Walker vs Barrett Recall Battle Referendum On Obama's Economic Policies: Will Shape America's Future

My thoughts on today's Wisconsin Recall race:

I think Scott Walker will Win by a nose & due to the lingering High Unemployment Numbers, Walker's Victory will be viewed by many in the Political arena as a Referendum on Pres. Obama's Economic Policies.

Why?

Because even Hardcore Democrats want to WORK and Properly Provide for their Families.
Are We Better Off Now Than We Were 4 Years Ago?

If You are a Wall Street Executive, Billionaire or Millionaire: YES!

But if you are a Middle Class or Low Income Citizen: NO! WORSE!

Republicans in Congress can't be blamed for all that Ails America's Stagnant Economy when Congressional Democrats were in Power for almost 2 Years (Both Chambers) and basically just sat on their hands!

So in essence the Wisconsin Recall race can be perceived as a Snapshot of this November's General Election.

Pres. Obama can still eke out a Win but he will cross the finish line Badly Bruised & Battered by Romney's camp.




Round 2: Walker and Barrett stake out opposing positions

The recall election will be over June 5, but its shadow could stretch for years.

Voters will have to decide whether to support Gov. Scott Walker or to dump him from office after less than a year and a half in favor of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the candidate they rejected for the job in 2010. On jobs, taxes, education, health care and unions, the candidates are already marking out positions that differ sharply.

Brett Healy, president of the conservative think tank the MacIver Institute, says the fundamental difference between the candidates is that Barrett hasn't said how he would have budgeted differently from Walker.

"It's a fundamental question that should be part of this debate," Healy said.

David Riemer, a former top administrative and budget officer for Democrats in both the state and the city of Milwaukee, said the difference is that Walker is focused on holding down or cutting taxes and helping corporations to the exclusion of all other concerns, such as the quality of public services.

"The basic difference is between someone who has a balanced approach to government and someone who has one thing to say," said Riemer, who also ran unsuccessfully against Walker while he was still county executive.

In his own words, Walker talks about the role of government by emphasizing limits on it.

"Government is there to do things that we can't do on our own," Walker said. "For the most part, it's supposed to stay out of our lives. It's why the state constitution here in our state says modesty and frugality in government leads to freedom and prosperity."

For his part, Barrett sees state government as also creating opportunities.

"Government is there to make sure we protect our liberties, that we have public safety, education . . . roads, transportation," Barrett said. "It's to make sure we have a civilized society where everyone has an opportunity and people are respected."

Here's a breakdown on the differences between the candidates:

JOBS

Walker passed a series of bills focused on the state's economic climate in January 2011, including a measure to limit liability lawsuits and another bill to turn the state Department of Commerce into the quasi-public Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

"We want to move forward because we've set the table for tremendous job growth and prosperity," Walker said. "Unfortunately, our opponents want to go exactly the opposite way."

Walker said he wants to hold down costs for businesses from taxes and regulations and promote skilled workers in the labor market and good infrastructure.

Walker campaigned on creating 250,000 jobs in his four-year term and so far, according to numbers released early by his administration, the state created 23,321 jobs in 2011. A separate set of numbers that is considered an inferior measure by economists shows the state lost jobs and ranked worst in the nation last year.

Barrett has said that Walker is failing on his jobs promise and has harmed the economic climate by stirring up political turmoil and by stifling growth in renewable energy such as the wind industry.

"By starting that ideological civil war, he took his eye off the goal, which was the creation of jobs," Barrett said.

The mayor has also criticized Walker for cutting the state's technical colleges; failing to pass a bill to promote venture capital funding; and turning down more than $800 million in federal funds for a passenger rail line between Madison and Milwaukee.

Barrett has said that he's been successful in promoting jobs in a poverty-stricken community through efforts such as the redevelopment of the Menomonee Valley. Walker has responded that Barrett has failed to create jobs in the city of Milwaukee, where the labor market ranks poorly compared with other large cities.

The mayor said that, though he would work immediately on economic development, he didn't expect to seek new legislation on jobs until the Legislature returns in 2013.

TAXES

On state taxes, Walker says that with lawmakers he managed to hold them in line while balancing a $3 billion budget shortfall over two years, largely with spending cuts. Walker touts the fact that local property taxes on the median-valued home in the state have also dropped just slightly under his watch because he and lawmakers put tight limits on local government levies.

Walker and the Legislature also approved tax decreases for businesses, including for multistate corporations, and another major decrease for certain manufacturers and farmers that will ramp up in the coming years. Going forward, Walker wants to cut the personal income tax, saying that it's too high and is stifling economic growth. He did not say where he would get the money to do that.

"I'd try to do it across the board. I think if you want to have relief, you want a cross section of consumers around the state so it would have the biggest impact," Walker said.

Barrett has said he doesn't want to raise taxes beyond the levels they were at when Walker took office. He said he would look at undoing some tax cuts passed by Walker, including the business tax cuts mentioned above, since he says they've been ineffective in creating jobs. He said he would consult with businesses to ensure the changes are not unduly harmful, but he has not said which taxes he might raise.

"I'm going to be very mindful of the cost of these because they explode in the out years," Barrett said of Walker's tax cuts.

