Mike McIntyre

Cuba and the cashflow

markjohnson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:21:43 -0500

Three North Carolina congressional Democrats changed their views on U.S. relations with Cuba in recent years, just as they began receiving thousands of dollars in donations from the country's largest Cuban-American political action committee.

U.S. Reps. Brad Miller of Raleigh and Mike McIntyre of Lumberton began to vote a harder line as the Cuban-American organization, a staunch opponent of relaxing restrictions on the Communist regime of Fidel and Raul Castro, was increasing its lobbying work in Congress in 2004. At the same time, President George W. Bush began toughening his administration's enforcement of travel restrictions and a trade embargo against the island nation.

Since 2004, McIntyre and Miller have received $14,500 each from the U.S.-Cuba Democracy political action committee, according to a report released today by Public Campaign, a nonpartisan advocacy group based in Washington that pushes for public financing of campaigns.

A third North Carolina Democrat, U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield of Wilson, has received $21,200 from the group since entering Congress in July 2004. His votes started to harden on the Cuba issue beginning in 2005.

McIntyre has $824,000

bniolet — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:26:38 -0500

U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre has $824,917 in his campaign account, according to federal election records.

McIntyre, a Lumberton Democrat, has received $306,873 from individual contributions and $73,250 from political action committees for a total of $384,000 raised through September.

Contributors include lawyer Stephen D. Coggins of Wilmington ($2,400); homemaker Abbie Edwards of Whiteville ($2,300); builder Charles Garrett Jr. of Wilmington ($2,000); the National Restaurant Association PAC ($2,000) and the American Hospital Association PAC ($2,000).

Republican Will Breazeale has received $3,800 in individual contributions and has $400 in his campaign account.

Abortion amendment didn't win NC votes

bniolet — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:57:46 -0500

In last weekend’s House health reform vote, three of North Carolina’s conservative Democrats opposed the bill, despite an anti-abortion amendment designed to curry favor among Democrats who oppose abortion rights.

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan declined Tuesday to say how she would have voted on the House bill, Barb Barrett reports.

"Our bill is going to be quite different from that bill," said Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat. "I would rather support what’s coming out of the Senate and see what we can get from a compromise position."

The House Democrats who voted against the bill were Reps. Heath Shuler of Waynesville, Mike McIntyre of Lumberton and Larry Kissell of Biscoe.

But Hagan does not favor the anti-abortion amendment, which would have restricted health insurance companies' ability to fund abortions if they compete for federal subsidies. Women seeking coverage would have to purchase their own insurance riders.

Hagan espoused the position that other moderate Democrats have favored, which is that health reform ought to keep the status quo regulations, which now prohibit federal funding of abortion.

"My preference would be not to change anything from the standpoint of the way we currently handle any sort of federal regulation," Hagan said Tuesday. "We don’t need to make any other changes."

GOP gloats over Cunningham decision

bniolet — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:22:02 -0500

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is doing a little victory dance over former state Sen. Cal Cunningham's decision not to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr next year.

By the GOP's count (which looks an awful lot like a list compiled by Dome), Cunningham is the 10th Democrat who has looked at the Senate race and decided to take a pass, Rob Christensen reports. Here is the Republican's list: Attorney General Roy Cooper, Rep. Heath Shuler, Rep. Mike McIntyre, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, state Rep. Grier Martin, state Rep. Tricia Cotham, former state Treasurer Richard Moore, and state Sen. Malcolm Graham.

"Once again," said Republican spokesman Colin Reed, "the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and national Democrats have suffered a serious setback in their efforts to land a top-tier candidate in North Carolina."

Likely disagreeing with that sentiment are the two announced Democrats, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Durham lawyer Kenneth Lewis. U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge and Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy are looking at the race.

Update: Also disagreeing with Reed was DSCC communications director Eric Schultz.

"Aside from Senator John Ensign, Senator Burr has the lowest approval rating of any Republican in the United States Senate. That’s because he’s beholden to the special interests in Washington. He will face a formidable opponent next November."

Campaign cash: Congress

bniolet — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:33:57 -0500

Here's a summary of what members of Congress had in their campaign accounts through September 2009. The remaining members of the state's delegation will be added to the list.

G.K. Butterfield: $231,000.

Howard Coble: $525,000.

Bob Etheridge: $1 million.

Virginia Foxx: $1.1 million.

Walter Jones: $127,766.

Larry Kissell: $244,000. Businessman Lou Huddleston has raised $57,641 from individuals and loaned himself $45,125. Tim D'Annunzio, who owns a skydiving business, has loaned himself $303,000 and raised $8,400. Hamlet resident Darrell Day has raised $30 and loaned himself $3,000. Republican Thomas Sweeney has not reported raising any money.

Patrick McHenry: $158,000. Iredell County Commissioner Scott Keadle has loaned himself $250,000 to challenge McHenry for the Republican nomination.

Mike McIntyre: $824,917. Republican Will Breazeale has received $3,800 in individual contributions and has $400 in his campaign account.

Brad Miller: $148,000. Challenger William Randall II has not reported raising any money.

