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Democratic Congressmen Bob Etheridge and David Price will benefit from Capitol Hill fund raisers this week hosted by Washington D.C. lobbying firm.

Williams & Jensen plans to hold a fund raising event Wednesday for Etheridge and one Thursday for Price at its Capitol Hill townhouse, according to the Sunlight Foundation, an nonpartisan group that monitors fund raising.

Williams & Jensen lists as some of its clients the American Council of Life Insurers, The Coca-Cola Company, Colonial Pipeline Co., Florida Power and Light, Janus Capital Group, Pfizer, Recording Industry Association of American, Security Traders Association, Smithfield Foods, Sunoco, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Wyeth.

The event for Etheridge features barbecue from Etheridge's hometown of Lillington, but big city  prices. The cost of the event is $2,500 for sponors and $1,000 for guests.

The event for Price, called Barbecue and Brews, is priced at $2,000 for political action committees and $1,000 for individuals.

Etheridge, the 2nd district congressman, is being challenged by Renee Ellmers, while Price, who represents the 4th district, is being challenged by B.J. Lawson.

Yesterday's Claims Department post on the new "Victory Mosque" ad from the Renee Ellmers for Congress campaign misidentified one of the mosques.

There are two mosques in Istanbul, Turkey, that look very similar, though they were built more than more than 1,000 years apart.

Carter Wrenn, a political consultant for Ellmers, said the mosque shown in her ad (below) is the Hagia Sophia, built between 532 and 537 A.D. by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian as a Orothdox Christian basilica. That's 917 years before Muslims conquered the city then known as Constantinople in 1454. The Hagia Sophia, which in Greek means "holy wisdom," was then converted to a mosque and added four minarets at the corners of the building.

Dome misidentified the structure as the Blue Mosque, built near the Hagia Sophia between 1609 and 1616. The newer mosque was built based in part on the older building's design. A careful comparison of the two, however shows differences in the design of the domes and the minarets.

Of course, that begs this question: If Wrenn and the Ellmers campaign knew the history of the Hagia Sophia, and that it predates Muslim control of the city by nearly a millenium, then how is it not misleading to present the building to voters as an example of a "victory mosque" built following conquest?

"We could reasonably argue over the difference between transforming a church into a mosque and building a mosque, but isn't it sort of a distinction without a difference?" Wrenn said.

GOP PACT: Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives plan to offer a blueprint today for how they would dramatically change what they term an "arrogant and out of touch government of self-appointed elites" by pledging to repeal the Obama health care law, continue all Bush-era tax cuts and significantly cut spending. The Republican plan is an effort to gain the same kind of momentum the GOP generated for its House candidates in 1994, when it unveiled the "Contract With America" six weeks before the November election. (N&O)

WIDELY WATCHED AD: Within hours of being posted on Republican congressional candidate Renee Ellmers' site, the "victory mosque" ad was all over political blogs, receiving attention from Capitol Hill newspapers and cable news networks. A separate version of the ad, on YouTube, encouraged viewers to contribute to Ellmers' campaign. (N&O)

OUTSIDE $$: Outside groups and political parties are blitzing the airwaves as N.C. congressional races enter their final weeks and new rules loosen restrictions on how some groups raise money. In North Carolina, spending is particularly heavy in the 8th District, where Democratic U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell faces a challenge from Republican Harold Johnson. (CharO)

SPONSOR: Renee Ellmers for Congress

AUDIO: The ad opens with scary music and the deep voice of a narrator saying: "After the muslims conquered Jerusalem, and Cordoba, and Constantinople, they built victory mosques. And now they want to build a mosque by Ground Zero." 

After the narrator accuses Rep. Bob Etheridge of "not taking a stand" on the proposed building in New York, Ellmers appears on the screen.

"The terrorists haven't won, and we should tell them in plain English, 'No, there will never be a mosque at Ground Zero,'" Ellmers says.

IMAGES: The screen shows a series of paintings of rampaging Muslims from the fall of Jerusalem in 638 A.D., Cordoba in Spain in 711 A.D. and then Constantinople in 1454, followed by photos of the Dome of the Rock, the "Cordoba Mosque" and the Hagia Sophia.

WHAT THE RECORD SHOWS

None of the buildings shown in Ellmers' ad were built to celebrate Muslim victories.

The Dome of the Rock, located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, was erected between 689 and 691 — 50 years after Muslims captured the city. It was built not as a mosque, but as a shrine for pilgrims to the site where Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad rose to the heavens to receive a message from God.

The Temple Mount was also the site of the second Hebrew Temple, the holiest site in Judaism, which was destroyed by the Romans 500 years earlier. In 1099, when Christian Crusaders conquered Jerusalem, the Dome was converted to a church and then a palace.

In Cordoba, the building shown in the ad was built as a Christian church in 600 A.D. and later remodeled and converted into a mosque in 784 — 73 years after Muslim Moors conquered the city. In 1236, after a Christian king conquered the city, the building was converted back to a church. Today it is known as the Cathedral of Cordoba.

The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was built between 532 and 537 A.D. by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian as a Orothdox Christian basilica. That's 917 years before Muslims conquered the city then known as Constantinople in 1454. The Hagia Sophia, which in Greek means "holy wisdom," was then converted to a mosque and added four minarets at the corners of the building.

The proposed Park51 project in Lower Manhattan is not "at Ground Zero," but on Park Place, a street two blocks north of the World Trade Center site. It is also not a mosque, but a planned community center to include a restaurant, fitness center, basketball court, swimming pool and child care center, along with what its developers are calling a "prayer room."

IS THE AD ACCURATE?

The ad contains both factual errors and historical inaccuracies.