Barrett has criticized Walker's property tax caps but has not said whether he would loosen them or by how much. The mayor wants to restore tax credits for low-income families that were eliminated by Walker and Republican lawmakers, saying the governor broke his no tax increase pledge to the neediest families.

He has not said where he would get the money to do that.

EDUCATION, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

To balance the budget, Walker cut roughly $1.3 billion over two years in state money going to K-12 schools, the University of Wisconsin System, technical colleges and municipal governments.

The governor also repealed most collective bargaining for most public workers and then increased their health and pension contributions, effectively lowering their take-home pay. That saved the state and local governments more than $750 million.

In the next budget, Walker said he would like to see state aid to schools rise slightly if the state budget allows it.

"It certainly wouldn't go down, and it would probably have a slight increase," Walker said.

Barrett said that it would be unlikely that he would make changes in the current budget, which goes through June 2013. But if he succeeded in boosting the economy and tax revenue, he said he would try to increase funding for schools in the next two-year budget that he would submit in February 2013.

"We don't know the dollar amount. What we're going to do between June and January is create jobs in the state, and it's our hope in January we'll have a much better handle on what to do to reverse his cuts to education" and health programs, Barrett said last month.

Barrett said he would keep in place the higher employee contributions for health care and pension benefits that make up the bulk of the savings for taxpayers that Walker has touted. Barrett has achieved millions of dollars of savings of his own in Milwaukee by working to require city employees to make similar contributions, even if they weren't covered by Walker's union law.

HEALTH CARE

Walker provided about $1.2 billion more in state money over two years for the state's health care programs for the needy. But that wasn't enough to keep pace with rising costs, so the administration also made cuts to the BadgerCare Plus program taking effect July 1. Those cuts will lead to sharply higher premiums for tens of thousands of participants and more than 17,000 leaving the program or being turned away.

Barrett has said that he wants to undo those changes before they take effect. But said he doesn't yet know what changes that would take by lawmakers or where he would get the money.

On the federal health care law, Walker has suspended work on and returned a $38 million grant to plan for implementing an exchange in Wisconsin where consumers and small businesses could buy health insurance, in some cases with a federal subsidy. If Wisconsin doesn't have its own plan in place to do that by Jan. 1, 2013, the federal government could impose its own in 2014.

Barrett said he would restart the work on the exchange to make sure that Wisconsin is prepared to implement its own exchange and the state doesn't have a federal system imposed on it.

LABOR

Both Walker and Barrett said that going forward they didn't anticipate raising or lowering the increased amounts that public employees now pay for their pension and health care benefits.

Barrett has said he wants to restore union bargaining for public employees that was repealed by Walker and Republican lawmakers. He said he was focused on that and hadn't considered what to do about cases where the repeal of union bargaining has allowed the state to save on overtime costs or allowed schools to save money by bidding out their health insurance.

Walker has been adamant that those changes have been good for taxpayers.

Democrats have questioned whether Walker wants to make Wisconsin a right-to-work state in which employees in private companies could not be required to pay union dues. Walker has said he would do "everything in my power" to prevent a right-to-work bill from reaching his desk but has not said whether he would sign it.

Barrett has said he opposes right-to-work legislation and would veto it.


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Sources: CNN, Daily Beast, Intrade, Milwaukee Sentinel, Youtube, Google Maps

Nikki Haley Lied About Race On Voter Registration Form? SC's 1st Non-White Governor! (Tea Party Hypocrisy))

Indian Nikki Haley Says She Is White

For the children of immigrants, the road to acceptance in America can be a bumpy one. There will be pain. There will be embarrassment. There will be relentless, cruel accusations from your brethren that you are assimilating at the expense of your true cultural heritage. And the stories of the children of immigrants who rise to positions of influence and power are especially inspiring given the challenges before them.

Not so inspiring?

Lying about where you're from, like South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC), the American-born child of Indian parents, might have done.

The Associated Press reports that in 2001, Haley listed her race as "white" on her voter registration form.

State Democrats accuse her of being a fake-race opportunist in a state that is, according to the US Census poll, about 66% white (and just a tick over 1% Asian). From the South Carolina Post and Courier:

The state Democratic Party, which first obtained [Haley's voter registraton information], is calling Haley out on the matter and challenging whether her inconsistency on the card might have made her ineligible to voter under the state's new Voter ID law.

Dick Harpootlian, the party chairman, said whether Haley listed her race as white or not doesn’t really matter to him, but the issue is that the governor has shown a pattern of such actions.

"Haley has been appearing on television interviews where she calls herself a minority—when it suits her," Harpootlian said. "When she registers to vote she says she is white. She has developed a pattern of saying whatever is beneficial to her at the moment."

For Haley, voter fraud is a big deal.

She recently signed a new law requiring that voters present photo identification at the polls that, she says, will "improve South Carolina in terms of integrity, accountability and transparency." Voter ID laws, of course, don't actually decrease voter fraud (which is virtually nonexistent). Instead, they mostly keep Democratic voters away from the polls.

Haley hasn't yet responded to the South Carolina Democrats' accusations. But even though she didn't exactly commit voter fraud, her self-race-mis-classification seems to undermine her credibilty as someone who wants to prevent people from lying on their way to the voting booth.




Nikki Haley's Heritage & Background

Nikki Haley, an Indian-American, Sikh-turned-Methodist Republican, was elected governor of South Carolina in 2010.

