newsobserver.com projects - Beth Wood - Comments

Re: Merrit still checking voter rolls

maiapinion — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:12:38 -0400

"The North Carolina Democratic politicians do not want the State Auditor to look at the voter rolls and root out any abuse or fraud? Why not?"

Because his job is to look for wasteful spending of state funds, not clear the roles of voters, whose eligibility to vote he has no training or authority to determine. Merritt is trying to make political noise with this, and keep voters from remembering that he used his own political office to advance his private career while he was still in office.

Seriously, Mr. Terrell. If you are going to run for office yourself, you should do a little research.

Re: spelling demerit

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:18:01 -0400

Fixed. Thanks.

Sure that's not a "demeritt"?

— RTB

spelling demerit

gercohen — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:05:59 -0400

"Merrit still checking voter rolls".
A demerit on your spelling test.

Re: Merrit still checking voter rolls

tangoz — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:40:05 -0400

The North Carolina Democratic politicians do not want the State Auditor to look at the voter rolls and root out any abuse or fraud? Why not? If you have nothing to hide Sen. Clodfetter, let us make sure this election is not decided by fraud. Why is your report not ready now? Why would it be ready after the election? I hope that your report currently does not show any fraud or misuse. Are you are hiding it until after the election? That would support my opinion all along that the Democrats will do anything or hide any fraud to win. If I may paraphrase the GOP chairwoman, "We are fighting against Entrenched Corruption here in North Carolina".

Paul Terrell III
http://terrellforhouse33.blogspot.com

Re: Merrit still checking voter rolls

maiapinion — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:14:29 -0400

It seems to me that Mr. Merritt should do his own job, which would be checking the accuracy of reporting in the way state funds are spent. Leave the checking of the voter rolls to the state board of elections.

Now that NC seems to be "in play" in Nov., I think Mr. Merrit is playing the games early. He needs to pay attention to his own job.

Just my opinion.

Re: A good night for female candidates

karegi — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:08:38 -0400

But a tremendous disappointment that African American women voters could not have voted for gender instead of race.

Re: Wood's zinger

FFC1304 — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:43:19 -0400

Les Merritt is about the only non democrat in a worthwhile position in crooked NC state government, controlled by democrats...Beth Wood would do WELL to STRIVE to be SMARTER THAN a democrat! Mr. Merritt has done an OUTSTANDING JOB and has uncovered things a democrackkk NEVER would in NC!!!

Re: Bringing RC Cola back to campaigns

faulknerspike — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:39:07 -0400

I agree, I am so tired of these whiners as well. I bet Meg Scott Phipps, Jim Black, Michael Decker, and even Thomas Wright are also tired of hearing people say "lets take money out of politics". To think, had they only went to several more bbqs, and smiled nice and wide, maybe they would not be in jail, on their way to jail, or recently out of jail.

Re: Bringing RC Cola back to campaigns

liam — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:36:59 -0400

I'm so tired of these whiners.

Yes, you have to raise money to run a real campaign. No, you can't get elected just eating bbq and smiling nice and wide. And you never could. When exactly were these good ol days of politicking when money wasn't a big deal?

Re: Filing opens with a flurry

jjsmith2 — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:24:33 -0500

Any word yet on who has filed for State Senate and State House?

"Surge" didn't bring down violence

ThomasBrock — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:41:32 -0500

Sadr did.

And the time limit is almost up...

Re: Filing opens with a flurry

CarltonH — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 15:31:55 -0500

I think they could've picked a better issue to campaign other than one that 70% of Americans think is a bad idea. While the surge has brought down the violence it is up to the Iraqis to secure their own future not us. If the GOP continues to run as the War Party it will be a tough night for Republicans on election night if not a blowout.

Re: Auditor's staff surfs Democratic Web site

Proctor — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:45:44 -0500

If you are holding a public office in North Carolina and the state headquarters of one of the major political parties is going to distribute various political assertions about the leadership, management or conduct of that office, then you absolutely have to stay on top of the situation--and indeed, earlier, not later, in the daily news cycle because in some cases your office must respond promtply to unfounded or inaccurate allegations by outside political sources about the performance of the duties of that office.

Or as JFK used to say: "Let me say this about that."

What should be more troubling to watchdogs of state government in Raleigh is the apparently unlimited access to the state auditor's office by political campaigns to "request" investigations of opposing candidates. Investigations should be conducted according to the official and measured determination of the appropriate offices themselves and not as a "to do" list of political errands or chores demanded by campaigns of candidates for public office in the next election.

Imagine if a dozen or more candidates entered the 2008 race for lieutenant governor in both party primaries and if in the same calendar week, every single one of those campaigns "requested" official investigations of all of their opponents. Now that would be a fine howdy-do to advocates of prudent management of such offices as that of the state auditor.

The two major Democratic campaigns for governor of North Carolina in 2008 had better raise the level of their political debate and competition considerably in coming months or they may find more and more voters considering the alternative of voting for a Republican gubernatorial hopeful whether the candidate's first name is Jim or not.

David P. McKnight

Eleven taxpayer staff hours wasted

jerimee — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:48:34 -0500

If you multiply 217 visits by an average of 3 minutes per visit, you get about 11 taxpayer paid staff hours wasted doing opposition research for Mr Leslie Merritt.

Even if half that time was for innocent purposes, you still have the better part of a day being used to help Mr. Merritt's reelection campaign.

Given the unambiguous nature of the pages visited, it will be hard for the Auditor to claim that this is a coincidental mistake.

Looks like Ye Olde Watch Dog

Anglico — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:14:34 -0500

Needs to change his name to Ye Olde Watch Blog. What a joke this guy is!