Asheville Citizen-Times

Newspaper endorsements: U.S. Senate

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:36:31 -0400

Editorial boards of the state's major newspapers are making their endorsements in the Senate race.

Here are links to the major unsigned editorials written so far about Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole and Democrat Kay Hagan.

Raleigh News & Observer: Hagan. "She is well-informed, not just well-meaning. She is astute. Her record in Raleigh indicates she knows how to make a legislative system work. It forecasts a promising career in the U.S. Senate."

Charlotte Observer: Hagan. "We believe she offers citizens the better hope of having an effective and independent voice in the Senate. She also offers them a voice that is more closely attuned to everyday life in North Carolina."

Asheville Citizen-Times: Hagan. "North Carolina needs and deserves a senator who stays in touch with her constituents and the changing dynamics of a fast-growing state. And it deserves a knowledgeable, collaborative, but forceful voice in the U.S. Senate."

Greensboro News-Record: Hagan. "She's responsive to constituents, communicates well, works hard, comprehends complex issues, makes good decisions and is not content to be average. She can become an outstanding U.S. senator."

Winston-Salem Journal: Hagan. "Hagan, 55, is a bundle of brains and energy. A lawyer and former banker, she has been a leader in the state Senate almost since the day she entered 10 years ago."

Wilmington Star-News: Hagan. "Washington is a lot different from Raleigh, but a knowledgeable, energetic and assertive politician such as Hagan can provide strong representation."

Durham Herald-Sun: Hagan. "Her record after 10 years in the General Assembly is pro-business and pro-education, with a deep streak of practicality."

Greenville Daily Reflector: Hagan. "She brings experience to this race that lacks a national profile, but aptly demonstrates her comfort with the legislative process and the capable leadership she brings to it."

High Point Enterprise: Hagan. "Over the span of Hagan's legislative career, we've seen a state senator committed to and capable of getting things done for the people she represents — and even once represented."

Wilson Times: Hagan. "What sets Hagan above Dole is the fact that she has spent most of her life living and working in North Carolina. She has served her constituents in Greensboro well and has assembled a team that will work to represent the interests of all North Carolinians."

Newspaper endorsements: Governor

ryanteaguebeckwith — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 10:39:09 -0400

Editorial boards of the state's major newspapers are making their endorsements in the governor's race.

Here are links to the major unsigned editorials written so far about Republican Pat McCrory and Democrat Beverly Perdue:

Charlotte Observer: McCrory. "McCrory would bring an urgently needed energy to the office. While we don't agree with him on every issue, he knows where he stands on most aspects of state government and why he stands there."

Raleigh News & Observer: McCrory. "Bev Perdue is a good candidate, but McCrory suits the moment. He's loaded with energy and fresh ideas. On several levels, he could be just what this state needs."

Asheville Citizen-Times: McCrory. "Though we disagree with him on some issues, we recommend McCrory because we believe he is best suited to lead the state in meeting the challenges that confront it as a result of rapid growth."

Greensboro News-Record: McCrory. "But McCrory is steadier and more assured on the issues. He takes a more meat-and-potatoes approach to leadership, a pattern that has played out more often than not in Charlotte. That's what the state needs in its next governor."

Winston-Salem Journal: McCrory. "A city-oriented governor, we believe, will help shape policies for the kind of state North Carolina is now and will be during this century."

Durham Herald-Sun: McCrory. "One of McCrory's strengths for voters in Durham and the Triangle is his familiarity with urban issues. He knows about the problems cities like Durham face, including crime, poverty and transportation."

High Point Enterprise: McCrory. "It is McCrory's demonstration in Charlotte of the kind of leadership and vision that moves people, communities and states forward - working together - that makes him stand out as the candidate who should become North Carolina's next governor."

Wilson Times: McCrory. "During the state's gubernatorial debates, several of which were skipped by Perdue, McCrory has come across as a pragmatic leader who could translate his executive experience in Charlotte to the statehouse in Raleigh."

Wilmington Star-News: Perdue. "Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue communicates a keener appreciation of what ordinary North Carolinians are going through at this difficult time, possibly because her pre-political background in education and health care put her in contact with people whose voices go unheard in Raleigh."

Greenville Daily Reflector: Perdue. "As a resident of the East, she knows the plight of towns and cities here, and recognizes that job creation and a strong investment in infrastructure and education remain the best course for this region."

Southern Pines Pilot: Perdue. "All things considered, North Carolina would be better off with a highly qualified governor who can hit the ground running and won't require a lot of on-the-job training. That candidate is Bev Perdue."

Newspaper endorsements: President

ryanteaguebeckwith — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 10:04:39 -0400

Editorial boards of the state's major newspapers are making their endorsements in the presidential race.

Here are links to the major unsigned editorials written so far about Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama.

Asheville Citizen-Times: Obama. "Obama's tax proposals are more favorable to the beleaguered middle class, his energy policies more likely to result in job creation and eventual energy independence and his plan to address the health care crisis more likely to result in a healthier nation."

Raleigh News & Observer: Obama. "His would be a government of thought before deed and of strength given by the people, not just exercised from above."

