McHenry EXPOSED back up and running

Little Mr. Whiney Boy's empty legal threats couldn't keep 'em down. McHenry EXPOSED is back up and running.

Last week, the host was intimidated but McHenry has no influence in Sweden. According to McHenry EXPOSED

It will be our goal to investigate rumors and allegations and to only report on them once we have adequate evidence (tangible or intangible) to make our case. We will strive to establish adequate evidence, enough to present a case in court with the confidence of winning our case.

War Made Easy: McHenry's little role

Over at the Atlantic Free Press, Norman Solomon is posting exerpts from a new documentary film based on his book "War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death."

Patrick McHenry has a minor role in the section on the spin surrounding cutting and running:

NORMAN SOLOMON: And many propaganda lines become stock and trade of those who started the war in the first place.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: The party of FDR and the party of Harry Truman has become the party of “cut and run.”

REP. J.D. HAYWORTH: The American people will not stand for surrender.

REP. JEAN SCHMIDT: Cowards cut and run.

REP. PATRICK McHENRY: They're advocating a policy called “cut and run.”

KARL ROVE: That party's old pattern of cutting and running.

REP. CHARLIE NORWOOD: If we high-tailed it and cut and run --

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: We won’t cut and run.

Cut and run.

Cut and run.

We will not cut and run.

Cut and run.

ANDERSON COOPER: Cut and run. Cut and run. How do you respond?

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: We will stay the course.

We must stay the course.

We stay the course.

We will stay the course.

And we're not going to cut and run, if I’m in the Oval Office.

NORMAN SOLOMON: All a president has to do is start a war, and these arguments kick in that you can't stop it. So it's a real incentive for a president to lie, to deceive, to manipulate sufficiently to get the war started. And then they've got a long way to go without any sort of substantive challenge that says, hey, this war has to end.

Aren't we all so happy to be "represented in Congress by such an insipid tool of an administration bent on killing and lying about why?

McHenry violates Constitution by mandating religion on coins

There's so much happening right now. The Attorney General using politics to hire and fire. Immigration issues on the front burner. Should the president get a blank check to continue the unpopular war in Iraq that he lied to the American people to support in the first place? But what is Patrick McHenry up to? He's all set to violate our constitution by foisting (co-sponsoring) his version of religion on the rest of us. The method: HR 2510 which will mandate that the words "In God We Trust" appear on the face, not just the edge of every coin.

Jim at Irregular Times wrote:

While our nation sets a new record debt every day, while Americans kill and are killed in Iraq, while New Orleans still stands littered with debris from Hurricane Katrina, while Americans go bankrupt because they can’t afford medical care, Virgil Goode and 88 other members of the House of Representatives are getting busy. Unfortunately, they’re not getting busy solving these problems. They’re getting busy using the machinery of government to impose religious mandates.

Fellow North Carolinians Walter Jones and Sue Myrick join 85 other Republicans in wasting our time and violating the Constitution.

These members of Congress have not only missed their lessons about the Constitution, which prohibits the use of government to establish religion. They’ve also wasted their time solving non-existent problems with coin edges and missed a chance to address actual problems facing the nation.

Aren't you glad they're saving us from the terror of having our national motto appear on the edge of a coin, instead of the face? I feel like all those other problems will just fade away now that we've got the coin thing settled.

Back to paper ballots?

Pokey Anderson has spent years studying electronic voting and arrived at these findings:

Even if a person could check hundreds of thousands of lines of software code and find hidden malicious code,

and even if software could be written bug-free,
and even if the hardware works properly and interfaces perfectly with the software and peripherals,
and even if the binary and source code match identically,
and even if each electronic voting machine were physically guarded every minute to prevent insertion of malicious code (including by insider vendors or subcontractors or election personnel or anyone with a key including the janitor),
and even if every software change has been clean and legitimate,
and even if unexamined ballot definition files are accurate and trustworthy,
and even if there were reasonable ways to make sure that the software previously checked is now the software running on each machine on the morning of election day
. . .

chinks in the voting system armor could allow intrusion DURING voting day and during tabulation.

Here's her conclusion:

Of course, if everything about an election computer system were disclosed and vetted from head to toe, it would be safer. But, given what’s at stake -- the reward for stealing an election could amount to control of a jurisdiction, or even the entire US treasury -- the threat level is quite high. The quality of software for elections to date has been unreliable and has not inspired confidence. And, experts admit that the task of protecting elections without some sort of paper ballot records is near impossible.

One of the experts for RABA spoke of the vulnerabilities of the Diebold DREs, which at the time had already been used statewide in Georgia:

William Arbaugh: “There’s no security that’s going to be 100 percent effective. But the level of effort was pretty low. A high school kid could do this. Right now, the bar is maybe 8th grade. You want to raise the bar to a well-funded adversary.”

Raise the bar? Tell ya what. Instead of shaking their secrets out of private election companies one by one, and exposing their insecure election systems mistake by mistake, let’s get elections that can be overseen by average citizens.

Poll workers and citizens shouldn’t have to know about rootkits and encryption keys and buffer overflows to protect our votes from wholesale theft with a few keystrokes. And, attaching printers or doing audits after the fact seem like a weak overlay onto a shaky, vulnerable electronic system. Sort of like putting leather seats into a car that doesn’t run. Or maybe, more in keeping with gambling our democracy, it’s like hanging a new pair of dice over the mirror of the junk car.

An election should be observable from start to finish, with human eyes unmediated by “help” from software. And human eyes should be able to tell if it’s honest. Get it right on election night. Send everybody home convinced of the final result.

Computers can’t do that. Paper ballots can.

[Full disclosure: Ms. Anderson is Mr. DQ's stepsister.]

County officer training offered June 2

As previously reported at district meetings, in emails, in conversations, and everywhere else, our Western County Party Leader training day is this coming Saturday, June 2, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Morganton.

You must pre-register by email to attend. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please remember that space is limited to 100 and there are 33 Western counties.

To register, send me an email including name, address, phone number, and email address (to mhufford at ncdp dot org ). I will send a reply confirming your registration and providing directions. County party officers may register their entire delegation if they wish. A separate, specific training for Party Treasurers is provided by the NC Board of Elections (click here) and scroll down for the training schedule).

This training will be well worth your time and the time of your party officers or leaders. It will include best practices from Western counties, presentations by several state party staff, and presentations by the top three state party officers.

Holding a training of this magnitude in the West is a precedent-setting event, so let's give those who are traveling West an overwhelming Western greeting.

