McHorny's $3.25 mil haul belies his anti-earmark "crusade"

Two earmarks for $3.25 million.

That's what Pat McHorny wrote letters asking for this year while promoting himself as an anti-earmark crusader on the House floor:

"We need to lay clear these earmarks . . . so the American people can judge the worthiness of the programs and the money allocated to them."

And now he's saying he won't ever ask for an earmark, starting next year.

From the Winston Salem Journal:

This year Sen. Patrick McHenry, R-10th, has emerged as one of Congress’ most outspoken critics of earmarks. He also has pledged, starting next year, not to seek earmarks for new projects unless they had been authorized - but not yet paid for - by Congress

Click here to see his April letter for a $2,250,000 grant to a company called Mariner Containers in Granite Falls, NC. They are supposed to be making "Smart Containers" but so far they haven't made anything smarter than a plastic septic tank. I wonder what other companies would have liked to bid for this project? And would they have done the work better or cheaper?

Click here for his request for $1,000,000 to go to a Valdese, NC subsidiary of a French Corporation called Saft, which already had a $31 million contract to provide batteries to the US military. They hardly need a $1 million rebate. And the profit from this essentially no-bid contract goes to some wealthy Frenchmen? I'm sure 10th District constituents can appreciate that irony.

Yeah, Pat, it's obvious you are a true crusader against earmarks.

From the Winston Salem Journal, these are some other North Carolina earmarks:

❑ $1 million for “alternatives to transplantation” research at Wake Forest.

❑ $100,000 for “technology for rural schools.”

❑ $150,000 for electronic medical records at Alleghany Memorial Hospital.

❑ $500,000 for sewage and water infrastructure in Mount Airy.

❑ $376,000 for high-tech equipment for the Winston-Salem Police Department.

❑ $300,000 for biofuel research at Appalachian State University.

[Note that no traditional press has reported either of McHorny's earmarks.]

From The Crypt at polico.com in July when he was asked about a $129,000 Christmas Tree earmark that even fellow Republicans voted against.

"Look, the important thing is transparency and openness," McHenry said when asked about the earmark, which he confirmed that he had inserted into the bill. "I have never been opposed to directed spending."

McHenry added: "I just think that it's critical for members to know what they are voting on when a [spending] bill comes to the floor."

Now, Pat, I have to say you're right. Not knowing what is being voted on is a bad thing.

So we don't know why these two companies you like so much had to avoid the normal Pentagon procurement process. Is there some reason they otherwise wouldn't have gotten these contracts? Are there other American companies who would have done the work for less, or sooner or of a better quality? If not, why the end-around? Why the secrecy? You were right, Pat, that transparency is important. That would seem even more significant in regard to defense contracts where lives could be at stake.

And now the American people are left to wonder what are you hiding about your connection to these companies that inspired you to procure them millions in secret?

Crossposted at BlueNC and Scrutiny Hooligans. h/t Greg Flynn

UPDATE: It was announced as a grant in November on some kind of business community website called SwampFox where I can't access the author's profile . . . but the Sunlight Foundation lists it as an earmark so it did not go through the defense appropriations process like the SwampFox author, Jim Roberts, wants us to believe.

Apparently, the feds have basically funded this entire company from day one. This is from the Hickory Record a few years ago (I think)

After an uncertain year, a start-up business in Caldwell County has gained forward momentum courtesy of the US government.

The Department of Homeland Security's Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded Granite Falls-based Mariner Container Corporation a $100,000 grant for the development of a "smart" container system. The Phase I Small Business Innovation Research grant is funding a feasibility study of Mariner's proposal to build high-tech, largely recyclable shipping containers that could be used for military and commercial purposes.

A Phase II grant, if awarded, will provide Mariner with up to $750,000 for the development of a prototype. Phase III is commercial application of the research and development, and in Mariner's case would likely include contracts with the Department of Defense and/or the Department of Homeland Security, said Mariner founder Rick Lampe. If Mariner gets to the third phase, it could also mean hundreds of new manufacturing jobs for the area.

Still no explanation why they can't go through the regular procurement process and why these people get to start a company on federal dollar.

You're hiding something, dear Patty.

McHorny PR piece backfires

Every time Pat has some bad press, say that his popularity is plummeting, our Pat McHorny has a great record of getting some major publications to print cutesy puff pieces about how he really isn't a nasty hypocrite (say, over earmarks) or really isn't all that connected to his staffer's voter fraud or that didn't have anything to do with the half dozen irregularities in his financial disclosures.

Insiders say his recent popularity plummet coincides with the publication of information to back the previous rumors that Pat is not, shall we say, living his life with the family values of his campaign rhetoric. So, we shouldn't be all that surprised that The Hill stepped up to the media-whore-for-Republicans plate by printing this nauseating crap about House Cloak Room rumors of a girlfriend.

But really, folks, they must be getting pretty damn desperate. His potential fiance, Congresswoman Mary Fallin, just reminded everyone of what a lightweight he is:

“There’s a slight problem. He’s much, much younger than me. He’s 32, no? And I’m in my 50s. He’s a sweet man. I don’t think it’s going to happen. I think it was boredom in the Cloak Room.”

Like anyone believes he's sweet! That's rich. Or maybe she thinks his lame attempts to attack Barney Frank and others on the House floor are more like a puppy dog trying to be a pit bull and failing miserably.

And over at BlogActive, Mike Rogers probably got more hits reminding readers of the relevant evidence that he's not all that interested, at least not in an evangelically approved marriage.

I wonder if Representative Fallin knows that Pat owned a house in DC with another man... I also wonder if she knew his North Carolina home was a hostel for young men...

Oops. That puff piece kind of backfired, eh, Pat?

Jesus' General outs our Pat

If you've never met the General, then you're in for a treat. And what a better place to start than his recent post that mentions our Pat along with "Heckuva Job" Brownie, Scooter "Pardoned Traitor" Libby and other well-known, unlikeable, and deviant Republicans like David Vitter and Rush Limbaugh.

Perfect for the job

Condi Rice's choice of Manuel Miranda to serve as Director of the Office of Legislative Statecraft at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq was absolutely inspired. Who better to teach Iraq's fledgling legislators the principles of democracy than the man, who while serving as a top Republican aid, hacked into the Senate Democratic Caucuses computers and stole over 4000 sensitive documents?

But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Our Leader and his minions seem almost infallible when it comes to picking the perfect person for for any given job. The choices of Bernie Karik to serve as Interim Minister of Interior of Iraq and Hans von Spakovsky to run the FEC were just as insired as the Miranda pick.