Charlotte Observer: Obama. "His intellect, his calm, rational approach to difficult issues, his coolness during the heat of debate and his sense of humor and humility offer something millions of Americans have yearned for in national politics – the ability to examine issues thoughtfully, to listen to competing interests and to develop solutions that more closely meet the needs of all."

Wilmington Star-News: Obama. "Barack Obama has demonstrated that he is ready for the challenge. For starters, his economic plan addresses the worries of regular Americans while recognizing that it's important to invest in industries that will create the jobs of the future."

Durham Herald-Sun: Obama. "Obama's ability to energize millions of young voters to take part in the process, his ability to define an optimistic vision for this country reminiscent of Ronald Reagan's rhetorical gifts, his empathy for those citizens ... all are sources of encouragement for what an Obama presidency can be."

Greenville Daily Reflector: Obama. "Obama has responded by relentlessly seeking to raise the level of public discourse and by focusing on the path toward an America that lives up to its promise as the greatest, most prosperous nation in history."

Claims Dept: DSCC's 'Silence' ad on Dole

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:43:17 -0400

A new ad from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee criticizes U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole for not taking a more active role on banking issues.

What the ad says: The ad shows a U.S. Senate seat with a sign reading "Elizabeth Dole, Wall Street." Images of trading floors and a couple looking at their monthly bills. "Our economy in meltdown. Elizabeth Dole. Six years on the banking committee. Sixty hearings. Silence. Not one question. Not one statement. But she was busy, raising $850,000 from Wall Street. But for us, she voted against helping families keep their homes. Newspapers called her "ineffective," "with Bush ... not North Carolinians." Elizabeth Dole, fighting for Wall Street — but what about us? The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is responsible for the content of this advertising."

The background: The ad makes several claims about Dole's record.

BANKING COMMITTEE: Dole has served on the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs since 2003.

According to transcripts of committee hearings collected by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Dole did not ask any questions or make comments at 65 hearings held between Sept. 16, 2003, and July 29 of this year.

Dole spokesman Dan McLagan said the DSCC's list included some wrong committees and times when she was speaking on the Senate floor, but he would not give a detailed explanation.

"At first glance their list is riddled with errors," he said. "I am not going to devote staff time going through their list line-by-line."

FUNDRAISING: Dole has raised more than $900,000 from financial firms for her re-election.

According to campaign finance data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics, the Salisbury Republican has raised $906,905 from several different parts of the financial sector, including $270,985 from securities and investment firms, $247,377 from insurance companies, $242,075 from commercial banks and $146,468 from miscellaneous finance companies.

McLagan noted that those companies include North Carolina-based banks such as Wachovia, BB&T and Bank of America.

FORECLOSURES: Earlier this year, Congress considered a comprehensive bill reforming housing and mortgage regulations in order to address the rising number of foreclosures.

One version of the bill would have allowed bankruptcy judges to reduce the amount owed or changed the interest rate on a mortgage as part of a debt restructuring.

According to a Feb. 29 story in The New York Times, the Bush administration and Republican senators, including Dole, blocked the bill in a party-line vote to eliminate that and other provisions.

"That provision, supported by a wide range of consumer and civil rights groups, drew intense opposition from the mortgage industry, whose lobbyists argued that it would increase risks for lenders and drive up mortgage rates in the future," the Times wrote.

McLagan said the measure would have caused more problems than it solved.

"In a tight credit market, it would have tightened the market further," he said.

Dole voted against a measure in April to provide $100 million for foreclosure counseling, since the measure was not accompanied by an equivalent spending cut elsewhere in the budget.

NEWSPAPERS: Endorsing Democratic Senate candidate Kay Hagan, the Asheville Citizen-Times said Dole was not able to persuade her colleagues to tackle lending reforms.

"Though ... she was one of a handful of senators raising the alarm about the need for more oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for the last five years, she was ineffective in persuading her fellow senators to take action," the paper's editorial board wrote.

In its endorsement of Hagan, The Charlotte Observer said Dole had been ineffective generally.

"Dole should be a terrific senator," the paper's editorial board wrote. "That's why her ineffectiveness in representing North Carolina is such a surprise and such a disappointment."

The Winston-Salem Journal said in its endorsement of Hagan that Dole spent too much time on partisan issues.

"No one questions Dole's work ethic," the paper's editorial board wrote. "She's a vibrant woman. But while in Washington, Dole has reserved her best efforts for issues of importance to the national Republican Party and the Bush administration, not North Carolinians."

Is it accurate? Mostly. The claims quotes from newspapers are accurate. Most observers agree the measures Dole voted against would have helped homeowners, though there is disagreement on their negative effects. It is hard to gauge the truth about the claim about her silence at committee hearings, although it is clear she did not talk as much as other senators.

Obama to practice in Asheville

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:54:57 -0400

Barack Obama will practice for his next debate in Asheville.

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that the Democratic presidential candidate will spend some time in Western North Carolina before his debate Tuesday in Nashville, Tenn.

Obama will spend "a couple of days" in the Asheville area, Obama spokesman Paul Cox told the paper.

