campaign team was quick to jump this week when a new poll showed he'd slipped behind Republican Gov. Mitt Romney among North Carolina voters. The poll couldn't be right, they said. Why?


Because it showed Obama under-performing among African Americans, traditionally his most loyal constituency. Tom Jensen, director of Public Policy Polling, acknowledged as much in the press release.


"One caveat with Romney's lead on this poll is that it finds Obama winning the black vote by only a 76/20 margin," he wrote. "That seems like an unrealistically low share of African American voters for Obama."


The discrepancy even drew the attention of the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza, who addressed it in his blog, The Fix under the headline, "President Obama's Mythical Black Voter Problem." In a series of charts he showed that Obama remains popular with black voters, hovering around 90 percent approval.


Jensen said if his latest poll has a skewed result for black voters, it probably over-estimates Obama's support among white voters. It showed 37 percent of white voters approving the president's performance. Those results were in the poll's cross-tabs, where the margin of error is higher than the poll's overall 3.4 percentage points.


Jensen said the point is, the race is close. And has been over nearly two dozen polls.


"Nineteen of 20 times the race has been within three points one way or another," he said. "It all points to this being a toss-up state that could go either way."


Even though his firm leans to the left, he said it's not the first time Democrats have groused.
"Sometimes we are going to put out polls that dont make Democrats happy," he said. "Our job is not to make people feel good. It's to tell people what's going on.’

Pat McCrory applauds 'courageous' council vote

Former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory today applauded what he called the city council's "courageous vote" to defeat a city budget that included an 8 percent property tax hike.

At a "Women's Luncheon" at the Westin Hotel, McCrory, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, was asked what he thought about Monday's vote. 

"I've always made a point of staying out of local politics," he said. "I figure 14 years is enough. I agree with the majority of city council who made what I think is a courageous vote."

In defeating the budget 6-5, the council turned back a measure that would have helped finance extension of a streetcar line. Four Democrats joined the council's two Republicans in voting no.

Since then some Democrats have suggested McCrory called council members to lobby against the budget. Not so, McCrory said.

"I think people are trying to use me as a distraction," he said.

A new Public Policy Polling survey released today showed McCrory maintaining a lead over Democrat Walter Dalton. He led 47 percent to 40 percent, a margin virtually unchanged over the last month.

Look for Gabby Giffords at the DNC

It could be one of the emotional highlights of the 2012 Democratic National Convention: An appearance on stage at Charlotte's Time Warner Cable Arena of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, still recovering from an assassination attempt.

It's a prospect Democratic national chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz signaled today when asked about the prospect of a Giffords appearance.

"I expect that she will," Wasserman Schultz told reporters at the arena. "In fact I'm going to see her in D.C. this afternoon. I'm sure we'll probably talk about it. We've already talked about that. I think she'd very much like to go."

Wasserman Schultz, a congresswoman from Florida, is close to Giffords, an Arizona Democrat who resigned in January to concentrate on her recovery.

She's scheduled to make a rare public appearance this weekend for for former aide Ron Barber, who's seeking to succeed her in Congress. Barber faces Republican Jesse Kelly in a June 12 special election for Giffords' seat.

According to a story in today's Politico, Barber, who was also wounded in the January 2011, has sought, in a newly drawn, GOP-leaning district, to distance himself from the man who will be re-nominated at the Charlotte convention.

Guilt by association at the Capital Grille?

For a time it was a symbol of one of the biggest corruption scandals in North Carolina history: the bathroom at Charlotte's Capital Grille restaurant. That was where prosecutors said then-Democratic House Speaker Jim Black accepted cash bribes from a group of chiropractors.

Monday Republicans invoked that rendezvous in attempt to link Lt. Gov. and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Walter Dalton to Democratic corruption.

State GOP Vice Chair Wayne King joined Mecklenburg County Republican chair Gideon Moore and a handful of supporters outside the Capital Grille, where Dalton had been scheduled to hold a campaign strategy meeting with Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx and others. That meeting was canceled, but not before Republicans announced plans to demonstrate outside.

And demonstrate they did, holding signs with pictures of Dalton, disgraced former Sen. John Edwards and controversial state party Chairman David Parker. "NC Failure Team," one poster read.

"I was wondering if Mayor Foxx and Lt. Gov. Dalton were going to get a bathroom to have their meeting," King told the only reporter who showed up.