I wonder what other great picks Our Leader and the gang have in store for us. It might be fun for us to do a few predictions. I'll list mine below and you can add to them in the comments.

Duke Cunningham to head the Pentagon's Office of Procurement.

James Inhofe as Chairmain of the President's Council on Science.

Michael "Heck of a Job" Brown to run FEMA (again)

David Vitter as Director of the Office of Abstinence Education.

Rush Limbaugh to run the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Scooter Libby to serve as the CIA's Deputy Director for Counterintelligence.

Patrick McHenry to chair the Presidents Council on Marriage.

Gee, I wonder what the General finds so hypocritical about McHorny and marriage?????

And since I've copied the General's entire post here, I think it's only fair that I direct you to some of his other posts (and encourage you to donate).

Here's a few of my favorites:

The General on Mitt Romney's teary piety.

On Manly men and family values. On Censorship.

Keeter DUI postponed to February

Giving me more opportunities to post this lovely photo.

McHenry Deputy District Director Brett Keeter blew a point one three on Labor Day weekend and twice his court date has been rescheduled.

Mark your calendars for February 5, 2008, morning session. Room 3B.

Arraigned Offenses for Case Number: 2007014558 CR
Arraigned Defendant Name: KEETER, JAMES, BRETT
County: GASTON
Court Date: 02/05/2008
Session: AM
Court Room: 003B

Offense Code Description Statute
5405 Traffic DRIVING WHILE IMPAIRED 20-138.1
4477 Infraction FAIL TO DIM HEADLAMPS 20-181
9955 Traffic CIVIL REVOCATION DR LIC (30) 20-16.5

Pat's popularity plummeting

From Public Policy Polling: An eight-point drop since August, head-to-head Patrick McHenry vs Daniel Johnson went from McHenry up 47-32 in August to 39-32 now.

McHenry's approval rating went from 53 to 43 against Johnson's steady 32.

McHenry's reelect numbers against Johnson went from 55/34 to 45/36.

Bottom line: McHenry's popularity is falling. Daniel Johnson's in good position to take the seat even before people know anything about him.

Support Daniel Johnson for Congress here.

Donate through ActBlue.

PPP's press release:

New Poll Shows McHenry’s Popularity Sliding

Raleigh, N.C. – A new survey by Public Policy Polling shows Democratic challenger Daniel Johnson within striking district of incumbent Patrick McHenry in North Carolina’s 10th District.

When respondents were given a description of Johnson, McHenry led him by a margin of only 39-32%. It is highly unusual for an incumbent to poll below 40%, particularly for a Republican congressman in a district as historically GOP leaning as the North Carolina 10th.

The poll also showed McHenry’s approval rating plummeting from a Public Policy Polling survey performed on behalf of the North Carolina Democratic Party in August. His approval is down to 43% in this week’s poll after registering at 53% in the August poll.

Additionally, while 55% of respondents to the August poll said they would vote to reelect McHenry only 45% of those surveyed this week said they would. “It’s clear that voters in the 10th Congressional District are having their doubts about Patrick McHenry,” said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. “Daniel Johnson could be an extremely strong challenger next fall if he can effectively capitalize on the ambivalence that many folks in his district are having about Patrick McHenry,” said Debnam.

PPP surveyed 779 likely 10th District general election voters on December 11th. The survey has a margin of error of ± 3.5%. Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and weighting, may introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify.

Complete poll can be found at publicpolicypolling.com.

McHenry, McHorny or . . . McMEANY

Pat wants blacks to serve longer sentences than whites. That was the reason for the recent US Supreme Court's decision to allow judges not to follow the drug sentencing guidelines. And it's the same reason for the US Sentencing Commission's decision to allow those convicted on crack cocaine (who on average received 50 percent longer sentences than those convincted with powder) to be released early.

Like a crack user is more dangerous than a rapist? They were two good decisions. But Pat doesn't understand much about life or he doesn't care if he loses the black voter. Or the compassionate voter. Or the intelligent voter.

And he seems to think that judges are so stupid that because of this ruling they will all of a sudden allow violent criminals out on the streets of WNC.

"Yesterday, Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s decision to give retroactive leniency to convicted crack cocaine abusers and dealers.....

'The bottom line is this decision will let over 500 convicted criminals loose on the streets of Western North Carolina, and, frankly, that is unacceptable,' said Congressman McHenry. 'The Commission’s decision defies basic common sense, and poses a serious threat to public safety.' "

Here's what one law professor had to say:

I suppose, were this congressman to get a guest spot on Grey's Anatomy, he might get the moniker "McMeany."

My "basic common sense" tells me that the federal judges in North Carolina and nationwide will, as the USSC urges, give special attention to public safety issues before letting too many dangerous criminals loose on the streets.

More broadly, this visceral reaction to crack retroactivity spotlights the serious possibility that some members of Congress might make a serious effort to undo the USSC's work yesterday before it becomes effective in March 2008.

McHenry arranges secret Blackwater meeting

This is an Republican Study Committee email informing Congressmen of a private Hill meeting with Blackwater CEO Erik Prince from The Politico:

"As you may know, Mr. Erik Prince, founder and CEO of Blackwater USA testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in October. His company has been under intense scrutiny by Congress, government agencies, and the media regarding contracts and actions in Iraq. Not only has Mr. Prince personally been targeted by partisan warfare repeatedly over the past months, but the use of contracting throughout the government has been under attack by Congress.

Here's speculation from Cliff Schecter:

Weirdness. This came from The Hill website, but before I could link it, the link disappeared.

Here's more that Schecter had lifted from The Hill before the link vanished:

The event appears to be exclusive.

The Republican Study Committee, specifically McHenry, Reps. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) and Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), initiated this special meeting because "some of our members thought it would be good to be exposed directly to the issues involving Blackwater instead of reading about them second- and third-hand in the newspaper," said a GOP aide.

The aide added that Prince would fly into Washington specifically for this meeting.

From the quoted Hill paragraphs Schecter posted, McHenry has already been identified. It's easy to get the impression he was the main instigator.

What's going on with you and Blackwater, Pat? Something you didn't want us to know?

Allran has primary challenger

Catawba's State Senator Austin Allran attracts competition like blood in the water attracts sharks. They sense his weakness. After all, there's no need to do opposition research. No one has to make the effort to attack him. They just have to remind people that he's the reason the roads they travel every day are so damn bad.

