Tim Boyum spotted a few more state pols in the crowd.
On his Political Connections blog, the News 14 Carolina reporter notes that he spotted state Sen. Vern Malone, Reps. Verla Insko and Susan Fisher and NAACP president William Barber in the audience for a Barack Obama speech at the N.C. State Fairgrounds.
Update: James Romoser spied state Sen. Linda Garrou too.
The North Carolina chapter of the NAACP wants an aggressive investigation into recent automated calls it suspects are meant to confuse voters and suppress the black vote.
Rev. William Barber II, president of the state’s NAACP chapter, sent a complaint Saturday to N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper that outlines information the group has gathered about Women's Voices Women Vote — the group behind the robo calls, reports Titan Barksdale.
The calls tell voters to expect a voter-registration packet in the mail, but the calls were made after the deadline for registration in North Carolina. A man who identifies himself as Lamont Williams provides the misinformation.
“We want this taken very seriously,” Barber said. “[The calls] are a danger to our democracy and a danger to what’s best about this country.”
Cooper has said the calls are illegal because they did not disclose who sponsored the call or give contact information about their source.
“Regardless of the motivation, the robo-calls violated the law and they needed to stop,” Cooper said in a statement Wednesday.
Jennifer Canada, a spokeswoman for Cooper’s office, has said the calls continue to be investigated.
Rev. William Barber II stressed the NAACP will not choose a candidate.
In introducing the three Democratic and one Republican candidate at the Historic Union Baptist Church this afternoon, the head of the state organization said that the goal was to promote their agenda.
"We don't endorse candidates as an organization, we endorse ideas," he said.
He added that the debate will be televised so that candidates don't tell the NAACP one thing and then say another before other audiences. He said they chose the governor's race because it sets the tone for the down-ballot races.
Democrats Beverly Perdue, Richard Moore and Dennis Nielsen and Republican Bob Orr will appear at the debate. Large blue cards with the names of Pat McCrory, Fred Smith and Bill Graham have been placed in their empty seats.
The debate will air Monday and will be available online at WRAL.
The Sunlight Foundation has a checklist for online sunshine.
The goals were developed as part of its Open House Project, which aims to make the U.S. House of Representatives more available online. But they would be a good starting point for any such effort.
"These kinds of principles could work at a state legislature as well," said spokeswoman Gabriela Schneider.
The checklist is a little jargon-heavy, so here's a rough translation of a few goals: Do not use proprietary computer formats, broadcast committee meetings, require disclosure reports be filed electronically and create a verification system for archived records.
While Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Graham and the head of the state NAACP have called for legislative webcams, the Sunlight Foundation also calls for the video to be archived as well.
Currently, the state legislature offers streaming audio, but it does not provide archives. (Savvier computer users can use programs like Audio Hijack to record proceedings, however.)
Rev. William Barber II called for legislative committees to be televised.
The head of the state's NAACP said that too much of his group's agenda died in committee meetings that were not readily available to the public.
"We need to know what's happening in the committee meetings," he said. "If they can do it for the federal government on C-SPAN, we ought to be doing it in North Carolina. Bottom line: Open up this government."
The call comes two weeks after Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Graham called for webcams to broadcast the legislature online.
North Carolina already provides live audio for sessions in both houses, press conferences and all meetings in the Appropriations and Finance Committee rooms, but no video footage is available.
Barber said that he would also like to see streaming audio of all of the committees.
Four gubernatorial candidates will debate Saturday.
Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, state Treasurer Richard Moore, former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr and retired Air Force colonel Dennis Nielsen will meet at a forum sponsored by the state NAACP. Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, Salisbury attorney Bill Graham and state Sen. Fred Smith were invited, but will not attend, according to the NAACP.
The forum will be held at 3 p.m. at the Historic Union Baptist Church in Durham at the winter session of the NAACP. It is the first time the group has sponsored a debate.
"Normally candidates come by the NAACP and sometimes have an opportunity to say something or shakes hands," said Rev. William Barber II, head of the group. "But this is different."
The candidates will share the stage, answering questions about the NAACP's agenda.
Barber said the group would not be endorsing any of the candidates, but hopes to use the forum to stress civil rights and anti-poverty issues in the governor's race.
The debate will be broadcast Monday on WRAL.
Let them in, Rev. William Barber II, head of the state NAACP, said Monday at a news conference in support of giving illegal immigrants access to higher education.
Barber, along with representatives from the Hispanic business Adelante, likened the plight of immigrants to that of Mary and Joseph, who were turned away from an inn on Christmas Eve.
Barber cited examples throughout history of poor treatment of immigrants and praised Martin Lancaster, the outgoing president of the state's community college system and Gov. Mike Easley for supporting a policy that allows illegal immigrants to attend college.
The issue has been a lightning rod in politics, with each of the major candidates for governor speaking out against a policy of forcing community colleges to admit illegal immigrants.
"We must open the inn," Barber said. "Instead of tearing people apart, we must bring people together and open up the inn."
The state NAACP will hold a press conference at 11 a.m. today.
William Barber II, president of the state's NAACP chapter, said Monday he has news of a "major" development in the case of James Johnson, a Wilson man who was jailed for three years for a murder he says he did not commit, Titan Barksdale reports.
Johnson was charged with rape and murder in 2004 after the death of Brittany Willis, a Wilson teenager who was carjacked at a shopping center. Another man is serving a life sentence for the crime. He originally implicated Johnson, then recanted.
Recently, the NAACP has been encouraging U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield to find out who is handling the review of Johnson's case. Johnson was released from jail in September after a judge reduced his bond from $1 million to $60,000 and granted a request for an outside review of the case.
More after the jump.
Three Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor will meet.
Winston-Salem City Councilman Dan Besse, attorney Hampton Dellinger and Canton Mayor Pat Smathers will be in a forum Saturday at the annual meeting of the Progressive Democrats of North Carolina.
State Sen. Walter Dalton is not expected to attend.
The meeting will be held at 106 Purefoy Road in Chapel Hill. It also will feature a panel discussion with representatives of N.C. Voters for Clean Elections, People of Faith Against the Death Penalty, the N.C. Housing Coalition and Clean Water North Carolina.
Keynote speakers will be the Rev. William J. Barber, president of the state NAACP, and Marisol Jimenez-McGee, advocacy director for El Pueblo.
After the candidate forum, members of the Progressive Democrats will decide whether to endorse a candidate for lieutenant governor.
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