If you do nothing else this week, set aside five minutes to read this excellent column on wealth redistribution by NC Policy Watch's Rob Schofield.
If you do nothing else this week, set aside five minutes to read this excellent column on wealth redistribution by NC Policy Watch's Rob Schofield.
Crossposted on Amplify
Once again Colbert has proven to be the man. Check out this clip from Thursday's show about William Phillips choosing not to say the Pledge of Allegiance because gays cannot marry.
#TCOT is a twitter hashtag used on twitter to organize "Top Conservatives on Twitter."
If you do a search for #tcot on twitter, you get a firehose of right-wing extremism and snark. It's not that useful to search #tcot by itself because there is way too much to' [...]
Persons interested in North Carolina politics have been all abuzz over the last two weeks about the surprise decision of Senate Majority Leader and uber-lawmaker Tony Rand to retire.
Equally surprising – and yet still related to Senator Rand – is the most common reason for visitors [...]
Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin announced his appointment of five new members to the N.C. Joint Underwriting Association and the N.C. Insurance Underwriting Association, better known as the FAIR and Beach plans, respectively.
"I’m proud to announce the new appointees to the FAIR and Beach plan boards, and" [...]
The intrusion of god into public policy has long been a source of concern for me. It started early in my Navy career, at the Naval Academy to be precise, when roughly four thousand Midshipmen were rousted out of bed on Sunday mornings and marched off to church. We were [...]
Does anybody have any insight into this? Sounds like Mel Watt got leaned on by Obama's boys to go along with the Big Money Protection Racket.
In an unprecedented defeat for the Federal Reserve, an amendment to audit the multi-trillion dollar institution was approved by the House Finance Committee with' [...]
Our favorite irascible media tyrant is in the news once again, and once again it’s time for me to bring you a story of doing one thing while wishing for another.
In a November 6th interview, Sky News Australia’s David Speers spent about 35 minutes with the CEO of NewsCorp, Rupert [...]
I realize that budgets are tight all across America and all but I need someone to explain to me why taxes can't be raised on the rich, and only the rich for once, instead of cutting education funding. North Carolina has been run by Democrats for as long as I' [...]
The cost of bigotry idiocy
If NC state Senator Jim Forrester had his way, North Carolina taxpayers would be over $5 million poorer this November.
As he does every legislative session, Senator Forrester filed a bill this past February to write discrimination into the state constitution -- even though marriage [...]
No matter what side you're on in the Great American Abortion Debate, you'll find this article of interest. I discovered it this week in UU World, the Unitarian Universalist monthly magazine. It traces the history of religious practices around abortion, including the Catholic Church's radical change in 1917, driven' [...]
lllicitizen's blog on Heath's advising and extending his remarks using Genentech talking points is doubled down by the Smoky Mountain News this week reporting on more trouble with his dealings with TVA in East Tennessee.
Read more [...]For those following the wild dispute over the Yadkin River Dam between We the People and polluting profiteers at Alcoa, you'll find Bob Geary's story in this week's Independent to be a sight for sore eyes. I'll share a few snippets, but you'll really want to read the whole' [...]
Like most of you on this blog, I would expect, I get a minor mountain of email every day, proffering petitions to sign urging action on timely causes that I support, or begging for more money to fight the good fight for yet another day.
I try hard to sign what [...]
The composition of this picture in the New York Times is extraordinary. A combination Last Temptation, Last Supper, Moses on the Mountain, and Beatles album all rolled into one.
I've always been a supporter of Israel. Today I believe their government's continued expansion could signal the [...]
Hi Elaine:
Wish you a Happy Birthday! We are so proud of you. You will be the next US Senator from North Carolina! May your birthday wish come true! GOD Bless you and your family!
[...]
And happy birthday! We're honored that you'd squeeze in time for BlueNC tonight. Thank you.
As you've no doubt read, our community members have posted some interesting and thought-provoking questions, which we'll weave into this live blogging event.
Thanks again for visiting with us.
(Those who don't' [...]
I don't know Joe Sinsheimer, but I like how he writes, and especially what he writes. Joe gave me permission to post this letter in full, a letter from him to Governor Perdue.
__________________________________________
November 18, 2009
Governor Bev Perdue
Office of the Governor
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0301
Dear Governor Perdue,' [...]
Heath Shuler: One of the reasons I have long supported the U.S. biotechnology industry is that it is a homegrown success story that has been an engine of job creation in this country and in my home state of North Carolina.
