Tag search result

Raleigh’s Jim Cain, former ambassador to Denmark and one-time president of the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team, tells Roll Call he is taking a serious look at running in the Republican primary next year to challenge U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C.

“The race is indeed something that I am considering,” Cain told the Washington, D.C. publication. “Many friends and supporters around the state are encouraging me to challenge Senator Hagan.”

Cain was ambassador under President George W. Bush. A corporate attorney by profession, he works with Kilpatrick Townsend.

That race is getting crowded quickly.

Well, at least Gov. Pat McCrory's new press secretary is battle tested. Crystal Feldman, who McCrory announced Tuesday as his new press secretary, once was part of a team handling Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Feldman took a job in 2008 as a young researcher with the Republican National Committee in Washington, according to a profile in Roll Call magazine. But she wasn't there long.

"The RNC sent Feldman to Alaska to help handle the press after the GOP presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain tapped then Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential pick,'' Roll Call wrote.

"Feldman and her co-workers spent most of their time conducting research and batting down rumors about Palin," Roll Call wrote. "The RNC group lovingly referred to themselves as 'the Palin truth squad.''

The North Carolina native later went to to work a Nevada Senate campaign, the California Republican Party, and for a House Committee on The Hill.

Republican Congressman Walter Jones is the subject of a flattering profile in the current issue of Roll Call, the publication of Capitol Hill.

The article, entitled “Jones: A GOP Soloist Who Isn't Dreaming Big,” portrays the Pitt County lawmaker as a highly independent individual who is willing to split with his party on issues such as the war on Iraq, even though it has cost him committee chairmanships.

“While its easy cast him as simply another member of the 'problem caucus,' Jones, 68, in many ways defies the stereotype,” Roll Call writes. “Unlike Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn) or Reps Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and Michele Bachmann (R-Minn) the soft-spoken Jones has never sought to translate his differences with leadership into a national profile.”

The article quotes GOP Congressman Howard Coble: "He's a former Southern Baptist, now a Catholic. He's a former Democrat, now a Republican. I once told him, 'You're the most versatile member in Congress.'"

Republicans are targeting freshman Democratic U.S. Rep Larry Kissell in 2010.

Party strategists believe that, with a strong candidate, reclaiming the suburban Charlotte-based district could be possible, Roll Call reports.

Kissell defeated Rep. Robin Hayes last year.

Hayes’ deep roots, Congressional tenure and fundraising ability make him a desirable candidate to try to take back the seat. But after five terms, another rigorous campaign might not be on Hayes’ agenda.

Hayes said he is still considering a 2010 run but that he is also working closely with the party to recruit other strong candidates.

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory has been mentioned as another top prospect, and he has not ruled out a Congressional run.

Other potential Republican challengers mentioned include Union County District Attorney John Snyder and former state Rep. Mia White.

Hat tip: RTB 

Cal Cunningham got some more favorable press.

The former state senator is mentioned prominently in an article in the Washington-based Roll Call newspaper about prospects for the 2010 Senate race:

Former Tar Heel state Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek said this week that if Cunningham were to enter the race, he would be someone who would have to be taken seriously.

"He's got an excellent profile in terms of his biography," Meek said. "He's perceived as being a little bit more liberal than, say, Mike McIntyre and Heath Shuler."

If one of the Congressmen decides to run and the DSCC and local party leaders can’t clear the field, Cunningham could be a dark horse in a primary where the electorate would be mostly hard-core Democrats in a midterm election.

"There's certainly going to be some folks who perceive Shuler or McIntyre as being too conservative," he said.

The article also notes that U.S. Reps. Heath Shuler or Mike McIntyre would be considered frontrunners if they jumped in the race, and says state Sen. Dan Blue, former Obama fundraiser Kenneth Lewis and Rep. Brad Miller are also "being mentioned." 

U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes is among the wealthiest members of Congress, according to a Capitol Hill newspaper.

In a report released Monday, Roll Call ranked the Concord Republican No. 5 among the 535 members of the House and Senate. The newspaper estimates his net worth at about $79 million, much of it in stocks and bonds held in trust funds.

Hayes, heir to a textile fortune, has seen his wealth more than double since 2006. "According to Hayes' office, the increase, including more than $36 million in new trust funds, is the result of an inheritance. Hayes' mother passed away in 2007," Roll Call says.

Other Carolinas lawmakers in the Top 50: Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole at 19th, Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler at 35th and Democratic Rep. John Spratt at 36th.

The ranking, though, includes several caveats. Roll Call notes that lawmakers must disclose only a range for each asset and liability and do not have to report certain assets at all. They sometimes fill out the disclosure forms incorrectly.

It seems Pat McCrory is not the only politician handing out demotions.

As we noted yesterday, the Republican gubernatorial candidate demoted former U.S. Sen. Jim Broyhill to a state legislator on his campaign finance report.

Now Washington-based newspaper Roll Call reports that U.S. Rep. Mel Watt had a little trouble with two donors on his report: Fellow Congressmen Charlie Rangel and Jim Clyburn.

For employers, he listed: "Information requested."

Watt told Roll Call he was following Federal Election Commission protocol and requesting the information from the contributors.

"It does seem very funny, but we're just following protocol," he said.

Apparently the FEC won't accept information readily available on Wikipedia.

OK, so vice president's not so likely, but what about a Cabinet position?

The commentariat briefly got excited about U.S. Sen. Richard Burr's chances at being John McCain's running mate, but they have mostly moved on.

But Roll Call is already onto a new game. The Washington, D.C.-based newspaper includes Burr in its speculation on who might be in the next Cabinet.

Other long-shot possibilities for McCain could include Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) at Treasury or Justice, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) at Veterans Affairs, or even conservative Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), who is retiring in 2010, as attorney general or secretary of Health and Human Services.

Burr is the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Still, the article notes that McCain would be careful about appointing his colleagues because that would open up more seats in the closely divided Senate.

Two of North Carolina's delegation are among the 15 richest.

According to a survey ($) by Washington, D.C.-based Roll Call, U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes and Sen. Elizabeth Dole are among the richest members of Congress.

Hayes, a Concord Republican, comes in at No. 10. That's down four spots from last year's survey, in part because he suffered considerable financial losses, though he's still worth $36.1 million.

He reported owning between $500,001 and $1 million in Altria stock; another $500,001 or more in timber investments and at least $2 million worth of property in Minnesota and South Carolina. He also holds at least $3 million in municipal bonds and a personal debt of $1 million for his plane.

Dole, a Salisbury Republican, comes in at No. 14. Her $16.1 million portfolio includes a 1 percent stake — worth more than $1 million — that her husband, former Sen. Bob Dole, has in a family trust. She also owns roughly $2 million in promissory notes.

In addition, Dole has collected more than $1 million in rent from a 119-acre property in Kansas and has multiple hedge funds and trust accounts worth more than $1 million each.

The rankings are based on financial disclosure forms filed by the politicians.

U.S. Rep. David Price is apparently heading to a House ethics task force to determine whether the House needs an outside ethics enforcement authority.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tapped the Chapel Hill Democrat to fill the vacancy left by Rep. Marty Meehan of Massachusetts, who resigned from Congress to become chancellor of the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, according to Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper.

Correction: Paul Cox, a spokesman for Price, notified Dome that an earlier post incorrectly said Price was being considered for a spot on the House ethics committee.