4 N.C. Dems Face Uphill Battle In 2012: Heath, Kissell, McIntyre, Shuler (Redistricting)

Proposed N.C. Map Seeks Large GOP Gains

On the road to House Democrats’ goal of winning back the majority, North Carolina is now their biggest and most jarring speed bump.

A draft map of new Congressional districts released Friday by the GOP-controlled state Legislature politically endangers four Democrats in the state: Reps. Brad Miller, Larry Kissell, Mike McIntyre and Heath Shuler. While it leaves each Member in the his own district, they are not districts that will be easy to win.

The Republican-drawn map also shores up the district of Rep. Renee Ellmers, a Republican freshman who won an upset victory in 2010.

The current Congressional delegation is split with six Republicans and seven Democrats. Republicans hope the new map would give them a split of nine Republican districts, three Democratic districts and one tossup district in a wave year such as 2008 and 10 Republican districts in a wave year such as 2010.

The three safe Democratic districts are the two majority-minority districts held by Reps. G.K. Butterfield and Mel Watt and Rep. David Price’s Raleigh-Durham-based district. Under the draft map, all three districts grow substantially more Democratic. But all Republican incumbents, including Ellmers — along with Miller, Kissell, McIntyre and Shuler — would be in districts that would have voted for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008 by at least 55 percent.

One of the two most vulnerable Members under the draft lines is Miller, a former North Carolina state Senator who chaired the redistricting committee a decade ago and helped draw the district he now occupies. But 10 years later, he has very few friends left in the state Legislature, Democrats and Republicans in the state said.

He won re-election in 2010 with 56 percent of the vote, but McCain got just 40 percent in the current district in 2008. Under the draft map, McCain would have carried Miller’s district with 56 percent. Miller’s middling fundraising haul in the first quarter of this year, only $32,000, has left some thinking the Congressman is headed for retirement, though his spokeswoman said recently he is indeed running for re-election.

Another exceedingly vulnerable Democrat is Shuler, who won his third term in 2010 with 54 percent of the vote. A recent report, which was not denied by his spokesman, said he is in talks with the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to become athletic director. His 11th district was previously just slightly Republican but would be one of the most Republican in the state under the draft lines. It loses parts of liberal Buncombe County and gains four counties from the conservative 10th district. Shuler’s current district gave McCain 52 percent and President George W. Bush 59 percent in 2004. Under the new lines, those numbers jump to 58 percent for McCain and 64 percent for Bush. A likely GOP candidate for the district is Hendersonville District Attorney Jeff Hunt, Republicans said.

Under North Carolina law, if a Congressional seat becomes vacant before February 2012, the governor would call a special primary and general election to fill the vacancy. The time frame for calling the elections appears to be at the governor’s discretion, an official at the North Carolina State Board of Elections said.

Another vulnerable Democrat is Kissell, a sophomore whose 8th district on the South Carolina border shifts from a district that went 47 percent for McCain in 2008 to a district that the Arizona Senator would have carried with 55 percent. Even more telling is the fact that Sen. John Kerry received 44 percent in 2004 in the current district, while under the new lines he would have taken just 38 percent of the vote there. The 8th gains half of Robeson County along with portions of Rowan, Davidson and Randolph counties.

McIntyre’s district grows more Republican, but he may be able to hold it. McCain carried the current 7th district with 52 percent. Under the draft lines, he would have taken 55 percent.

North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue (D) does not have legal authority to veto the new map. Top legislators in the state hope to complete the Congressional redistricting process by the end of the month.

Under the 1965 Voting Rights Act, any map passed into law must be cleared by the Department of Justice or a federal court before it can be enforced.


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Sources: Carolina Politics Online, Politico, Roll Call, Youtube, Google Maps

Harold Johnson Vs Larry Kissell: Low Black Voter Turnout For Nov. 2010 Elections

Low Black Voter Turn Out During The 2010 November Elections Is What The Democrats Get For Insisting That NO Black Agenda Was Needed!

President Obama & Other Democrat Party Leaders Thought Black Voters Were Stupid.

Can You Believe It?

Elite Democrat Leaders Foolishly Thought They Could Just Throw The American Black Community Under The Bus Without Retribution.