The Dalton meeting was to be invitation only. King called it a "secret meeting" that was "abruptly canceled.

Said Dalton spokesman Schorr Johnson: "despite their manic rantings to the contrary, the lieutenant governor's schedule is based on balancing a robust campaign with his official duties, especially during the legislative session."

  

Marriage amendent becomes issue in Senate race

In a new campaign flyer, Republican John Aneralla hits his top opponent over the marriage amendment.

In the flyer, sent to District 41 Republicans, Aneralla says Cornelius Mayor Jeff Tarte opposes the constitutional amendment which would ban same-sex marriage.

Not true says Tarte.

He says he supports the constitutional ban. Aneralla says he based his statement on a questionnaire for the conservative Civitas Institute that Tarte completed a few weeks ago. In it, he wrote that he opposes same-sex marriage, "but not in the constitution."

"I hadn’t made up my mind," says Tarte, who admits to having struggled with the issue."Are we going to run into unintended consequences where we’ll deny benefits to people? How about heterosexual couples who aren't married? Will common law marriage go away? ...  I would prefer not to have it in the constitution if I had my druthers."

Tarte said he's come down for the amendment, however, and said so during a forum this week.

Pittenger gives his campaign $1.1 million

Republican Robert Pittenger has put at least $1.13 million into his 9th District congressional campaign, a new report shows. That makes the total he raised through mid-April $1.4 million. That's four times as much as his nearest GOP rival in the 10-man primary.

Pittenger, a real estate invester, put another $150,000 in his campaign in April. The money has allowed him to run an aggressive media campaign on TV and radio and put glossy mailers into the homes of many GOP voters.

He's not the only one giving or loaning himself money. State Rep. Ric Killian loaned his campaign $101,000. Financial consultant Edwin Peacock took out a $249,999 home equity loan. And insurance executive Dan Barry put in nearly $74,000.

Pittenger had more cash on hand -- $451,000 -- in mid-April than any other candidate had raised in the whole campaign.

And Monday the first Super Pac weighed in on the 9th District race. The Washington-based

Citizens for Conservative Leadership spent $6,600 on a mailer opposing former Sheriff Jim Pendergraph, a frequent target of Pittenger's ads.

That's still far short of the $371,000 independent groups have spent in the GOP primary in the neighboring 8th District. Most has come from the Club for Growth, which supports dentist Scott Keadle.

The Daily Show: 'The Democrats' South Carolina'

The N.C. Democratic Party's recent scandal was too good for Jon Stewart to pass up on the Daily Show.

In a segment labeled 'Tarred Heels," the comic poked fun at the affair that prompted the resignation of executive director Jay Parmley and calls for the resignation of party chairman David Parker.

Stewart played a news report about accusations that Parmley sexually harassed a male employee.

"Look on the bright side -- no love child," Stewart said.

He then played a clip of Parker's convoluted news conference where he said Parmley liked to "close talk."

"Congratulations North Carolina," Stewart said. "You have become the Democrats' South Carolina. Before long your governor will be taking tango lessons on the Appalachian Trail and your residents will close-talking your horses."

Club for Growth becomes Club for Keadle

The conservative Club for Growth pumped another $209,000 into the congressional campaign of 8th District Republican scott Keadle this week, bring the total of its PAC and Super PAC to more than $384,000.

And the Club may not be finished.

"The Club for Growth PAC believes Scott Keadle is true fiscal conservative .... and he’s worth every penny," said Club spokesman Barney Keller. “In the past the Club for Growth PAC has done everything  its endorsed candidates need to be victorious.”

Keadle, who lives in Mooresville, is one of five Republicans running in the May 8 primary for the right to take on Democratic incumbent Rep. Larry Kissell.

To put the money in perspective, the Club contributions are more than two of the candidates -- Fred Steen and John Whitley -- had raised through the first quarter. Richard Hudson and Vernon Robinson are also running.

The Club money is paying for a new run of TV ads for Keadle.

Independent groups spend big for Keadle in 8th

Only three independent groups have been active in North Carolina congressional races this year. Two of them are involved in the 8th District Republican primary.

The two independent groups have spent more than $118,000 on behalf of Mooresville dentist Scott Keadle.

On Friday the American Dental Association reported spending $11,000 on a phone survey for Keadle.

The conservative Club for Growth has spent more than $107,000 on his behalf, much of it on TV buys and direct mail.