The best defense . . .

A few days ago the editorial page of the Gaston Gazette ran an odd piece about Gaston County D.A. Locke Bell's indictment of McHenry's campaign worker for voter fraud. Withholding comment on the matter, they wrote, "The real issue is how much of... public opinion relies on thoughtful contemplation of a case that has yet to fully unfold. And as it does unfold, we’ll have more to say."

Well folks, the unfolding has begun. Today the Gazette printed four letters, presumably representing the full range of opinion in the responses they've received so far. Here are representative excerpts frome each:

1) "I’m sad to see that one of those campaign workers is being targeted by prosecutors for some kind of voter law violation."

2) "I don’t think there is anything to these charges brought against this former campaign worker."

3) "Locke Bell needs to re-examine his priorities in a major way."

4) "Gaston County does not need its own Mike Nifong."

It's unanimous! Patrick McHenry's man is above reproach and D.A. Locke Bell is a scum-sucking bottom feeder! (By the way, only one of the writers above is from McHenry's district -- but they're all in Bell's.)

Looks like the McHenry machinery is mounting a counterattack on their fellow Republican for having the audacity to follow the law -- starting with a letter-to-the-editor campaign in the prosecutor's home county. Is that classic Patrick or what?

(P.S.: Letters to the Gaston Gazette need the writer's signature, address, and daytime phone number, must be 300 words or less, and can be mailed to PO Box 1538, Gastonia NC 28053, or faxed to 704-867-5751, or emailed to gastongazette@link.freedom.com)

McHenry watchdog site removed from internet

McHenry EXPOSED, a McHenry watchdog site Pat Go Bye Bye just partnered with this week was shut down at 3 p.m. this afternoon by the host.

Click here to see the server's message.

We received this email from the site administrator:

In an apparent attempt to silence the message of Patrick McHenry Exposed, our website was disabled today around 3:00pm EST. This effort was undertaken by our host provider, AlphaOne Tech (aka 4Gays Hosting). While no further information is available at this time, we do know that someone contacted the host and made them aware of the site. This person’s complaint was that the information contained on the website was false, misleading and potentially in violation of corporate libel and slander laws. The hosting company is not providing any further details and acted only to protect their own interests - they are not the enemy.

But not to worry, Congressman:

[The site administrator is] currently working with an ally out of the country to arrange for hosting. . . . The new website will have a totally different look - not sporting the McHenry for Congress theme... at the request of my own attorney. Once back online, the United States Government will not be able to remove the site, outside of petitioning Sweden to do so (the site of our new server).

Be sure to check out this take on the situation from McHenry EXPOSED partner Interstate Q.

Crossposted at BlueNC and Scru Hoo.

News from around the district

From the Mitchell News, Soldiers home from Iraq:

Soldiers from the 1451st Transportation Company out of Boone came home after spending almost a year at the Tallil Airbase in Southern Iraq.

Sgt. Michael Artalejo, Sgt. Nick Haskell, Sgt. Jody Ledford, Sgt. Jeff Rice, Spc. Jeremy Bickel, Sgt. Jeff Byrd, and Spc. Justin Wilson were at the base performing convoy security missions. They helped deliver supplies like food and fuel to the units in Iraq.

The 1451st arrived in Iraq on May 9, 2006 and returned to the United States on May 2. They made it back to Mitchell County on May 5 and 6.

Sgt. Byrd, a native of Yancey County was glad to be home. He has four daughters, ages 9, 8, 7, and 6, he was looking forward to seeing.

"It's going to be a wide-eyed experience," he said in anticipation of his first meeting in over a year.

Great piece on the homeless in the Shelby Star:

L.J. said he’s a truck driver out of work.

“I’ve been down on my luck for five weeks since I lost my job,” he said.

He’s a Vietnam War veteran who suffers from blood pressure problems, he said. Without medication, he can’t drive. He said medication is too expensive.

He said he’s been told he might qualify for veteran’s benefits but hasn’t been able to figure out how to go about getting help.

“They make it so hard for you,” said L.J.

Jim Martin, a manager at the homeless shelter, said most of the people he meets are in similar situations. He said they need direction and a place to work.
. . .
Brad Hopkins walked the streets of Denver, Colo., and witnessed several panhandlers holding up signs begging for work, money or food.

One day he stumbled upon a homeless man standing on a corner holding up a sign with an unusual request: “I admit it. I need a beer.”

Hopkins, the director of Denver Rescue Mission’s Family and Senior Homeless Initiative, said alcoholics and people with mental disabilities make up a small portion of the homeless population. He said most are families or individuals falling on hard times.
. . .
Hopkins said many of the homeless families don’t have extended family or friends to lend a hand.

“They have no healthy, supportive community to walk alongside them,” said Hopkins. “It’s that relationship that’s missing. It’s all about the social connection.”

Big haul of dope in Gaston County. From the Gaston Gazette:

When Ferguson and Trooper W.T. Davis arrived on the scene, the driver was refusing treatment from emergency personnel, Ferguson said.

Stilwell approached Ferguson and said the man had put the bags in her van.

“I said, ‘How about showing me what you’re talking about,’” Ferguson said.

He found vacuum-packed, one-pound packages of marijuana, packed individually in both of the bags.

“You don’t see that much very often,” he said.

“It was a big old block of marijuana,” Stilwell said. “It looked like bricks.”

Four hours later, the two women were still waiting in the median for troopers to finish their investigation.

“I can’t believe all this when all we did was pull over to make sure everyone was OK,” Queen said.

South Mountains state park officials looking for input. From the Morganton News Herald:

MORGANTON - Officials at South Mountains State Park say it's time to rewrite the park's master plan. And they are asking for your help.

It's been 28 years since the park updated its plan.

Since then the natural haven has nearly doubled in size to become North Carolina's largest state park.

Four 10th district community colleges to join to create bio-friendly manufacturing projects. From the Hickory Daily Record:

HICKORY -- Four colleges in three counties are partnering together, and the payoff might be more industries and jobs in the area.

Catawba Valley Community College President Garrett Hinshaw said he became interested in the emerging green manufacturing industry after talking to some of the area’s furniture manufacturers.

“I was doing a tour with furniture executives, and there’s a real focus on the green aspect, and bio-friendly materials. There’s also corn socks that are starting to be made, and a lot of new resources that are being made available, so we wanted to start this new research center,” he said. “We’re looking after the best interests of the whole region.”