Here Black People Are Currently Experiencing A 34% National Unemployment Rate Mostly Due To Blatant Racism Yet No One In Congress, Nor Any Local Black
Leaders Appear To Give A Darn!

Wake Up!

Why Do You Think Adrian Fenty (DC's Former Mayor) Was Recently Kicked Out Of Office?

Now We'll See Who's Stupid On November 2nd.

Will Black Voters Sit Out This Election?

Of Course Not! Our Votes Are Too Valuable For Such Complacency.

Many Of Us Will Just Cast Our Ballots For GOP Candidates.

See You At The Polls.

Peace











Harold Johnson vs Larry Kissell: TV Ads Are Key To A Close Political Race


There have been no candidate debates, few fiery speeches or partisan campaign rallies.

But the 8th District congressional race has exploded onto TV screens in what could be North Carolina's closest and most expensive campaign.

Freshman U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell faces Republican Harold Johnson and Libertarian Thomas Hill in the district that stretches from Charlotte to Fayetteville.

Republicans need 39 seats to win control of the House. Polls and pundits suggest the 8th District could be the most likely to change hands.

That's why outside groups alone have poured more than $2.5 million into the district, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Only eight House races in America have seen more.

Even though Kissell broke from his party on high-profile issues such as health care, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has spent more than $680,000 on TV ads against Johnson. On Thursday the National Education Association launched TV ads against Johnson, part of a $600,000 effort on Kissell's behalf.

Meanwhile, the conservative Americans for Job Security has spent $560,000 on anti-Kissell ads. And last week, a group called the Center for Individual Freedom began airing ads against him. It's unclear how much the group spent, though it's reportedly part of a $2 million buy across 10 districts.

The spending underscores one thing: The race is a toss-up. Some analysts say it leans Republican. Others say it leans Democrat.

All concede that it's close.

As Republicans try to lash Kissell to Washington Democrats such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he has found an unusual way to underscore his independence.

By turning overseas.

Last week, Kissell escorted two Swiss consuls on tours of a high-tech solar plant in Cabarrus County and the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis. Earlier, he brought in diplomats from Israel, Singapore and Zambia, all in the hope of finding new markets and investments for an 8th District hit hard by job losses.

"I don't get into this Washington, inside-the-beltway politics," Kissell said. "That's not who I am. I'm about the district."

Counting on momentum

Johnson hopes a Republican tide lifts him to victory.

"We've been working around this thing called momentum for a long time," said Johnson, 69. "You can feel it."

Affable and white-haired, he connects with audiences by recalling his three decades as a sportscaster for WSOC-TV. Speaking to the Kannapolis Rotary last week, he recounted anecdotes about local high school rivalries and coaches.

"I've followed your students and sons and daughters," he said.

He laced references to "this great land of ours" with stories of how his own pluck and persistence helped him rise from a modest background.

Johnson, who moved to Concord earlier this year after decades in Iredell County, likes to say Kissell's first vote will be for Pelosi, a California Democrat reviled by conservatives. But he's often vague about issues.

Asked by a reporter where he would cut spending, for example, he said he would "look at everything" and go after waste and fraud. He said there are "25 to 30" outdated programs at the Education department alone but did not name any.

Later, Johnson found friendly faces as he mingled with lunchtime diners at Lee's Sandwich Shop.

"He's not a Democrat," said Kannapolis real estate agent Eric McKnight, 69. "We can't afford to have any more people in Congress that are going to spend and spend and spend and put us further in debt."

Campaigning differences

Johnson, who has faced a barrage of more than $1 million in outside spending, has had to spend a lot of time raising money at home and in Washington.

Hill, the Libertarian from Cabarrus County, is an electrician whose job often keeps him - and his outspoken views - off the trail.

"I hate to speak ill of the people in Washington," he said in an interview. "But they have committed evil deeds against the people of America. They're traitors."

Kissell, who once walked door-to-door in the rain looking for votes, has foregone much of that kind of campaigning for those that come with the perks of incumbency.

In addition to "reverse trade missions" such as the one with the Swiss consuls, he hosted a federal contracting symposium in Albemarle. He touts efforts to bring nearly $3 million in federal grants to district police departments and the Monroe airport, and a $1 million U.S. Department of Agriculture center to the Research Campus.