Oh, that's cool. But that sounds familiar...
Joe Wilson: One of' [...]
To all those moderates and right of center hand-wringers who say that emergency rooms are the ultimate safety net for the uninsured, your delusions have just been dashed.
Patients who lack health insurance are more likely to die from car accidents and other traumatic injuries than people who belong to [...]
Who'd have thought I'd ever agree with Sarah Palin. This excerpt from the Atlantic, emphasis added:
"We were informed today that she (Sarah Palin) no longer wishes to do talk radio interviews in the car. It's too distracting," wrote a senior Palin adviser, in an e-mail to senior headquarters' [...]
The recent disclosure that Charlotte-based law firm, Moore & Van Allen, was working in behalf of unnamed clients against certain provisions of the proposed health care legislation (Charlotte Observer, 16 November 2009), is troubling.
They are not doing legal work; they are engaged in advocacy regarding legislation through their governmental affairs [...]
Most of what I can find about Senator Martin Nesbitt leans in the direction of positive in my view. I hope that bodes well for his tenure as majority leader in the NC Senate. A discussion I found on the Asheville Citizen Times website is encouraging.
Read more [...]We strive to be, if anything, a participatory space around here, and I’ve had a question come to my inbox that is very much deserving of our attention.
To make a long story short, our questioner wants to know why, on the one hand, despite the passage of the American Recovery [...]
That's why it's somewhat bizarre that North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr is standing behind legislation he introduced last March that would restore gun ownership rights to veterans designated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Justice as "mentally incapacitated" or "mentally" [...]
I was lucky enough to meet Kenneth Lewis this morning for a cup of coffee. We talked for an hour, sitting at the corner table at 3 Cups in Chapel Hill. I'll report more on our conversation later in the week, but I do want to tell this' [...]
As you may have read, Secretary Marshall will spend an hour with us Wednesday night, starting at 7:00. Please drop in your questions here ... just in case you aren't able to make it on Wednesday.
The chief actuary for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has delivered his scoring of HR 3962 to members of Congress and the news isn’t good. Not only does it look like the bill will wind up costing more than projected by the CBO, the pledge that the bill [...]
Because it is an excellent safety precaution that saves lives and keeps insurance costs down, North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance Wayne Goodwin this past week received both his seasonal flu vaccine and also the H1N1 vaccine.
"Stay healthy, protect yourself and your family, and fight the flu before" [...]
Wake County has only 173m, about 3.5%, of 5.1 billion alloted for NC stimulus recovery fund projects from the feds, according to Onvia Tracking. We are behind Cumberland, Wayne, and Rowan counties. We can do better and, if elected to the NC Senate in 2010, I'll work to "bring home'" [...]
For those who missed the national news, here is the real-time video of the November 10, 2009 Tennessee Ocoee Gorge rockslide.
Since late October, rockslides have closed two primary connectors between western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. The Pigeon River Gorge I-40 rockslide severed the route between Asheville, North Carolina and [...]
On Wednesday, November 18 at 7:00 p.m. we will have a live blog discussion with U.S. Senate candidate, Elaine Marshall. We are lucky that James was able to get this set up in the middle of all the frantic activity surrounding the healthcare debate and the on again, off again [...]
If you sign the Credo petition, they'll send Bob Etheridge a coathanger. See http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/send_a_coathanger/
Also see the SFGate article on what Bob and his pals really voted for (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/13/EDAM1AJ8NV.D...)
' [...]Why won't the DSCC support Elaine Marshall for U.S. Senate? Things have changed a lot here in NC since she last ran for national office in 2002. Who would have guessed that "Blue NC" would be true? That a black community organizer with the middle name ... would win in' [...]
I am greatly concerned about our society’s inability to grasp the significant threats that global warming poses. Even though there is much positive progress, the overall trend, especially with the Senate’s dithering over real climate change legislation and Copenhagen looking wobbly, is that we aren’t making enough progress fast enough.
[...]In an email to members this morning, Progressive Democrats of America calls HR 3962, "a very bad bill."
This bill is, so far, a very bad bill that will further enmesh corporations into our government and our daily lives without addressing the problem. It diminishes all of our rights, not [...]
Thank goodness. According to the Dome, the DSCC may be scrambling to find another conservative white guy to fill his non-existent shoes. If I were Elaine Marshall or Ken Lewis, I'd be ready to blow something up.
' [...]I'm not sure why this one tickled me, but here you go.