CVCC is partnering with Western Piedmont Community College, Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute and Lenoir-Rhyne College. They’re hoping to start working on the new project July 1.

Crossover day at the general assembly

I'm pretty new to state politics but here's an explanation (from NC Policy Watch) of how important Thursday is in Raleigh:

Each year, thousands of legislative proposals are introduced by lawmakers during the early days of the session. Those measures not requiring an appropriation or a tax law change must compete to win approval from at least one house by a certain specified date known as “crossover deadline” or face the prospect of “not making the cut.” (Taxing and spending proposals are generally exempt from this rule).

This year in Raleigh, the crossover deadline has, after a couple of extensions, been set for this Thursday, the 24th. Get your bill approved by the House or the Senate by Thursday and live to fight on. Fail to do so and it’s “wait ‘til next year.” During the next four days, hundreds of legislative proposals will compete for the attention of lawmakers as they endure scores of committee meetings and several long “floor” sessions in an effort to consider as many proposals as possible.

In this article, Rob Schofield discusses ten important pending issues. I'll list them here briefly with links to the pertinent bills:

Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Parity: House bill 973

would require North Carolina health insurance plans to cover necessary treatment of mental illness and the disease of addiction. Opponents in the health insurance lobby are opposing the bill and seeking to advance a “compromise” that would eliminate proposed coverage for chemical dependency and significantly limit mental health coverage. Right now, they seem to be succeeding.

Death Penalty Reform: Several bills except one that bans executions for murders committed by children "faces an uphill fight."

Comprehensive Sex Education: House bill 879 pairs realistic sex education (that do work) with the same old abstinence programs (that don't work)

Juvenile Justice Reform: House bill 492 to raise the age at which a juvenile can be tried as an adult.

Ethics and Lobbying Reforms: These bills would: "1) open up Ethics Commission proceedings to the public and prohibit lobbyists from soliciting campaign contributions, and 2) limit the role of political parties in campaign fundraising." Schofield considers both unlikely to make it this week.


School Violence Prevention: House bill 1366 targets student bullying. House bill 853 bans corporal punishment. Shofield writes:

As with the sex education bill, both proposals are opposed by the by the far right (the former because it mentions “sexual orientation” in a list of children commonly targeted for bullying and harassment and the latter because beating children is a “traditional family value.”)

Mortgage Foreclosure Notice for Tenants: House bill 947 deals with notification of tenants so they don't get evicted suddenly when their landlord suffers a foreclosure.

Migrant Housing Conditions: Senate bill 1466 would improve the awful "third-world" living conditions of migrant workers.

Unfortunately, the bill has been held up thus far by anti-immigration forces who are attempting to use the bill for purposes unrelated to its original goals. The fate of the bill is uncertain at this point.

School Suspension Improvements: House bill 1739 is aimed at improving the high school dropout rate (by keeping suspended students in the learning loop and making sure parents of expelled students are notified).

Care for Victims of Sexual Assault: A bunch of measures including House bill 961 that "would require every hospital and urgent care facility in the state to offer “compassionate” emergency care to victims of sexual assault – including the provision of emergency contraception pills."

Click on the names of your legislators along the left column to let them know how you feel about these bills. Remember, they can't represent you if they don't know how you feel.

Click here to search for more information on any pending legislations or your representatives.

McHenry Not Taking Emails From House of Representatives Site

[Editor's note: This is the first cross-post from the new investigative site, McHenry EXPOSED. It was written by brgnrh ]


Recent attempts to contact Patrick McHenry's Washington, DC office have returned with a strange message:

THIS MAILBOX IS UNATTENDED

Thank you for contacting my office regarding your concern. In an effort to improve my response time to your request, I have updated my website with new features. Please visit http://mchenry.house.gov/Contact/ if you would like to send me a message or request my assistance with a Federal Agency.

Thank you and God Bless,

Patrick T. McHenry
Member of Congress

THIS MAILBOX IS UNATTENDED

Several individuals have contacted EXPOSED to say that their attempts to contact McHenry's office have resulted in the same response. Does this response mean that McHenry has received our messages or is it a "bounce" reply to say that our message wasn't delivered? Unless you're a resident of NC's 10th district, you'll never know.

McHenry EXPOSED investigators from the 10th district have attempted to contact McHenry's office by email (at the address above) and also using the form on McHenry's HOUSE website - both resulted in the above reply. What is one to conclude? Maybe the McHenry camp is closed-lip right now.

Print coverage of McHenry voter fraud questionable

I'll start with the Charlotte Observer:

In a May 19 Observer piece Marcia Young and Amy Rainey wrote:

"a grand jury indicted Lay because of questions about whether he had legal residence"

"Questions?" "Because of questions?" I think most grand juries hand down indictments "because of" evidence.

In that same article Rainey and Young wrote that McHenry

blamed the indictment on his political enemies.

And yes, that is a fair representation of our diminutive Congressman's response. However, if you're going to give space to his allegations of political attacks, I think it's only fair (not to mention a key to responsible and ethical journalism) to mention that the prosecuting district attorney Locke Bell is a Republican who donated $250.00 to McHenry's campaign.

It's not like these reporters didn't know. They covered that information in their May 15 piece (while writer Lisa Zagaroli failed to make that point in her May 13th report.)

The Observer's May 19th article ends with a timeline that has not appeared elsewhere in the press.

A look at Lay's steps during late 2003 and 2004.

December 2003: Lay applies to three law schools, including the University of Tennessee.

February 2004: Lay moves to Cherryville and notifies University of Tennessee of Cherryville address.

March 31, 2004: Law school acceptance sent to his Cherryville address.

April 15, 2004: Lay accepts offer to University of Tennessee law school but says he's still waiting to hear from other schools.

May 31, 2004: Lay registers to vote in Gaston County.

July 20, 2004: Lay votes in the Republican primary in Gaston County.

Aug. 17, 2004: Lay votes in second Republican primary in Gaston County.

Aug. 18, 2004: Fall courses at University of Tennessee begin, according to the school's registrar's office.

Oct. 1, 2004: Lay registers to vote in Knox County, Tenn.

Are we supposed to believe these reporters drove over to the University of Tennessee where they were shown documentation of Lay's address changes and law school application dates and reception of acceptance letters? It seems obvious this is Lay's version of the story. The source of all those details had to be from him or someone close to him. And, gee willie wilkins, there seems to be no attribution.