The independent spending is a boost to Keadle. A report filed this week showed he's loaned himself $250,000. He's among five Republicans running for the seat held by Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell.

The biggest independent group operating in North Carolina has been a super PAC called the American Foundations Committee. It's spent $366,715 on behalf of former U.S. Attorney George Holding in his 13th District race against Wake County Commissioner Paul Coble.

The News & Observer reports that the super PAC is funded mainly by members of the Holding family.

Pittenger: Pendergraph 'living off the taxpayers'

Republican Robert Pittenger's latest mailer hit mailboxes Tuesday. One mailbox belonged to Jim Pendergraph.

The headline: "Jim Pendergraph's Guide, How to Get Rich in Politics."

The part that galled Pendergraph, who pulled a folded copy of his pocket at a forum Tuesday night, was on the inside.

"Jim Pendergraph has been living off the taxpayers for his entire adult life," it said.

Pendergraph, an Army veteran, was a police officer for the city and county before being elected Mecklenburg County sheriff in 1994. He retired from that job in 2007 and worked briefly for the Department of Homeland Security in Washington.

At the forum, he said he took the criticism "on behalf of" every person in military uniform, every cop on the street and every sheriff. The crowd of Iredell County Republicans applauded.

Republicans top legislative rankings

No surprise here: Republicans topped the latest legislative effectiveness ratings by the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research.

GOP wins in 2010 turned legislative power upside down when Republicans captured the General Assembly for the first time in more than a century. Not surprisingly, their effectiveness -- as measured by surveys of lawmakers, lobbyists and some capital reporters -- rose as a result.

The Center also released legislative attendance records. Two Democratic senators from Charlotte were among those with the body's lowest rankings. Sen. Charlie Dannelly ranked 45th with 91.3 percent attendance. Sen. Malcolm Graham ranked 48th with 86.4 percent attendance.

In the House, GOP Rep. Ric Killian of Charlotte ranked last in attendance. He was hospitalized for hip replacement surgery at the beginning of the session and missed special sessions because as an Army Reserve colonel he was called to active duty in Afghanistan.

Here are the 2011 ratings for Mecklenburg County-area lawmakers (with 2009 rankings in parentheses). There are 50 members in the Senate, 120 in the House.

SENATE
Bob Rucho, R: 5 (37)
Dan Clodfelter, D: 14 (5)
Tommy Tucker, R-Union: 23 (not in office)
Charlie Dannelly, D: 44 (18)

HOUSE
Thom Tillis, R: 1 (32)
Ruth Samuelson, R: 18 (70)
Ric Killian, R: 42 (75)
Becky Carney, D: 46 (19)
Bill Brawley, R: 47 (not in office)
Tricia Cotham, D: 88 (51)
Martha Alexander, D: 94 (30)
Rodney Moore, D: 104 (not in office)
Kelly Alexander, D: 105 (84)
Beverly Earle, D: 110 (49)

John Hood on Amendment One: 'Unwise and unfair'

John Hood, president of the conservative John Locke Foundation, wrote a column this week that expanded on last week's departure of Tara Servatius, a freelancer who wrote the foundation's Meck Dec blog.

Servatius left after a firestorm erupted over a blog on the so-called marriage amendment in which she ran a photo-shopped picture of President Obama in bondage gear with a bucket of fried chicken in front of him. Hood wrote that "it would be difficult to imagine a more revolting depiction of the president of the United States."

He went on to explain his opposition to the amendment that would ban same sex marriage and civil unions in the state. He wrote:

"(T)he John Locke Foundation does not take positions on gay rights, abortion, or other social issues. Other organizations, Left and Right, exist to debate those issues. From our founding in 1989, JLF has focused on fiscal and economic matters.

"Since I began writing a column for the organization, I have followed the same editorial policy ... But in this case I'lll suspend the rule for the sake of illustration. ... As it happens, JLF staffers and contributors have a wide range of views on social issues, including the marriage amendment. Some support it, based on heartfelt moral or religious convictions. Others oppose it, including me.

"I think amending North Carolina's constitution to forbid gay and lesbian couples from receiving any future legal recognition, including civil unions, is unwise and unfair. In my opinion the real threat to marriage is not the prospect of gay people getting hitched. It is the reality of straight people too quickly resorting to divorce, or never getting hitched in the first place.