A professor at the University of Mississippi was giving a lecture on 'Involuntary Muscular Contractions' to his first year medical students. Realizing this was not the most riveting subject, the professor decided to lighten the mood slightly. He' [...]
PDNC has released a statement today that calls for the North Carolina Democratic Party to lead the fight against political corruption. We have invited Party Chair David Young (see letter here) to join us in making sure that the necessary reforms are put into [...]
Not that Mr. Kissell seems to care, but for those on his staff who track such things, many people throughout the state who worked for him are more than a little pissed. I'm talking about those who contributed to his campaign, who held fundraisers on his behalf, who knocked on' [...]
The N&O is all a-twitter today with stories about Big Bad Bob and his Senatorial dithering. Will he run? I hope he does. I'd love to watch him twist and turn, trying on one hand to defend his anti-women agenda, trying on the other hand to define the infinitesimally' [...]
You can tell a lot about the integrity of a person by the way he or she apologizes. Let's say, for example, that someone knocks you over while running toward their gate in an airport. The person could say, "Hey, I'm sorry I knocked you over" and that would be' [...]
Actually I don't watch Fox "News" - willingly. My gym has 4 tv's facing its cardio area so I do get a dose of the Fox every so often while peddling or running. You see, I have no choice; the owners of the gym always have one of the' [...]
The opinion piece below was published in the Charlotte Observer on Nov. 5, 2009. I am republishing this piece on behalf of Dean Naujoks, the Yadkin Riverkeeper (www.yadkinriverkeeper.org).
The Yadkin Riverkeeper is one of the many environmental groups in opposition to Alcoa receiving a new 50-year license from [...]
Inside the so-called mind of a pro-life hypocrite.
“I’ve had several cases over the years in which the anti-abortion patient had rationalized in one way or another that her case was the only exception, but the one that really made an impression was the college senior who was the president [...]
As reported by Vicki Hyatt, editor of The Mountaineer, the Pigeon River Gorge section of I-40 has and will continue to be a rockslide-hazardous corridor. The following is a reprint of her November 3, 2009 article “I-40: A troubled history.”
Rock slides that halt travel between Haywood and Newport, Tenn., [...]
Lenoir County, no matter what anyone thinks was transformed on Nov. 3rd. The City of Kinston elected its first Republican Mayor since Reconstruction (Congrats BJ Murphy).
With that victory also came claims of the demise of the Lenoir County Democratic Party. Well, let me just say [...]
While the Republican Party seems to most relish the outward signs of patriotism, such as waving the flag, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, and sending troops into harm’s way with aplomb, it is the Democrats who have the longer record prosecuting our nation’s wars since World War I.
Indeed, it [...]
When I think that Congress and Barack Obama allow our nation to do business with criminal mercenaries who take millions of taxpayer dollars and use that money to bribe Iraqi officials, it turns my stomach. We've known about these murdering thugs for years now, and yet' [...]
Democratic Party Against Women
Me, I'm wondering why I should bother to vote again for my congressman, Brad Miller, who seems to be just another one of the "so-called progressive men [sic] telling us to calm down and look at the big picture." The big picture' [...]
Admittedly, my ability to read tea leaves in today's political environment pretty much sucks. I was certain that Cunningham would run - and I was dead wrong. But that won't stop me from continuing to speculate about what might happen next. For example, I am happy to predict that [...]
There has been a great wailing and gnashing of teeth over the past day or so as those who follow the healthcare debate react to the Stupak/Some Creepy Republican Guy Amendment.
The Amendment, which is apparently intended to respond to conservative Democrats’ concerns that too many women were voting for the [...]
Dear Friends,
After giving a serious and thorough look at a race for the U.S. Senate, I have decided not to seek office at this time. This has been a very difficult decision, but I’m sure there will be another day and there are many other ways to serve.
I am [...]
I subscribe to a free service that delivers, in their words, "eclectic little excerpts delivered to your email every day." It's called Delancey Place and I really enjoy the diversity and depth of the entertaining, informative, and thought provoking material they send. Today's email really hit me hard. The article [...]
Whether you are deliriously happy, incredibly sad, or still uncertain about how you feel about what has emerged from the House this weekend, it’s probably safe to say that one thing everyone is...is sick of the whole thing.
Of course, we’re far from done—but just to give us all a break, [...]
Currently licensed professional counselors (LPCs) and licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) are not eligible for Medicare reimbursement. I believe that the House health care bill has a provision that would rectify this, but the Baucus Senate bill doesn't.