From the Hickory Record:

Catawba County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Kitty Barnes said she will challenge N.C. Sen. Austin Allran in the May Republican primary. Allran’s district comprises all of Catawba County and a northern section of Iredell County. . . . Barnes is past president of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. She also served on the Catawba County Board of Education from 1986 to 1998.

Here's a little insight into Catawba Republican politics:

Other Republicans also described the decision as unexpected.

N.C. Rep. Mark Hilton believes the race will add to the bitterness within the party still lingering from the 2004 congressional race between Patrick McHenry and Catawba County Sheriff David Huffman.

“This is not helping when you’ve got an incumbent in Allran being challenged by another elected official. It can’t help the current situation. I think this will further divide our party,” Hilton said.

One of Barnes’ fellow commissioners, Barbara Beatty, didn’t know of the move until a phone call Tuesday.

“It will certainly be an interesting race,” she said.

Someone's in for a sad moment. Except for a judicial election Allran lost in 1978, neither Barnes nor Allran has lost an election before or since.

Christmas with Pat and George

From CharO:

A new holiday tradition

Rep. Patrick McHenry is planning his "first annual" Christmas dinner.The Dec. 17 fundraiser at the Holiday Inn Select in Hickory costs $100 per couple. To attend a private reception beforehand with former Gov. Jim Martin, "patrons" pay $250 per couple, "sponsors" pay $500 per couple, and "hosts" pay $1,000 per couple.

N.C. musicians play White House

Jeff Perks has played piano while folks have prayed, dined and cruised.

Now the Denver, N.C., resident gets to show his talent for guests strolling through the White House.

Perks is one of the musical entertainers selected to perform at a series of receptions hosted by President Bush and first lady Laura Bush.

Perks is scheduled to play Dec. 19-20 at two holiday open houses for invited guests.

He describes his songs as "elegant dinner type music."

Perks got a piano performance degree at the University of South Carolina and lived in Charlotte between 1991 and 2002 while playing at venues such as the Providence Baptist Church and the now-closed Bravo restaurant.

He left for four years to play on Carnival Cruise Lines ships.

Back in the area for the last year and a half, he can be heard at Denver United Methodist Church, the East Lincoln Community Chorus, and the Speedway Club at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He also teaches piano to children and adults and has seven CDs.

Perks, 45, says he played his first wedding when he was 13, and he got the White House gig through a more recent matrimonial event. An assistant to Laura Bush was singing at a wedding where he was the accompanist.

"I'll be playing holiday favorites," he said. "They said you can play anything you want as long as it is all holiday music."

On tap are classics like "Home for Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."

Perks isn't the only Carolinian on the White House list of entertainers.

The 4 Bows String Quartet from Mooresville was scheduled to play Saturday. Others on tap include the Sherwood Forest Elementary Songsters from Winston-Salem on Tuesday,

Angela Ballard and Charlie Tipton from Iron Station on Saturday, the UNC Asheville Chamber Singers on Dec. 19, and 4 For One from Lincolnton on Dec. 21.

Crack in Pat's patina of invulnerability

Even the traditional "mainstream" media is beginning to catch on.

This in CharO this morning:

The 10th District isn't one that national Democrats normally would spend energy on, but Rep. Patrick McHenry of Cherryville gives them optimism.

McHenry has been controversial at home since he won a Republican primary runoff in 2004 and in Washington for his role attacking the Democrats.

"You've got somebody who is just too strident," says Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

He has high hopes for the candidacy of Daniel Johnson of Hickory, a lawyer and Navy veteran.

McHenry could face a primary as well, from lawyer Lance Sigmon of Newton, a longtime military officer.

It's too soon to say if Sigmon will have any luck raising money or if Johnson is capable of flipping voters who carry Republican registration cards.

McHenry says he's working to bring "conservative change" to Washington and stands by his record of advocacy for the district.

And this from the Greensboro News-Record a few days ago:

McHenry has a credible challenger . .

Lots of good stuff like this:

My mom lives in Hickory and voted for Republican Patrick McHenry in his first run for Congress in 2004.

But now she's very interested in the candidacy of Democrat Daniel Johnson, a 31-year-old Hickory native and military hero.

And this:

There's no Asheville in the 10th District, where the largest "city" is Hickory, so any Democrat with a prayer of winning has got to be fairly conservative.

But then, Johnson's military story is compelling. The fact that he's been a prosecutor also helps. He's the son of a Presbyterian minister and a high school teacher, also to the good.

His youth and political inexperience are only slight problems. McHenry was only 29, with a single term in the state House of Representatives under his belt, when he was elected to Congress in 2004. That makes him 32 now.

And then the author, editorial writer Doug Clark, struck some uncharacteristic traditional media hits:

. . . [McHenry's] made his reputation as an attack dog for Republicans, which has turned off some of his constituents -- my mom, for one. At the same time, he's been active in pushing for benefits for his district, like a VA outpatient clinic in Hickory and drought relief for farmers.

I can't predict how this congressional race will shape up, but it looks like Democrats have a candidate in Daniel Johnson with proven courage and character. If he doesn't align himself with his party's Nancy Pelosi wing, the 10th District's moderate voters, like my mom, will give him a very close look.

Pat dumps on Republicans

Almost as if he isn't one. No suggestions on how to fix the problems but, "please, please, please, reelect me because I'm being honest." Kind of. Even an out-of-state retiree (who clearly knows very little about you) could see through your bullshit, Pat.

In the CharO by Walker Lundy:

When he speaks in Mooresville instead of Congress, Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry sounds like he doesn't think much of Congress or Republicans. "Republicans were at the trough" when they held the majority in Congress, he said. "They had power for the sake of power."

He said, for example, that the Department of Education under President Bush has doubled in size and its average bureaucrat now makes $90,000 a year. "There are so many duplicate programs (in the federal government), it's crazy."

"After being in the majority for 12 years, they (the Republicans) were fat and happy," he said. "The American people realized it and threw them out."

Wow! Even Republicans are running against the Republican Party these days.

It made me wonder if aliens had invaded the body of this normally rock-ribbed conservative Republican.

Go read the whole piece but here's some more for when the link dies:

When he spoke to us, he wore the standard conservative blue blazer, blue shirt and wine-colored tie. At his age, he looked more like an insurance salesman than a member of Congress.

He didn't come across as the rabid partisan that is his reputation. Instead, he was funny, charming and down to earth. After an hour's give-and-take, I found I liked him personally, even though we probably wouldn't agree on which hymn to sing in church.