"Should I assume and say that anyone who supports the amendment, including friends and colleagues, must be a bigot? Should they assume and say that anyone who opposes the amendment must be faithless, or hostile to family values? Not if we want to live and work together in a civil society. And not if we actually want to persuade rather than to preen, persecute, or provoke. Most North Carolina voters, it seems, are likely to support the amendment. I disagree with them, but that doesn't mean I should say they all have small minds or evil intent. Once you start down that road, you end up ranting and raving to an ever-shrinking audience characterized by uniform views and smug self-satisfaction."

Kissell, and opponent, bouyed by new 8th District poll

Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell and one of his Republican opponents are both touting a new poll for the Kissell campaign.

The poll shows Kissell leading each of three Republican candidates in the 8th District race. He led Richard Hudson, who pollsters Zac McCrary and John Anzalone called the "perceived Republican frontrunner," 46 percent to 36 percent.

The pollsters also tested Kissell against GOP candidates Fred Steen and John Whitley, though didn't release numbers in those matchups. They didn't test him against Republicans Vernon Robinson or Scott Keadle, or against Democratic rival Marcus Williams.

Hudson called Kissell's showing "weak."

"What this demonstrates is that I am the Republican the Democrats fear most and I am the one who can beat Larry Kissell," he said in a statement. "Kissell recognizes me as the Republican frontrunner and his own poll shows me holding him under 50 percent before we have even begun to hold him accountable for his liberal .... voting record."

UPDATES

Lauren Slepian, a spokeswoman for Keadle, chose to put her own spin on the results.

"What this demonstrates is that Scott Keadle and Vernon are kicking Kissell's backside," she said, "and Kissell is trying to show that he can beat the weak guys in the field."

Christopher Schuler said Hudson's "trying to do a good job spinning it his way but the numbers speak for themselves."

Road to Tampa starts Saturday for Mecklenburg GOP

For at least four Republicans, the road to the 2012 GOP national convention starts Saturday.

The convention kicks off Saturday morning at Hilton Charlotte University Place. More than 350 delegates are expected to recommend two delegates (and two alternates) from the 9th Congressional District to the GOP convention in Tampa.

Those recommendations will go to the district convention in Matthews on April 21. The state convention takes place in June in Greensboro.

North Carolina's 55 national convention delegates will be apportioned based on candidate performance in the May 8 primary.

Man bites dog? Peacock giving money back

At a time candidates are busy raising money, so is Edwin Peacock. But with a twist.

One of 11 Republicans running in the 9th Congressional District, he's giving money back. In a letter to 332 donors to his Charlotte City Council campaign, he announced that he was refunding them a pro-rated amount of the $19,330 left in his city campaign account.

But the refunds come with a caveat.

"I'd like to ask you kindly return at least (some) and if you feel comfortable, please consider giving more," he wrote. "...Please make checks payable to "Edwin Peacock for Congress. A postage paid return envelope is provided."

Because of different donation limits, federal candidates aren't allowed to transfer money from state or local accounts. They can give the money away or refund it. Peacock is betting that giving it back could bring him more.

"We just decided that this is a pretty good way to get this money back and maybe more," he said. "Obviously it's not our money."

He's not the only GOP candidate with money in another campaign account.

Andy Dulin had $10,490 in his city council account at the start of the year. Ric Killian had $33,602 in his legislative account. Jim Pendergraph had just $510 in his Mecklenburg commissioner account. And Dan Barry, Weddington's mayor pro tem, last reported $705 on hand.

Myrick, McHenry endorse in the 9th District

U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick has endorsed Republican Jim Pendergraph in the race for her 9th District seat.

"I know of his integrity and where he stands on the issues," Myrick said of Pendergraph. "He's an average guy - one of us. He's spent his entire life in service to people and defending the rule of law. If ever in history we needed people like that in Congress - it's now."

Meanwhile her colleague, Republican U.S. Rep Patrick McHenry of Cherryville, has endorsed former state Sen. Robert Pittenger. McHenry will headline a Friday fundraiser for Pittenger at Zebra restaurant.

"I served with Robert in the North Carolina Legislature," McHenry said in a statement. " No one gave stronger leadership and specific solutions to address our state's enormous fiscal mess than Robert."

There are nine other Republicans running for the seat.

GOPers at gay rights gala: 'Not in Kansas anymore'

What do you get when you hold a Republican banquet in the same building with a gay rights gala?

Some surprised Republicans.

