John Edwards

The Senate Class of 2008

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:24:26 -0500

The Senate class of 2008 has some big shoes to fill.

For the most part, the freshman senators are taking the seats of lawmakers who went on to higher offices — or at least ran for higher office.

The five (or six, depending on your definition) may face higher expectations as a result.

Here's a quick look at the new senators-elect:

Don Vaughan (D): A politically active Greensboro attorney who served seven terms on the City Council will be taking the seat of U.S. Sen.-elect Kay Hagan.

David Rouzer (R): A former aide to U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms from McGee's Crossroads will take over the Johnston County seat of unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate Fred Smith.

Debbie Clary (R): The state representative from Cherryville, the sole Republican win from its November wishlist, will take the seat of Lt. Gov.-elect Walter Dalton.

Josh Stein (D): A well-connected Raleigh lawyer who worked for John Edwards' in D.C. and served as deputy attorney general will be taking the Raleigh seat of Treasurer-elect Janet Cowell.

Don Davis (D): An Air Force veteran, college professor and the popular (and youngest ever) mayor of Snow Hill will be taking the seat of retiring Sen. John Kerr III.

Bob Rucho (R): A former four-term state senator, appointed to unsuccessful lieutenant governor candidate Robert Pittenger's seat in June, is already running for a leadership role.

Correction: An earlier version misstated the length of Vaughan's tenure.

Related: The House Class of 2008

Homegrown labor leaders in N.C.

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:47:39 -0500

Three major labor leaders are based in North Carolina.

Though the state has historically not been considered friendly to labor, it has produced three leaders of major national unions in recent years:

John Wilson: A former Raleigh teacher, Wilson worked his way up the ranks of the N.C. Association of Educators, serving as president and executive director. Now executive director of the National Education Association, he has ties to Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue.

Jack Cipriani: After moving to North Carolina in 1975, Cipriani was a shop steward at Miller Brewing and now serves as Eastern Region vice president of the Teamsters. Gov. Mike Easley appointed him to the state's Employment Security Commission.

Chris Chafe: The Carrboro resident began organizing textile mills, eventually heading UNITE HERE and advising John Edwards' presidential campaign. Earlier this year, he was appointed executive director of Change to Win, a coalition of labor unions.

The three may be as much a symptom as a cause of increased labor activity in North Carolina, since their experience in traditionally hostile territory dovetails nicely with an increased emphasis on offense by national unions.

Most read: Senators edition

ryanteaguebeckwith — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:26:04 -0500

Senators were much in the news this week.

The most read stories on the Dome blog this week included news about Sen.-elect Kay Hagan, former Sen. John Edwards and Sen. Richard Burr.

1. Godless Money: A Hagan spokeswoman says the campaign received 3,600 donations after an ad attacked Hagan's faith. In God we trust?

2. Back to the Spotlight: After laying low for three months, Edwards tentatively steps back into the spotlight with a speech in Indiana. At least it wasn't in Iowa.

3. Transition Team: Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue names her transition team, including a former three-time Cabinet secretary. Plus ça change...

4. Roads in the Red: State transportation officials expect road construction to dwindle due to high gas prices. On the bright side, no one'll notice 'cause no one can afford to drive.

5. Burr's Cold Shoulder: After getting 6,000 requests, Senator Burr says he's no longer talking to voters who want inaugural tickets. After all, he did back McCain.

Edwards gets votes for AG

bkrueger — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:57:32 -0500

Somebody out there still likes John Edwards.

The New York Times, on its Web site, has an interactive feature to let readers cast their votes about Barack Obama's options for some of his cabinet posts.

Edwards is currently the seventh most popular choice for attorney general. He trails the likes of Chris Dodd and Ron Paul, but is ahead of folks like Hillary Clinton, Ralph Nader and Eliot Spitzer.

Edwards to debate Rove

ryanteaguebeckwith — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:47:48 -0500

John Edwards is continuing his return to the public stage.

The former North Carolina senator will debate former adviser to President Bush Karl Rove on the economy and the election in San Francisco today.

The point-counterpoint discussion will be held by the Commercial Finance Association.

It will be Edwards' second public event since he acknowledged in August that he had an affair in 2006. He did not address the matter during an appearance in Indiana Tuesday.

Edwards and Rove have a contentious history. During his presidential campaign, Edwards repeatedly called for Rove to be fired, and later issued a simple statement "Goodbye, good riddance" when Rove left. (AP)

Edwards to speak publicly again

janestancill — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 14:44:40 -0500

Now that the election is over, former presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. John Edwards is ready to appear in public again.