McHenry answered many of our questions by lambasting his congressional colleagues, but he ducked or fumbled a few of the big issues of the day, such as health insurance and Iraq.

Example: Someone asked about some friends who could not afford their prescription drugs. Why couldn't they buy them cheaper from Canada, she asked. McHenry said it was a trade and safety issue.

"You don't want jobs to go overseas, but you want to go overseas to buy products," he pointed out. He did not mention that, according to the Washington Post, China already manufactures $675 million worth of prescription drugs sold in America.

Another example: I asked if he thinks democracy will survive long-term in Iraq. McHenry said he has no opinion, which is perhaps honest but unhelpful. If you don't think the Iraqi people are capable of keeping a democracy after we leave, what is the point of even one more American dying there?

McHenry said he thought people were willing to give President Bush the benefit of the doubt until Katrina. Then they saw governmental "incompetence," and Bush's poll numbers began to plummet.

Back to criticizing Congress, McHenry joked that his colleagues had introduced 46 different bills to change the names of local post offices and federal buildings. He did not mention he rose in the House recently in praise of the Overmountain Jamboree and Barbecue Cook-Off in Burke County.

Traditional media pimps for our scandal-ridden Pat

The Washington Post, the Hill, and the Charlotte Observer's McClatchy DC correspondent appear to be in the business of providing crisis management PR services for embattled incumbent Pat McHenry.

I've only been covering the Republican hatchet man since February and already there on three occasions, major publications have done (apparently) for free what PR crisis specialists would charge tens or even hundreds of thousands to accomplish.

In May, when McHenry staffer and housemate Michael Aaron Lay was indicted for voter fraud (by the Republican District Attorney who had donated to McHenry's campaign), the Charlotte Observer's DC McClatchy correspondent wrote a long complimentary piece quoting numerous McHenry allies spewing his trumped-up defense that the felony indictment was a political attack. She listed not one fact to back this McHenry revision of reality. She did not quote one detractor from the district (Republican or Democrat) or even try to contact the DA McHenry's donors slandered.

This summer, when McHenry was massacred on the House floor for two weeks of his typical obstructionist hypocrisy (this time on earmarks), the Washington Post took up his defense. The Sleuth wrote an extremely nauseating puff piece about his youth and dating preferences concurrent with a completely inaccurate attack on all Democrats by Bob Novak who somehow managed to elevate McHenry's hypocrisy to saintly martyrdom.

This fall, when McHenry was under fire for his endless financial improprieties by the subscription-only Roll Call, The Hill wrote about the youth and inexperience of his new staff members with no mention of why his experienced and over 25 staffers might be leaving en masse. Or why the guy many refer to as McHorny prefers them so young.

Here's more:

Lisa Zagaroli's long love epistle in the Charlotte Observer covered everything from her professional opinion of his manners to a series of defensive attacks from his local and DC allies. According to the only district sources Lisa bothered to talk to, the entire indictment was a political attack. She didn't mention that the prosecutor had donated to his campaign and no affiliation to his primary opponent.

Zagaroli quotes no McHenry detractors (Republican or Democratic) from North Carolina. Not one. In the entire piece the only negative quote comes from Barney Frank, someone who would obviously not get much respect in the working class conservative district McHenry represents.

Check out these beauts, the first in her own assessment:

Dependably polite -- he opens doors, greets the U.S. Capitol police officers, hugs his waitress . . .

Apparently, she hadn't seen all the nasty clips on YouTube from the House floor where he interrupts fellow Congressman, calls Democrats cheaters. I guess from DC she can't get free to bop down to North Carolina and watch him interrupt and savage constituents when they ask questions he doesn't want to answer. I wonder if she used talking points from McHenry's communications director when to come up with the word "dependable" to modify the lie, "polite."

And this is what she chose to write the twerp say about himself. I think criminals should memorize this for use the next time they're investigated by the police:

"I had to grab for my food against my older brothers and sisters," the Cherryville Republican says laughing. "It's a natural part of my personality and upbringing. Get in there and fight for what you believe in."

And this is from neighboring Republican Congressman Robin Hayes:

Big Mac. He's got lots of spunk. He raises issues that need to be raised. He will defend his position enthusiastically, but with proper decorum and dignity.

The only question that remains is whether she's paid separately for this crap or is it part of her job description.

Of course, we could ask the same question of the Mary Ann Akers (the Sleuth) at WaPo. Her even more egregious ET-like interview came right when McHenry had finally gotten a long-overdue comeuppance by the entire House of Representatives.

After a two-week extended classic House floor performance piece, even Republicans had had enough of his ranting and obstructionism. The subject: transparency in earmarks. The hypocrisy for Democrats: McHenry's two-week rant neglected to mention that the earmark scandal had reached epoch proportions under the last 6 years or Republican hegemony. The hypocrisy even Republicans couldn't ignore: McHenry was hiding his own $129,000 grant to a Christmas Tree store in Spruce Pine, NC. So it was one of the few earmarks ever voted down, 249 to 174.

But the Sleuth didn't bother to mention it. Here's what she did mention:

. . . [McHenry] has also gotten buckets of praise and support from his elder fellow conservatives.

When he's not throwing bombs on the House floor, McHenry, 31, is anything but snarly. In a chat with the Sleuth in his office, the self-deprecating and mischievous McHenry talked to us about his role as floor warrior and baby of the House and his thankfulness for prematurely graying hair. And he reluctantly answered a question about what he's looking for in the wife he hasn't found yet.

"Buckets of praise?" Is that some kind of professional measurement that non-reporters never learn about?

And check out the wife question. Again, one sees the imprint of a communications director controlling the course of an interview. It seems unlikely that she came up with that line of questioning all on her own. In fact, it's completely absurd. Not only did Akers ignore the rampant rumors of his sexuality from well-known DC blogs like Wonkette and BlogActive and DownWithTyranny, she fed right into McHenry's phony cover.

And her article was part of a one-two punch that day. Columnist and traitor Bob Novak called McHenry a martyr elsewhere in the Post that day over the loss of that local earmark, one would suppose, in the cause of some phony perverted version of conservativism.

This is how the Center for American Progress characterized the Republican earmark PR effort:

The great conservative spin machine that stretches from the White House Press Room across the various right-wing think tanks to Fox News and dozens of conservative columnists and talk show hosts has amassed an impressive list of accomplishments over the years. But none of the efforts by this vast echo chamber is more impressive than the recent attempt to reshape the Bush White House and their allies in Congress as opponents of the practice of placing earmarks in federal spending legislation.

