Bob Etheridge

Etheridge checks out European markets

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:55:06 -0500

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge traveled to Europe this week to check out overseas financial markets as the United States struggles to right its own financial mess.

Etheridge is looking at ways to regulate a financial instrument known as credit default swaps. Some experts think credit default swaps might have contributed to the international financial crisis. The market now is unregulated, Barb Barrett reports.

Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, is chairman of the House subcommittee with jurisdiction over credit default swaps. He has been studying commodities trading markets since last spring, when he submitted a bill to regulate oil speculation.

Etheridge will visit European officials in Brussels, London and Frankfurt. He was joined on the trip by U.S. Reps. Collin Peterson of Minnesota and Jim Marshall of Georgia.

N.C. Dems vocal about Dingell, or mum

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:02:14 -0500

During this two-week battle for power on the Energy and Commerce Committee, U.S. Rep. John Dingell of Michigan has been more open than U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman of California.

Dingell has been more willing to give interviews on the matter. He publicly announced a long list of supporters and slammed Waxman as a "left-wing Democrat" who doesn't understand manufacturing, Barb Barrett reports.

Waxman has stayed fairly quiet. And while he is close to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another California representative, she didn't disclose publicly whom she supported either.

It was generally expected that Dingell would receive support from moderate and conservative Democrats, along with members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Waxman was expected to win the backing of more liberal members.

Tough to say whether the differences in the candidates' style on transparency translates to caucus members' transparency on the vote itself, but let's review:

Reps. Mel Watt and Mike McIntyre both publicly supported Dingell. U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler was on his whip team. Both McIntyre and Shuler are conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats.

Rep. G.K. Butterfield serves on Energy and Commerce under Dingell and was reportedly lobbying for him as well. Watt and Butterfield serve in the Congressional Black Caucus.

Reps. Brad Miller and David Price, along with Rep.-elect Larry Kissell, all declined to say who they supported.

(Butterfield, it should be said, also declined today to reveal his vote.)

The National Journal ranked Price in March as being more liberal than 90 percent of the House; it ranked Miller as being more liberal than 78 percent of House.

Rep. Bob Etheridge, a conservative Democrat who isn't a Blue Dog, hasn't yet responded to requests for comment on his vote.

Which Congressman was most popular?

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:49:18 -0500

Which North Carolina Congressman was most popular?

That depends on how you break down the numbers, but U.S. Rep. David Price clearly won the largest number of votes in the November elections.

The Chapel Hill Democrat snagged 265,751 votes. The next most popular were Reps. Sue Myrick (241,053), Brad Miller (221,379), Howard Coble (221,018) and Mel Watt (215,908).

The numbers are slightly different if you look at percentages, though.

From that perspective, Watt was the most popular, winning 71.6 percent of the vote, followed by Reps. G.K. Butterfield (70.3), Mike McIntyre (68.9), Coble (67) and Bob Etheridge (66.9).

Either way, the least popular was Rep.-elect Larry Kissell, who picked up just 157,185 votes, or 55.4 percent.

Generally speaking, the newer members of Congress were less popular than the older ones.

Etheridge: Open up inauguration more

ryanteaguebeckwith — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:46:03 -0500

Facing a flood of requests for tickets to the presidential inauguration, U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge is asking a planning committee to provide more ways for people to view the event.

The Lillington Democrat said his office has received almost 1,000 requests for tickets to the swearing-in of President-elect Barack Obama. Members of Congress have a limited number of free tickets to distribute, Etheridge said today in a news release, but they "will not be enough to satisfy even a small portion of the enormous demand."

Etheridge asked the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies to provide ways for those who can't get tickets to view the swearing-in.

Specifically, Etheridge suggested placing speakers and video screens on the National Mall. He also asked the committee to consider alternate venues, such as the Verizon Center, National Stadium and local colleges and universities, where people can watch the ceremony live.

Members of the state's congressional delegation have been overwhelmed with requests for tickets. The state is only a few hours away from Washington by car.

The offices don't know how many tickets they will get for the Jan. 20 inauguration.

Tickets for the inauguration ceremony are available only through congressional offices. The official Web site for the swearing-in ceremony is inaugural.senate.gov.

Tar Heels seek inauguration tickets

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:21:10 -0500

North Carolinians are making thousands of calls for inauguration tickets.