David Price: $218,000. Republican challenger Frank Roche has raised $10,879, mostly through individual contributions. Republican George Hutchins has loaned himself $5,000.

Heath Shuler: $1.1 million.

Mel Watt: $140,000.

Money, meet mouth

lbonner — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:16:29 -0400

Republican Congressional candidate Will Breazeale is putting his money where his mouth is, personally guaranteeing a term limit pledge.

Breazeale, who is making his second challenge against 7th District Democratic Rep. Mike McIntyre, announced this week that he is guaranteeing his pledge to serve no more than six years in Congress with a $250,000 check secured by personal assets written in a promissory note, Rob Christensen reports.

If Breazeale is elected and violates his pledge, he would then be obligated to donate the $250,000 to the Cape Fear Volunteer Center-Kids Voting.

This is part of an effort by a group, based in Pinehurst, called the Alliance for Bonded Term Limits, that is seeking to find ways to ensure that candidates will keep their promises to serve a finite time in Congress.

The organization reports on its website that three candidates so far have agreed to make bonded pledges.

Term limits were popular among Republicans in the 1990s, but once elected many changed their minds about the value of term limits.

Breazeale is an airline pilot and a major in the U.S. Army Reserves. He is also a decorated combat veteran who served in Iraq and Kuwait.

McIntyre talks energy, agriculture

bkrueger — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:02:22 -0400

U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre touted North Carolina’s agriculture and alternative fuels while in Greece today for an international conference on energy.

McIntyre, a Lumberton Democrat, is a senior member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, which promotes security through human rights, democracy and environmental cooperation, reports Barb Barrett.

He spoke in Athens before about 200 parliamentarians from 49 countries who attended the fall meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

There, he talked of how farmers in North Carolina are trying to develop energy from resources such as animal waste.

“In my home state of North Carolina, the agriculture industry is already making significant progress in converting plant and animal waste, agricultural stover [residue] and woody biomass into viable options for alternative energy sources,” McIntyre said.

“We need to be flexible and forward-looking, using alternative fuels, new crop-tilling mechanisms and the latest research in irrigation so that farmers will continue to be a reliable source of food and fiber not only for their own families, but for the world.”

Congressmen seek money for pork

bkrueger — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:18:48 -0400

No, not the kind you're thinking about.

In this case, we're talking about what's known as "the other white meat."

Seven of North Carolina’s members of Congress have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect the pork industry from its economic troubles by buying $100 million worth of meat for the USDA’s federal food assistance programs.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, they say the recession and the recent swine flu outbreak have hurt the industry. The lawmakers thanked Vilsack for his push earlier this year to call the swine flu virus H1N1 to disassociate it from pork products, but they said the impacts of the scare have hurt the industry.

The letter notes that USDA already has announced $30 million in purchases through the end of the fiscal year, reports Barb Barrett.

“We asking for additional help with the economic crisis the U.S. pork industry currently faces,” the letter reads. “Without your assistance, we are putting thousands of rural jobs and businesses at risk.”

The N.C. lawmakers are Democratic U.S. Reps. Bob Etheridge, Larry Kissell, Mike McIntyre, Brad Miller and G.K. Butterfield, along with Republican U.S. Reps. Howard Coble and Walter Jones. Fifty-five other lawmakers also signed the letter.

They want Vilsack to use $100 million to buy pork for federal food assistance programs, with an emphasis on sow meat to reduce breeding stock.

Blue Dogs assess Obama speech

janestancill — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:57:18 -0400

North Carolina's two Blue Dogs say they're ready to move forward on health reform, as long as the path veers away from the thousand-page bill being considered by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Among the state's 13 House members, Reps. Heath Shuler of Waynesville and Mike McIntyre of Lumberton represent the middle coalition of Democrats who have been central players in shaping President Barack Obama's quest for health reform.
Both are members of the Blue Dog Coalition, a powerful group of fiscal conservatives, many of them Southerners, who have been influential in the debate.

They, along with 50 other Blue Dogs, were among the primary targets of Obama's Wednesday night address, reports Barb Barrett.

Shuler said Thursday that lawmakers must take a fresh look at the bill. "The House bill as it presently exists is unacceptable to me," he said. "It doesn't reflect what the president said [Wednesday] night. There have to be major overhauls."

McIntyre, though, said he still can't support $900 billion. "We can make incremental changes in a way that's more affordable," he said.

Rally set during Obama speech

janestancill — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:19:10 -0400

Americans for Prosperity will hold a rally at the N.C. State Fairgrounds on Wednesday night ahead of President Barack Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress.

The rally will take place at 8 p.m. at the Kerr Scott building at the fairgrounds in Raleigh, reports Barb Barrett. Then, the group — which opposes Democrats' proposals on health reform — will watch Obama's 9 p.m. address live on a big overhead screen, said Dallas Woodhouse, state director of the N.C. chapter.

The rally will follow two more days of Americans for Prosperity's bus tour, which plans stops in the districts of Democratic U.S. Reps. Heath Shuler, Mike McIntyre, Larry Kissell and Bob Etheridge.