Ms. Haley is the first woman and racial minority elected governor of South Carolina, one of the nation's most conservative states.

After running a primary campaign so underfinanced that it had to sell yard signs at $5 apiece, Ms. Haley became one of the brightest rising stars in the Republican Party, a Tea Party favorite, a Sarah Palin endorsee and the subject of national attention. During her campaign she held rallies across the state, linking her opponent to President Obama and bringing in big-name supporters like Mitt Romney.

For most of her first six months in office, Ms. Haley managed to keep a congenial, if tense, working relationship with the Legislature. At least, it was much improved from the bitter relationship between lawmakers and her predecessor, Mark Sanford.

In June 2011, Ms. Haley found herself at the center of a legislative standoff after she ordered a rebellious State Senate to get back to work to consider four measures that would restructure parts of the state government, including a new department enabling her to manage day-to-day operations. The Senate leadership responded by successfully asking the State Supreme Court for an injunction. In 3-to-2 vote, the court ruled that the executive order violated the Legislature’s ability to set its own schedule.

Ms. Haley, whose office filed a response to the suit with the support of several Republicans, argued that forcing lawmakers back to finish state business was not unprecedented.

The battle, however, is not over. The governor could still force the Legislature to take up her agenda later, and the entire incident is likely to have a lasting impact on the relationship between the governor and the House and Senate.

Background

In terms of her personal upbringing, Ms. Haley, who was born in 1972, is without precedent for South Carolina. The state has the lowest percentage of women elected to office of any state in America, and Ms. Haley is the only Indian-American elected official.

But ideologically, she is hardly a novelty in South Carolina.

Ms. Haley became part of a small cadre of small-government advocates who are ideologically aligned with Mr. Sanford and at odds with the rest of the state's Republican establishment, whom they accuse of abandoning conservative principles. Like the former governor, she has repeatedly taken her case to the public, sometimes embarrassing legislative leaders and helping her develop a loyal following.

Ms. Haley grew up in Bamberg, S.C., and her parents were the first Indian immigrants the small, working-class town had ever seen. Ms. Haley — born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa and always called Nikki, which means "little one," by her family — said that growing up in Bamberg was at times tough. Her father wears a turban and, though male Sikhs are not supposed to cut their hair, her brothers' was trimmed after teasing at school grew vicious.

Her father, Ajit Randhawa, was a biology professor at Voorhees College in nearby Denmark, S.C.; her mother, Raj, started Exotica International as a gift shop. From early on, Ms. Haley was involved in her family's clothing business, which sells gowns, suits and jewelry — taking over the bookkeeping at age 13.

Before she ran for office, Ms. Haley got an accounting degree at Clemson University, where she met her husband, who works for the Army and also serves as an officer in the South Carolina Army National Guard. She worked for FCR, a waste management and recycling company, and then returned to Exotica as chief financial officer and helped the company grow into a multimillion-dollar business.




NAACP calls out SC's minority governor on flag

The NAACP's top officer called on South Carolina's "first governor of color" to bring down the Confederate flag that flies a stone's throw from Gov. Nikki Haley's Statehouse office.

NAACP president Benjamin Jealous Monday pointed out a longstanding fight with South Carolina over the Confederate flag on Monday during his keynote speech for the civil rights organization's annual convention in Los Angeles.

"Perhaps one of the most perplexing examples of the contradictions of this moment in history is that Nikki Haley, South Carolina's first governor of color, continues to fly the Confederate Flag in front of her state's capitol," Jealous said. Haley is the first governor in the state born of parents who immigrated from India.

"Given the similarities between our struggles to end slavery and segregation and her ancestors' struggle to end British colonialism and oppression in India, my question to Governor Haley is one that Dr. King often asked himself: 'What would Gandhi do?'"

The NAACP launched an economic boycott of the state in 1999 about the banner that flew atop the Statehouse dome and in the chambers of the House and Senate. A compromise in 2000 moved the flag to a monument outside the Statehouse.

Haley spokesman Rob Godfrey said the issue was long ago resolved by white and black South Carolinians.

"Many people were uncomfortable with that compromise, but it addressed a sensitive subject in a way that South Carolina as a whole could accept," Godfrey said. "We don't expect people from outside of the state to understand that dynamic, but revisiting that issue is not part of the governor's agenda."


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Sources: AP, Mother Jones, NY Times, The State, USA Today, Youtube, Google Maps

Bev Perdue Proposes GOP's Smaller Government Agenda: Her 2012 Campaign Strategy

Bev Perdue: Merge N.C. State Departments, Freeze Hiring


Gov. Beverly Perdue said Thursday she wants to consolidate several state agencies, eliminate support functions and freeze hiring to streamline state government and save money.

"I believe North Carolina has to be leaner and more nimble and more responsive to the citizens of this state," Perdue told area business leaders during a meeting at Pinehurst Resort. "It's not rocket science. It's just simple, fundamental, good business sense."

The state faces a $3.7 billion budget shortfall, starting July 1, according to the most recent estimation by fiscal experts at the legislature. That's nearly 20 percent of the $19 billion budget under which the state is currently operating.

Most of the gap is caused by the loss of federal stimulus dollars and the expiration of temporary taxes, along with high-priority spending items that lawmakers usually approve, such as funding increased school enrollment, state pension funds and the employee health insurance plan.

