newsobserver.com projects - PACs - Comments

Re: Watchdog: College PACs are big donors

jritch77 — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:04:09 -0500

This is another example of how our "institutions of higher learning" are actually just slightly less malevolent money machines than corporations.

Re: Watchdog: College PACs are big donors

tjfoose — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:02:19 -0500

[Good example of why the UNC System should fire all its coaches.]

Hahaha... what a well thought out, cogent, lucid argument. You're an idiot.

Re: Watchdog: College PACs are big donors

igliigli — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:23:40 -0500

Good example of why the UNC System should fire all its coaches.

Re: This is getting hilarious

bnartist — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:07:08 -0400

There is no "North Carolina Alliance" and there is no mystery about the "Alliance for North Carolina" 527, previously known as the Pioneer Majority dealing with issues advocacy in Oklahoma. In 2006 it received $45,000 from the DGA. Since then it has received $24. Information is publicly available from the IRS.

The legal problems of the NC "independent expenditure committee" set up by the RGA arise because it did not receive the unlimited funds directly from individuals and that the funds came from a source commingled with unlimited corporate contributions to the RGA 527 Fund prohibited by NC law for an "independent expenditure committee". The RGA 527 accepted $135,000 in contributions this year from corporations in Charlotte and Winston-Salem.

Re: McCrory hits back on PAC money

FFC1304 — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:34:15 -0400

Sugar Dumplin is S C A R E D to publicly DEBATE!!!

Hey McCrory, use this line freely...

'My opponent is nothing but MORE CORRUPTION WITHOUT INTERRUPTION!'

USE IT, SAY it everywhere you go!

Re: This is getting ridiculous

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:29:59 -0400

I have nothing to do with the editorials.

Those are written by the editorial board, which includes the publisher and a group of writers and editors in another part of the building.

Occasionally, I sit in on meetings between the editorial board and visiting politicians in order to write a news story, but I don't engage in any conversation about what opinions they should issue.

I'm willing to go back-and-forth with you guys on stuff I write, but if you're not happy with the editorials you're going to have to take it up with someone else.

— RTB

Re: This is getting ridiculous

Cdickson — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 08:24:04 -0400

RTB-

Today's editorial was a classic. Attack the guy that got $800 in donations from PACs give free pass to gal that got $225,000 in donations.

I agree that you should ask Bev how she managed to raise almost a quarter million in special interest money without talking to a single lobbyist.

Perdue is about to have a mysteriously funded 527 called the 'North Carolina Alliance' run by a high-powered Washington consultant with close ties to SEIU and the DGA attack McCrory.

If you don't take her to the woodshed on hypocrisy after that ad debuts I'll keep my paper subscription but the political reporters at the N&O will have fallen to the level of an access Hollywood 'reporter'.

McCrory hat in hand to lobbyists

bnartist — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 22:14:54 -0400

McCrory was criticized for going directly to lobbyists to get PAC money and individual contributions, not the PAC money per se. McCrory's campaign manager was quoted as saying "My understanding is that's normal procedure". If he thinks going to lobbyists to pump the well is "normal procedure" then I think the "arrogance and corruption" label fits McCrory very well.

Re: This is getting ridiculous

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:26:26 -0400

Yes, there is an equivalent Dem PAC, and yes a newspaper has bothered to report on it here:

The Teamsters' PAC has contributed $31,000 to the N.C. Democratic Party, filings show. The Democratic Governors Association has chipped in $112,000 for the state party, the filings say. There is no limit on contributions to state political parties.

You can also read about Perdue's money here, here, here and here; the potential involvement of the SEIU here, and the involvement of the N.C. Association of Educators here.

Maybe instead of canceling your subscription, you should just read up on some older papers...

— RTB

This is getting ridiculous

Senate — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:54:19 -0400

A quick scan of SBOE reports shows that there is an equivalent Dem Gov PAC. No paper has bothered to report on it.

No one has asked Bev if she is swearing off outside money, though the media has let her claim the high road by allowing her to claim McCrory is somehow on the low road because of what an outside organization is doing. In fact, she was the only candidate that got help from an outside organization in the primary - the teacher's union.

Then the supposedly nonpartison bob hall dogooders association only filed a complaint against the RGA and perdue propmtly jumped all over the complaint and proceeded to beat mccrory over the head with it.

For the first time in 15 years I actually thought about cancelling my N&O subscription today.

I just don't understand how the media can continue to let bev have her cake and eat it too. Don't any of you feel a professional responsibility to at least appear unbiased.

Part of this is that McCrory campaign is still in garage band mode and not handling the media well but part of it looks to be bias.

Re: McCrory hits back on PAC money

razor0397 — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:28:05 -0400

30% drop rate while Perdue has been on the state board of education for the last 8 years. She successfully supported $60+ million dollars in vouchers for students to go to PRIVATE colleges. Come out, Come out Bev and debate the issues instead of hiding behind slick ads paid for by the labor unions and PACs. The working families you say you represent want to hear what you have to say. Let's have an open election.

Re: Reform group asks for PAC investigation

ebetz — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:10:55 -0400

I wonder if they are going to investigate how much the value of the News and Observer's positive coverage of Pat McCrory's Democratic opposition candidate and the $ impact of the negative press the N&O has provided to McCrory? I recognize there is freedom of the press, but there oughta be some ability to compensate for the overbear favoritism the press shows one candidate based on political party affiliation and unfair negative press afforded to the opposing candidate based on political party affiliation.
It appears that this complaint is strictly politically motivatd just to generate negaive press for McCrory; when the the investigation finds nothing wrong there will either be no story or a back page 1 column inch filler in the sports section about it.

Re: Hypocrites, INC

razor0397 — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:37:20 -0400

McCrory gets criticized for the RGA money that has been raised while they ignored "Bev the PAC-Woman." We can eliminate a lot of the need for big $$$ if she would go around the state and have real debates with McCrory. It is really unbelievable...not really...that her campaign is so negative. Come on let's be open and debate the issues before the working families of NC.

Hypocrites, INC

Senate — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:58:09 -0400

As Dome reported, McCrory raised less than $1000 from PACs last quarter.

Perhaps Bev would like to enlighten us to how she came up with all that PAC money. Maybe she didn't talk to any lobbyists but I doubt it.

Spokesman Kochman is turning out to be a real slimeball of an attack dog.

The Mainstream Media is really not doing a thorough job reporting on this race.

Re: Please watch your reporting

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:36:45 -0400

Sometimes I feel like the projectionist in a 3-D movie house where half the audience will only look through the red lens and half the blue lens, and everybody is screaming that the picture doesn't look right...

— RTB