Faced with ads that link him to Pelosi, he takes every opportunity to distance himself from Washington. Asked if he would vote for her again, he said it depends who the candidates are. Unlike party leaders, he would extend Bush-era tax cuts for wealthier Americans, if only for two years.

Like Johnson, he can be vague. He offers no specifics on spending cuts and declines to say whether he would support a so-called pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in this country.

"Until we get the border controlled," he says, "we can't discuss any other issues."

Kissell's track record

Since taking office, Kissell has built a moderate record.

His votes rank him squarely in the ideological middle of the House, according to a National Journal analysis. This month he was endorsed by the National Rifle Association, which generally backs Republicans.

The votes that please some disappointed others. Some Democrats are still angry over Kissell's votes against health care and other party-backed legislation. They plan to vote for him, however reluctantly.

"There are a lot of people who feel he is the lesser of the two evils," says Walter Rogers of Scotland County, chair of the N.C. Black Leadership Caucus. "So he is going to get something a lot of politicians don't - a second chance."

Kissell's focus on his district brought recognition from the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Business-Industry Political Action Committee, which called him one of 20 "Pro-Prosperity" House Democrats.

"We've called on him and his staff on a number of issues and found him to be exceptionally responsive and increasingly knowledgeable," says John Cox, president and CEO of the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The "reverse trade missions" impress executives such as Brooks Agnew. The CEO of a company that plans to manufacture electric trucks in Cabarrus, he met with Kissell and the Swiss diplomats.

"We don't have a budget to travel the world and go to places like Switzerland or Singapore," said Agnew. "This is really important for companies like ours."

Tim Masud, president of Golden Gait Trailers in Concord, credits Kissell with helping orchestrate a sale of equipment to Zambia worth tens of millions of dollars to his and other N.C. companies.

"I usually vote pretty much Republican all the way, but I will be voting for him," Masud says, "not because of the deal but I believe he's the right man for the job."

Kissell hopes such sentiments help him win a second term.

"The best way to get re-elected," he says, "is to do a good job."








Democrats Underperformed For Black Voters: Decision 2010


One of the things giving Democratic candidates across the country trouble this year that has perhaps not gotten as much attention as it should is that they are really under polling with black voters. It's a given that black turnout is going to be way down from its 2008 levels this year but more troublesome for Democratic candidates is that they are running well behind Barack Obama's approval numbers with African Americans in almost every key race we've polled over the last six weeks.

There's a couple ways to look at that. One is that polling frequently underestimates Democratic performance with black voters further out from an election and that 90% of them will vote Democratic as they usually do. If that's the case polls right now are underestimating the party's candidates across the board and Democrats won't do as poorly in November as the current conventional wisdom. The other way to look at it is that black voters, like other voters, are less enthused with the Democrats than they are in the average election cycle and will indeed support them at a lower rate than usual.

If I had to guess I'd say Democratic candidates will end up doing a lot better with black voters than they are currently, but that the level of support they receive will not quite be at its usual lofty levels. Democratic support from African Americans may more often this year end up in the 80% plus or minus 5 points range instead of the 90% plus or minus 5 points range.

Here's the data comparing Obama's approval with blacks to the support level of Democratic Senate and Gubernatorial candidates with them in states where the black population is at least 10%:


Race:

Obama Approval w/Blacks
Democrat w/Blacks (Dropoff)

Illinois Governor
88%
Pat Quinn 41% (47)

Florida Senate
79%
Kendrick Meek 48% (31)

Texas Governor
90%
Bill White 62% (28)

Pennsylvania Governor
80%
Dan Onorato 56% (24)

North Carolina Senate
87%
Elaine Marshall 67% (20)

Florida Governor
79%
Alex Sink 60% (19)

Illinois Senate
88%
Alexi Giannoulias 69% (19)

Delaware Senate
82%
Chris Coons 63% (19)

Michigan Governor
74%
Virg Bernero 57% (17)

Pennsylvania Senate
80%
Joe Sestak 64% (16)

Ohio Senate
84%
Lee Fisher 68% (16)

Missouri Senate
78%
Robin Carnahan 67% (11)

Ohio Governor
84%
Ted Strickland 79% (5)

On average the Democratic nominees are running 21 points behind Obama's approval with black voters. Closing that gap is going to be key to winning these races or in some cases even making them competitive.