The shortfall could change if the economy improves or worsens.

The new Republican majority in the General Assembly has ruled out new taxes to close the budget gap, so more attention has been paid to possible consolidation or reorganization of state government as a budget solution.

Perdue said she wants to merge state agencies and privatize some of the duties now handled by state workers.

Under her plan, the departments of Juvenile Justice, Correction and Crime Control and Public Safety would merge into one Department of Public Safety; the Department of Commerce would absorb the Employment Security Commission; and the Department of Administration would be renamed the Department of Management and Administration and become the chief operations unit for state government, absorbing information technology, the Office of State Personnel and the controller’s office.

Purchasing functions can be consolidated and coordinated bidding and bulk purchasing would be farmed out to a private company, Perdue said. Also, up to 100 computer service units statewide could be closed, and a private company could help the state consolidate IT services in a central location, she said.

The governor declined to say Thursday how much money the moves could save or how many state jobs would be eliminated by farming out functions like human resources, purchasing and IT. The details would be included in her 2011-12 budget proposal, she said.

"I know I'm not giving all the details. The devil's in the details, and those details will be excruciatingly painful," she said. "There will be layoffs. I'm not proud of saying it. I'm very worried about it."

She also called for an immediate hiring freeze in all cabinet agencies and asked other members of the Council of State to do likewise in their departments.

Finally, Perdue said she would present to lawmakers a list of 150 state boards and commissions that could be eliminated. Lawmakers should review each and retain only those that are justifiably needed, she said, noting that more than half of the existing state boards and commissions receive state funding.

"If we're going to reinvent this thing called state government, we simply can't do things the old way," she said. "It's really time to stop talking the talk and do something to fundamentally change the structure of this great state."

The last state government reorganization occurred in 1996. The last significant attempt to consolidate government departments failed in 1995 when Republicans balked at Gov. Jim Hunt's proposal to eliminate the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety.

Leading Republican lawmakers, including incoming House Speaker Thom Tillis, said they met with Perdue Thursday morning to discuss her plan, and they support the idea of streamlining state government.


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Sources: WRAL, Google Maps

Bev Perdue's Approval Rating At 33%, Trails Pat McCrory For 2012

N.C. Republicans favor McCrory for Gov., Huckabee for President.


Even in an eight-candidate field of remote possibilities, Pat McCrory is the choice of his party faithful to repeat his challenge to Bev Perdue in 2012.

The race for President in the state, however, is, as most everywhere else, unclear, with Mike Huckabee barely ahead of Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich.

McCrory gets more than three times the support of the next candidate when usual
Republican primary voters in the Tar Heel State are asked who they want to be their
standard bearer in two years.

He pulls 37% in a slate of potential GOP gubernatorial primary candidates that includes current party chairman and former Raleigh mayor Tom Fetzer (12%), 5th-District Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (11%), 9th-District Congresswoman Sue Myrick (6%), former state senator and 2008 gubernatorial aspirant
Fred Smith (4%), 10th-District Congressman Patrick McHenry (3%), Labor
Commissioner Cherie Berry (3%), and incoming State Senate President Pro Tempore Phil
Berger (2%), with 22% preferring someone unnamed or not sure of their current
preference.

At the top of the ballot, Huckabee gets a quarter of the vote to Palin’s 21%, Gingrich’s 17%, Mitt Romney’s 10%, Ron Paul’s 7%, Tim Pawlenty’s 4%, John Thune’s 2%, and Mitch Daniels’ 1%, with 12% undecided or preferring another candidate.

Palin actually leads Huckabee, 27-24, among the 24% share of moderates, with Gingrich and Romney each at 12%, but Huckabee prevails overall because of his 26-20 advantage with the 72% who call themselves conservative. Gingrich is likewise boosted by his 19% with them.

“At this point, Pat McCrory could go unchallenged in the 2012 Republican primary to
face off against Bev Perdue.

He is already looking like the de facto nominee and can effectively spend almost the next two years raising money and his profile while Perdue governs,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling.

PPP surveyed 400 typical North Carolina Republican primary voters from November 19th
to 21st. The survey’s margin of error is +/- 4.9%.

Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and weighting, may introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify.


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Sources: Public Policy Polling, WCNC, Youtube, Google Maps

Obama's 4th North Carolina Trip: 2012 Re-Election Bid

Obama Scheduled To Visit Winston-Salem Area


President Barack Obama will travel to the Winston-Salem area on Monday for an official event related to the economy.

The White House refused to release further details, but WXII-TV in Winston-Salem reported that Obama will visit Forsyth Technical Community College.

It would be Obama's fourth trip to North Carolina since he became president. He last visited in April, a largely off-the-record weekend vacation in Asheville with his wife, Michelle.

A few weeks before that trip, he came to Charlotte to tout the health reform bill.

With two years before the next presidential election, North Carolina remains a politically important state for Obama. He won the state narrowly in 2008.

Republicans have done better since then, taking over the North Carolina State General Assembly in November.

But in Congress, the state lost just one Democrat, U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge of Lillington, who lost in his largely rural district to tea party activist Renee Ellmers.

In North Carolina, Obama remains in a close race with four potential GOP candidates, according to a survey released Monday by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm in Raleigh.