The request is simple enough: call Kay Hagan (202-224-6342) and Richard' [...]
According to Open Left, NC Dems who voted for the Stupak amendment to restrict women's rights:
Etheridge, Bob NC-2
McIntyre, Mike NC-7
For the last couple of years, I've been operating under the assumption that Paul Krugman was correct when he said, "Now we’re living in an age of one-letter politics, in which a politician’s partisan affiliation is almost always far more important than his or her personal beliefs."
In the various battles on Capitol Hill and elsewhere, working out the details of health care reform, many compromises have already been made. During this time, the most critical part of health care reform, the public option, has been teetering on the chopping block. I believe that many Democrats view [...]
November,2009
Much Ado About Nothing
Dear Citizen:
Another several months have flown by and yet another election cycle has come and gone. To hear the talking heads tell it, one would think that Obama was on the ballot and that the Republicans had won great victories, boding a comeback. Neither is true. This [...]
After a vote to weaken and limit coverage for women, the U.S. House passed landmark health care reform legislation.
OK, so it is bi-partisan by only one vote. Joseph Cao from Louisiana voted Yea.
[...]Ahhh, Stupak and fellow Dems and Republicans want to force women using the public option to buy a supplemental plan to cover abortions even though the Capps Amendment preserves/protects the Hyde language which basically says no federal dollars will be used to pay for abortions.
Rep. Capps said current federal language [...]
I don't know if you have been following the debate on the floor of the House, but I've noticed a trend with the last two committees given time to speak. The Republicans of (I think Ways and Means) screamed and yelled about it being a freedom killin', job killin' bill. [...]
While some national organizations have Larry Kissell listed as in the pocket of the insurance industry, when I contacted North Carolina Health Care of for American Now they said that they haven't given up on Rep. Kissell to do the right thing.
NC HCAN believes that Kissell may misunderstand the bill's [...]
If you've been following the announcements coming out about the healthcare debate over the past two days they have certainly included some mixed messages. A couple of days ago I received an email from PDA (Progressive Democrats of America) excited that Speaker Pelosi was going to allow a 20 minute' [...]
It becomes more and more obvious that health care reform is needed. In just one short Google search on the NC 11th Congressional district the following information was found. It is appalling that the amount of uninsured in the district. In a quick search of Congressman Shuler’s official website ([...]
In 2007, I was fortunate enough to become a 'reporter' by way of becoming a radio talk show host in Colorado. I began interviewing candidates in Colorado and had several candidates on my show who went on to successful victories. And, being an ex-Pat from North Carolina, I took [...]
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of listening to a group of veterans discuss the importance of working toward energy indepence. They were traveling throughout North Carolina, as well as other states, to tell about their experiences and share their view of energy independence as a national [...]
AARP and AMA support HR 3962. But LK says that the projected CBO cuts to Medicare would violate his pledge NOT to cut Medicare.
Has the insurance industry bought our Rep?
[...]
11/5/2009: So I receive this email from Kay Flaminio of Equality NC and she said no one signed up to dine with us at the ENC Gala! Wow, rejection, that sux! Is it the drive to Greensboro, or are all social calendars booked? In any case, I'm' [...]
Over the past few days we have been talking about Washington State’s Referendum 71, which was voted on this week. If passed, the Referendum will codify in law certain protections for same-sex couples.
In the first story of our three-part series we discussed Washington’s unusual vote-by-mail system; in the second we [...]
In case you haven't heard, these are Congressfolk from NC who DON'T SUPPORT HEALTHCARE REFORM. If you are from these districts, please let them know that they must stand with Democrats on reform NOW, we will not have this chance again for another generation. What is the alternative? Do nothing [...]
Some exciting news tonight. Tom "who-is-not-gay" Fetzer has invited the latest darling of the Republican fringe, conservative lunatic Doug Hoffman of New York, to give a lecture on how to lose elections in North Carolina. We can only wish Tom well in his mission to [...]
Dear friends in Chapel Hill,
It seems like forever ago that I called so many of you, as I've done too many times, to help with a fundraising event here in Orange County. In this case, I wanted to introduce you to a new candidate in North Carolina's 8th District, Larry [...]
Candidate Larry Kissell was singing a much different tune on health care reform last year than Congressman Larry Kissell is today. Take a look at our latest video.
(Link updated by James)
[...]Shame Senator Burr, Sign the petition, Look at new 2010 polling and check out a brilliant Daily Show clip. What else could you want?
