Under the Dome blog

Young turned over Edwards tape

bniolet — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:42:42 -0500

Andrew Young has turned over to authorities the tape that is the purported sex video featuring John Edwards and Rielle Hunter.

Young, accompanied by a security officer, retrieved the tape from an Atlanta safe deposit box, according to Wade Barber, an attorney for Hunter. The officer's presence was ordered by Superior Court Judge Abraham Penn Jones.

Burr: Bipartisan summit is partisan

bniolet — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:25:36 -0500

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr says a planned televised bipartisan session on health care is a political play by the White House.

Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican, is helping craft the GOP strategy for the session, which is scheduled for Feb. 25. He told WPTF's Bill LuMaye on Tuesday that the event is an attempt to halt the bad news for President Barack Obama's administration.

D'Annunzio: Anonymous commenters are 'Cowards'

bniolet — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:08:59 -0500

Critical comments on a blog post prompted a Republican candidate for Congress to call out his anonymous tormentors.

Jim Morrill of The Charlotte Observer did a post on Tim D'Annunzio's "Machine Gun Social," a fundraiser for his bid to win the nomination to challenge Democratic U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell.

Poll: Obama 52 percent favorable in state

bniolet — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:44:52 -0500

President Barack Obama is seen favorably by 52 percent of North Carolina voters, according to a new poll conducted for the Civitas Institute.

The poll of 600 likely voters conducted Jan. 19-21 found that 37 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Obama while 10 percent didn't have an opinion.

Hunt: Perdue 'shows up'

bniolet — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:28:39 -0500

Former Gov. Jim Hunt didn't mention his successor, former Gov. Mike Easley by name Monday.

He didn't really have to.

Hunt, a Democrat, was introducing current Gov. Bev Perdue, also a Democrat, at the Emerging Issues Forum. As the Charlotte Observer's Jack Betts notes, Hunt piled on the praise for Perdue. But his introduction also included what Betts said had to be a dig at Easley, a Democrat who was known for being slow to help with efforts to recruit business to the state.

Better than 'Powdermilk Biscuits'

bniolet — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:03:18 -0500

Former North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt did his best Garrison Keillor imitation this week in introducing Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Cunningham pitches tax breaks to grow economy

bniolet — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:15:33 -0500

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham is calling for tax breaks for small businesses as a way to help stimulate the economy.

Cunningham, a lawyer and former state senator from Lexington, proposes tax credits for businesses that hire new workers, the temporary elimination of capital gains taxes on small businesses and the creation of a new bonus manufacturing tax credit to reward companies that research and manufacture their products in this country, Rob Christensen reports.

High caliber campaign

markjohnson — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:57:59 -0500

Republican Tim D'Annunzio knows how to get more bang for the buck -- use guns!

D'Annunzio, running for Congress in the 8th District, is having a "Machine Gun Social" Thursday night, though the event doesn't involve any actual machine guns.

Drawing district lines is the prize for election winners

bniolet — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:55:18 -0500

WINNER TAKE ALL: The 2010 political season formally opened Monday, with the next nine months potentially having an outsized influence on Tar Heel politics for the next decade.

Of all the elections that will be held — from the marquee U.S. Senate race to courthouse contests — none will be more closely watched than the 170 seats of the state legislature.

Bankrupt nursing home owners had $$$ for campaigns

markjohnson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:19:06 -0500

The owners of a nursing home whose recent bankruptcy filing let them avoid paying a lawsuit judgment gave thousands of dollars to political candidates over the past 18 years.

John and Janice Weeks gave nearly $30,000 to candidates from both parties starting as far back as 1992.

File early and...

markjohnson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:47:03 -0500

The 2010 campaign season formally opened at noon today, with candidates lining up in the board room of the State Board of Elections in downtown Raleigh to pay their filing fee.

Among the early filers were Democratic Congressmen Bob Etheridge of Lillington and Larry Kissell of Biscoe, and Libertarian Senate candidate Michael Beitler, Rob Christensen reports. The majority of the candidates were running for judge or district attorney.

Fetzer calls for dumping Young, Keller

markjohnson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:53:23 -0500

State Republican Chairman Tom Fetzer Monday called for Gov. Bev Perdue to fire two of her Cabinet members as a result of recent controversies.

When they say speedy trial, they mean it

markjohnson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:43:56 -0500

The federal prosecutors pressing the case against Ruffin Poole, a former longtime aide to ex-Gov. Mike Easley, want a trial by mid-May on the 51 corruption charges leveled against the former governor's right-hand man.