He's statistically tied with Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, according to the survey, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent.

The same survey showed a 45 percent job approval rating for Obama in the state, with 51 percent disapproving.

On Monday, Obama will head to the hometown of Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, who won a second term in November. U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, a Democrat, is from neighboring Greensboro.














Pat McCrory Leads Perdue In Rematch


PPP's first poll of the 2012 Governor's race in North Carolina finds Pat McCrory well ahead of Bev Perdue in a hypothetical rematch of their 2008 contest, 49-37. Perdue also trails NC GOP chair Tom Fetzer in a possible contest, although only by a 42-40 margin.

Part of the reason for Perdue's dicey early standing is her continued poor approval ratings. Only 33% of voters in the state approve of the job she's doing while 49% disapprove. But the other part is that Pat McCrory is a pretty well liked politician. Although a lot of folks have already forgotten who he is- 45% of voters in the state have no opinion of him- those who do remember him from 2 years ago generally look upon him fondly. 34% have a favorable view of him to only 20% with a negative one.

Republicans (49/11 spread) and independents (34/18) are pretty overwhelmingly positive toward him and even with Democrats there are almost as many- 24%- with a positive opinion of him as there are- 27% with a negative one.

McCrory leads Perdue 58-27 with Independents.

By comparison PPP's final 2008 poll found him up just 7 points on Perdue with them.




McCrory is also getting 25% of Democrats, compared to 17% we found him with on our final 2008 poll. And McCrory also does a good job of keeping Republicans in line- Perdue gets only 5% of the GOP vote at this point in time, compared to 10% she was receiving at the end of the last election.

There's not a lot of doubt that McCrory would defeat Perdue if the election was held today. But of course it's not. Earlier this month the Governor of Arizona, who had trailed by a good deal in polling throughout much of 2009, and the Governor of Illinois, who trailed by a good deal in polling throughout pretty much all of 2010, were both reelected. Perdue has a lot of work to do with Democrats and independents between now and November of 2012, but it's not impossible for someone in her current position to win reelection.



The most interesting thing about Fetzer's numbers might be that as many press conferences as he held this year, 70% of voters across the state don't know who he is. And when you get outside the Triangle that number rises closer to 80%. Democrats dislike Fetzer more strongly (8/27) than Republicans like him (16/9). Independents have a dim view of Fetzer as well at 9/16. Given McCrory's strength Fetzer's electoral prospects in 2012 might look brighter in a race for Lieutenant Governor than the big office.

Full results here




Pat McCrory Prepares For 2012 Rematch As Bev Perdue Continues To Screw Up


Pat McCrory's calendar seems penciled with listings for someone ready for a rematch with Gov. Beverly Perdue.

McCrory, who stepped down as Charlotte mayor after 16 years last fall, has become a popular speaker statewide on the Republican Party's chicken dinner circuit, headlining many GOP fundraisers. He's been a frequent visitor on local and even national television political roundtables after narrowly losing to Perdue in November 2008.

Now he has started a political action committee to raise money for legislative candidates and highlight issues he promoted in the 2008 race, including transportation, criminal justice and getting rid of what he called "a culture of corruption" in state government.

"North Carolina state government is in a mess," the 53-year-old McCrory said in a video announcing his New Leadership PAC and identifying Democrats, including Perdue, whom he believes are part of the problem. "It's time for new leadership in our state and it must start now in 2010."

What about 2012?

McCrory said in an interview he's going to strongly consider a repeat gubernatorial bid. A longtime observer of his political career is more certain.

"He's going to run for governor," said Ted Arrington, a political science professor at University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Arrington said it's a challenge for McCrory to keep his name in front of the general public now that he's the ex-mayor. He also needs to avoid negative publicity that could harm him politically while satisfying both the business community that backed him for years and the new tea party movement to avoid a bruising GOP primary.

"I think he's still popular, but he's just disappeared from everything," Arrington said. "He's behind the scenes. He's working the party leaders."

McCrory almost became just the third Republican since 1901 to move to the Executive Mansion in Raleigh when he lost to Perdue by 3 percentage points in the closest governor's race in 36 years. A month later, he announced he wouldn't seek an eighth two-year term as mayor in 2009.

Since leaving the mayor's post, McCrory joined a Charlotte law firm as a public policy consultant in addition to working with his brother's business and boosted his outside political involvement. He kicked off the New Leadership PAC this spring with a mass fundraising letter. The PAC's treasurer is Jack Hawke, McCrory's chief political consultant in the 2008 campaign.

A political action committee is a common tool for someone interested in running for federal office such as president. John Edwards had one, as does current Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. But it's unusual for someone seeking a North Carolina state government office.

McCrory said he plans to use social networking, electronic town hall meetings and other technology to communicate with supporters about candidates and issues. He said President Obama's use of technology during the 2008 campaign played a role in helping Perdue win by energizing Democrats to vote.



"I felt the impact first hand in my race, and I want to help other candidates not be behind the 8-ball in that area," McCrory said.

The political committee collected nearly $25,000 by mid-April. Retired accountant Ken Collins of Monroe gave $100 to McCrory's new venture because he said the ex-mayor "seems to be a guy that can get along across political lines. You can't say that about everybody."