If Lay or his attorney showed them the original letters and their postmarks, I suppose they can report this information as "fact." But does that mean they don't have to cover the prosecutor's timeline? Or the timeline of publicly available evidence like the McHenry campaign's Federal Elections Commissions reports showing Lay to be receiving campaign payments at a Tennessee address?

[Graphic thanks to DonnieYoung2008]

I've been looking over the Hickory, Gaston, Shelby, Lenoir, and Morganton reports and post later this week on their fairness, impartiality or lack thereof.

And we still have no answer to the question: Why does the CBS Evening News New York office break the news on a Friday of a warrant issued the previous Monday? Why do two New York reporters know more about a Gaston County case than any reporter in North Carolina? Does that make sense to you?

Pat Go Bye Bye joins investigative team

A non-partisan watchdog coalition has launched a website to facilitate investigations of Congressman Patrick McHenry. So, of course, we here at Pat Go Bye Bye joined up and can't wait to get started. It's just: indicted former staff and rooomie, allegations of procuring beer for underage drinkers and the amazing stories about his campaign chair . . . where to begin?

Patrick McHenry EXPOSED was founded just this month "to hold our elected officials responsible for their own actions." Imagine that concept if it took hold. Something like democracy might really happen.

If you know of corruption or any kind of illegal activity on the part of Congressman McHenry or any of his legislative or campaign staff from even as long ago as the 2004 primary season, feel free to contact Pat Go Bye Bye or the folks at Patrick McHenry EXPOSED. And we'll get this party started . . .

Tony McEwen takes the chair

Former state YD president Tony McEwen defeated incumbent Chair Judy Gilbert for district chair today in Morganton.

In his speech McEwen received his most rousing applause with the words: "I have nothing bad to say about Judy Gilbert." (Okay, I realize it's pretty sappy but we Democrats struggle with a contested election and we like it to stay nice.) Tony pledged to work hard, promote unity, and he proposed an ambitious 8-point plan of action I refuse to post here because I know Republicans read this site.

He's asking for 10 hours of service for the district between now and January so expect a call and plan your excuses, I mean, clear your schedule!

Congratulations to Tony. And big hugs and thank yous to Judy Gilbert for her four years of exceptional service as chair as well as many, many years of service to the Democratic Party. She plans to devote her time to the Edwards presidential campaign and we expect we'll see hear heavily involved in other races since she has so many friends and allies in politics.

For those of you new to the site (from my massive pimping at the convention), WELCOME. And feel free to comment or use the email option (in lime green text) if you scroll down the lower left.

Tomorrow's decision: McEwen v. Gilbert

Tomorrow 10th district delegates will be choosing the party chair who will lead us through the 2008 election season.

Delegates will have to choose between incumbent chair Judy Gilbert, a retired school administrator, and Tony McEwen, outgoing state Young Democrats president who handles veterans affairs for Congressman Mel Watt.

Of course, for all I know, there may be other nominations from the floor.

Registration begins at 11, convention starts at noon at Moore Hall of the Western Piedmont Community College in Morganton. Only delegates selected through their county conventions can vote.

Other business includes election district officers and considering resolutions to send to the state convention next year.

Directions to Western Piedmont Community College:

Driving west on I-40 from Hickory, take Exit #103 and turn right onto Burkemont Ave. WPCC is on the right, 1 block up.

Driving east on I-40 from Asheville, take Exit #103 and turn left onto Burkemont Ave. Cross the bridge over I-40, WPCC is on the right, 1 block up.

Driving into Morganton on Hwy. 18 from Lenoir, turn left onto South Sterling Street. Turn right at Burger King onto W. Fleming Dr. At NC School for the Deaf, turn left onto Burkemont Ave. WPCC is on the left at the second traffic light.

Driving into Morganton on Hwy. 64 from Rutherfordton, cross over I-40. WPCC is on the right, 1 block beyond I-40.

Republicans eat their own

We all know some Republicans are going after McHenry. According to the following letter written by Hudson Republican Dennis Benfield, others are going full tilt after McHenry's accusers.
Two things stand out from Benfields post. First, this section makes more clearly my point last week that McHenry's legal problems are not limited to this one incident that led to a May 7 indictment of his former roommate and staffer:

. . . a number of his "associates" are having some legal issues. Laura Harvey, National Committeewoman for the N.C. Federation of Young Republicans, who lives in Iredell County--a 2004 McHenryite--resigned her post recently, amid an investigation into her alleged improper registration and voting in Mecklenburg County. Dee Stewart, McHenry's very-well-paid political consultant, is under investigation for similar voting irregularities in Moore County, and another loyal associate faces child porn accusations.

I hadn't heart the child porn allegations but that's fun, eh?

Here's where the infighting gets interesting:

For pointing these voting problems out in public letters-to-the-editor, I have been vilified by some of you as being "disloyal" to the Republican Party in Caldwell County. I'd like to have just a dime for every time I've heard the terms "sour grapes" and "get over it" applied to me. Some have asked newspapers not to publish my letters, while others want me thrown off the county GOP executive committee.
. . .
this is not about me; and it's not about David Huffman or Donnie Young. This is about preserving our system of representative democracy. It's difficult to teach about American government in the classroom, and then not to care about the growing controversies swirling around McHenry.
. . .
I'm not asking you to suddenly start liking or respecting me, if you don't now. However, you can't deny that I worked my tail off in 2006 for Republican candidates in Caldwell County. I have believed all along that these issues regarding McHenry's election are "Republican problems," and Republicans ought to solve them.

Republican problems, and Republicans ought to solve them. Just like I truly respected Karl Rove's electioneering advice, this Republican's comment sounds pretty good to me.

Worst person in the world

Finally, McHenry is getting the national attention we all knew he deserved. MSNBC's Keith Olbermann notes the stupidity of McHenry claiming to be the political target of a Republican district attorney who hosted a fundraiser for him.

I can't keep up with all the hits on poor Pat . . . What are the odds he hangs in there until he's sentenced?

McHenry's ex-roomie importing clones

Unless Michael Aaron Lay's reported indictment has slowed down his recruitment efforts, North Carolina is about to get invaded by conservative outsiders from UT.

Former McHenry staffer and roomie Michael Aaron Lay is advertising for interns at his alma mater's website. Just check out the language:

"This is not your average internship."

From living with the candidate to underage drinking parties, to a future indictment, to single-use towels, one would have to figure Lay knows the full ramifications of the phrase "not your average . . ."

The promoted internships are for the newly announced Bill Graham gubernatorial campaign.