That's what happened Saturday night when the Mecklenburg County GOP held their annual Lincoln-Reagan dinner in Charlotte's NASCAR Hall of Fame. Republicans who parked in the hall's parking deck found an elevator bank with two choices: "Hall of Fame" and "Ballroom." Some chose the Ballroom.

That's how people like Rep. Ruth Samuelson and other Republicans ended up at the fundraiser for the Human Rights Campaign, an event that attracted 1,400 people, including some in drag.

From GOP commissioner Bill James: "A couple of big wigs in the GOP got all the way into the gay gala. One stopped upon seeing Jennifer Roberts, others were in line for drinks and turned around to see drag queens behind them figuring that they weren’t in GOP ‘Kansas’ anymore – quickly leaving."

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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Newt and Gerry the Bear -- Write the caption

This 1995 photo was posted on "A View to Hugh," a blog dedicated to processing the photos of North Carolina's Hugh Morton, the conservationist who developed Grandfather Mountain.

It's from then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich's visit to Grandfather, where he met Gerry. Writes Stephen Fletcher:

"Like Newt, Gerry is still alive and kicking. According to the Grandfather Mountain website, 'Even at age 20, Gerry is still very spry and acts like a bear half her age. Even though she is very patient, she does not hesitate to let her keepers know when they aren’t moving fast enough with her very distinctive and adorable moaning.' Perhaps Newt and Gerry are kindred spirits?"

NBC's Todd: Colbert 'making a mockery of the system'

NBC White House correspondent Chuck Todd admires comedian Stephen Colbert's send-up of super-PACs. But he thinks Colbert, who has declared his candidacy for "President of the United States of South Carolina," is going too far in injecting real-life politics into his own version of reality TV.

Colbert, host of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report," could not get on Saturday's S.C. primary ballot. So he has urged his fans to vote for long-gone candidate Herman Cain in Saturday's S.C. primary as a sort of proxy.

On Friday, he's hosting "The Rock Me Like a Herman Cain: South Cain-olina Primary Rally."

"Look, he's got a shtick," Todd told a Winthrop University audience today. "I admire how he's educated his audience on super-PACs. (But) I think he's making a mockery of the system. Is it fair to the process?"

Todd also took a swipe at the media for playing along. Colbert was a guest on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos.

"He's trying to marginalize (Republican) candidates and we're helping him," Todd said. WHile he likes the comedy, he added, "I have to admit I'm uncomfortable when it's actually merging into the real world."

Todd was on a panel with CNN's Steve Brusk and Steve Brook of The (Columbia) State discussing media coverage of the 2012 campaign.

Friends rally to support Jerry Klein

For years Jerry Klein was a Charlotte institution. A columnist for Creative Loafing. A music aficionado and writer. A liberal radio host on conservative talk radio.

Last October, Klein, then at a radio station outside Washington, underwent surgery for esophageal cancer and was also diagnosed with liver disease. He thanked well-wishers on Facebook: "From the bottom of my heart - the one organ at the moment that I'm pretty sure is OK."

Now Klein's Charlotte friends are coming to his aid. They're hosting a benefit for him Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Great Aunt Stella Center.

More than a dozen musicians will perform. Among them: Beth Chorneau, The Cloers, Hope Nicholls and John Tosco.

"JERRY NEEDS US NOW as he is in the battle of his life," friend Becca Thompson wrote in an email. "To top off this ugly situation, Jerry lost the love of his life since high school, wife Lois, just weeks after these spirit-killing diagnoses were made. In spite of this overwhelming personal time for Jerry, he is getting very promising reports from doctors. Through his columns, radio shows and great programming, Jerry has always gotten to the heart of any issue that affected Charlotte by bringing folks together and finding common ground. He needs us now in a show of solidarity and support."

According to Becca, here's how to help:

Send any amount through PayPal to: scott@drumstrong.org and note THE JERRY KLEIN FUND.

Or send checks should be made payable to DRUMSTRONG, 725 Providence Road #210
Charlotte, NC 28207. Memo line on check should note "The Jerry Klein Fund."

Newt -- and aide -- glad to be back South

After the cold winds -- and colder results from Iowa and New Hampshire -- South Carolina was a welcome stop for Republican Newt Gingrich this morning.

It's good to be home in the South," the former Georgia congressman told an audience in Rock Hill, less than 14 hours after the last polls closed in new Hampshire.