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Sources: Charmeck.org, McClatchy Newspapers, NY Times, Public Policy Polling, Washington Post, Wikipedia, John Locke Foundation, WCNC, Youtube, Google Maps

5 N.C. Congress Members Voted "No" On Health Care Bill

McHenry on health care overhaul



Here's what U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, a Cherryville Republican, had to say about the health care bill that passed the House last night. McHenry voted "no," reports Barb Barrett.

"This is an anti-jobs bill," McHenry said. "Instead of helping businesses create jobs it will increase federal spending, raise taxes and slow economic growth."

The fight goes on, McHenry added.

"This summer more than 5,000 people stood up against Obamacare at the 11 town halls I held across Western North Carolina," he said. "The battle against government-run health care is one of the most important I have ever fought and I am not about to give up now. I will work with like-minded Americans across our nation to repeal or challenge this unconstitutional government takeover."





Virginia Foxx On Health Care Overhaul



Here's what U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Banner Elk Republican, had to say about the health care bill that passed the House last night. Foxx voted "no," reports Barb Barrett.

"Now more than ever we need sensible health care reform," Foxx said. "That’s why it's so sad that the Democratic majority forced this overhaul through. This bill is bad medicine, plain and simple. It's chock full of government mandates, $569 billion in job-killing tax hikes and $1.2 trillion in new government spending."




Coble on health care overhaul


Here's what U.S. Rep. Howard Coble, a Greensboro Republican, had to say about the health care bill that passed the House last night. Coble voted "no," reports Barb Barrett.

"Although a small portion of my constituents support this proposal, the vast majority wants nothing to do with it," Coble said. "Clearly there are areas of our health care system that need to be improved. That being said, this bill is a complete overhaul of the system. Make no mistake about it. This bill will put the government in control of our health care. It is a train wreck waiting to occur and considering our current economic morass, we need no train wrecks."




Myrick on health care overhaul



Here's what U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick, a Charlotte Republican, had to say about the health care bill that passed the House last night. Myrick voted "no," reports Barb Barrett.

"Talk about creating jobs." Myrick said. "The majority has written a bill that requires approximately 16,500 additional IRS agents, auditors and other employees. Under this bill, these new government employees will be able to determine if you have 'acceptable' health coverage, and fine you if you don't. If you can't pay the fine, they'll now have the authority to confiscate your tax return. To top it off, $10 billion of your tax dollars will be used to pay for these gross expansions. More bureaucracy. It's just what the doctor ordered."




Kissell on health care overhaul


Here's what U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell, a Biscoe Democrat, had to say about the health care bill that passed the House last night. Kissell voted "no," Barb Barrett reports.

"I promised to protect Medicare," Kissell said. "While I believe we need health care reform and was proud to be an original co-sponsor of the bill to end the anti-trust exemption for insurance companies, I gave my word to the citizens of the 8th District that I would protect Medicare. The Senate Health Care Bill cuts Medicare by nearly half a trillion dollars over the next 10 years and those cuts were not addressed in the Reconciliation Bill. I am a man of my word, and I have kept my word to protect Medicare."


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Google Maps

Democrats' Health Care Bill: Who's Undecided? Who's Voting No?...List Of Name

Who's Still Undecided On Health Care Reform?


While the varying whip counts remain inexact and the outcome unknown, one thing is certain as the health care reform drama hurtles toward its conclusion: The last two dozen or so votes for the bill will come at considerable cost to the undecided House members who cast them.

Some of those currently uncommitted lawmakers have serious philosophical and moral concerns about the measure. But for many — almost none of whom can admit it publicly — the political calculus is undeniably playing a role in their decision-making process.

The trick, then, to understanding where these members will end up is to understand where they are coming from, because their malleability in the final hours will almost certainly be proportional to the precariousness of their political situation.

What follows is POLITICO’s guide to the undecided.

The Retirees

Political circumstances have changed for many members since the November health care vote, but especially for those who have announced their retirements in the ensuing months.

Without ballot box pressures, it will be extremely difficult for these members to turn down desperate entreaties from party leaders — or from President Barack Obama.