Judge: Send deputy with Young to get sex tape

mbieseck — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:25:36 -0500

In an order filed late Sunday night, a judge has dispatched an Orange County sheriff's deputy to Atlanta to be present when a bank safety deposit box purported to contain a sex tape of former presidential candidate John Edwards is opened.

Superior Court Judge Abraham Penn Jones signed the order at 10:35 p.m. at the request of lawyers for Rielle Hunter, the mistress who bore Edwards' love child. The document claims that Edwards' former aide, Andrew Young, and his wife, Cheri, may be in possession of additional items of a "very private and personal" nature.

Edwards now the butt of rodeo jokes

mbieseck — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:24:24 -0500

Rarely has a political figure risen to national prominence as quickly or imploded as spectacularly as North Carolina's John Edwards. The former U.S. senator, presidential candidate and Democratic nominee for vice president is a well-established punch line for late night comedians for his $400 hair cuts and trashy extramarital affair.

Pawlenty in 2012? Maybe

markjohnson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:03:58 -0500

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty deflected any questions about a possible presidential bid in 2012, during a stop in Raleigh Monday morning.

The GOP governor, who has been prominently mentioned as a potential GOP presidential hopeful, was the keynote speaker at the Emerging Issues forum at the Raleigh Convention Center, Rob Christensen reports. He noted that he had started a federal political action committee that will allow him to travel around the country to help Republican candidates this fall. But beyond that, Pawlenty said he said he has made no decision.

The tainted cash campaign begins

markjohnson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:35:19 -0500

Republicans have made the first of what likely will be many calls for Democrats to cough up tainted cash.

Will Breazeale, a Republican candidate for the 7th congressional district seat held by U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre (right), a Democrat, has said McIntyre should give back $13,000 from donors connected to the scandals surrounding former Gov. Mike Easley, the Wilmington Star-News reports.

Perdue seeks counsel on new staff chief

markjohnson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:03:32 -0500

Gov. Bev Perdue is rounding up advice on picking a new chief of staff from, among others: Norris Tolson, CEO of the NC Biotechnology Center who often serves as Perdue's Mr. Fixit; Ken Eudy, CEO of Capital Strategies public relations and lobbying firm and Hilda Pinnix-Ragland, a Progress Energy executive and chair of the state community colleges board.

Lewis hires Foxx manager

markjohnson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:55:52 -0500

Bruce Clark, who ran the campaign that put Anthony Foxx in Charlotte's mayor's office, is hoping to do the same for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kenneth Lewis.

Ballots, bottles and book

markjohnson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:48:12 -0500

ELEPHANTS, NOT SHARKS: But North Carolina Republicans smell blood in the water and are eager to launch their campaigns. (Charlotte O)

HITTIN' THE BOTTLES: The state's plastic bottle ban is harder to abide by for rural communities. (W-S Journal)

Etheridge optimistic about Afghanistan

bniolet — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:03:32 -0500

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge returned last weekend from a trip to Afghanistan to meet with troops and commanders.

Etheridge, whose district includes part of Fort Bragg, told reporters Friday that commanders remain "guardedly optimistic" about the military’s work in Afghanistan, Barb Barrett reports.

Poll: 38 percent see Perdue favorably

bniolet — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:58:17 -0500

North Carolina voters see Gov. Bev Perdue more favorably than a month ago, according to a poll by the Civitas Institute.

The poll of 600 likely voters taken Jan. 19-21 found that 38 percent had a favorable opinion of Perdue while 43 percent saw her unfavorably. In Civitas' December poll, only 32 percent of voters had a favorable opinion of Perdue, a Democrat, while 38 percent had an unfavorable opinion. The January poll was conducted by Tel Opinion Research of Arlington, Va., and had a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Price bill would address crimes by overseas contractors

bniolet — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:47:35 -0500

U.S. Rep. David Price this week introduced legislation that would allow the United States to investigate and prosecute serious crimes conducted overseas by private contractors working for the State Department and other non-military government agencies.

Liberals hate it, too

lbonner — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:49:06 -0500

It's not just conservatives who think the proposed history curriculum is a bad idea.

A story on Fox News this week unleashed a flood of criticism on the state Department of Public instruction, but Holly Brewer, an associate professor in N.C. State University's history department, said critics cross the political spectrum.

Judge to review Correction documents

bniolet — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:48:16 -0500

A judge plans to review internal communication from the N.C. Department of Correction to determine whether prison officials were truthful during hearings before him in December.