So, printing Novak's commentary in addition to the Sleuth's basically confirms WaPo as a PR machine for that entire Republican two-week lie:

A conservative firebrand, McHenry had immobilized the House and humiliated the Democrats by leading GOP parliamentary maneuvers to force transparency regarding earmarks, previously hidden by both parties.

The Sleuth not only failed to mention that concurrent earmark humiliation, she drooled over him with conversations like this:

Sleuth: Do you have time for dating? What's it like being a 31-year-old single guy in the House?

McHenry: [Laughter] I try to make time for that. It's just difficult with the schedule and everything else. I'm, uh, just trying to, I'm still trying to find the right girl. And I think in all due time it'll work out.

Sleuth: And is there a certain set of criteria you're looking for?

McHenry: Sure.

Sleuth: What is it?

McHenry: A number of things. [Laughter]

Sleuth: Just give me a little example. Does she have to like NASCAR? I hear you're a big NASCAR fan.

McHenry: Well, look, half the NASCAR teams are in my district. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a constituent. Dale Jarrett. So I don't know, you don't really have a litmus test on that. I think when you meet the right girl, you know. At least that's what all my friends tell me.

Was Akers aware of the controversy and her part in the PR coverup? If she wasn't, she should have been. Fire her for incompetence or reveal her supplemental income source.

The most recent case of puff piece coverage when scandal erupts came after Roll Call gave McHenry a well-deserved slapdown for his numerous financial irregularities.

When I saw that The Hill had done an article, I figured they were doing some kind of follow-up, right? Hah. No, The Hill posted an embarrassingly naive piece over how he's recently hired a whole new staff of young people who have little experience.

No mention why his previous staff might have left his scandal-ridden incumbency. They apparently didn't notice that as a southerner it's kind of odd to hire people from Massachusetts and Arizona. I bet the unemployed from his district would find that interesting. But then to talk about how hard it is for him to find staff, they would have to mention that no one with any experience or intelligence would want his name on their resume. So, of course he had to go to the far corners of the country to find some naive evangelicals who will most likely abandon him after the first sex party.

In the wake of last month’s office shake-up, four young aides assumed new positions on Rep. Patrick McHenry’s (R-N.C.) Capitol Hill team.

And one can't help but notice that Pat prefers them under 25. I'm sure no one in the traditional or "mainstream" media wants to touch that with a ten-foot pole . . . or even a keyboard.

Will the 10th's Republican primary take it's cue from SC?

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

BushCo judges protecting corrupt types like our Pat

Down With Tyranny has noted that BushCo has stacked the courts so effectively that his appointees are gutting the system that could have brought down future corruption.

From the Washington Post:

A little-noticed aspect of an appellate court decision could sharply limit investigations of members of Congress and hamper ongoing corruption probes, the Justice Department said this week in a motion seeking an emergency stay of the ruling.

The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was handed down in August in the case of Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.), but its effects complicate other investigations, including those stemming from the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. Justice Department lawyers said in their motion that the appellate ruling represents an "unprecedented expansion" of the "speech or debate" clause of the Constitution, which was intended to protect legislators from intimidation under civil or criminal law. They said the decision calls into question the legality of investigative tools such as wiretapping, searches of home offices and voluntary interviews of congressional staffers.

All those methods have been employed by the department in ongoing investigations of current and former members of Congress, many of them over dealings with Abramoff.

So, Pat, during all your attacks on Dems over earmark transparency you were hiding your own Christmas tree earmark. Then we find out from our FEC files that during all your rants about Democrats wanting to hide the values of their homes, you were hiding two homes and illegally not reporting another land assets. And we know you love to scream and whine and moan about corruption and here the judges appointed by your man friend, George, are protecting you from future investigation and prosecution.

What about investigation and prosecution scares you the most, Pat? Your ties to Abramoff? Or your pandering for Blackwater? Or just for all the real estate "deals" you keep getting with your corrupt bidness buddies in your own district.

What else are you and your friends trying to hide? To answer that question I guess I should just check out your current rant. It seems that to get your talking point for the day, you just look in the mirror.

Here's a few 'graphs from Down with Tyranny

What do Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Tom Delay (R-TX), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Tom Feeney (R-FL), John Doolittle (R-CA), Denny Hastert (R-IL), Heather Wilson (R-NM), Gary Miller (R-CA), Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Virgil Goode (R-VA), Don Young (R-AK), Ted Stevens (R-AK) and a dozen other crooked Republican lawmakers have in common today? They're all celebrating an appellate court decision that the Justice Department says will sharply limit investigations into their criminal activities.

Bush's incompetent and overly partisan appointments to the courts have ruined the entire justice system of the United States and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is now an outgrowth of the neo-nazi outfit known as the Federalist Society. They are making it impossible to prosecute the overt criminal activities of bribe-taking congressmen by abusing statutes "intended to protect legislators from intimidation under civil or criminal law."

The Federalist Society court has ruled the Justice Department can't use evidence against the crooked Republicans that was obtained through court-approved wiretaps, searches of home offices and voluntary interviews of congressional staffers. Of the 10 current members of the court, seven are rabid right wing fanatics appointed by Reagan, Bush, Sr and, mostly Bush, Jr, who allowed the Federalist Society to dictate each nominee, none of whom faced any serious opposition from a collaborationist Senate.

The entire Republican Culture of Corruption case and the hundreds of millions of dollars involved in the Abramoff/Delay scams will be dismissed if the decision stands. And who will overrule it? Scalia? Thomas? Roberts? Alito? Not likely. The decision makes it nearly impossible to investigate crooked congressmen.

McHenry votes against Head Start. Nice.

Is there any bill for children McHenry doesn't hate? Last month and the month before Pat voted against health care for children. (Children have already died because this program is underfunded.)

Now, he votes against the best supplemental educational program in history, Head Start.

From the Kerra Bolton at the NCDP yesterday

Today, North Carolina Representatives Patrick McHenry, Virginia Foxx and Howard Coble opposed strengthening the highly successful Head Start program, which gives almost 20,000 disadvantaged children in North Carolina a better chance to succeed in school.

The bill passed with strong bipartisan support, with only 32 members opposing the measure and 381 Republicans and Democrats supporting it.

“Our children are our state’s most important resource, and we should invest in their future by offering them the best early education possible,” said NCDP Chair Jerry Meek.

“But today, Republicans tried to make it harder for every child in North Carolina to get a better education, voting against the Head Start program which improves teacher quality and helps raise kids’ achievement in school,” Meek said.