And he wasn't the only one to enjoy being in the Palmetto State.

"I'm really happy to be in South Carolina," said R.C. Hammond, his national press secretary. "You know why? It's warm here. No one is ever mean to you. And the food gets better every place we go."

McCrory to announce Jan. 31 -- but not in Charlotte

Former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory finally plans to kick off his gubernatorial campaign Jan. 31 in Greensboro, according to a campaign aide.

The Republican has made no secret of his plans for a rematch against Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue.

He already has nearly matched her in fundraising. Campaign aides have said he raised $2.5 million compared to her $2.6 million. Polls have shown him with a consistent lead.

The N.C. Democratic Party this month launched a new web site attacking McCrory, including videos from a campaign tracker.

According to the aide, McCrory is expected to hold a late afternoon kickoff at Greensboro's Oriental Shrine Club.

Ex-UNCC prof weighs in on GOP districting plan

From his days heading the political science department at UNC Charlotte, Ted Arrington has been an authoritative voice on redistricting. Not only has he helped draw the lines for local districts in Mecklenburg County, he served as an expert witness in redistricting cases across the country.

Now retired, he's weighing in on North Carolina's new plan.

Lawyers representing Democrats who are fighting the state's new Republican-drawn plan in court submitted an affidavit from Arrington in which he argues that the plan hurts minority voters.

"The extensive splitting of precincts, which is clearly not necessary to abide by the Constitutional standard of one-person, one-vote, will increase voter confusion and potentially harm voter turnout," he wrote. "Because the splits are concentrated in the Black community, this will be a special problem among Black voters."

Plaintiffs in the lawsuits are trying to overturn the new districts, which favor Republicans.

Arrington is a former Republican-turned-independent.

Bartlett: No wiggle room in election schedule

Could North Carolina's elections be delayed again next year?

That depends on the decision of a panel of judges in Raleigh hearing a pair of lawsuits against the state's new, Republican-drawn voting districts. This week the judges declined to fast-track a trial on the suits and scheduled another hearing for Jan. 12.

In an affidavit, state elections director Gary Bartlett laid out a case against delaying the elections. He cited three previous instances when legal challenges delayed elections, in 1998, 2002 and 2004.

In 1998, when Congressional primaries didn't happen until September, he wrote, "turnout was abysmal" at 8 percent.

"Any delays in establishing district boundaries creates an unfair and uneven playing field with a decisive advantage to wealthy candidates and incumbents," Bartlett wrote.

In addition, he said, the state and county elections boards will have less than three weeks from the close of filing on Feb. 29 to the start of absentee voting for the May 8 primary. Complicating the picture is the requirement to get absentee ballots to N.C.-based members of the armed forces deployed around the world.

Even compressing the times for filing and ballot preparation, he said, final lines would need to be in place by Feb. 24 for the May 8 primary to go of on schedule.

"A schedule this tight would put additional demands on elections officials," he wrote, "operating under such a tight timetable can undermine the successful conduct of elections."

Art Pope: 'Maybe I'll go' to Art Pope protest

It's being called "Art Pope Exposed, a community teach-in," and scheduled for Tuesday night in downtown Raleigh.

The event is sponsored by the Institute for Southern Studies and includes a panel with representatives from Democracy North Carolina and the N.C. AFL-CIO.

"Want to know what all the Art Pope buzz is about?" a press release asks. "Curious to know more about his political network and its influence on everything from cuts to North Carolina schools to the state's anti-gay marriage amendment?"

Pope is a wealthy Raleigh retailer who has helped bankroll conservative causes and candidates throughout the state to the tune of $40 million according to one study. In October, the New Yorker ran a lengthy profile of him headlined, "State for Sale."

The story brought national attention on Pope, who had already become a sort of public enemy to liberal groups throughout the state. He's become a target of Occupy groups, who wave signs bearing slogans like "Say Nope to Art Pope." The North Carolina Association of Educators has called on shoppers to boycott stores in his Variety Wholesalers retail chain.

Pope knows about Tuesday's teach-in.

"I haven't been invited but maybe I'll go, I don't know," he says.

"First of all, I would point out that these are 501(c)3 organizations funded by the Reynolds Foundation and George Soros Open Society Institute, which are attacking me because I support Republican candidates and conservative causes. And that is not proper use of charitable dollars which are supposed to be used for educational purposes.”

