Why is Pat's blog written by no one from NC?

Check out Patrick McHenry -- 10th District North Carolina

Notice something about all the posts? They're written from people not living in North Carolina.

Thursday, July 26, 2007 5:06 PM GMT
A.M. NEWS: McHenry plans virtual Town Hall meeting
WWW.SHELBYSTAR.COM writes: "U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry of Cherryville plans to hold a "Virtual Town Hall" meeting starting at 7:30 p.m. Monday, his office announced."
Read Full Story at WWW.SHELBYSTAR.COMPosted by Theodore Richardson from Sioux Falls, SD
0 Comments
Thursday, July 26, 2007 3:45 AM GMT
Democrats NOT Fiscally Responsible
Patrick McHenry?s (RN.C.) district. Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) last year supported 14 of 19 of Flake?s challenges. This year, Matheson has supported only ...
Read More
Posted by Melanie Rodriguez from Ann Arbor, MI
0 Comments
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 2:35 AM GMT
Campaigns helped by lawmakers own PACs
I heard about this and just found this story.
"Patrick McHenry, the sophomore Republican from Cherryville. Last year, MC PAC spent more than $5000 on a golf fundraiser at the Grandfather Mountain Country ..."
Full Text
Posted by Todd Paul from Irvine, CA
0 Comments
Thursday, July 19, 2007 11:14 AM GMT
House Members Battle Over Pork
Nathan wrote:
I came across this post today and thought I would pass it along.
"WASHINGTON - The House killed The Perfect Christmas Tree. When Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., asked for federal tax dollars to expand a commercial development in rural western North Carolina known as the Home of the Perfect Christmas Tree, the House turned him down flat."
Would anyone care to comment on this?
Read More Here
Posted by Nathan Blake from Oceanside, CA
0 Comments
Thursday, July 19, 2007 10:25 AM GMT
4th UPDATE:Bernanke:Fed To Propose Ban On Some Mtge Practices
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Wednesday the central bank would likely propose banning certain mortgage practices across the lending industry to bolster its consumer protection efforts.
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Posted by Alex Baldwin from Miramar, FL
0 Comments
Thursday, July 19, 2007 8:24 AM GMT
Few Dems back Flake?s challenge
My research with Donna lead me to this.
"Just two Democrats, Reps. Chris Carney (Pa.) and Jim Cooper (Tenn.), supported a Tuesday challenge to Rep. John Murtha?s (D-Pa.) so-called $1 million ?mystery? earmark."
Read more
Posted by Maria Stephens from Coral Springs, FL
0 Comments
Wednesday, July 18, 2007 9:43 PM GMT
House axes Perfect Christmas Tree - Winston
My research with Ida lead me to this.
"Patrick McHenry, R-10th, asked for federal tax money to expand a commercial development in rural Western North Carolina known as the Home of the Perfect ..."
Read more
Posted by Margaret Nelson from Columbia, SC
0 Comments
Wednesday, July 18, 2007 7:13 PM GMT
Drug officials visit to NC draw criticism
Clara Wrote: Here's one for you - "Patrick McHenry and Charles Taylor in their home districts in August. The meetings, each with local sheriffs, were held behind closed doors but highlighted ..."
Read story here
Posted by Clara Mathis from Orlando, FL
0 Comments
Wednesday, July 18, 2007 8:26 AM GMT
Drug czars visit questioned
Zachary wrote:
I came across this post Wednesday.
"A visit from the White House drug czar to western North Carolina last year has raised questions in a congressional investigation into the politicization of the national drug policy office."
Would anyone care to comment?
Read More Here
Posted by Zachary Hicks from Santa Rosa, CA
0 Comments

Get ready to ask Pat the tough questions

McHenry plans to take questions from the internet, that is, live blog on Monday, July 30. Check out his website. Instructions from his website say to click on the bannera t 7:30 p.m. I think we should go in advance, don' t you?

So be thinking about questions . . . .

McHenry calls Democrats "burdened by their gluttony"

On Go Blue Ridge dot net Laruen Ohnesorge writes:

Through an article in yesterday’s Washington Times, Avery County Representative Patrick McHenry predicted an impending government shutdown.

However, I did a search of the Washington Times and found no mention of McHenry. Just in case, I checked the Post and nothing there either. But perhaps it's not in an online version.

McHenry wrote that in 1995, a “newly anointed Congressional majority seeking to assert its power… had a head-on collision with a president in desperate search for political relevance after a crushing electoral defeat.” The result? According to McHenry, the outcome was a government shutdown. Twelve years later, McHenry sees parallels, saying President George W. Bush has drawn a “line in the sand,” promising to veto any spending bill that exceeds his administration’s request. Bush has been using what McHenry calls “the veto pen,” and according to McHenry, Democrats, who know he will use the pen, send him legislation anyway, including a timeline for leaving Iraq. McHenry called last November’s election results “a clear mandate… against wasteful spending in Washington,” and concludes by saying a repeat of 1995 could be what Republicans need to “ensure voters understand we heard them loud and clear.”

“It appears likely the Democrats,” he wrote, “… burdened by their gluttony- will hand Republicans that opportunity.”