Here's what the Associated Press wrote about Graham yesterday:

Graham had never run for elected office until now, but gained political experience and built a support base while spending more than $2 million in personal funds to bankroll a group he started called North Carolina Conservatives United.

He spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on radio and television commercials in 2006, urging citizens to roll back a nearly three-cent automatic increase in the gasoline tax. He later starred in ads critical of illegal immigrants, saying they take advantage of the state's education and health care systems.

One would suppose the candidate doesn't appreciate the timing of the announcement. But I suppose no Republican these days can count on a free day to squeeze in some good news between the subpoenas, the resignations, and the sentencings.

Here's the text of the recruiting ad since the link was down last I checked:

“Bill Graham for Governor Exploratory Committee seeks paid Interns!

North Carolina republican gubernatorial campaign is seeking intelligent, motivated college students to work as field representatives during the summer of 2007 (May-August). All majors are accepted and college credit is available.

You will have the opportunity to work in a campaign that combines cutting edge technology with traditional grassroots campaigning. Forget making copies, getting coffee, and answering e-mails. You will be part of an intense ground campaign and have the chance to contribute to all sectors of the campaign. This is not your average internship.

Responsibilities will include contacting voters, organizing counties and recruiting volunteers, as well as attending events on behalf or along with the candidate. Field reps will also conduct advance preparation for events sponsored by the campaign. A stipend of $1000 will be provided per month. Lodging will also be provided in the area in which the field rep is located. For more information or to apply, please contact Aaron Lay at ncrecruit@aol.com.”

h/t North Carolina Conservative. Cross posted at Scru Hoo and BlueNC

Pat's bad week

When it rains, it pours. While I was busy chasing alligators around a swamp in South Carolina, Pat McHenry was having the worst week of his life.

First his roomie and former campaign staffer Michael Aaron Lay gets indicted for voter fraud.

Then on Monday a Republican blogspot posts a 2004 photo of McHenry with a report that he's surrounded by underage drunk Young Republicans for whom his campaign allegedly provided the beer. (The lollipop was his reward for winning a Catawba County straw poll he fixed by bussing in said YRs.)

Then Pat's pitbull attack dog (and former chief of staff) Jason Deans gets outed for a number of DUIs and a manslaughter charge.

Here's the outing:

Jason Deans experience with the criminal justice system comes not from a law school education, but rather from his own experience as a criminal defendant. Jason Deans was charged in the past with killing a man in an automobile wreck. Since then Mr. Deans has had a checkered past as he has been cited numerous times for traffic violations and spent a good deal of time in our state’s criminal courts.

And, in case you were feeling sorry for Mr. Deans, read his lovely comparison of the extended two-year voter fraud investigation of Lay to the rush-to-judgment Duke Lacrosse rape case (from the Shelby Star):

“This is the culmination of a three-year smear campaign against Congressman McHenry, his campaign workers and supporters,” said Jason Deans, a spokesman for McHenry’s political campaign. “This case is much like the Duke lacrosse case in that a politically motivated district attorney sought an indictment against a young man without even granting him an interview.”

And that's just what the Republicans are saying about him!

Oh, remember that money-laundering indictment I told you about several weeks ago (before anyone else, may I brag?) Well, those rumors haven't died. They've recently been confirmed.

Are we having fun yet?

Crossposted at BlueNC and Scru Hoo

Why did it take two years?

Why did it take well over two years to bring a charge of voter fraud against a McHenry staffer when the evidence was plentiful and public? Why did an entire election cycle pass with no indictments?

Could it be because the former Gaston County District Attorney had a conflict of interest? Now, I know lawmen are supposed to recuse themselves when friends, family, or business cohorts are involved. Does that include politicians they've publicly endorsed? When an entire election cycle goes by with no charges and tons of evidence, you have to wonder.

And we know that former DA Michael Lands was quite the McHenry pal. If you scroll down to the bottom of the front page of the Donnie Young Exploratory Website, you'll see that Lands, as well as assistant district attorneys Craig Collins and Bill Stevenson appear on a list of McHenry's supporters on his campaign website. Gee, I think, if they'd stayed in office, they might have needed a few more years, even decades for that simple investigation.

(See a small copy of that page at upper right.)

But maybe there was no conflict of interest. Maybe they were just intimidated.

In the Shelby Star, McHenry accuses the current prosecutor of political bias:

McHenry, a Cherryville Republican . . . called the charge political.

Former McHenry Chief of Staff Jason Deans had this to say:

“This is the culmination of a three-year smear campaign against
Congressman McHenry, his campaign workers and supporters,” said Jason Deans, a spokesman for McHenry’s political campaign. “This case is much like the Duke lacrosse case in that a politically motivated district attorney sought an indictment against a young man without even granting him an interview.”

Methinks Mr. Dean doth protest too much. That they are attacking the messenger rather than the perpetrator is no surprise since McHenry learned all he knows at the feet of Karl Rove. The way McHenry went after Pelosi for her plane and Democrats for the timing of the Foley emails, everyone involved must have known that he would go after the DA for even the most well-founded legitimate charges.

Lands and Bell said this to the Shelby Star:

Former District Attorney Mike Lands, now a District Court judge, received the investigative file into Lay’s case from the State Board of Elections in mid-November and then gave it to Bell in mid-December, he said.

Lands said he told Bell that this case would be waiting for him when he took office Jan. 1.

Bell offered a similar account, saying he “inherited” the case. “The investigation began under Mr. Lands and it was completed under me,” he said.

But I'm not convinced by what Lands and Bell say publicly. It sure looks like Lands dragged his feet on this case. The attacks on Bell make it clear life must have been rough for the former prosecutor and his assistants. The public deserves to know why it took so long.

Nicknames for McHenry at Daily Kos

While we all enjoy Patty's recent "popularity in the media," hop over to Daily Kos and participate in their nicknaming poll. (Scroll down to the bottom.) Here are the current standings:

What should McHenry's nickname be?
McDouchebag
22% 690 votes

McBarneyFrank'sBitch
21% 666 votes

McAsshat
22% 690 votes

McHypocrite
17% 535 votes

McDickhead
18% 559 votes

3140 votes

Don't you think they should have offered McWhiner.