He also said the groups didn't attack two men implicated in campaign finance violations because they're Democrats.

But Democracy North Carolina, through its own investigations into campaign finance violations, helped build cases against several Democrats. Among them: former House Speaker Jim Black of Matthews, who went on to serve time in federal prison.

"We’ve gone after many Democrats,” said Bob Hall of Democracy North Carolina. "He shouldn't feel so picked upon."

McCrory still leads Perdue in new poll

Last month's indictments against three supporters of her 2008 campaign hasn't hurt Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue much, according to a new poll. According to polling director Tom Jensen, that's because she "really didn't have a lot more room to drop."

The poll by Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling found Perdue trailing Republican Pat McCrory 50 percent to 40 percent. That's barely changed since a survey last month before the indictments against her former campaign finance director and two others.

"The good news for North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue is that she has not been harmed yet by the indictments to her 2008 campaign staff that came down last week," Jenson said in a release. "The bad news is she is still underwater with voters and facing a double-digit deficit to likely Republican opponent Pat McCrory."

But there was good news for Perdue. In a Democratic primary, she would beat state Rep. Bill Faison of Chapel Hill, a critic who has talked about challenging her, by 32 points.

Unemployed Charlotte man runs for president: 'Time ... to think outside the box.’

There are 30 Republicans on the ballot in New Hampshire's Jan. 10 presidential primary. Robby Wells is not among them.

Wells, 43, lives in Charlotte. He was assistant football coach at the University of South Carolina and in 2007 became the first white head coach at Savannah State University, a historically black college. He left that job in January 2010.

A few months later he filed a federal discrimination suit, claiming he was forced to resign because he is white. Last month he received a $240,000 settlement, according to the Associated Press.

Now Wells is running for president. He's got a website and a platform he calls The Gameplan. For the time being, he's running as an independent.

"I just felt with the way things were going in our country it was time to take a stand,” said Wells, who lives in northeast Charlotte.

Now unemployed, he knows he's a long shot. He calls 1992 candidate Ross Perot "15 years ahead of his time. He doesn't have Perot's millions.

"Who better to represent the county than (one of) the 99 percent of us who are not wealthy?" he said. "It's time for America to think outside the box."

Battlefield for governor's race? Charlotte city hall

Indictments of three of Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue's 2008 campaign aides and supporters and a new investigation of her opponent have given campaign strategists and ad-makers plenty to work with in their likely rematch. That hasn't stopped them from looking for more.

An opposition researcher has been scouring records in Charlotte covering Republican Pat McCrory’s 14-year tenure as mayor, and even before.

For months, researcher Ian Mandel, whose Washington firm has been paid at least $23,000 by the Democratic Governors Association, has sought records of McCrory’s travel, aides’ salaries, city budgets and discrimination complaints against the city.

He even asked for reports and witness statements involving a 1992 auto accident in which McCrory admitted running a red light.

McCrory aides liken the search to last week’s announcement that the state elections board will investigate a complaint against McCrory’s 2008 campaign against Perdue. The complaint, filed in April 2010, accused McCrory of coordinating with an independent committee of the Republican Governors Association.

McCrory adviser Brian Nick calls both the complaint and the Charlotte records search “frivolous.”
“It’s just another example of wasting taxpayer money to do political fishing expeditions,” he said.

Republicans also have asked for public records from Perdue's administration. It's unclear whether they're destined to be used in the campaign.

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.

Cain to announce plans on Saturday

As his poll numbers continued to drop, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said Friday he plans an announcement about his campaign today at a headquarters opening in Atlanta.

Cain had said he was “reassessing” his campaign after allegations of sexual improprieties, including a 13-year-long affair.

“Before any of the people in the media ask me, I am reassessing because of all of this media firestorm stuff,” he told crowd in Rock Hill. “Why? Because my wife and my family come first.”

Cain’s announcement came at the end of a 30-minute speech at a town hall meeting.

Romney allies rush to defense after new Democratic ad targets him in N.C.

Supporters of Republican Mitt Romney from around the country rushed to his defense today after the presidential candidate was targeted in a new TV ad that began in six markets including Raleigh-Durham.

The ad is taken from a new Democratic website called "Mitt v. Mitt." It shows the GOP presidential candidate making seemingly contradictory statements on issues such as abortion and health care while a narrator describes "two men trapped in one body."