Yeah, right. Burdened by gluttony. How can that be? This is the most obstructionist minority in history. So what is this gluttony the Democrats have, Pat? Certainly not the gluttony to pay 14 billion dollars a month for a war Americans never needed. Certainly not the gluttony to amass a 1.4-million-dollar war chest to run against someone who raised only 20 thousand? What's all this about gluttony, Pat?

Local folks highlighted in national press

The Nation just wrote about WNC as an example of Howard Dean's 50-state strategy. They highlighted the successes of Watauga County (and Chair Diane Tilson) and Polk (and Chair Margaret Johnson) and Heath Shuler and our own Mark Hufford.

They even mentioned my own post about Margaret at BlueNC

Here's the link. Check it out!

Now, let's work to have the 10th be North Carolina's next success story!

Pat's PAC pays for Pat

The Charlotte Observer has uncovered a nice little scam. Politicans, like our dear Pat, start up PACs, get solicit hefty donations through those oh-so-noble-sounding organizations. Then donate the money to . . . guess who? Themselves.
Here's more of the story:

Political action committees allow money to be raised from the same sources, as well as from others who have already maxed out in giving to their regular campaign funds. It also allows them to give more money to their colleagues.

One of the newest ones, formed in 2006, is the More Conservatives PAC of Rep. Patrick McHenry, the sophomore Republican from Cherryville.

Last year, MC PAC spent more than $5,000 on a golf fundraiser at the Grandfather Mountain Country Club and the Eseeola Lodge in Linville.

It's not just a Republican deal.

Among the contributions in the last year to Rep. Mel Watt's committee, called Motivating Energetic Leadership, were $5,000 from Wachovia and $5,000 from a health care company called DaVita. The Charlotte Democrat's MEL PAC gave $5,000 to Larry Kissell, the Biscoe teacher who tried to unseat Hayes last year.

But the Republicans are all over the concept:

Hayes has his own ROBIN PAC, short for Reinforcing Our Beliefs in North Carolina.

Other leadership PACs by Carolina lawmakers include Sharp Pencil, by Rep. Howard Coble, a Republican from Greensboro; Leadership Circle, by Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-NC; Next Century Fund by Sen. Richard Burr, R-NC; MINT PAC by Sen. James DeMint, R-SC; and Fund for America's Future, by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC. Off and On the Hill

Club Fed has no pool

That's what they call this training center I'm visiting. And, after getting past the security guy with a gun strapped to his thigh, I searched everywhere for a pool. But I finally found an unmarked dirt trail that led down to the river. No one else was there but a great blue heron. Oh, and these two:



It's officially called the National Conservation Training Center. I'm a guest of Mr. D.Q., who's here with a bunch of Wildlife Refuge managers and leaders of their associated "friend's groups." It's outside Sheperdstown, WV (near Harper's Ferry). Beautiful place, deer everywhere. And they're really into conservation and recycling and gorgeous rugs and mission furniture and photos of every conservationist you haven't heard of.

I'm in Aldo Leopold lodge. (He founded the Wilderness Society, which is why there is the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, among others.) There are a lot of Ranger Ricks and Ritas here but I like the guy that drove from California, because he gets stripped every time he flies. He had a Fish and Wildlife Service badge on one shoulder of his cami jacket and an Earth First (no compromise) badge on the other.

And there's great food here. But the trail to the river is not only unmarked and even hidden. Of course, the deer probably appreciate that. And perhaps that's what it's all about.

McHenry website rated lowest in NC delegation

In the Sunlight Foundation's survey of Congressional websites, Patrick McHenry rates an unimpressive 16 percent. The average score was 29. The foundation considered a rating of 40 as "passing." The survey included the following questions (McHenry had only the two noted in brackets):

A list or a link to bills the member has sponsored or co-sponsored.
394 member sites have this

The name(s) of the committee(s) and subcommittee(s) on which the member serves.
465 member sites have this [including McHenry]

Links to the Web sites of the committee(s) on which the member serves.
360 member sites have this

Statements or links to statements inserted into the congressional record by the member.
250 member sites have this

A page or email address to contact the member electronically.
532 member sites have this [inlcuding McHenry]

Personal Financial Disclosure (which lists the member’s assets and sources of income)
0 member sites have this

Member/Officer Reimbursed Travel Expense Disclosure (filed when a third party pays for a member or staffer's junket)
0 member sites have this

Expenses charged to the Member Representational Allowance (for Representatives) or the Official Office Expense Allowance (for Senators)
0 member sites have this

Information on franked mail, including copies of letters and cost of sending them.
0 member sites have this

A public calendar with the member's schedule, including attendees and subjects of meetings.
6 member sites have this

A list of earmarks sponsored by the member.
6 member sites have this

Information on a member's interventions with or correspondence to regulatory agencies?
1 member sites have this

Results are from March 2007. Here are the scores of the rest of the North Carolina delegation:

Representatives

Butterfield, G K (D) 32%
Coble, Howard (R) 24%
Etheridge, Bob (D) 24%
Foxx, Virginia (R) 24%
Hayes, Robin (R) 24%
Jones, Walter B Jr (R) 32%
McHenry, Patrick (R) 16%
McIntyre, Mike (D) 40%
Miller, Brad (D) 40%
Myrick, Sue (R) 24%
Price, David (D) 24%
Shuler, Heath (D) 16%
Watt, Melvin L (D) 32%

Senators

Burr, Richard (R) 24%
Dole, Elizabeth (R) 40%