State Democratic Party executive director Andrew Whalen said the ex-mayor's New Leadership PAC "seems to be nothing more than an attempt to repackage those same failed ideas from his failed gubernatorial campaign."

McCrory also went on the defensive in February when the campaign committee acknowledged it failed to report two helicopter flights in the waning days of his 2008 bid. Perdue and former Gov. Mike Easley have taken heat for dozens of flight disclosures over the past year. The Democratic Party made one of those flights the centerpiece of a news conference.

The PAC is not the only effort by McCrory to stay on the political radar screen. During his last year as mayor, McCrory was asked to speak to large crowds in person and on the air about his concerns with the federal stimulus package and President Obama's health care overhaul.

McCrory was the only speaker to get a standing ovation from more than 1,000 conservative and tea party supporters meeting last September in Raleigh to hear Obama's address on health care to a joint session of Congress. Helping social and fiscal conservative feel comfortable with McCrory could help him win over the Republican base and avoid a tough primary in 2012.

Arrington said McCrory's strategy to attempt to remain salient after his failed gubernatorial shows he's not the same guy who won a Charlotte city council seat as a relative political unknown in 1989.

"He started out in politics a very naive fellow," Arrington said. "He's learned a lot."






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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Public Policy Polling, WCNC, WRAL, Youtube, Google Maps

Pat McCrory Prepares For 2012 GOP Victory: Leading Perdue In Polls

Pat McCrory Leads Perdue In Rematch


PPP's first poll of the 2012 Governor's race in North Carolina finds Pat McCrory well ahead of Bev Perdue in a hypothetical rematch of their 2008 contest, 49-37. Perdue also trails NC GOP chair Tom Fetzer in a possible contest, although only by a 42-40 margin.

Part of the reason for Perdue's dicey early standing is her continued poor approval ratings. Only 33% of voters in the state approve of the job she's doing while 49% disapprove. But the other part is that Pat McCrory is a pretty well liked politician. Although a lot of folks have already forgotten who he is- 45% of voters in the state have no opinion of him- those who do remember him from 2 years ago generally look upon him fondly. 34% have a favorable view of him to only 20% with a negative one.

Republicans (49/11 spread) and independents (34/18) are pretty overwhelmingly positive toward him and even with Democrats there are almost as many- 24%- with a positive opinion of him as there are- 27% with a negative one.

McCrory leads Perdue 58-27 with Independents.

By comparison PPP's final 2008 poll found him up just 7 points on Perdue with them.




McCrory is also getting 25% of Democrats, compared to 17% we found him with on our final 2008 poll. And McCrory also does a good job of keeping Republicans in line- Perdue gets only 5% of the GOP vote at this point in time, compared to 10% she was receiving at the end of the last election.

There's not a lot of doubt that McCrory would defeat Perdue if the election was held today. But of course it's not. Earlier this month the Governor of Arizona, who had trailed by a good deal in polling throughout much of 2009, and the Governor of Illinois, who trailed by a good deal in polling throughout pretty much all of 2010, were both reelected. Perdue has a lot of work to do with Democrats and independents between now and November of 2012, but it's not impossible for someone in her current position to win reelection.



The most interesting thing about Fetzer's numbers might be that as many press conferences as he held this year, 70% of voters across the state don't know who he is. And when you get outside the Triangle that number rises closer to 80%. Democrats dislike Fetzer more strongly (8/27) than Republicans like him (16/9). Independents have a dim view of Fetzer as well at 9/16. Given McCrory's strength Fetzer's electoral prospects in 2012 might look brighter in a race for Lieutenant Governor than the big office.

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Pat McCrory Prepares For 2012 Rematch As Bev Perdue Continues To Screw Up


Pat McCrory's calendar seems penciled with listings for someone ready for a rematch with Gov. Beverly Perdue.

McCrory, who stepped down as Charlotte mayor after 16 years last fall, has become a popular speaker statewide on the Republican Party's chicken dinner circuit, headlining many GOP fundraisers. He's been a frequent visitor on local and even national television political roundtables after narrowly losing to Perdue in November 2008.

Now he has started a political action committee to raise money for legislative candidates and highlight issues he promoted in the 2008 race, including transportation, criminal justice and getting rid of what he called "a culture of corruption" in state government.

"North Carolina state government is in a mess," the 53-year-old McCrory said in a video announcing his New Leadership PAC and identifying Democrats, including Perdue, whom he believes are part of the problem. "It's time for new leadership in our state and it must start now in 2010."

What about 2012?

McCrory said in an interview he's going to strongly consider a repeat gubernatorial bid. A longtime observer of his political career is more certain.

"He's going to run for governor," said Ted Arrington, a political science professor at University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Arrington said it's a challenge for McCrory to keep his name in front of the general public now that he's the ex-mayor. He also needs to avoid negative publicity that could harm him politically while satisfying both the business community that backed him for years and the new tea party movement to avoid a bruising GOP primary.

"I think he's still popular, but he's just disappeared from everything," Arrington said. "He's behind the scenes. He's working the party leaders."

McCrory almost became just the third Republican since 1901 to move to the Executive Mansion in Raleigh when he lost to Perdue by 3 percentage points in the closest governor's race in 36 years. A month later, he announced he wouldn't seek an eighth two-year term as mayor in 2009.