UPDATE: Post updated to correctly identify the third mosque as the Hagia Sophia.

The campaign of Democratic U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge called Republican challenger Renee Ellmers' "victory mosque" ad offensive, saying it desecrates "the hallowed ground" of New York's World Trade Center site.

“Bob Etheridge has never thought building this mosque and community center so close to Ground Zero is a good idea,” spokesman Mike Davis said. “This political tactic is designed solely to distract voters from Ellmers’s support of a new 23 percent tax hike on middle-class families that will increase the cost of everything they buy – and kill jobs."

"Mrs. Ellmers is desecrating this hallowed ground with her obvious and offensive attempt to raise her profile," Davis added. "No further proof is needed that she will say anything to get elected."

The ad by Ellmers began airing on cable TV today.
 

Here's the web version:

Here's the TV version:

Republican congressional candidate Renee Ellmers of Dunn has an ad out implying that the community center two blocks from Ground Zero is being built as a “victory mosque.”

The ad questions why U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, the incumbent Democrat, “won’t take a stand” on whether the center should be built, reports Barbara Barrett.

The center is to include a fitness center, basketball court, swimming pool and child care center, along with a mosque for worshipping. It has become a political flashpoint this fall, with politicians across the country speaking out on whether the center should be built at its site in lower Manhattan.

The ad, on Ellmers’ website, shows illustrations of wars in the early A.D., followed by shots of mosques in the Middle East, back-dropped by an ominous music score. It then shows an aerial shot of Ground Zero, followed by still photographs of Etheridge.

The music ends, and Ellmers herself then comes on camera to say that the terrorists should be told “in plain English” that a mosque shouldn’t be built at Ground Zero.

Watch the "Victory Mosque" ad here.

Americans for Job Security has released the ad it plans to run against U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge.

The pro-business, conservative group is spending $800,000 on the ad, which links Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, to Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

We all pay the price for Bob Etheridge and Nancy Pelosi's spending. Etheridge voted for Pelosi's failed $787 billion stimulus, and he voted to increase our debt limit. But after all that spending — America lost jobs — and the debt skyrocketed.

Etheridge's campaign has previously attacked the group. which is providing a big ad buy that would help his Republican challenger Renee Ellmers.
 
"AJS is nothing but a Washington, D.C.-based shadowy front group funded by big corporate special interests and run by partisan hacks doing the dirty work for their candidates," said Mike Davis a spokesman for the Etheridge campaign. "Bob Etheridge is working hard to create jobs for working people and our opponent’s economic plan would crush middle-class families."

A pro-business advocacy group is fighting incumbent congressional Democrats with a huge ad buy.

Americans for Job Security plans to spend $800,000 on ads attacking Democratic U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge of Lillington and $600,000 on ads against Democratic U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell of Biscoe.

The ads will be 30-second spots that are scheduled to go on the air Sept. 14, reports Benjamin Niolet.

"Spending in Washington is simply out of control," Steve DeMaura, President of Americans for Job Security, said in a news release.  "U.S. debt has soared far beyond historical records, and yet, Rep. Etheridge has perpetually supported additional public spending increases that damage recovery efforts today and place economic obstacles in the way of our children's future.  North Carolina job creators are ready to tell Rep. Etheridge that it is time to take down the hurdles that stand in the way of economic recovery."

Since 1997, the Republican-leaning organization has raised nearly $60 million and run more than 90 TV spots in 46 states, according to FactCheck.org.

In 2008 lawyers for the Federal Election Commission sought to require the organization, a nonprofit, to disclose its contributors. Republicans on the commission blocked any action. There's no way to know where AJS gets its money.

"AJS is supported by its members to advance pro-business issues and hold accountable politicians who weaken the American economy and cost American jobs," said Tom Kise, a spokesman.

Etheridge's campaign attacked the group.
 
“AJS is nothing but a Washington, D.C. based shadowy front group funded by big corporate special interests and run by partisan hacks doing the dirty work for their candidates," said Mike Davis a spokesman for the Etheridge campaign. "Bob Etheridge is working hard to create jobs for working people and our opponent’s economic plan would crush middle-class families."

The ad buy represents a big infusion of cash into the campaign that could potentially help Republican challenger Renee Ellmers, who is at a disadvantage to Etheridge's money.
 

Sen. Richard Burr helped open the Nash County GOP headquarters Thursday night, where he delivered a pep talk but made no mention of his Democratic opponent Elaine Marshall.

Burr called on Republicans to redouble their efforts this fall, saying a major shift was needed in the national government, Rob Christensen reports.

“You can't have a marginal election and believe you can change the direction of the country,” Burr told about 75 people in Rocky Mount.

 Burr used his father, a retired Presbyterian minister, as part of an anecdote.

“My dad is 89 years old,” Burr said. “I saw him last when I got back in town. He looked up at me and said, 'What is going on nationally?' and I shared with him. He looked up to me said, 'I apologize.' And I said, 'Apologize for what?'"

"'I fought in a war so you wouldn't have to deal with these things,'” Burr reported his father said.

“There are generations who are scared to death for different reasons right now,” Burr said. “What Republicans have to do is reach out to all of them. This is not about Republicans or Democrats or independents. I can tell you that Democrats are just as scared as Republicans.”

Also speaking were Renee Ellmers, the 2nd district GOP candidate, and Ashley Woolard, the first district congressional GOP candidate.

Ellmers, a nurse from Dunn, said Democratic Rep. Bob Etheridge is really two people.

“He's North Carolina Bob, a good old country boy worried about the same things you and I are worried about. Then he goes back to Washington and becomes DC Bob. He becomes a liberal and votes with Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama 97 percent of the time.”