Reps. McHenry, Foxx and Coble opposed the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act Conference Report (HR 1429).

Mooresville visit pics; Daniel Johnson tours the district

Daniel Johnson poses with Fletcher McCrady on his 4th birthday.

Daniel Johnson's wife, Creecy, looks on with pride.

Photos by September McCrady.

McHenry votes for discrimination against LGBT

We knew he would. Vote against ENDA, that is. Vote against discrimination in the work place. Pat has never hid his disdain for people's privacy. But why?

This wonderful rant written by A Alexander in January gives some insight:

In as much as today's extremist Republican Party is the antithesis of everything the Founding Fathers believed in and embodied, and, too, in as much as they forsake the will of the people in order to perform the bidding of big business; indeed, in as much as they are the McPolitical party in their McCorporate-controlled version of McAmerica, it seems in someway wholly appropriate that their post-election spokesman would be a pathetic little pug-like political thug by the name of Patrick McHenry. Surely, the irony can be lost on no one.

. . .

McHenry hails from North Carolina's tenth district, and how proud they must be to have such a sad little troll representing their interests. It only requires one look to know all that there is to know about Patrick McHenry: He is the typical gay-hating, self-loathing, homosexual-desire-repressing, weekend male prostitute humping, and crank tweaking contemporary Republican Party member. McHenry, being a Republican, would never admit to his latent homosexual desires, but his anger and hate, like Hitler and Karl Rove's, is so violently intense that it can only be the bastard child of sexual self-loathing. And, how Patrick McHenry does hate!

. . .

Thinking back on the baseless and vicious manner in which McHenry blamed and assailed Democrats over the Foley scandal, one is reminded of the way that a person defends the honor of their secreted lover, and, too, the bitter need for revenge that such circumstances tend to engender. Within that context it makes sense, too, that McHenry's hatred toward Democrats has only grown more rabid over the intervening months.

Yes, it all makes sense now. Patrick McHenry is the typical gay-hating, self-loathing, homosexual-desire-repressing, weekend male prostitute humping, and crank tweaking contemporary Republican Party member whose one-time lover's dirty secret has been revealed to the world and now he has embarked upon a course of revenge. Indeed, that must be the circumstance that led to Patrick McHenry appearing on the House floor, following only the second day of the Democratic majority, and loosing the single-most hate-filled speech in the history of American self-governance.

For doing nothing more than the very things Republicans had done to them the entire twelve years of GOP rule, North Carolina's McHenry unleashed a virulent tirade against the Democrats, and, too, bizarrely attacked the Democratic Party for daring to balance the budget by having Congress pay for programs as they go - a system known as "pay-go."

McHenry's anger seemed completely out of context. It was as though he suffered from some strange emotional affective disorder. There the pug-like thug was - on the floor of the Peoples' House, as if he were suffering from a turret syndrome-like hate-based reflexive and uncontrollable tic: "the DEMOCRAT majority...the DEMOCRAT majority...the DEMOCRAT majority...," McHenry repeated over and over and over again. With each refusal to acknowledge the political opposition by their proper name -- "the DEMOCRATIC Party" -- the abhorrence swelled and built within Patrick McHenry's being until finally, when he said the words "the DEMOCRAT majority"; the hatred dripped from his lips like Mark Foley's spent semen.

And within that context, Patrick McHenry's hatred of the Democratic majority made perfect sense.

And within this context his vote for discrimination in the workplace makes perfect sense. It's voting against people who are in the minority of sexual preferences. And McHenry can't handle publicly supporting anyone who might being doing something in his or her private life of which Pat wants people to think he disapproves.

Winning the 10th, how and why

How? We'll work on turnout in every single county. Why? Because we love our children.

Over 200 people showed up in Hickory yesterday to support Daniel Johnson's candidacy. Wooo hooo!! In his 10-county tour he was greeted by hundreds of residents of all political backgrounds, clamoring for chance.

But to achieve this change, we need everyone to work hard in every county. Burke, Cleveland and Catawba and Caldwell are obviously important. But even in small Republican counties every vote will help.

If you doubt what you can do to make a difference just watch this video from NCDP chair Jerry Meek. Substitute the name of your county for Richmond County and be inspired to do what you can to help:



Thanks for the vid to Bullydoc at BlueNC.

Friday: Daniel Johnson on 10-county tour

Hey folks, this will be fun. It's your first chance to press the flesh, ask questions, take photos, videos, etc. Well, if you're really quick about it!

From the campaign's press release:

Daniel Johnson Holds 10-County Announcement Tour

Johnson Will Travel to Every County in District to KickOff Campaign

Hickory, NC – Daniel Johnson announced today that he will travel to every county is North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District this Friday, November 9, 2007 to kickoff his campaign for U.S. Congress.

“This Friday, I will travel across the district to talk with voters about my campaign to represent the values of North Carolina with character and integrity,” said Johnson. “My decision to run for Congress is a continuation of my service to America and the people of North Carolina. As Veteran’s Day approaches, I am going to every county in the district to show the kind of bold leadership and bipartisan solutions I hope to bring to Congress.”

Mitchell County

9:30 am

Old County Courthouse

Main Street, Bakersville

Avery County :

10:30 am

Best Cellar Restaurant

3612 Mitchell Avenue, Linville

Caldwell County

11:30 am

Lenoir Library

120 Hospital Avenue, Lenoir

Catawba County :

12:20

Town Square, Hickory

Iredell County :

1:45 pm

Mooresville Town Hall
413 North Main Street, Mooresville

Lincoln County

2:30 pm

East Lincoln Community Center

8160 Optimist Club Rd. , Denver

Gaston County :

3:30 pm

VFW Post 5200

125 Fish Camp Rd. , Cherryville

Cleveland County :

4:15 pm

Old Courthouse

Court Square, Shelby

Rutherford County :

5:00 pm

County Courthouse

229 N Main Street , Rutherfordton

Burke County :

6:00 pm

Old Courthouse

Downtown Morganton

McHenry has "contentious relationship with democratic leadership"

It took the prospect of a primary challenger but finally the Charlotte Observer is writing what has been obvious from day one.

McHenry has lead the partisan whining and moaning since his first day in congress. Yet, when he comes back to the district (or in his virtual town hall) all you heard is "stop the partisan bickering." "There's too much partisan bickering." "The partisan bickering is hurting our country." Blah blah blah.