Kissell's campaign chairwoman turns on him

bniolet — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:43:34 -0500

The woman who chaired Democratic U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell's two congressional campaigns has turned against him.

Dannie Montgomery, a teacher from Anson County who served as first vice chair of the N.C. Democratic Party, said in a news release that Kissell "has turned his back on the grassroots supporters who propelled him to office," Jim Morrill of The Charlotte Observer reports.

Former Burr staffer takes RNC post

bniolet — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:18:51 -0500

A former staffer for U.S. Sen. Richard Burr now is the top spokesman for the Republican National Committee.

Doug Heye was the communications director for Burr’s Senate campaign, then took the same position in his Senate office — a job he held for two years, Barb Barrett reports. Heye left Burr’s office to run the Senate campaign for RNC Chairman Michael Steele, who was then lieutenant governor of Maryland.

Dome Memo: Send me an e-mail

bniolet — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:17:30 -0500

GOVERNOR ONLINE: According to depositions taken in a public records lawsuit, Gov. Mike Easley kept a secret e-mail account for state business and his press secretary said he wanted public information officers to delete e-mails to the governor's office to avoid having them become public. Given the federal investigation still swirling around the Democrat, whether his administration followed the public records law may be a small concern for the former governor.

History safe, schools assure public

bniolet — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:14:33 -0500

HISTORY LESSONS: When Fox News ran a story Wednesday about a North Carolina proposal that would focus high-school U.S. history classes on the last 132 years, phones in Raleigh started ringing and e-mail accounts brimmed.

Angry voices asked: Will schools forget about the Founding Fathers? Is the Boston Tea Party getting dumped? Will the Revolutionary War be muzzled?

Price wants companies to stand by their ads

janestancill — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:51:44 -0500

U.S. Rep. David Price next week will introduce legislation requiring corporations to use the same "Stand By Your Ad" language in advertising now required of political candidates.

Price, a Chapel Hill Democrat, helped write the law that requires candidates to say, in person, "I'm Jane Doe and I approved this ad," at the beginning or end of all television advertising.

Lawyer: Edwards sex tape not in Orange County

mbieseck — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:04:28 -0500

Attorneys for Andrew Young say the sex tape of former presidential candidate John Edwards and Rielle Hunter is not in Orange County and therefore not subject to a temporary restraining order won by Hunter seeking its return.

Mark Edwards, a Durham lawyer representing Young, filed a legal response Thursday prior to a court hearing on the issue set for Friday. Hunter, who is the mother of a child the former senator fathered during an extra-marital affair, is seeking the return of a "personal video recording that depicted matters of a very private and personal nature."

Nash sheriff's deputy nominated for U.S. Marshal post

bniolet — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 15:42:06 -0500

The chief drug enforcement officer of Nash County has been nominated to become a U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Scott Parker was nominated Thursday by President Barack Obama for the post, Barb Barrett reports. Parker joined the Nash County sheriff’s office in 1995 and now is commander of the narcotics division.

E-mails saved by Mimosa

bniolet — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:41:37 -0500

The state's new e-mail archive system will capture e-mails before they hit the inboxes of state employees.

In other words, if the system works as advertised, state employees can't delete e-mails anymore. Gov. Bev Perdue ordered the state to install a new, searchable archive system. The system, called Mimosa will capture all messages, including spam, said Chrissy Pearson, a spokeswoman for Perdue.

Mary Easley also used private account

bniolet — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:27:33 -0500

Every private eye needs a dame and Gov. Nick Danger had "sewgood."

Former Gov. Mike Easley used a private e-mail account to conduct state business among a small group of high-level advisors. The address, which began with "RegnadKcin," was "Nick Danger" spelled backwards.

'Who Dat' Dems

mbieseck — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:08:56 -0500

Democrats and Republicians don’t agree on much these days, even when it comes to who to root for in the Super Bowl.

A new national survey of 584 registered voters by Public Policy Polling found that Democrats strongly prefer the New Orleans Saints, by a 36-21 margin. Independents also lean toward the Saints, 33-20.

Terror response exercise reveals gaps

janestancill — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:41:19 -0500

Gov. Bev Perdue said she was not entirely satisfied with the state's terrorism response exercise this week.

"I was troubled by the fact that they said that five of the universities don't have VIPER capacity that we know is crucial if there was some kind of incident on one of our campuses,” Perdue said.

