Smith: Not absentee

The answer is here.

Thanks for raising the question. 

— RTB 

And how do Democrats find the standing to complain about votes when many issues, supported by wide margins of our citzens, were allowed to die with no debate, discussion or vote on the GA floor

Which issues would they be?

Why is it that whenever someone asks a question about a candidate - a valid question, as kimkim did, they are immediately asked "Are you on so and so's payroll?"

It's a valid question: Did Smith collect per diem for the days he decided that campaigning was more important than doing the job he was elected to do? I mean - if he made a value judgment, he made a value judgment. But the people of NC, who pay that per diem, have a right to know.

It's a type of gerco.

— RTB 

On sports blogs I use a screen name that does not identify me. It's much more dangerous there.

what is a guebe?

Do you think that by writing a COMMENT with CAPITAL letters you can turn your IGNORANCE into FACTS?

I'm SURE you do, otherwise you would not be trading in RUMORS and LIES.

For the RECORD, I am not, have not been, and will not be an employee or volunteer for ANY campaign, including the campaign of Beverly Perdue. And if you had any INTEGRITY, you would have checked out that FACT before you spewed your VILE.

The next time you want to PRETEND like you KNOW the person you're ATTACKING, get the name right. My name is JAMES.

gercohen leaves little to figure out for the informed screen name outer.

Well put, Mr. Hen.

— RTB 

Yes, you're partially correct that he missed 318 votes this past session but were any of those bills decided by one vote? Would Fred's vote have made the difference between it passing or failing? No.

Session is merely a scripted show for those to watch. Every now and then, people will try to disrupt the script and pull a quick one on the Senate floor but it rarely works because votes are typically a guaranteed thing by the time it reaches the floor in the Senate. The majority of the dirty work is done in committees where an issue that splits down party lines is more likely to be challenged and where a bill is actually crafted, amended, and prepared before NCGA leadership decides whether or not the bill will be heard on the floor of the House/Senate. If someone looks at the majority of votes missed they occurred after July 1st, the failed deadline for the budget and when most committee work had been finished for the session.

Lastly, some of the votes (25) that Fred missed were votes where he had an ethical excuse for not voting. For example, Sen. Smith did not vote on SB 658 "Amend Bank and Trust Company Assessments", which posed a conflict of interest for Senator Smith. Rather than criticizing Senator Smith for his missed votes, one would think he should be lauded for following the ethics rules put in place in the past few sessions to ensure public confidence.

Lastly, while he did miss votes it is unfair to say that the Senator neglected his work. These accusations are merely a political ploy by outside groups just trying to throw mud early in the campaign. Democrats' noses aren't clean either if that's the case. I believe it was Sen. Jenkins that randomly took off a few weeks to go play golf in Las Vegas (it may have been nesbitt, can't remember exactly which). Maybe someone could look at their records as well.

or you can use a screen name that identifies you.

OK, everybody, let's take a deep breath here.

Anglico has been open on BlueNC about his support for Perdue, but he says he's not a paid staffer and I have no evidence to the contrary.

That said, if we started removing anyone who's a paid staffer or volunteer, I think we'd be left with the Democrackkk guy, am I right?

This is a public forum, and it's a fairly open one for now. You guys can slug it out, but try to be a little more civil about it.

On the issue of "outing" screen names and real identities, our current policy neither prohibits nor encourages it. Readers? Care to weigh in?

— RTB

"I'm really hoping you folks in the Fred campaign get your act together and fight off Graham and Orr to win the primary."

I'm sure you do Jim, I'm SURE you do! As a member of the Beverly Perdue campaign, you would love nothing better than to start in-fighting among the republicans. SHAME ON YOU for coming to a PUBLIC media like the News & Observer and NOT telling who you work for and what your agenda is!

You better turn your attention to the BLOODBATH that's beginning between your gal and ol' whatz-hiz-name. It's no wonder you're trying to take the attention off that situation with any lies you can spread.

Go crawl back under your little blue rock Anglico (Mr. Protzman). Your agenda has been unmasked here!

These complaints about missing votes must be looked at closer than the convenience of a soundbite.

No votes were missed that would have been won or lost with the senator's vote. This was because his absences were coordinated through the Senate GOP leadership.

How do sitting legislators seek higher office without the ability to manage their floor time with their leadership?

And how do Democrats find the standing to complain about votes when many issues, supported by wide margins of our citzens, were allowed to die with no debate, discussion or vote on the GA floor.

This whole discussion is nothing more than a diversion to distract the citizens from the reports of Democrat campaign book-cooking, and the parade of Democrat legislators and cronies walking across TV screens in handcuffs.