Read more [...]11/5/09
Update: Still waiting to hear from Senator Burr in response to my 10/19 letter requesting an explanation of his vote against the Franken amendment. Meanwhile, it seems as if this issue will not die for Burr. See the following article at today's Huffington Post by Lawrence Lessig who refers [...]
Reprinted with permission from the author. Dave Ribar is a Professor of Economics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he teaches several graduate classes and conducts research on issues and programs related to poverty. He has previously taught at The George Washington University and at Penn State [...]
As you have no doubt read, Senator Tony Rand announced his retirement yesterday, spawning a wave of spinning from the chattering classes that will continue for months to come. Even the Wakers are weighing in, with nonsense like this from McClatchy reporter Mark Johnson, channeling Senate minority leader, [...]
Can Obama Raise The Dead?
By: Jack Dawsey
Can President Obama raise the dead? (I speak metaphorically).
I suppose the attempt to raise the dead, (and scam the living), was first tried among religious hucksters dating back to the 19th century. Apparently, their method of operation was adopted by the 21st [...]
Only in Republican WackoWorld can a woman who drove a major global corporation into the ground, and then helped crush the campaign of a mavericky presidential candidate, all the while failing to even bother to vote, be so full of herself to run for the US [...]
I'm not surprised Larry would keep his promise. I might not always agree with his fiscal conservatism, but I agree that we don't improve healthcare in this country by taking away almost $400 billion in benefits from senior citizens. What are octogenarians to do? Go get jobs for the benies?
Kissell's' [...]
There were a few actual registered Dems running for Town Council this year. Nice.
They didn't win any seats, but I was glad to see them interested enough to run, anyway. Just wish they had been interested enough to campaign like they seriously wanted to win (Rev. Cotton excluded -' [...]
All Republican challengers to council lost, including a stealth write-in campaign against Molly Leight in the South ward. Blue NC member Dan Besse (SW), successful Democratic primary challengers Derwin Montgomery (E) and James Taylor (SE), unopposed Democratic Mayor Allen Joines, and the other Democratic nominees for council in NE, N, [...]
I can barely express how excited I am to congratulate Asheville and BlueNC blogger, Gordon Smith, who won a seat on the Asheville City Council. Gordon, who blogged as Screwy Hoolie and has been blogging longer than BlueNC has been in existence, beat Republican Carl Mumpower handily. Mumpower ran for [...]
Congratulations Mark Kleinschmidt, Chapel Hill's next mayor. In the early days of BlueNC Mark posted about death penalty cases and kept us current on actions we could take to help end state sponsored killings in North Carolina. He is smart, kind and progressive. He will make a great mayor of [...]
Anthony Foxx is Charlotte's next mayor. He is the first Democrat to serve as mayor in 22 years. Turnout was around 21% and it looks like Democrats were turning out during early voting. To go along with their new mayor, Charlotte Democrats will now hold an 8-3 advantage on the [...]
Now I can't even remember where that line came from... was it Army of Darkness?
Anyway, While on are weekly excursion to B&N for coffee and book browsing, my husband and I stumbled across a book that I found to be very interesting. "The Blue Pages, 2nd Edition." is a' [...]
Just when I think North Carolina might be on the edge of the cusp of the remote possibility of intelligent leadership, misogynist Neanderthals like Health Shuler and Mike McIntrye open their self-righteous mouths and prove me wronger than wrong. This time, the two hypocrites are part of a coalition [...]
James, Haywood, nvsw, Betsy Muse, loftT, AdamSearing, Pam Spaulding, fake consultant, Jerimee, teenadvocatedan, usernamehere, usna77, Green Mom, carolinablue, RealChange08, sydfynch, Wayne Goodwin, Lynne Vogel, cgino25, RaulEOchs, zabouti, jlgolden, Leslie H, Jake, MadameJusticeWatch, ltss3yr2, crowbar317, MsSpentyouth, orgdevpro, wade norris, mtn_blue, markey mark, Gordon Smith, locallinda, Jubelirer, funluvn, DGBNHF, HallStyle, Christian Dem in NC, gregflynn, ChrisKromm, scharrison, Cook for Good, persondem, cstalberg, Jake Gellar-Goad, hbayard, Cottenclytn, Blue America, Stan, ryalcurtis, cjmalone, NCFarmTeam, FoxxIn09, TarFeel, old yeller, Cal Cunningham, Illicitizen, ronsanyal, heuer, meldridge, belfrieboi, Lovex7, randallt