Peeved McHenry refers to woman as a man

This is just too good. A c-span video at Think Progress:

McHenry video

Money, Pharms, and Votes

From . Turner's post at BlueNC

Every politician dreads the moment when the special interest group which paid for their campaign is in direct opposition to the well-being of the citizens they were elected to represent. Such is the case with Senator Burr, Senator Dole, and the pharmaceutical industry. Last week the Senate blocked a bill which would have allowed the government to negotiate lower drug prices on the 2003 Medicare Drug Bill. The vote was 55 “yes” (49 Democrats, 6 Republicans) and 42 “no” (42 Repubs, 1 Dem). 60 “yes” votes were required to pass the bill. Senators Burr and Dole voted no.
. . .
That Senator Burr and Senator Dole are indebted to the pharmaceutical industry is not in dispute. Both senators have accepted significant contributions from the pharmaceutical industry. Richard Burr, who received more money from drug companies than any congressional candidate in 2004, has a career total of $585,149. Elizabeth Dole’s career total is “only” $208,672. However, most of that money was when she was elected in 2002 and ranked 4th on the pharmaceutical industry contribution list. Since she is running for re-election in 2008, I would be shocked if she is not in the top three this election cycle.

For North Carolina citizens, the 2003 version of the Medicare Drug Bill short-changes them in two ways. First, it is fiscally irresponsible. This is a I.2 trillion dollar entitlement, with drug company profits estimated at 139 billion dollars. As taxpayers, we are responsible for paying all of the bills, but have no ability to control any of the costs. Why not let the efficiencies of the free-market work for the taxpayers, for once? Secondly, it is morally irresponsible. Partly to maintain drug company profits, a gap in coverage (the “doughnut hole”) is required. Unlike other forms of insurance, Medicare Part D has a bizarre gap in coverage between $2,250 and $5,100 of drug expenses. This makes no medical sense since it effectively penalizes the sickest patients; usually those with chronic illness who can least afford an interruption in their medication. Allowing the government to negotiate drug prices would signal a shift of power from corporate interests back to the people, where it belongs.

Submitted by Drama Queen who is not available to post today.

Information Slowly Getting Out

The blog world is on fire with news of the indictment of the Congressman Pat's former campaign worker...newspapers and television are slowly catching on. McHenry released a statement quoted in this Hickory Daily Record article.

“Aaron is an ethical law student whom I know to be a good Christian and law-abiding citizen,” McHenry’s statement read. “It’s unfortunate that political opponents chose to target this young man in order to attack me. In the end, the facts and the law are on the side of this decent, law-abiding student, and he will be found innocent of this baseless attack.”

In the same article McHenry's former campaign manager, Jason Deans, is quoted as saying:

“This whole episode is nothing more than a shameful political witch hunt that could sully a young man’s career. The congressman’s political opponents have repeatedly distributed misleading material about these false allegations, almost perfectly synchronized with the questionable actions of the district attorney.”

The question is why weren't McHenry and Dean weren't worried about this young man's reputation when he was voting for McHenry. The issue arises in every political scandal
"what did the candidate know, and when did he know it?" Those are the questions the Congressman will be answering soon.

BREAKING NEWS

The voter fraud investigation rumors are proving true. CBS News is reporting a key McHenry campaigner has been indicted. The person indicted is a former field director for McHenry that cast a vote in the district while allegedly maintaining a residence out of state. That is all the info I have for now, but as it emerges we will keep you posted.

So, I'll bite, let's talk voter fraud

At least that's what some 10th District Republicans want us to do.

I'm sure they'd like us to help them take McHenry down before the general election. Then they could have a better chance at beating the Democratic candidate. You know, with a more ethical and likable Republican . . . So, I'm not sure that I should help them. But voter fraud is voter fraud. And if local Republicans have the guts to clean house, I say power to 'em.

It's pretty hard to find anyone (with enough access to know anything) who will go on the record dishing dirt on a sitting Congressman . . . except for the always-intrepid folks at the North Carolina Conservative. They have been joined in this fight by two newcomers: the Donnie Young Exploratory Committee website, and an apparent sister site, theYou Decide blogspot.

The original story that will not die is of 6 people who lived at then-candidate Pat McHenry's Cherryville house during the 2004 primary season. Michael Aaron Lay was paid by the campaign listing an address in Tennessee but he registered to vote in Gaston County. It's illegal in North Carolina to register to vote when you have no intention of remaining, much less never really moved here.

[Scroll down to "Page 10" at You Decide for jpegs of documents showing Lay's registration. "Page 19" shows campaign disbursements reported by the McHenry campaign to the FEC to Lay using a Tennessee address.]

But it's not just that these folks want the seemingly uncooperative Gaston County Republican district attorneys to investigate and prosecute their complaints. These self-described "real" conservatives have tied their 2004 McHenry voter fraud accusations to a recent Moore County case, where allegations of voter fraud among the staff surfaced last year in the entertaining Joe Boylan campaign. And NCC posted with these two seemingly separate items the resignation from Laura Harvey, an Iredell Young Republican Committeewoman who had to step down following "allegations that she improperly registered to vote in Mecklenburg County."

The North Carolina Conservative connects two of these cases to a specific consulting firm:

The Stewart Group was the campaign consultant for both the McHenry and Boylan campaigns.

According to an NCC reprint of a Moore County Independent article (that I could not find archived), the two staffers in the Boylan case originally got their jobs through Dee Stewart, former McHenry campaign manager and Congressional chief of staff.

A Raleigh-based Dee Stewart has a listing on the with the American Association for Political Consultants that links to a "coming soon" website titled The Stewart Group, Inc. There was a Douglas F. Stewart III who worked for McHenry's first campaign and staff. According to Legistorm, he was paid $25,422.23 for the first three months of 2005 as McHenry's chief of staff. Also, Douglas F. Stewart III registered in Raleigh as a Republican in March, 2001.

What makes these cases so unlikely to be investigated has been summed up in a letter to Donnie Young from State Board of Elections Counsel Don Wright (page 26). According to Wright, to challenge a vote one must reside in the county in question. That sounds ludicrous. If a law is broken, why can't anyone go to a magistrate? And if no one has challenged these allegedly illegal voters in Moore and Gaston counties, why should we care?

North Carolina Conservative Coalition Chair Donnie Young has created the website Donnie Young Exploratory Committee. [Does he hope to replace dear Pat? He will only say, "I'm exploring the possibility."] On his site, the bulk of the material has to do with McHenry's 2004 registered housemates. At You Decide, Young posted this:

Every true North Carolinian should be concerned when there is evidence of irregularities" in our elections, especially when they involve people coming in from out of state.
. . .
Six people registered to vote using Patrick McHenry's small home in Cherryville as their residence. In order to register to vote in NC you must have residency. Residency is defined as the intent to make a place your "permanent" home. If all six of the people who moved into and registered to vote at 1100 Requa Road, Cherryville, NC, intended that to be their "permanent" home I would be very much surprised . . .

