Tom Fetzer

NCGOP brings in Hoffman, NY candidate

bniolet — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:39:59 -0500

The N.C. Republican Party is bringing in Doug Hoffman, the defeated conservative New York congressional candidate who helped spark a national debate about the party's future, to speak at a political fund raiser in Raleigh later this month.

State GOP Chairman Tom Fetzer said that Hoffman would be a good fit for Tar Heel Republicans, Rob Christensen reports.

"His candidacy in New York inspired conservatives across the country, and he will reach out to North Carolina conservatives to help us reclaim our government," Fetzer said in a statement.

Hoffman has been part of a national debate about what should be the party's stance toward moderates. The GOP leadership had nominated Dede Scozzafava for a U.S. House vacancy after President Barack Obama named Republican Congressman John McHugh as Army Secretary.

But her conservative credentials were criticized her because she favored abortion rights and same sex marriage. Hoffman, a local businessman, ran as a conservative party candidate, picking up the endorsement of such conservative luminaries as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and TV personality Glenn Beck.

Scozzafava ended up withdrawing from the race and throwing her support to Democrat Bill Owens who won a congressional seat that had been in Republican hands for 100 years.

The N.C. Republican Party has long been a conservative party associated with the late Jesse Helms, and Fetzer said he had personally supported the Hoffman candidacy.

Hoffman will speak at the party's Hall of Fame Dinner on November 21 at the North Raleigh Hilton.

Fetzer: corruption began in '77

bniolet — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:05:23 -0500

N.C. Republican Party Chairman Tom Fetzer says he believes the genesis for the current run of corruption in state government began in 1977, when the state changed the Constitution to allow governors to serve two consecutive terms.

That prompted the legislature to end its practice of limiting leaders leaders of both chambers to serving only one term, Rob Christensen reports. Powerful lawmakers could then hold onto power.

"I trace the end of good government back to 1976 when Jim Hunt changed the Constitution to succeed himself," Fetzer told News and Observer editors and reporters Wednesday. (Hunt was elected in 1976 but the Constitution was changed in 1977.) "I would personally advocate that we pass a constitutional amendment to get the governor back to one term."

Fetzer said he was saddened to see the campaign finance investigations surrounding former Democratic Gov. Mike Easley, noting that he often chatted with Easley while hitting balls on a public driving range off Yonkers Road on Sunday afternoons.

"On a personal level," Fetzer said, "I like Mike Easley. I think he has made some horrible mistakes. I think he and State of North Carolina are going to pay a price for those mistakes. I think that is sad."

Fetzer: Elections bode well for GOP

bkrueger — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:26:01 -0500

State GOP Chairman Tom Fetzer said Tuesday's election results are good news for Republicans.

"I think the pendulum is turning back as it always does," Fetzer said in an interview with reporters and editors of The News & Observer. "I think there is a wave cresting right now that bodes well for Republicans."

Fetzer said Tuesday's elections, in which Republicans captured the governorships of Virginia and New Jersey, reminded him of the run up to the 1994 elections which turned into a national GOP landslide led by Newt Gingrich, reports Rob Christensen.

Fetzer said the N.C. Republican Party would focus on the re-election of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr and winning control of at least one chamber in the state legislature during the 2010 mid-term election. He said the key issues will be ending the "culture of corruption" in Raleigh and better management of taxpayer's money.

Wright and wrong, continued

markjohnson — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:25:02 -0400

Curtis Wright is sending email about Tom Fetzer again.

Wright, a Wilmington talk radio host, fired off a heated email to Dome several days ago complaining about a story on the settlement of a lawsuit Fetzer, chairman of the N.C. Republican Party, filed against Wright and his employer, Sea Comm Inc.

The suit was over an email Wright sent to more than 90 Republican Party leaders last May, during the campaign for party chair, that included an anonymous letter alleging Fetzer is gay. Wright and Sea Comm settled the suit with an apology letter from Wright. Neither paid any money to Fetzer.

Tom Fetzer

bniolet — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:14:13 -0400

Fetzer jabs Hackney for speech's 'pothole'

bniolet — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:02:51 -0400

N.C. Republican Party Chairman Tom Fetzer couldn't resist poking fun at a gaffe House Speaker Joe Hackney made while trying to show he is knowledgable about issues related to Charlotte.

Hackney mistakenly referred to Charlotte's incomplete Interstate 485 as "495."

"Despite his selfless attention to Charlotte’s roads, Hackney struck an oratorical pothole when he didn’t know which road he was talking about, and had to be corrected by the audience," Fetzer said. "Speaker Hackney went to Charlotte to demonstrate his awareness of the Queen City’s needs and laid an egg. Let’s hope he didn’t take the wrong road home to Chapel Hill.