Memo to Smith employees:

Mr. Smith has changed corporate policy. Effective immediately, if you are not happy with management decisions, you are entitled to NOT show up for work 1/3 of the expected time. Enjoy.

I thought that the campaign fashioned a quite appealing narrative.

If Fred Smith made a little extra effort, he could have voted on important issues like renewable energy, speeding laws, and improving education for homebound disabled children. But Smith chose not to.

Someone complained in his defense that it’s hard for Smith to be in two places at the same time. The one place voters expected Smith to be was in the Senate chamber, pushing the red or green button on the issues they care about.

Click here for a list of all 318 important votes Fred Smith missed.

I'm really hoping you folks in the Fred campaign get your act together and fight off Graham and Orr to win the primary.

Any guy who rakes in millions building highways and then says "more roads" is the centerpiece of his environmental agenda deserves the Party of Greed nomination for sure.

PS Fred apparently took his ball and went home when the mean old Democrats wouldn't do things his way. Now that's what I call a little extra effort!

Below is the Fred Smith for Governor 2008 unedited response.

They Say:

This week, the North Carolina Democratic Party attacked Sen. Fred Smith’s legislative voting record. Jerry Meek, the Democratic Party Chairman blasted a press release attacking Smith’s voting record and targeted Senator Smith on the State Democratic Party web site, calling him an “absentee” state senator.

The Truth:

It doesn’t come as a surprise that the NC Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek, is already on the attack. Anyone who knows Fred Smith and who understands the General Assembly will see this attack for what it is: a political cheap shot. During Fred Smith’s Senate career, he has voted 90% of the time, casting 3,740 votes to fight the Democrats’ agenda of bigger, more intrusive government. An “absentee” senator? Hardly. The fact is that liberal Democrats will do “whatever it takes” to manipulate the legislative process in order to advance their agenda of higher taxes, more spending, and bigger government. They have sent legislation that Senator Smith introduced to die in committees that don’t meet. They have shut down debate on critical issues Senator Smith has tried to advance: like introducing a Taxpayer Protection Amendment to limit out of control government spending or a Defense of Marriage Amendment to protect traditional North Carolina values.

Fred Smith said “enough is enough.” During this recent Session, instead of playing by the Democrats’ rules (which silence debate and lock out the 19 Republican Senators from the decision-making process), he traveled to counties all across the state to meet with Republican voters and build a grassroots network that will be able to take North Carolina in a different direction, starting in 2008. Still, while attending fundraisers, hosting BBQs, and building a network that will work to elect a Republican Majority in 2008, Fred was constantly tracking important legislation and meeting with our Republican leadership on the legislation. His absence would not have changed the outcome of any single piece of legislation.

So why is the left wing already attacking Fred, eight months before the primary?

· They want to change the subject. Democratic leadership never allowed the Senate to vote on critical legislation to reduce the increasing growth of government spending, to strengthen North Carolina laws against illegal immigration, to protect private property rights, and to give our people the right to vote for the Defense of Marriage Act. Democrats don’t want to talk about why one third of our high school students are dropping out of school. They don’t want to discuss the tremendous long-term problems we now face in transportation. Pithy, sound-bite attacks are an easy way to change the subject.

· The Democrats know that Fred Smith has been standing up to their liberal agenda in Raleigh the last five years. They know that there are bold differences between their candidates, both “establishment” career politicians, and Fred. They know Fred’s broad grassroots support, extensive travel across the state, and the recent release of his autobiography, A Little Extra Effort, have given him the momentum in this race.

We know this attack by Jerry Meek won’t be the last. Fred represents the single greatest challenge to the Democrat’s continued monopoly on executive power.

kimkim, are you on the bill graham pay roll? your blatant hack attacks on Fred Smith and anyone not affiliated with Bill Graham are trite and pointless on the "under the dome" blog. if you knew anything about the general assembly you'd understand the situation, but instead you continue to side with DEMOCRATS in order to slander Fred Smith.

"As a result, Hill said, "Fred Smith said 'enough is enough'" and missed session to attend fundraisers, host barbecues around the state and build a grassroots network for his gubernatorial campaign."

So, let me get this straight. Fred said "enough is enough" and made a decision to intentionally miss votes - important and "unimportant" votes - in order to campaign for Governor? Isn't his first and primary function as an elected official to a)show up for work and b)vote?

One question - did he collect his per diem for those missed days? If he did, will he return the money to the state? The better question is why did he collect his per diem for all of those missed days?

I can't begin to state my disappointment in Sen. Smith on this topic...