10th district newspapers cover for Pat's ineptitude

So, someone finally got the nerve to ask McHenry about his finances. A 70-year-old woman. And McHenry didn't know what to say. So, he then insisted that all remaining questions be written. You see, he can't handle surprises. But you won't read about it in the Lincoln Tribune coverage.

In Cleveland County last week, a Viet Nam veteran asked him "What does a terrorist look like? Describe a terrorist for me." Pat stared for a moment right at the gentleman and then refused to take anymore questions, closing the open meeting abruptly almost an hour and a half early. But you won't read about that in the Shelby Star (although they did cover the pharmacists rebellion.)

It's tough being out in public. Especially when real people crash the staged events. Especially when they're respectful older women or aunts of three-tour veterans or Viet Nam vets. You can't have your people boo at those kinds of people.

So, on to Plan B: make the "open public forum" as phony as his "virtual town hall." (Hey Aaron Latham, still haven't gotten your response to my email asking for the list of questions McHenry was asked but refused to answer that night.)

The big questions was initially posed by constituent and fellow Republican Dennis Benfield on his website and then at the Hickory Daily Record. Mainly, what gives with the unexplained (and undocumented in FEC required records) growth in his net worth over the last three years. By several accounts (and we'll soon have the video to show you) poor pat was "stunned" and didn't respond "for the longest time." When he did, he told the audience "there's not a word of truth in that article." She said she knew Mr. Benfield, and she was sure he wasn't "making up" the figures. She said he awkwardly moved on to the next question, and after that, insisted that questions be written down on paper and given to him.

Another witness called the incident a "meltdown."

McHenry supporters "laughed and clapped when they thought he had scored one." He announced that one constituent, Linda Osbon, was from MoveOn dot org to their moans, but she informed him she was not with that organization.

Linda asked about the companies in Iraq that were profiteering from the war . . . namely Haliburton. Pat's typically smirky response blamed Clinton. (He blamed Clinton for all American's problems during his last campaign to the giggles of most Democrats.)

According to another witness, Pat "just as well called one man a liar, when the guy confronted him with remarks he made at a Valdese at a meeting."

Judy Gilbert of Lincolnton led off with a question on Iraq. She told me it was questioning why he voted against a "bill to give our soldiers equal time at home as the time served." His answer, according to Judy, was that the bill had loopholes which could send soldiers from one place to another (such as Iraq and then to Afghanistan and then on to some other place and calling it their tour).

The Lincoln paper has a completely different version of the evening. This is how they characterized McHenry's response to Judy's question:

McHenry’s answer was swift, decisive and garnered a thunderous round of applause from the audience.

It was so falsely sweet you'd think you were back in the fifties when bisexuality was neither discussed nor (horrors!) practiced by Congressmen and when abortions were neither discussed nor legal. And, of course, they weren't forced on interns. Ah, the good ol' days. The Lincoln paper has just one gigantic credibility problem.

McHenry and Lincoln Tribune publisher Jason Saine have done business together, a political consulting firm called Tech 5 corp dot com. Here's the Tech 5 Corporation archived website files. They mysteriously disappeared from the intertubes the same month Aaron Lay was indicted on voter fraud charges but it's still listed by the NC Secretary of State as an active corporation.

If you don't like the Lincoln Tribune's version of the news email the author: mayhew.jon@gmail.com

Client list for Tech 5:

Nathan Tabor, Candidate for U.S. Congress

Commissioner Dan Barrett, Candidate for Governor

North Carolina Federation of Republican Women

Bill Fletcher, Candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instructions

Bill Boyd, Candidate for Lt. Governor

Mark Hollo, Candidate for NC House

U.S. Representative, Cass Ballenger

Sherriff Dan Crawford

N.C. Representative, Joe Kiser, N.C. Majority Leader

N.C. Representative, Mark Hilton

N.C. Representative, Debbie Clary

N.C. Representative, Edgar Starnes

N.C. Representative, Tim Moore

N.C. Representative, David Lewis

N.C. Representative, Julia Howard

N.C. Senator, Robert Pittenger

N.C. Senator, Andrew Brock

N.C. Court of Appeals, Judge Eric Levinson

Candidate for U.S. Senate, Jim Snyder

Catawba County Republican Party

Davie County Republican Party

Gaston County Republican Party

North Carolina Citizens for a Sound Economy

Citizens for a Sound Economy, Washington, D.C.

Tax Pledge Calls

• U.S. Senate, North Carolina, Elizabeth Dole
• Florida Governor, Jeb Bush
• U.S. Senate, New Hampshire, John Sununu
• U.S. House, Pennsylvania, Toomey Race

County Commissioner, Carrol Mitchem

County Commissioner, James Funderburk

Clerk of Courts, Fred Hatley

N.C. Representative, Patrick McHenry

Lincoln County Public Schools

Another Question for Pat: Why do you take credit for funding you voted against?

Remember folks, there are still town halls scheduled for tonight and all next week. Here is a new question to add to the list I posted on Tuesday.

Why are you taking credit for bringing funding to the district when you VOTED AGAINST the bill?

Here's what the Statesville paper had to say. Maybe you'd want to give 'em a call to correct their mistaken impression. Oh, no, I see you've already talked to them. My bad.

McHenry, whose 10th District takes in the southern portion of Iredell County, said he was glad to have a hand in the funding.

“One million dollars [for the Statesville Regional Airport] goes a long way,” he said. “It is always a great experience working with Congresswoman Foxx - and especially now because Statesville will see the results of our concerted effort."

Thanks to Donna Roulic for this wonderful question. She writes that the bill also:

included $150,000 for the Hickory Engineering Center and $100,000 funding for the Appalachian State University at the Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute (CCC&TI) in Hudson. The CCC&TI funding provides training for local teachers as well as undergraduate education degrees.

Aaron Latham: why won't you return my emails?

I trudged all the way down to Pat's DC office.

I asked nicely.

That cute Doug dude (you know the intern from Charlotte and Clemson who doesn't live in the district and never has?) told me you'd answer my question if only I'd email you instead of stand there in the office.

So I didn't make a scene. I took no video. I played really nice.

But you haven't even said "boo."

Here's the first one:

Hi Aaron,

I'd like a copy of the questions that were submitted for the virtual town hall Monday.

I have a list of the questions Congressman McHenry answered. I need the ones he didn't answer.

Thanks.

Here's the second one:

I know you're busy but it would only take a minute to cut and paste those questions that the Congressman didn't have time to answer on Monday night's virtual town hall.

Thank you.

You know, if you're not going to answer email inquiries from the citizen press, you shouldn't (from your tiny backroom) tell nice interns like Doug to tell people like me that you will.