One retiree with no need to worry about November repercussions, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.), already announced Thursday that he was switching from a “no” vote to a “yes.”

His experience may offer a clue to the thinking of undecided Reps. Brian Baird (D-Wash.) and John Tanner (D-Tenn.), both of whom voted “no” in November and later declined to run for another term. And it may provide some insight into the likelihood that Rep. Marion Berry (D-Ark.), a former “yes” vote, will switch and vote “no.” Having taken a hard vote already, he would be unlikely to reverse himself unless he felt the new bill did not meet his concerns over abortion.

The Nail-Biters

Among the undecided are members who sit in fairly competitive seats they have managed to lock down, in large part because they are closely attuned to their districts. Most are not considered particularly vulnerable, but under the right circumstances — such as a wave election — they could be swept under.

Some of these members opposed the House bill in November and probably don’t have the luxury of switching their vote except at tremendous political cost — this group would include Democratic Reps. Tim Holden of Pennsylvania, Lincoln Davis of Tennessee and Heath Shuler of North Carolina.

Others in this category are “yes” votes who might be reconsidering. The trick with this group — which includes Democratic Reps. Melissa Bean and Bill Foster of Illinois, Bobby Etheridge of North Carolina, Chris Carney and Paul Kanjorski of Pennsylvania, Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota, and Alan Mollohan of West Virginia — is for leadership to persuade them to stay on board despite the deteriorating conditions in many of their races, and figure out a way to assuage those who oppose Abortion.

The Besieged

This category is largely composed of at-risk freshmen from tough districts.

Here’s an example of the pressures they face on the health care vote: When Rep. Betsy Markey (D-Colo.) revealed Thursday that she would vote yes on the measure, she was immediately greeted by the National Republican Congressional Committee with a derisive press release referring to her as “Betsy Margolies-Mezvinsky” — a reference to Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky, the freshman congresswoman from Pennsylvania who her lost her seat in 1994 after biting the bullet for her party and casting an especially tough vote in favor of President Bill Clinton’s budget.

Other first-termers, including Democratic Reps. Thomas Perriello and Glenn Nye of Virginia, Steve Driehaus of Ohio, Larry Kissell of North Carolina and Dina Titus of Nevada also have cause for alarm, given the nature of the political challenge they face back home.

One Republican makes this list: Freshman Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao, who represents a heavily Democratic New Orleans-based district. Cao voted in favor of the November bill, then signaled he’d vote against the current version and now indicates that he’s rethinking his position after spending time with the president.

Several second-term Democrats also qualify for this designation: Rep. Brad Ellsworth of Indiana, who is currently running for the Senate, and Rep. Zack Space of Ohio, who represents a district that John McCain won easily in 2008.

None of the Democrats in the besieged category has it easy on the vote, but some have it worse than others: They will very likely be walking the plank by voting the party line. That would include Reps. Harry Teague of New Mexico and Suzanne Kosmas of Florida — both of whom voted against the November bill — as well as John Boccieri of Ohio, who faces stiff competition in a conservative-minded district.

The Misfits

Not every Democrat on the undecided list is facing a tough reelection campaign. There are a few who, at this point in the election cycle, seem in good shape, but nevertheless have given conflicting signals or publicly stated that they are undecided.

They have their own individual reasons for holding out — abortion is among them in several cases — but it’s hard to imagine Democrats getting to the magic number for passage without most, or all, of this group. For them, the political consequences are minimal compared with many in the caucus — and their colleagues and leadership know it.

Among those on this list: Reps. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, and Henry Cuellar and Solomon Ortiz of Texas.

Another member in this category is Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, who said Thursday he will oppose the measure. The solidly Democratic nature of his district makes it likely he’ll be under strong pressure to return to the “yes” camp.


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Sources: Politico, Google Maps

Larry Kissell Opposes Health Care Bill, Voting "No"

Larry Kissell Feels Pressure Over His Health Care Vote


If anybody can appreciate the kind of pressure Democratic U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell may feel on the pending health care vote, it’s the man whose job he took to get to Washington.

In 2001, Republican House leaders pressed then-Rep. Robin Hayes to support so-called fast-track trade authority, even though displaced textile workers from home told him it would cost his district jobs.