From the Exploratory Committee website:

"Can someone come to NC from out of state or move from out of district for the temporary purpose of assisting in a campaign and claim residency in order to vote? This same conduct has occurred in other elections and seems to be acceptable to the SBOE since they are aware of the conduct and have taken no action.

If it is acceptable for campaign workers to move temporarily into a district and register to vote then this needs to be communicated to everyone who is running for public office so that there is an "even playing field". If it is not acceptable then it is a matter for the District Attorney's office to determine if this conduct constitutes "fraudulent" registration . . . a felony in North Carolina."

Now that I've bored you with all this crap, I still have to wonder: is this miniwebswarm really about voter registration? Or is it about pushing the voter fraud allegations to see if some enterprising DA can squeeze something more interesting out of these former McHenry and/or Stewart staffers? And, if so, why aren't any Democratic officials jumping on board? Is it true their hands are tied by election law? Or are they, like me, reluctant to help Republicans take down one of their own when the replacement might be a tougher opponent next fall?

And, are these allegations linked somehow to the indictment rumors started by investigators from the CBS Evening News, Wall Street Journal, and Charlotte Observer?

I know. I know. I'm asking more questions than I'm answering. And just to get this far, I have sifted through masses of rumors and innuendos of federal subpoenas, "beards," and extortion plots against Republican candidates. If you have anything to add, particularly if you are willing to go on the record, contact Pat Go Bye Bye using the email link on the lower left of this site.

McHenry at Civitas last month

McHenry fundraising? Not so good

From the Charlotte Observer:

Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-Cherryville, raised $118,000, had $123,000 in the bank, and carried $90,500 in debt on a 2004 bank loan.

Here's their report on the rest of North Carolina's congressional delegation:

Shuler's penchant for raising money, which he ably displayed last fall in his upset of incumbent Charles Taylor, hasn't skipped a beat since he's been in office.In the first three months of 2007, he raised more than $220,000, a large majority of it coming from special interest groups. Shuler, whose campaign had about $202,000 in cash as of March 31, is already being targeted for ouster by national Republicans who want to reclaim the western Carolina seat.

Another lawmaker who had a hard-fought scramble for political survival, Rep. Robin Hayes, took in nearly $163,000 for the quarter, more than a third of it from political action committees. The Concord Republican had $176,000 in cash and $23,000 in debt, according to newly released records on file with the Federal Election Commission.

. . .

Also sitting on substantial nest eggs are Rep. Howard Coble, R-Greensboro, with about $705,000, including $62,000 pulled in this year, and Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-Banner Elk, who had $691,000 in the bank, about $69,000 from this year's fund-raising.

Here's a tally of how the campaigns of other regional lawmakers fared in the first quarter of 2007 compiled from FEC records:

Rep. Mel Watt, D-Charlotte, raised $4,700 in the period and had $56,000 in the bank.

Rep. Sue Myrick, R-Charlotte, raised $84,000 and had $43,000 in cash.

Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., raised $119,000, and had about $199,000 in the bank and $44,000 in debt, a loan from himself incurred in 1984.

So it looks like McHenry's trailing his peers. Wonder why?

Keeping track of McHenry

There are many ways to evaluate your congressman. Here are just a few:

Govtrack concludes:

Patrick McHenry has sponsored 12 bills since Jan 4, 2005, of which 11 haven't made it out of committee (Average) and 1 were successfully enacted (Average, relative to peers). McHenry has co-sponsored 268 bills during the same time period (Few, relative to peers).

Open Secrets gives a great financial overview of the special interests that back McHenry:

1 Commercial Banks $94,249
2 Leadership PACs $90,913
3 Real Estate $85,741
4 Health Professionals $82,800
5 Insurance $75,000
6 Retired $48,365
7 Securities & Investment $48,250
8 Beer, Wine & Liquor $37,300
9 Lawyers/Law Firms $33,033
10 Accountants $32,314
11 Finance/Credit Companies $29,250
12 Retail Sales $28,900
13 Pro-Israel $27,500
14 Food & Beverage $25,300
15 Textiles $24,700
16 Misc Manufacturing & Distributing $23,700
17 Lobbyists $21,000
18 Automotive $18,500
19 Pharmaceuticals/Health Products $16,250
20 Electric Utilities $16,000

I highly recommend you explore the open secrets site for other McHenry nuggets like this one on personal finances:

Net Worth: $301,018 to $877,000

And this one on top contributors:

1 National Beer Wholesalers Assn $25,000
2 American Bankers Assn $18,000
3 Bank of America $16,999
4 Commscope Inc $15,900
5 Wachovia Corp $15,250
6 Every Republican is Crucial PAC $15,000
7 Independent Community Bankers of America $12,000
8 Hickory Furniture Mart $11,100
9 Patrick Yarns $11,000
9 Reynolds American $11,000
11 KPMG LLP $10,704
12 Desert Caucus $10,000
12 Independent Insurance Agents of America $10,000
12 National Auto Dealers Assn $10,000
12 Outback Steakhouse $10,000
16 Freedom Project $9,999
17 American Society of Anesthesiologists $8,500
18 General Electric $8,250
19 Corning Inc $8,050
20 NorPAC $8,000

Project Vote Smart falsely claims this background for Pat:

Professional Experience:
Sales, Small Business
Special Assistant, United States Department of Labor.

but let's not hold that against them. On the positive side, Project Vote Smart has a great section on how interests groups rate him, his voting records, and his public statements and speeches.

They also have a survey on their positions on the issues but since Pat hasn't answered it, there's a spot to request he do so. That might be worth a few clicks on your keyboard. Congressmen respond more to constituents than to government watchdog groups.

News roundup: What's going on in the 10th

[Photos by Lynn Willis.]

NC's 10th congressional district is on fire. Literally.

The most recent, pictured at right, burned 750 acres in Linville Gorge. It still burns.

Near Blowing Rock last week, 120 acres burned in the national forest around Globe.

Two weeks ago a smaller fire burned 60 acres in Linville Gorge.

104 jobs lost, 160 jobs gained

According to the Hickory Daily Record:

HICKORY -- A Hickory-based sock maker will shed 104 jobs in a second round of layoffs this year.

International Legwear Group will eliminate the jobs at its Hickory and Hildebran locations beginning June 29, according to a document the company filed with the city of Hickory with notification of a layoff.