Sen. Richard Burr says he's gotten calls as far back as January. Rep. Bob Etheridge had gotten 600 calls as of Friday. Even Senator-elect Kay Hagan has gotten more than 600 calls since Wednesday.

With North Carolina just a few hours' drive from Washington, many Triangle residents want to attend the swearing-in of the first black president.

But anyone who hasn't already asked for tickets may already be out of luck.

The tickets are free, but they're available only from congressional and senatorial offices. They won't be distributed until January, just before the ceremony on Jan. 20.

The offices themselves don't know how many tickets they'll get. (N&O)

The Wolfpack in the White House?

bkrueger — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 10:10:38 -0500

Is a Wolfpacker about to become the White House spokesman?

Politico, quoting unnamed sources, says that Robert Gibbs will be the White House press secretary for Barack Obama.

Gibbs, who served as communications director for Obama's campaign, was born and raised in Alabama. But he went to college at N.C. State, and his parents live in Apex. Gibbs once worked for U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge of Lillington.

Democrats give their victory speeches

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:27:49 -0500

Some comments from the raucous Democratic celebration tonight:

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge: "Those of us elected tonight — or re-elected — had better get working ... Tonight is a night of history."

U.S. Rep. Brad Miller: "We need to be careful not to underreach."

Etheridge holding fundraiser tonight

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:28:05 -0400

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge is holding a fundraiser tonight.

The Lillington Democrat will meet with supporters at 5:30 p.m. at The Mint, a lavish, city-subsidized restaurant on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh.

The Mint's slogan — "A restaurant so grand they keep it in a vault." — is printed on the invitations.

Tickets to the event range from $100 for a guest to $2,300 for a gold sponsorship.

The reception is hosted by Etheridge's wife, Faye.

Hat Tip: Sunlight Foundation

Bush signs Etheridge farm bill

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:08:52 -0400

President Bush signed into law an effort by Rep. Bob Etheridge to protect small farms in North Carolina.

The 2008 Farm Bill included a provision that required farms to at least 10 base acres in order to receive certain subsidy payments in a few programs, Barb Barrett reports.

But the interpretation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture was for only farms with 10 base acres — a trait not found as often in small-farm states such as North Carolina.

Etheridge's office said Congress attended for those who own several small farms to be able to aggregate their land to get to the 10-base-acre requirement. His office says 16,000 farms in the state could be affected.

Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, filed a bill suspending the rule. Congress will need a more permanent fix by the end of next year, according to Etheridge's office.

Close (and not-so) ties to Obama

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:56:10 -0400

How closely tied are North Carolina's Congressional Democrats to their presidential nominee?

Though all but one of the state's seven Democratic representatives will cast their superdelegate vote for Barack Obama, they're at slightly different levels.

Here's where they stand, from closest to least close:

G.K. Butterfield: Switched endorsement from John Edwards before the South Carolina primary. Stumped in Tennessee, Louisiana and Georgia. Participated in multiple teleconferences. Talked to reporters. Served on "Truth Squad." Attended rallies. District backed Obama by 63 percent. Name-checked in acceptance speech. Still working. Campaigned for Obama in Raleigh. Spoke on conference call.

David Price: Defended Obama. Endorsed before primary, after Edwards dropped out. Participated in teleconferences. District backed Obama by 66 percent. Name-checked in acceptance speech. Still working. Campaigned for Obama in Raleigh.

Bob Etheridge: District backed Obama. Stayed neutral before primary. Endorsed Obama the day before Clinton dropped out. Attended Obama rally. Campaigned for Obama in Raleigh. Spoke on conference call.

Brad Miller: Wife sat behind Obama for acceptance speech. District backed Obama by 63 percent Stayed neutral before primary, endorsed shortly afterward. Campaigned for Obama in Raleigh.

Mel Watt: Previously skeptical of black candidate's chances. Endorsed before primary, after Edwards dropped out. Participated in teleconferences. Served on "Truth Squad." District backed Obama by 78 percent. Name-checked in acceptance speech.

Mike McIntyre: District backed Clinton. Stayed neutral before primary. Endorsed Obama the day before Clinton dropped out.

Heath Shuler: Received $10,000 from Obama's PAC in 2006. District backed Clinton. Endorsed Clinton after primary. Staff says he's been too busy to think about race since then.