With time ticking down, the vote was 214-214. All eyes were on Hayes. The floor manager held the gavel, poised to swing. With tears in his eyes, Hayes cast the deciding vote. The bill passed.

“There’s tremendous pressure being put on him,” Hayes said Thursday. “The pressure, particularly on Larry, gets more and more as you approach the vote.”

Kissell spokeswoman Haven Kerchner said Kissell has already made it clear he plans to vote against a health care bill supported by his party leaders. Kissell has said he opposes proposals to pay for the bill in part by cutting Medicare, which he has called his “line in the sand.”

In November Kissell was one of three N.C. Democrats who voted against the House version of the bill and the only one from a district Obama carried in 2008.

Pressure is coming from both sides.

This week the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released the results of polls in the districts of 10 key members of Congress, including Kissell’s 8th District. It showed a majority of voters oppose the current legislation.

This morning, members of the State Employees Association of North Carolina plan to hold a rally outside Kissell’s Concord office. Their message: “Stop Kissing Up to Insurance Companies.”

On Thursday, Kissell was one of two N.C. Democrats invited to the Rose Garden to watch President Obama sign a jobs bill. The other, Rep. Bob Etheridge, has said he’s undecided on health care.

Hayes said while he felt the pressure in 2001, he didn’t four years later.

In 2005, he cast the deciding vote for the Central American Free Trade Agreement after earlier saying he was “flat-out, completely, horizontally opposed.”


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Google Maps

Bob Etheridge, Other NC Dems Voting Against Health Care Bill?

Many N.C. Dems Likely To Oppose Health Care Bill


Depending on the vote of undecided U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, half of North Carolina's Democrats could join congressional Republicans this weekend in opposing the final passage of a sweeping health care overhaul.

Already, the state's three most conservative Democrats are expected to vote no - just as they did in November when the health care bill first came up for a vote.

U.S. Reps. Heath Shuler of Waynesville, Larry Kissell of Biscoe and Mike McIntyre of Lumberton say the bill doesn't go far enough to bring down health care costs and would, instead, cost American taxpayers too much.

Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, supported the Democrats' bill in November. At the time, he waited until the last minute to signal his vote. This time around, he says he is undecided again.

The indecision comes in the waning days of Democratic leaders' push for votes. President Barack Obama has been calling some wavering Democrats, and House Majority Whip James Clyburn is meeting with caucus groups to push the bill.

Jared Bernstein, economic policy adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, said that lawmakers are choosing between keeping the status quo and passing needed - if imperfect - reform.

"These are not easy votes, I grant you that," Bernstein said. "But this is a historic vote."

Families are Hurting

Etheridge is considered a moderate in his party, and he votes with leadership nearly 98 percent of the time, according to a Washington Post database of congressional votes.

Late Wednesday afternoon, he spent five minutes on the House floor reading aloud health care horror stories from his home district.

"It's time to put health insurance back on the side of the folks back home," Etheridge said. "When North Carolina families are hurting, doing nothing really isn't an option for me."

Etheridge has faced strong pressure in the 2nd Congressional District, a largely rural and suburban district that dips into Southeast Raleigh but also curls through the fast-developing farmlands around the eastern and southern edges of the Triangle.

A recent survey by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm in Raleigh, found that 53 percent of voters in Etheridge's district oppose health care reform, while only 37 percent support it. And in the past week, members of the tea party movement have held two rallies outside Etheridge's office, urging him to vote no.

North Carolina's other lawmakers have fallen in line with their parties. Supporters of the bill include U.S. Reps. Mel Watt, G.K. Butterfield, Brad Miller and David Price. Price, who represents Chapel Hill, Durham and Cary, held a news conference Monday to announce his support.

All North Carolina Republicans are opposed, with many of them echoing GOP talking points that Congress should "start over" with health reform.

"Take it off the table," said U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick, a Charlotte Republican.

"If [Democratic leaders] thought that this is what the American people wanted and they had the votes to pass health care reform, we would have passed this bill a long time ago," Myrick said. "But they don't have the votes, and this is certainly not what the American people want."

Costs too much

Shuler, Kissell and McIntyre all say the reform would cost too much.

"Health reform is needed, but this bill is too expensive," McIntyre said in an interview Wednesday. He said the bill would create a new federal bureaucracy at the cost of nearly a trillion dollars, while not doing enough to stop the skyrocketing costs of health insurance premiums.