Since leaving the mayor's post, McCrory joined a Charlotte law firm as a public policy consultant in addition to working with his brother's business and boosted his outside political involvement. He kicked off the New Leadership PAC this spring with a mass fundraising letter. The PAC's treasurer is Jack Hawke, McCrory's chief political consultant in the 2008 campaign.

A political action committee is a common tool for someone interested in running for federal office such as president. John Edwards had one, as does current Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. But it's unusual for someone seeking a North Carolina state government office.

McCrory said he plans to use social networking, electronic town hall meetings and other technology to communicate with supporters about candidates and issues. He said President Obama's use of technology during the 2008 campaign played a role in helping Perdue win by energizing Democrats to vote.



"I felt the impact first hand in my race, and I want to help other candidates not be behind the 8-ball in that area," McCrory said.

The political committee collected nearly $25,000 by mid-April. Retired accountant Ken Collins of Monroe gave $100 to McCrory's new venture because he said the ex-mayor "seems to be a guy that can get along across political lines. You can't say that about everybody."

State Democratic Party executive director Andrew Whalen said the ex-mayor's New Leadership PAC "seems to be nothing more than an attempt to repackage those same failed ideas from his failed gubernatorial campaign."

McCrory also went on the defensive in February when the campaign committee acknowledged it failed to report two helicopter flights in the waning days of his 2008 bid. Perdue and former Gov. Mike Easley have taken heat for dozens of flight disclosures over the past year. The Democratic Party made one of those flights the centerpiece of a news conference.

The PAC is not the only effort by McCrory to stay on the political radar screen. During his last year as mayor, McCrory was asked to speak to large crowds in person and on the air about his concerns with the federal stimulus package and President Obama's health care overhaul.

McCrory was the only speaker to get a standing ovation from more than 1,000 conservative and tea party supporters meeting last September in Raleigh to hear Obama's address on health care to a joint session of Congress. Helping social and fiscal conservative feel comfortable with McCrory could help him win over the Republican base and avoid a tough primary in 2012.

Arrington said McCrory's strategy to attempt to remain salient after his failed gubernatorial shows he's not the same guy who won a Charlotte city council seat as a relative political unknown in 1989.

"He started out in politics a very naive fellow," Arrington said. "He's learned a lot."






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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Public Policy Polling, WCNC, WRAL, Youtube, Google Maps

Nikki Haley & Black GOP Hopeful Tim Scott Win Big In S.C.

Nikki Haley, Tim Scott Win In S.C. Republican Races


In a break from the state's racist legacy, South Carolina Republicans overwhelmingly chose Nikki Haley, an Indian-American woman, to run for governor and easily nominated Tim Scott, in line to become the former Confederate stronghold's first black GOP congressman in more than a century.

Six-term Republican Rep. Bob Inglis fell to prosecutor Trey Gowdy, making him the 5th House or Senate incumbent to stumble this year.

In North Carolina, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall won the Democratic nomination to challenge GOP Sen. Richard Burr in the fall. And Utah Republicans chose a GOP successor to vanquished Sen. Bob Bennett in a state that hasn't elected a Democratic senator in four decades. In Mississippi, voters chose Republican Bill Marcy to face Rep. Bennie Thompson.

Taken together, the victories by Haley and Scott — both favorites for the general election in November — offered clear signs of racial progress in the South.

Tuesday's runoffs and primaries played out across four states, the latest cluster of contests to determine matchups for the midterm congressional elections just over four months away. Already, 2010 is shaping up to be an anti-establishment year with angry voters casting ballots against candidates with ties to Washington and the political parties.

Perhaps no other contest illustrated that better than Haley's. A state legislator with the backing of tea party activists and Sarah Palin, she overtook the old-boy network.

"South Carolina just showed the rest of the country what we're made of," Haley said following her victory. "It's a new day in our state, and I am very blessed to be a part of it."

With her victory, Haley moved one step closer to becoming the first female governor in the conservative-leaning state. She also secured her place as a rising female star in the GOP, if not potential 2012 vice presidential candidate in the early primary state. She stands as the front-runner in the race against the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, state Sen. Vincent Sheheen. The disgraced GOP Gov. Mark Sanford is leaving the post because of term limits.

Haley, 38, brushed aside allegations of marital infidelity and an ethnic slur to come within a percentage point of winning the gubernatorial nod outright on June 8. With 98 percent of the precincts reporting in the runoff, she had 65 percent of the vote to 35 percent for Rep. Gresham Barrett, a four-term congressman who has had to answer for his 2008 vote for the unpopular Wall Street bailout.

In a fitting twist, Haley planned her victory party at the entrance to the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum.

Scott, 44, also a state lawmaker, beat Paul Thurmond, the son of the late U.S. Sen. and former segregationist Strom Thurmond in the runoff after securing the backing of Palin, the anti-tax Club for Growth and several Republican leaders in Washington. With 100 percent of precincts counted, he had 68 percent of the vote to 32 percent for Thurmond.

The GOP-leaning district stretches down the Carolina coast and includes Fort Sumter where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. If elected to the House, Scott would be the GOP's first black lawmaker since Oklahoma's J.C. Watts retired in 2003.

Scott will face Democrat Ben Frasier, who also is black, in November, and is strongly favored to win; the district, which is 72 percent white, has sent a Republican to Congress for three decades. Rep. Henry Brown is retiring.