New deputy campaign manager for Burr

janestancill — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:32:55 -0500

Mark Braden, who was deputy campaign manager for Chris Christie's gubernatorial campaign in New Jersey, has taken the same job for North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr.

Braden will manage the campaign's day-to-day operations and oversee all campaign operations for Burr, who is seeking re-election in November, reports Rob Christensen.

Sen. Larry Shaw won't seek reelection

mbieseck — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:18:07 -0500

Sen. Larry Shaw, a Cumberland County Democrat, announced Thursday he will not seek re-election this year. Shaw has served in the Senate's 21st district since 1995.

"A wise man once said the greatest one among you, is the greatest servant among you," Shaw said in a written statement. "My public service duty has been fulfilled and now the torch of community servitude must be passed on. Now more than ever, Cumberland County needs an individual with an executive mindset to harness the resources necessary to allow it to continue to develop into a competitive region of the state.”

Easley dictated slam on fired public information officer

bniolet — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:35:13 -0500

The orders to delete e-mails were first made public in March 2008 by Debbie Crane, a former public information officer for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

Pearce: THAT explains it

markjohnson — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:24:42 -0500

Delete all those references to former Gov. Mike Easley being weird, says former Democratic strategist Gary Pearce.

We now know that his nocturnal work habits, secrecy and hermit-like lack of public profile stem from his true vocation: espionage, as indicated by his email nom de plume, Nick Danger.

Land 4 sale; testy neighbor; negotiable

markjohnson — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:16:38 -0500

State Treasurer Janet Cowell is in South Korea this week meeting with money managers for the state pension fund about real estate investments.

Perdue gives SEANC right to represent employees

bniolet — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:00:25 -0500

UNION? Gov. Bev Perdue has given North Carolina's largest state employee association the authority to represent workers in discussions about
workplace conditions, a move that business and conservative groups say
is a step toward unionization.

The Democratic Party Travel Agency Inc.

markjohnson — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:37:40 -0500

The N.C. Democratic Party serves as a something of a travel web site for Gov. Bev Perdue, only she doesn't have to pay, according to the party's most recent campaign finance disclosure.

Easley kept secret e-mail account

bniolet — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:02:38 -0500

Former Gov. Mike Easley kept a private e-mail account that he used for state business.

Easley's former communications director Sherri Johnson testified in a deposition that Easley kept the secret account and used it for state business. Johnson was being deposed as part of a public records lawsuit filed by The N&O, The John Locke Foundation and several other news media outlets over access to e-mail messages.

Ruling could halt controversial cement plant

bniolet — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 08:28:10 -0500

TITAN HAS NEW ROADBLOCK: The river near a proposed cement plant
in New Hanover County can't tolerate any more mercury pollution, state
officials say, a judgment that could block the controversial factory
from opening.

The state environmental agency is considering permits for the plant planned
for Castle Hayne near the already mercury-tainted Northeast Cape Fear
River. The factory built by Titan America would produce a number of
pollutants, including mercury.

Olbermann chides Foxx about Obama autograph

mbieseck — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:36:21 -0500

MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann called out Rep. Virginia Foxx on his show Monday night for asking President Obama for his autograph during his recent visit with GOP legislators. Foxx, who has opposed Obama on nearly every legislative issue, tweeted about the encounter while at the same time saying the president could use a fact checker.

Hagan spends weekend at Miami 'retreat' with corporate lobbyists

bniolet — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:43:29 -0500

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan was among a dozen Democratic senators who spent last weekend in Miami Beach raising money from lobbyists for oil, drug and other corporate interests.

Republicans say bad time for state to buy land

bniolet — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:31:07 -0500

The Republicans on the Council of State — Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry and Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler — voiced their opposition to the state buying new property while North Carolina was in the midst of the recession.

Perdue says 'Who dat?'

bniolet — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:03:15 -0500

Gov. Bev Perdue said that when it comes to Sunday's Superbowl, she's a Saints fan.

"I am rooting for New Orleans," Perdue said. "Any of us who watched the town come from back from Katrina have a reason to root for them."

Challengers pump own money into Congressional races

bniolet — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:51:45 -0500

Wealthy challengers in two Charlotte-area congressional districts have pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into their races, giving them a financial edge over the incumbents and other rivals.

The incumbents, Democratic U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell in the 8th District and Republican U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry in the 10th, are the only incumbents in North Carolina to trail challengers in the money race, Jim Morrill of The Charlotte Observer reports.