The Obama campaign has been hammering Romney in North Carolina and other swing states, a sign that he's the only GOP candidate the Democrats are worried about at this point. A recent poll by the Democrat-leaning Public Policy Polling of Raleigh showed that Romney, alone among the GOP candidates, led Obama in North Carolina.

U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry of Cherryville, like allies in several other states, came to Romney's defense in coordinated conference calls with reporters. He defended Romney while criticizing President Obama.

Meck Dems: 2011 a good omen for 2012

Mecklenburg County Democrats, still basking in last week's election results, hope to build on that success in 2012 -- and help Barack Obama in the process.

Local party strategist Tom Chumley, speaking to the Uptown Democratic Forum this week, noted that Obama took nearly 62 percent of the county's vote in 2008. That was a margin of 100,000 in a state he won by just 14,000 over Republican John McCain.

He said with turnout efforts like last week's and demographic changes that continue to trend for Democrats, that could rise to 65 percent. If turnout stays the same, that could mean 13,000 more Obama votes in Mecklenburg.

And that could make a difference in a tight race. A recent survey by Raleigh's Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm, showed Obama leading most Republican hopefuls in the state but trailing Mitt Romney by a point.

A 65 percent turnout for the president in Mecklenburg, Chumley said, means "we carry the state."

A Charlotte Democrat might run for state schools post

Democrat June Atkinson, North Carolina's Superintendent of Education, hasn't said whether she'll run for another term in 2012. If she doesn't, expect a fight for the job.

State Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Charlotte Democrat, said today she'll run if Atkinson doesn't. "If there's a vacancy, I do intend to run," she said.

Cotham is a former middle school teacher and assistant high school principal, Cotham won a special party election in 2007 to replace disgraced for Speaker Jim Black. She has won two elections since.

She's only the latest to express interest in the superintendent's job. The News & Observer reports that Wake County school board vice chairman John Tedesco will decide after the first of the year whether to run.

And state Rep. Rick Glazier, a Fayetteville Democrat, has said he's considering the race.

Polls: Foxx, Stone, Tillis and Obama

Public Policy Polling, a Democratic-leaning polling firm based in Raleigh, has polled Charlotte voters on the mayor's race, comments by House Speaker Thom Tillis and other issues on behalf of the liberal N.C. Policy Watch.

PPP also did another poll on the presidential race in North Carolina.

First the Charlotte poll. PPP surveyed 957 registered voters. The margin of error is 3.2 percentage points.

-- In the mayor's race, incumbent Democrat Anthony Foxx led Republican Scott Stone 58 percent to 32 percent. Ten percent were undecided.

-- Tillis recently told an audience that mandatory drug testing for state employees might be a good idea. Sixty-two percent of Charlotte voters agreed.

-- On redistricting, 58 percent supported creation of a non-partisan commission. Now the legislature draws the maps.

-- Asked about "Occupy Wall Street," 40 percent had a favorable view of the movement and 38 percent viewed it unfavorably. But 58% agreed that the weathiest 1 percent of Americans "has accumulated too much wealth and power."

-- On Obama, 45 percent of state voters approve his job performance while 50 percent disapprove. That's about where he's been for the last three months. Among independents, who helped him carry the state in 2008, only 38 percent say he's doing a good job.

-- Despite that, Obama trails only one Republican in head-to-head match-ups, and that's a virtual tie. Republican Mitt Romney leads 46-45.

Groups plan to challenge districts

A coalition of N.C. groups is poised to file suit over new Republican-drawn voting districts as early as next month, a move that could delay the 2012 primary elections.

The groups, including the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and Democracy North Carolina, are waiting to see if the U.S. Justice Department or a federal court approves the plans drawn by GOP lawmakers.

The deadline for Justice to rule on new congressional and legislative voting districts is Nov. 2.

"Our organization is concerned about the way the plans are essentially segregating and promoting segregation of voters in ways not consistent with the Voting Rights Act," says Bob Hall, director of Democracy North Carolina.

A challenge has been expected ever since lawmakers approved the plans over the objections of critics.

"I don't think it's any big secret that we’re going to challenge the maps," says Chris Ketchie, a policy analyst for the Southern Coalition. "The only secret is how we’re going to challenge them."
Legal challenges delayed N.C. elections in 1998 and 2002. And no congressional district in the country has been litigated more than Democrat Mel Watt's 12th, the source of four cases that went to the U.S. Supreme Court.