"He needs to focus on his debate preparation, so we're not releasing the location," he said.

Sebelius stumps for Obama again

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:20:27 -0400

Kathleen Sebelius stumped for Barack Obama again this weekend.

The Kansas governor previously toured North Carolina on behalf of the Democratic presidential candidate in April during his primary battle with Hillary Clinton. She returned in June for a fundraiser for Democratic Senate candidate Kay Hagan.

On Friday, she made two stops in the western part of the state, arguing that Republican John McCain had ties to Wall Street's current problems and rallying women, the Asheville Citizen-Times reports.

"It isn't just a string of bad luck that produced the tumult that we see on Wall Street," Sebelius said at a stop in an Asheville coffee shop. "It's a stream of bad policy and a stream of deregulation of the financial services industry."

The stops were part of a ramped-up effort by Obama to bring surrogates to North Carolina. His wife, Michelle, and running mate, Joe Biden, have made recent stops, and former Missouri Sen. Jean Carnahan will visit Tuesday.

Hat Tip: Laura Leslie

Mumpower's son leaves campaign after fight

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:15:00 -0400

Carl Mumpower's son has left his campaign.

The Republican Congressional candidate's son, Matt, stepped down after he was involved in a bar fight in Asheville Thursday night, the Hendersonville Times-News reports.

Matt Mumpower said the other man involved in the fight was intoxicated and attacked him first. He did not believe the fight was connected to the campaign.

"It had nothing to do with anything," he told the newspaper.

Mumpower, 24, was charged with simple assault and released on a $300 bond.

He had been volunteering as something close to a campaign coordinator for his father, who does not have any paid staff in his bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler.

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated the newspaper.

What McCrory said on the min. wage

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:51:03 -0400

An Asheville reporter says Pat McCrory told him he opposed a minimum-wage increase earlier this year.

An article written by Asheville Citizen-Times reporter Jordan Schrader on May 4 noted that the Republican gubernatorial nominee said he would "probably oppose" a minimum wage hike.

The article was cited in a TV ad attacking McCrory, who argued the ad was inaccurate.

On his Capital Letters blog, Schrader has posted the full quote from his interview with McCrory:

"For right now, I'd probably keep it the way it is. I think the market conditions, especially during recessionary times, must protect the jobs, not lose the jobs."
"I want to encourage employers to give summer jobs, not discourage them, especially to our at-risk youth."

Schrader writes that the ad "oversimplies his position" but is "reasonably accurate."

Spitzer connections in North Carolina

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:38:39 -0400

New York's (likely) next governor is a fan of Beverly Perdue's.

With Gov. Eliot Spitzer weighing a resignation in the wake of a prostitution scandal, Lt. Gov. David A. Patterson is set to become the chief executive of the Empire State.

According to campaign finance records, Patterson gave $2,500 to Perdue, a fellow lieutenant governor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate here.

She also received a donation from Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor.

Other local connections: Spitzer's wife, Silda, graduated from Meredith College in Raleigh; and Spitzer gave the keynote speech at the N.C. Bar Association meeting Asheville in June.

Spitzer once hosted a New York fundraiser for Perdue's rival, Richard Moore, according to the Charlotte Observer. According to campaign finance records, Spitzer and his wife each gave Moore $4,000 last May.

In Asheville, he praised Moore for using his position as state treasurer to fight investment firms.

"In a world where there was no enforcement," Spitzer said, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times, "we had to step in to ensure the integrity of the marketplace."

Moore was frequently compared to Spitzer for his Wall Street crusades, but both Moore and political reporters will avoid the comparison now.

SEANC takes case to the papers

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:09:53 -0500

The State Employees Association of North Carolina is running ads against Richard Moore.

The group, which represents 55,000 state workers, ran a full-page ad in the News & Observer, the Charlotte Observer and the Asheville Citizen-Times today.

"State employees to Treasurer Richard Moore: Where are our pension fund documents?" the ad reads. It is signed by all 12 members of the executive committee.

The ad references a recent fight that SEANC has had with the Democratic gubernatorial candidate over a public records request. The group has also filed a lawsuit against Moore's office.

Erica Baldwin, SEANC's assistant director of communications, said that it was the first time in recent memory that the group had taken out such a large ad, but she said it has nothing to do with the ongoing Democratic gubernatorial primary.

"It's not a political statement at all, but a statement about public accountability," she said.

A full-page ad in the front section of the N&O on a Wednesday for a political organization would cost around $7,800, according to this rate card. It could be as much as $10,900 for the Asheville Citizen-Times, according to this rate card. A full-page ad in the Charlotte Observer would cost from $9,855 to $37,125.

Amanda Martin, general counsel for the N.C. Press Association, said it was an unusual move.

"I have never known of a public records requester bolstering his or her request by an ad in the newspaper or anywhere else," she said.

Update: A spokeswoman for the treasurer's office said in a statement that the ad is incorrect.

"We are disappointed by this move by SEANC, as the Department of State Treasurer has followed both the spirit and the letter of the law in providing documents requested by SEANC," said Sara Lang.

Document(s):
seanc-ad.pdf