The cuts come after the company announced its intention to cut 186 jobs in March, April and June. Affected employees have been notified of the move, according to the WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notice.

Also from the Hickory Daily Record:

HICKORY -- A cost-cutting move at Thomasville Furniture Industries looks like good news for the Greater Hickory Metro, which will gain more than 160 jobs.

Thomasville parent company Furniture Brands International on Friday said it will close three Thomasville plants, consolidating their operations into plants in Hickory and Lenoir.

Closing this summer will be Thomasville’s Plant 3 and Plant 4 upholstery operations, both in Troutman; and its Plant C case goods factory in Thomasville.

The upholstery work will be moved to Plant 9 in Hickory. Case goods work will be moved to Lenoir.

A Thomasville official said approximately 164 workers in Troutman will be offered jobs in Hickory. Thomasville employs about 400 people in the Hickory area.

No jobs will be created in Lenoir, where Thomasville already employs about 650, he said.

Furniture Brands, which also owns Broyhill, Lane, Henredon, Drexel Heritage and Maitland-Smith, said approximately 150 jobs will be cut as a result of the Thomasville plant closings.

As part of the same manufacturing realignment, Furniture Brands said it will eliminate about 80 executive and administrative employees and eliminate approximately 100 manufacturing workers.

Gaston business leader lobbies for parkway funds

In the Charlotte Observer:

Elyse Hillegass, president of the Gaston County Chamber of Commerce, was among a half-dozen business leaders in Washington last week to discuss the region's needs with lawmakers and agency staff.She says her top priority was lobbying for funding for the Garden Parkway, the proposed road between western Mecklenburg County and Catawba.

"It's pretty obvious most of the transportation dollars go to the eastern part of North Carolina," said Hillegass, who was a guest of Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-Cherryville.

NC DOT website for what they call the Gaston County East-West Connector. 2003 announcement of original funding.

18 months and counting

It's hard to believe that six months has already passed since election day.

We now have 546 days until election day 2008. That's just under 18 months, which isn't very long considering a couple of other facts.

It will be another nine months before we're likely to know who our Presidential candidate will be. Then probably another three months after that until North Carolina holds its primary and we know who all our other candidates will be.

In other words, we basically have 12 months to plan, and then 6 months to campaign.

Considering we are trying to put some Democrats in the Electoral College for the first time in 32 years, we better get busy. If we're going to turn North Carolina blue on the presidential map we need to use our time wisely.

Over the next year that means engaging in strategic planning and establishing real relationships with our voters (through canvassing). We must create a solid foundation upon which that last six-month sprint to election day will be based.

Very few of our counties have a solid enough foundation now. With county conventions behind us, however, our leadership teams are in place.

We also have a tremendous head start in that our state chair has written a Guide to Strategic Planning for County Democratic Parties that is available free to county chairs. It walks the county party through every step in the planning process, and results in a blueprint and a timeline for the county party's growth. Then it's just a matter of following the plan.

In the blogosphere we're endlessly discussing who is ahead and who might run and every permutation and combination of this ticket or that one for this office or that. The point is, it doesn't matter who our candidates are if we can't help them get elected. Our county and district parties need to be well organized, with good plans in place, if we are to be of any help to our candidates.

And that work starts needs to start in earnest right now.

The great football coach Vince Lombardi used to yell at his players if they showed up ten minutes early for practice. "If you're ten minutes early you're five minutes late," he would say. He expected them to arrive fifteen minutes early so they would be well prepared when the practice began. His teams won championships.

18 months and counting.

A New Hybrid

These days the vehicles most in-demand seem to be the hybrids -- a combination of evolving designs with the best of new technology, fueled by a new mixture of energies.

What's hot on the highways also holds true for political parties.

With North Carolina's Democratic county party conventions now behind us, party builders are elated. Statewide, we have more than 50 new county chairs heading up our county parties. Most of these are folks who have been driven by their political passions to become increasingly involved. Many of them are technologically astute and are tuned in to new methods for communicating with our voters and turning them out on election day.

The county chairs who were re-elected carry a tremendous amount of institutional knowledge and experience. They, too, are deeply committed to improving our results at the ballot box and to building an infrastructure for the next 20 years.

Eighteen months from election day, county parties are energized. Although statewide results haven't been tabulated, turnout at county conventions probably surpassed any off-year total in history. A few examples I've heard about -- more than 150 turned out in Polk, more than 200 in Yancey, over 100 even in Wilkes, where we're outnumbered by R's 55-30.

With the national party's Vote Builder (an evolution of the VAN) ramping up to come on line, we'll have the tools we need to create an historic result in 2008. Now it's a matter of completing construction of our new vehicle (through strategic planning and trainings) and capitalizing on the new energy that is increasingly available.

What does all this point to if we create appropriate plans and keep our eye on the prize? Can you say Blue State in '08? North Carolina hasn't tallied any Democratic electoral votes since 1976. Let's never forget what's at stake.

Fallout from McHenry's tirade on MSNBC

Pat Go Bye Bye has already reported on McHenry's appearance with Chris Matthews on MSNBC last week.

You can learn what happened to the peeved Congressman afterwards from The Hill:

No doubt Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s “Hardball,” can be a blabbermouth.

So what’s a congressional guest to do?

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) recently appeared on the show with Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.). Davis is passive and quiet when someone else is mid-tirade.

McHenry? Not so quiet.

The subject matter was the war in Iraq. But what’s important was the tone of the discussion.

At one point McHenry grew so exasperated by Matthews’s interruptions that he snapped, “If you’re going to fight me on your show, Chris, let me answer a question for God’s sakes.”

Matthews momentarily let up, but never apologized for the testy moment. “Chris is an equal-opportunity interrupter,” said Davis.

McHenry wasn’t so sure. “Normally he’ll allow you to finish a sentence,” he said, adding, “Chris is great because he’s in your face.”

After the show, McHenry and his spokesman, Aaron Latham, went to meet their driver, as arranged by the show’s producers, to take them back to Capitol Hill.

But where was their driver? After no driver would admit to belonging to them, McHenry again grew upset.

Finally, the driver of a black Town Car perked up when asked if anyone was there for “Hardball with Chris Matthews.”

“We cabbed it over,” said Latham, but “after an interview like that there was just absolutely no way we weren’t taking his car for ourselves.”

Latham reasoned, “At the end of the day, which is worse: to get berated on national TV or not get a ride home? In that sense we’re all even.”