And today's CharO calls "breaking" what was written here and in the Hickory Record on Saturday (that Hickory attorney Lance Sigmon is considering a primary run against lil Pat). But who are we to complain when they are finally writing the truth about the diminutive whiner:

Sigmon, 48, said he's concerned that the 10th District doesn't have adequate representation. He said incumbent U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., has a contentious relationship with Democratic leadership in Congress.

"They're going to be less inclined to hear what he has to say," Sigmon said. "There comes a time when you have to pick your battles."

I wonder if this is precursor to an endorsement . . . wouldn't that upset the Republican applecart.

Dear NC Christian Coalition chair: what are you and Pat hiding?

Hi, Jeff, Mr. NC Christian Coalition Chair. Thanks for writing me.

My name is Leslie. Leslie Bland. I put it in the first post on this blog but people like you kept calling me and sending me frightening emails so I removed it.

But it's no secret. I've posted my name at all the blogs where I write. But thanks for not hiding your name in the email you sent me. Gee, I never would have known that it was from an ardent McHenry supporter had you not identified yourself:

from jeff lominac
10:51 am (2½ hours ago)
to admin@patgobyebye.com
date Oct 31, 2007 10:51 AM

Why do you not say who you are and show your face ? It is like you are hiding behind this drama queen name and do not want anyone to know who you are . Are you ashamed to show your face and let people know who you are ? What are you hiding ? The Drama King

I also gave my name and my affiliation to this blog to the receptionist at Pat's Congressional Office on the Hill. You know, when I went there a few months ago asking for a list of the questions Pat refused to answer at his virtual town hall.

Since you are chair of the North Carolina Christian Coalition, I want to know what you are hiding.

Why was Donnie Young removed? Was it because he was uncovering Pat McHenry's hypocrisies or because he has shown an interest in running against McHenry?

And, no, I'm not ashamed of anything I have done to expose Patrick McHenry's lies and hypocrisies. What are you ashamed of?

Since you're friends with Pat, perhaps you can tell us why he keeps distorting his financial reports and associating with people charged with DUI, voter fraud, assault and other legal problems. What do they know about him that makes him feel he must hire them instead of ethical employees. What is he hiding?

FYI: Here's the actual email I sent Jeff for which I have not received a reply:

Hi Jeff,

I have posted my name in many places and in the original first post of Pat Go Bye Bye.

However, I got many strange emails and then phone calls to an unlisted number so I removed my name and the strangeness stopped.

I'm not ashamed of what I'm doing. Are you?

Leslie Bland

Lt Col takes on Pat, maybe

Looks like Pat might have a contested primary. And after all that work just last month trying to convince us resistance to his incumbency would be futile.

Former military judge, retired Lieutenant Colonel Lance Sigmon told the Hickory Daily Record his primary challenge to Big Pat is "very likely."


Here's Sigmon's law practice website.

Here's more from the Hickory Record:

Lance Sigmon, 48, a retired U.S. Air Force officer, said he’s in the process of forming an exploratory committee to seek the Tenth District office

No specific reason why he's running except:

“We deserve a representative who understands the values of this area and will make decisions based on the integrity and principles that I learned while growing up here,” Sigmon said.

Ouch.

Here's his background:

Sigmon, a Republican, grew up in a working-class family in Conover and graduated from Newton-Conover High School in 1977.

. . .

Sigmon served four years in the Air Force following high school. He graduated from Western Carolina University in 1985 and received a law degree from Wake Forest University in 1988. Sigmon re-entered the Air Force as an officer and was appointed as a judge advocate.

. . .

He held several positions and retired as a military trial judge with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

And, one more ouch for Pat:

After 21 years in the military, he returned to the Hickory area in 2005 and noticed an economic decline and decreasing quality of life.

I wonder what Sigmon knows about Pat that makes him run for office in what is sure to be the ugliest primary ever . . . I wonder if those rumored photos will finally surface.

And, gee, Pat next to a real military man it might not look so good for you to pretend to have served in Iraq like that time you misled WaPo.

And after trying to smear one military man in a primary, won't it be awfully suspicious when (if you cheat enough to win) you go after another one, a decorated hero, Daniel Johnson, in the general?

Crossposted at Scru Hoo and BlueNC.

Hallowe'en at the GOP House Of Horrors

You need the latest shockwave player to view this. Click here to download.

Thanks to Jerimee at NCDP

Pat's deputy district director rehabilitates his reputation not

If I wanted to assure the public that my point one three DUI was an aberration, behaving this way and having my PHOTO TAKEN might not be my first choice.

Oh, but Brett Keeter probably drank himself this silly during his Pat-ordered two-week job suspension. My bad.

Look at Pat lie

Thanks to Greg Flynn at BlueNC we discover what McHenry posted at the RSC blog.

Raising Taxes Is An Accomplishment?

So now we've seen the Democrats' Mother of All Tax Hikes. But Washington has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. The federal government is set to spend more money next year than the GDP of every country on Earth other than Japan. The Democrats have already voted to raise taxes by more than $100 billion this year, so it’s not surprising that their idea of tax reform simply means higher taxes. The surprising part is that they’ll tell you with a straight face that a trillion dollar tax hike is a major accomplishment.

Posted by Rep. Patrick McHenry (10-25-2007, 02:49 PM) filed under Taxes

And, as he lies, he doesn't mind ignoring the trillion the Republicans have spent on a war they lied about to get us into. Oh, yeah and a war that has taken so many lives they don't have the guts to count them.

Johnson announcement coverage roundup

The headline for the Hickory Daily Record:

Hickory Navy hero enters congressional race

And you've gotta like their lead:

A Hickory military hero officially embarked on a congressional campaign Wednesday.

The Raleigh N&O stepped back into Republican framing:

Former sailor, assistant DA announces run for McHenry's seat

A sailor? Since when does a military hero get downgraded to sailor? Oh, right, when the "mainstream" media is talking about a Democrat, of course.

CharO did one step better than their Raleigh cousin:

Ex-Wake prosecutor, a Hickory native, known for saving fellow sailor

Carolina Politics Online's lead:

Pledging to represent the values of North Carolina with character and integrity, Daniel Johnson announced today that he is running to represent North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District in the United States Congress.

And from the North Carolina Democratic Party:

Daniel Johnson served in the United States Navy from 1998-2000, receiving the Navy Marine Corps Medal, the Navy's highest peacetime award for heroism. For the past three years, Daniel Johnson served as an assistant district attorney in North Carolina. As a prosecutor, he began by prosecuting charges of DWI and other misdemeanors and rose to prosecute a wide range of felony cases that included drug trafficking, robbery, and murder.