"The Speaker should know his roads. And not just the ones that curve sharply to the left,” Fetzer said.

Wake schools election a harbinger?

bniolet — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:15:31 -0400

Candidates critical of a Wake County school diversity policy swept three school board seats in Tuesday's elections and a fourth, crucial seat appears headed to a runoff.

The school board races are nonpartisan, although the Wake County Republican Party endorsed the three candidates who won in those races.

Veteran Democratic consultant Gary Pearce wonders if the strong showing of the "bad guys" is a sign of things to come in next year's Congressional and state legislative election. He said Monday on his Talking About Politics blog that in 1993 Republican Tom Fetzer won the Raleigh mayoral race, the vanguard of what became a big Republican rout.

In 1993, like this year, Democrats had just won the presidential election. They were still celebrating, and they were complacent.
Just like this year, Republicans were angry and motivated. Fetzer (with Carter’s help) found a perfect issue in the downtown civic center. Fetzer ran a modern TV campaign while Democrats ran the familiar old handshake campaign.
It was a sign of worse to come in 1994. And tomorrow may be the canary in the coal mine for 2010.

The Wright thing: say 'sorry'

markjohnson — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:13:49 -0400

Wilmington talk radio host Curtis Wright has apologized for circulating a letter in May saying now-N.C. Republican Party Chairman Tom Fetzer is gay.

A lengthy apology letter from Wright released today settles a lawsuit that Fetzer filed against Wright and his employer, Sea-Comm, Inc. In his apology letter, Wright said he forwarded the anonymous letter about Fetzer and a copy of "a personal letter" written by Fetzer's opponent for the chairmanship to various county chairs of the Republican Party to make those party leaders aware of the letters and the possible damage to the GOP.

Wright emphasized that he never vouched for the accuracy of the letters and describes in laudatory terms his interaction with Fetzer during the race for party chairman, adding that Fetzer has his full support.

No money was paid in settling the suit.

"I am pleased with the settlement of this issue and with Mr. Wright’s clarification and apology," Fetzer said in a prepared statement. "This was never an issue of monetary compensation, but instead the preservation of my good name and reputation. With this settlement, I consider the issue closed."

Document(s):
CurtisWrightLetter.pdf

Fight begins for legislative control

bkrueger — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:05:56 -0400

State GOP Chairman Tom Fetzer said today that conditions are ripe for Republicans to win control of the North Carolina legislature next year for the first time since 1898.

Fetzer said the $1 billion in tax increases passed by the legislature combined with a spate of Democratic scandals in Raleigh, a backlash against Democratic health care proposals and historic mid-term election trends bode well for the GOP, reports Rob Christensen.

"We feel very confident that we going to have a Republican majority in the House and the Senate in 2010," Fetzer said at a news conference at state Republican headquarters.

Republicans need to pick up 10 seats in the 120-seat House, and six seats in the 50-seat Senate to win control.

But House Speaker Joe Hackney, an Orange County Democrat, said Democrats were well positioned to expand their majority in the House.

"We are very optimistic we are going to pick up some seats," Hackney said in an interview. "We think we will pick up seven and get to 75."

After moving around the state, Hackney said he believed there was a broad appreciation that the legislature had just gone through one of the most difficult budget sessions in modern times. Hackney said the Republicans had shown no leadership.

"They have not done anything to deserve consideration next time," Hackney said. "They wouldn't tax to balance the budget. And they wouldn't cut to balance the budget. They refused to participate. They wouldn't make any hard decisions."

Who's at fault?

bniolet — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:48:08 -0400

State Republicans have decided to direct outrage over the decision to admit illegal immigrants into the community colleges toward Gov. Beverly Perdue.

Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger and state Republican chairman Tom Fetzer have issued statements that seek to accuse Perdue of reversing herself on the issue.

"Despite her repeated claims that she opposes this policy, the Governor’s appointees voted nearly unanimously to enact the policy. This is yet another example of Gov. Perdue’s lack of leadership and peculiar priorities," Fetzer said in his statement.

Perdue says that not only has she not changed her mind, she has told the board members of her opposition to allowing undocumented students into the colleges.

"Each individual board member clearly understood her views," said Perdue spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson.

Perdue appoints 10 of the board's 21 members. Earlier this week, another state agency, the Building Code Council, voted not to lessen a code requirement for a special circuit breaker after Perdue expressed support for the devices.

When asked if there would be consequences for the Community College board members who changed the policy, Pearson said, "The governor believes the consequences will occur when the General Assembly reconvenes."