Aside from Barrett, the bailout vote thwarted Inglis' quest for another term in the 4th Congressional District. Spartanburg prosecutor Gowdy forced Inglis into a runoff after making the race a referendum on the incumbent's bailout vote and casting him as not conservative enough for the district.

Elsewhere, Marshall beat former Army prosecutor Cal Cunningham, a blow to Democratic Party leaders in Washington who recruited him and spent more than $100,000 to boost his campaign. Despite holding statewide office for more than a decade, Marshall portrayed herself as an outsider while claiming she was an advocate for average citizens and fought against powerful industries.

In Utah, businessman Tim Bridgewater and attorney Mike Lee battled for the GOP Senate nomination. It's likely whoever wins will become the next Utah senator. A Democrat hasn't won a Senate race in Utah since 1970.

The victor will succeed Bennett, who lost his bid last month for a fourth term. Conservatives at the GOP state convention punished him for his support of the bailout, officially known as the Troubled Asset Relief Program.


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Sources: MSNBC, Google Maps

Pat McCrory's Prelude To Victory 2012 Speech (Videos)

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Sources: New Leadership PAC, Youtube, Google Maps

Pat McCrory Prepares For Victory In 2012, With Bev Perdue's Help

Pat McCrory Prepares For 2012 Rematch As Bev Perdue Continues To Screw Up


Pat McCrory's calendar seems penciled with listings for someone ready for a rematch with Gov. Beverly Perdue.

McCrory, who stepped down as Charlotte mayor after 16 years last fall, has become a popular speaker statewide on the Republican Party's chicken dinner circuit, headlining many GOP fundraisers. He's been a frequent visitor on local and even national television political roundtables after narrowly losing to Perdue in November 2008.

Now he has started a political action committee to raise money for legislative candidates and highlight issues he promoted in the 2008 race, including transportation, criminal justice and getting rid of what he called "a culture of corruption" in state government.

"North Carolina state government is in a mess," the 53-year-old McCrory said in a video announcing his New Leadership PAC and identifying Democrats, including Perdue, whom he believes are part of the problem. "It's time for new leadership in our state and it must start now in 2010."

What about 2012?

McCrory said in an interview he's going to strongly consider a repeat gubernatorial bid. A longtime observer of his political career is more certain.

"He's going to run for governor," said Ted Arrington, a political science professor at University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Arrington said it's a challenge for McCrory to keep his name in front of the general public now that he's the ex-mayor. He also needs to avoid negative publicity that could harm him politically while satisfying both the business community that backed him for years and the new tea party movement to avoid a bruising GOP primary.

"I think he's still popular, but he's just disappeared from everything," Arrington said. "He's behind the scenes. He's working the party leaders."

McCrory almost became just the third Republican since 1901 to move to the Executive Mansion in Raleigh when he lost to Perdue by 3 percentage points in the closest governor's race in 36 years. A month later, he announced he wouldn't seek an eighth two-year term as mayor in 2009.

Since leaving the mayor's post, McCrory joined a Charlotte law firm as a public policy consultant in addition to working with his brother's business and boosted his outside political involvement. He kicked off the New Leadership PAC this spring with a mass fundraising letter. The PAC's treasurer is Jack Hawke, McCrory's chief political consultant in the 2008 campaign.

A political action committee is a common tool for someone interested in running for federal office such as president. John Edwards had one, as does current Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. But it's unusual for someone seeking a North Carolina state government office.

McCrory said he plans to use social networking, electronic town hall meetings and other technology to communicate with supporters about candidates and issues. He said President Obama's use of technology during the 2008 campaign played a role in helping Perdue win by energizing Democrats to vote.

"I felt the impact first hand in my race, and I want to help other candidates not be behind the 8-ball in that area," McCrory said.

The political committee collected nearly $25,000 by mid-April. Retired accountant Ken Collins of Monroe gave $100 to McCrory's new venture because he said the ex-mayor "seems to be a guy that can get along across political lines. You can't say that about everybody."

State Democratic Party executive director Andrew Whalen said the ex-mayor's New Leadership PAC "seems to be nothing more than an attempt to repackage those same failed ideas from his failed gubernatorial campaign."

McCrory also went on the defensive in February when the campaign committee acknowledged it failed to report two helicopter flights in the waning days of his 2008 bid. Perdue and former Gov. Mike Easley have taken heat for dozens of flight disclosures over the past year. The Democratic Party made one of those flights the centerpiece of a news conference.

The PAC is not the only effort by McCrory to stay on the political radar screen. During his last year as mayor, McCrory was asked to speak to large crowds in person and on the air about his concerns with the federal stimulus package and President Obama's health care overhaul.

McCrory was the only speaker to get a standing ovation from more than 1,000 conservative and tea party supporters meeting last September in Raleigh to hear Obama's address on health care to a joint session of Congress. Helping social and fiscal conservative feel comfortable with McCrory could help him win over the Republican base and avoid a tough primary in 2012.

Arrington said McCrory's strategy to attempt to remain salient after his failed gubernatorial shows he's not the same guy who won a Charlotte city council seat as a relative political unknown in 1989.

"He started out in politics a very naive fellow," Arrington said. "He's learned a lot."


View Larger Map


Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Youtube, Google Maps