“I will be a leader who is part of the solution in Washington, not part of the problem. I promise to rise above the divisive politics that have plagued our government for too long, and focus on representing the values and priorities of North Carolina,” Johnson continued. “This means making sure our kids have the heath care they deserve, our families and small businesses get the tax breaks they need, and our veterans are taken care of when they return home.”

Daniel Johnson earned an undergraduate and law degree from the University of North Carolina, where he met his wife, Creecy. He currently resides in his hometown of Hickory.

This is just a sample. Google Daniel Johnson and comment (where possible) on the article to let people know how excited we are about our candidate!!!!

The fun is just beginning folks.

It's official: Johnson announces!!!!

Jerimee has it at BlueNC.

“Running for Congress is a continuation of my service to America and the people of North Carolina,” said Johnson. “I look around the area I grew up in, and see people struggling with keeping their jobs, affording their health care and just making ends meet. It is time for a new brand of leadership – one that the people of this district can be proud of. I have the character and the experience needed to be an effective representative for my state.”

Pat's peep Fraley evades assault charges

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

McHenry parties with Delay

at the opening of his new company, First Principles. I guess Delay is trying to invoke the spirit of Thomas Paine who advocated for a government by election and representation rather than one succession and heredity.

But if you look at the list of party-goers, you have to think Delay has chosen his heirs. In crime and politics.

From the Crypt at politico.com

Tom DeLay: used to controlling a party

He wasn’t gone for long, but Tom DeLay has returned to Capitol Hill.

His new firm, First Principles, had its opening party last night . . .

They list the guests: Texans Sen. John Cornyn, former Rep. Henry Bonilla, Rep. Mike Conaway, NC's Rep. Patrick McHenry, as well as Pastor Rick Scarboro of Vision America, former Rep. Bill Paxon and Ken Blackwell.

Being D.C., things got started at 6 p.m. but went into the wee hours of the night — goers were probably encouraged by the fully stocked bar and cigars.

Hmm cigars.

Full disclosure, the photo is from an engagement party and not the Capitol Hill Tom Delay gala.

Xposted at Pat'sGone, BlueNC.

Roll Call blasts McHenry

Thank God someone in the traditional media (with far more resources than yours truly) finally started asking Pat McHenry the financial questions we've been picking at for months.

In a subscription-only article Roll Call not only questions McHenry's new-found wealth, but also has the reportorial balls to highlight his appalling hypocrisy about openness.

Particularly of note, Roll Call uncovered a third unreported property. We'd already told you that McHenry owns two homes in the district whose ownership and financing he is not required to disclose publicly. However, he inherited a $40,000 share of lakefront property in Lincoln County he has also never reported.

And, remember, McHenry sits on the House Committee on Financial Services, whose legislation directly affects companies in the real estate financing business.

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) took to the House floor late last spring and ripped into Democrats for blocking his proposal requiring Members to disclose the existence and value of their personal residences. “We’ve seen in recent Washington scandals the results of this loophole that allows Members to hide ownership of properties,” McHenry said.

Roll Call went on to say that McHenry has "taken considerable liberty himself with the House’s personal property exemption" not disclosing two homes and that third lake front property they say adds up to over $300,000.

In addition, since he was first elected in 2004, McHenry’s financial statements overall offer only vague hints into myriad land deals that are transforming Congress’ youngest Member from a college student, who is a licensed real estate agent, into a prosperous man in less than a decade.

Check out my article at PageOneQ.com.

Here are a few more tidbits:

For example, on this year’s forms McHenry disclosed his October 2006 purchase of a house in central North Carolina. Public records show McHenry paid $87,500 for the property, which he bought from a local politician. Within months of the sale, tax assessors determined the house was worth 30 percent more.

UPDATE: The local pol: Gaston County Commissioner Allen Fraley who within a week donated $500 to McHenry's campaign.

And last summer McHenry, his four siblings and a business partner sold a 40-acre plot to a local developer for $1.5 million. The developer, Charlotte-based E.C. Griffith Co., plans to soon break ground on a 1,000-plus-unit suburban housing development. McHenry made a short-term profit of at least 200 percent on the deal.

It's particularly amazing to me how much he won't even respond to their questions.

What do you have to hide, Pat? Or, perhaps I should be asking, is there anything you aren't hiding?

Meet future NC Senator Jim Neal

Read what he has to say for himself taking questions from strangers as he live-blogged on BlueNC for an hour on Saturday.

LINKS: Here's his Senate campaign website. And his ActBlue page.

Here's what BlueNC's Anglico had to say after talking to Jim privately for an hour last week.

On family. Jim Neal raised his two sons as a single parent for 15 or so years. I met one of his sons, who is a bright and warm young man. It was clear that both father and son adore each other. As a person who myself was a single parent for many years, I know what it takes to do what he's done. That should tell you all you need to know about Jim Neal's family values.

On North Carolina. Jim was born in Greensboro. He has also lived in South Carolina, California and probably elsewhere. But he is a Tar Heel through and through. Not a carpet-bagger. Not an occasional visitor. Not a fair-weather friend. He is one of us, and it shows.

On money. Jim Neal knows how to do fundraising. He has done the work of meeting and greeting many of the Big Cheeses, and I feel certain he will be able to raise the $12+ million necessary to run an effective campaign.

On politics. Jim first got involved in politics back when LBJ was running for president. He has been something of a political junkie ever since, though he has not run for office until now. That said, he has been chomping at the bit and his children are now old enough - they have given him their blessing to run.

On campaigning. Jim wakes up every morning with one mission: defeat Liddy Dole. Like many of us, he knows from people all across the state that she is extremely vulnerable. Because despite her efforts to try to distance herself from the Decider, there is one fundamental truth in this campaign. Liddy Dole = George Bush. It doesn't get much simpler than that.

On soft drinks. Mr. Neal favors Diet Coke.

On a primary. Will anyone else enter the race and create a primary contest? Jim says it doesn't really matter to him. A primary would create some visibility, but it would also siphon off resources. In any case, he's very clear that the person he's running against Elizabeth Dole.

On personality. Jim Neal is a nice guy with a razor sharp edge. You can tell within two seconds of meeting him that he is totally driven. He shares our outrage about what Republicans have done to our nation and he is committed to setting things right. He is soft-spoken and articulate, and very, very clear about what's important to him. He asks good questions and he listens to the answers. He seems like a person who does what he says he will do, which is my number one measure of integrity.

Other links:WUNC article, News & Observer profile, Radio Left, Daily Kos, Pam Spaulding.