Families USA, a non-partisan health advocacy organization in Washington, estimates that health insurance premiums in North Carolina rose nearly 100 percent in the past decade.

Shuler and McIntyre belong to the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of fiscally conservative Democrats that often weighs in on budget-related bills. They have been targeted by organizations on both sides of the issue.

Callers to Shuler's office Wednesday routinely encountered busy signals or a voicemail message. And McIntyre said his office has received thousands of calls and letters, many of them from across the country.

Small steps

McIntyre said he would rather scrap the current bill, concentrate on jobs recovery and then focus on small goals in health reform. Those could include developing community health centers, improving electronic medical records and creating partnerships between nursing schools and rural communities. He also wants to focus on improving the two government programs that now exist, Medicaid and Medicare.

"They're almost broke," McIntyre said. "My goodness, we've got to honor the commitments that are already there."

Shuler's office did not return calls for comment Wednesday. His spokeswoman told a newspaper in Shuler's district this week that the congressman is undecided, but Shuler is widely expected to vote "no" as he did in November.

Kissell, a former high school civics teacher, said in a statement Wednesday that he will vote No because he doesn't like how the bill is supposed to be paid for.


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Youtube, Google Maps

Larry Kissell Blacklisted By NC Media For Voting No On Health Care

Congressman Larry Kissell (D) is being Black Listed and Pressured by North Carolina's local media including the Charlotte Observer, over his "No" vote on Obama's Health Care bill. (He previously voted "No".)

Now they are trying to destroy this man's reputation as a means of forcing him into voting "Yes" the second time around.

North Carolina's Media organizations are extremely Liberal, Partisan and Biased.

The Charlotte Observer happens to be losing customers and going broke because readers want FACTS but we keep getting Partisan Propaganda.

Quite often what the Charlotte Observer publishes is akin to "Big Brother" Brain Washing.

Its obvious on this Health Care issue someone from the Democratic Party is most likely paying Editorial staff to pressure Congressman Kissell.

They would rather Kissell vote to please them than vote for what's Fiscally right.

None of the Charlotte Observer staff has seen the entire health care bill or read the bill's language as Kissell has.

They are just listening to Pres. Obama's speeches, Mel Watt and Gov. Bev Perdue.

Pres. Obama doesn't want average American Voters to know what's in the Health Care bill because he doesn't want people to know the real truth about this so-called "Reform" legislation.

While Larry Kissell was on the campaign trail he supported Universal Health Care, however after being elected once he went to Washington and read this bill, he changed his mind as did several other Democrats.

As a Candidate Pres. Obama didn't say he wanted to take over Health Care, he said he wanted to Reform it and fix our broken Health Care System.

This particular bill is going to ruin our country with crazy, mind boggling Debt and give China & Russia total control over us.

Pres. Obama doesn't really care about providing Affordable Health Care as he proclaims, he just wants to help diminish America's power.

At one time I too was drunk from the Rhetoric of Obama's "kool-aid" but thank God now I see.

While I wholeheartedly agree our nation does need Health Care Insurance Reform, this particular bill is NOT the tool to accomplish that task!

I support Larry Kissell for his courageous stand.

I hope he places his trust in God Almighty and doesn't cave in to Dirty Political tactics from the DCCC.

Neither Barack Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi takes the place of God.

Since none of them are listening to Voters, one day when they face God he'll will let them know how wrong they all were.

Check out the Charlotte Observer article below which proves how much pressure North Carolina's Corrupt Dems are placing on Congressman Kissell.



Larry Kissell Faces Pressure On Health Care



As President Obama and Congressional Democrats prepare their final push on health care overhaul, House leaders scrambling for votes are expected to turn up the pressure on members like Larry Kissell.

But the Montgomery County Democrat, who bucked his leadership in November, is poised to do it again.

"I continue to believe health care reform is necessary," he said in a statement. "However, my position has not changed on the health care reform proposal currently before Congress."

Today, Obama is expected to lay out a plan that includes several Republican-backed ideas. Aides say he's also likely to endorse a process requiring a simple Senate majority, not the current 60 votes.

That would throw health care back to the House, which narrowly passed one version in November. A switch of three votes would have killed it. Since then, one supporter has died, two retired and the lone Republican backer has hinted that he'll vote against it.

Kissell was one of 39 Democrats who voted against the bill, and one of three N.C. Democrats who did. Of those three, he's the only one from a district Obama carried in 2008.

"There's going to be plenty of pressure," said Norman Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. "If they're one or two or three votes short, then I think he's going to feel a lot of heat."



Medicare money

Kissell, whose 8th District stretches from Charlotte to Fayetteville, was not available Tuesday. Asked about any pressure, spokeswoman Haven Kerchner said, "We often hear from folks on both sides of important national issues."

Kissell's Democratic primary opponent, retired educator Nancy Shakir, backs the House reform bill. After Kissell voted against it, she led a protest outside his Fayetteville office. She called it "Blow the Whistle on Kissell."

The six Republican candidates uniformly oppose Democratic health care proposals. One, Republican Lou Huddleston of Fayetteville, said he believes House leaders need Kissell's vote now more than before.

"I don't know that (House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi is going to have the wiggle room," Huddleston said. "I don't think Larry Kissell has felt the pressure yet."

Kissell voted against the bill last fall because he said it would cut Medicare to help pay for health care reforms. "I made a promise and commitment that I would look out for Medicare, and I'm doing that," he said at the time.

Current Democratic proposals do the same.

"The method of funding makes it impossible for me to change my vote on that bill," he said this week.

Party-line pressure

Tricia Neuman, director of Medicare policy for the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, said most proposals would reduce what some say are overpayments to private insurers who offer so-called Medicare Advantage plans. Of North Carolina's 1.4 million Medicare beneficiaries, 241,000 are in such plans.

She said the changes could result in fewer benefits, such as eye glasses, to some Medicare Advantage patients. But they also would extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund, now facing insolvency by 2017.

"The idea that this is going to be a big hit to Medicare recipients is a stretch," Ornstein said.

Other Charlotte-area Democrats - Reps. Mel Watt of Charlotte and John Spratt of York - voted for the House plan once and are expected to again. Watt said he expects Kissell will be among those under pressure to line up with their party.

"I don't think it will be from me," he said. "It will be from the president and leadership and his own constituents."


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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Wikipedia, Youtube, Google Maps

Charlotte's Harold Johnson (Rep) vs Larry Kissell (Dem) In 2010

Harold Johnson to challenge Kissell


For more than a quarter-century, thousands of Charlotte-area viewers watched Harold Johnson broadcast nightly sports news with an outsize personality and a ringmaster's zeal. Now "The Big Guy" will put his energy into politics.

Johnson, 68, announced Friday that he'll run as a Republican for the 8th District seat held by Democrat Larry Kissell of Montgomery County.

"If you ever watched me on the air you know I speak from the heart," he told the Observer. "What I'm seeing here in Washington, this isn't the America I know ... You can sit back and shake your head or stand up and say, 'This is not right.'"

Filing for office doesn't start until February. Johnson, a former Marine, is the fourth Republican to express interest in the seat. He joins Hal Jordan of Charlotte, Lou Huddleston of Fayetteville and Tim D'Annunzio of Raeford.

Johnson, a New Jersey native who has lived in Statesville since he was 10, said he plans to move to the 8th District and Cabarrus County.

"I said if I'm going to represent the district, I'll live in the district," he said.

Johnson, who has never run for office, faces tough hurdles. Campaign reports filed in October showed that D'Annunzio, who jump-started his campaign with $300,000 of his own money, had a bigger war chest than Kissell.

But for 26 years Johnson was a fixture on WSOC-TV, whose signal reaches far into the district that runs from Charlotte to Fayetteville. He retired in 2006.

Johnson said Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has led her party "off a cliff."

Kissell, who has voted with his party about 96 percent of the time, bucked Pelosi in November when he voted against a Democratic health care bill. That prompted critics within the party to talk of a primary challenge.

Asked about Kissell, Johnson said, "I don't say negative things about people."

"But the bottom line," he said, "when you look at the unemployment rate in the district and the empty plants, somebody's not working hard enough."



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Sources: McClatchy Newspapers, Charlotte Observer, Wikipedia, Google Maps