Tomorrow night, Edwards is scheduled to speak at Indiana University on the election results. The lecture is open to the public and will be followed by a question-and-answer session, according to the university's public relations office.

It's probably safe to say Edwards won't be answering questions about his personal life. It's also probably safe to say Edwards isn't planning a move to Washington to be part of an Obama administration.

In August, Edwards admitted an extramarital affair with a woman who filmed a series of videos for his presidential campaign. Since then, he has kept a very low profile, canceling speeches and staying out of sight.

Anyone in N.C. going to D.C.?

bkrueger — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:31:50 -0500

Who will be the next treasury secretary? Who's going to be secretary of state? What about defense secretary?

Washington's favorite parlor game - Who will get the key jobs in Barack Obama's administration? - is in full swing.

Jim Morrill and Barb Barrett looked at some of the North Carolinians who might - and we stress, might - be in play for a post:

Former Gov. Jim Hunt: Could North Carolina's longtime "education governor" be considered for education secretary after stumping so hard for Obama in Eastern North Carolina?

Suzanne Reynolds: The Wake Forest University law professor lost her bid for a seat on the N.C. Supreme Court, but might she get a look for a seat on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, one step below the U.S. Supreme Court?

U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield: The Wilson Democrat was the first member of North Carolina's delegation in the House to abandon John Edwards to support Obama. Might a federal judgeship be his reward?

Gov. Mike Easley: Easley has said he has little interest in Washington, and he initially supported Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary. But he is about to be out of work. Might the former prosecutor get a look for a Justice department post?

Reggie Love: This one would seem to be a slam-dunk. Love, the former Duke University basketball and football player, was Obama's "body man" during the campaign. Hard to imagine he won't have a post waiting for him in the White House.

Karol Mason: A lawyer who sits on the UNC-Chapel Hill board of trustees, Mason is a close friend of Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. She was also on Obama's national finance committee. Some sort of policy post, perhaps?

Steve Lerner: The Chapel Hill venture capitalist hosted a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser for Obama way back in June 2007. Might such early support lead to an ambassadorship?

Jim Wynn: Wynn, just re-elected to his seat on the N.C. Court of Appeals, was nominated by President Clinton for the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, but was blocked by U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms. Will Obama give him another chance?

U.S. Rep. David Price: The Chapel Hill Democrat leads the powerful Appropriations subcommittee on Homeland Security, and has worked with Obama on legislation concerning private security contractors. Would he be willing to give up his seat in Congress for a spot at the Department of Homeland Security?

Talking Heads Talking Points

ryanteaguebeckwith — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 17:39:08 -0400

Dear TV news talking head:

Welcome to North Carolina! We're not used to seeing your kind around here, especially during presidential election years. Heck, the last time North Carolina was a "battleground state" was April of 1865 — when General Sherman's troops came through!

By now, you can confidently rattle off the names of crucial neighborhoods in Cleveland, Miami and Philadelphia with ease, but you may be a little nervous talking about North Carolina. To help you along this election season, we've come up with a quick list of talking points:

RED STATE: North Carolina is typically a red state when it comes to presidential politics. The last time we went for a Democrat was Jimmy Carter in 1976. (To drive this point home, you can remind people that Sen. Jesse Helms was from here.)

PRIMARY FIGHT: This state was crucial in the primary battle between Obama and Hillary Clinton. Obama won the state and, by some accounts, ended Clinton's hopes for a comeback. The primary also left him with a network of supporters here.

ISSUES: With several military bases and a growing Hispanic population, Iraq and immigration once looked like big issues. But these days, it's all about the economy and jobs. The sale of Wachovia and ongoing discontent with free trade are a major factor.

NICKNAMES: Officially, this is "The Old North State." (It's even our state song, though you'd be hard pressed to find someone who knows it.) You'll probably be better off referring to it by our unofficial nickname, The Tar Heel State. (That's two words: Tar Heel.)

TRIVIA: We have 15 electors. We claim Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson as natives, though all three were elected from Tennessee. Two of our recent senators — Elizabeth Dole and John Edwards — ran for president.

Oh, and there's no such place as Raleigh-Durham. They are two separate cities. (You may be confused because of Winston-Salem or the fact that our airport has that name.)

We hope that helps and we look forward to seeing you soon — maybe in 2012?

— Under the Dome

E. Edwards: Health is no worse

ryanteaguebeckwith — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:25:19 -0400

Elizabeth Edwards says medical scans taken this week show her health is no worse than when she announced 18 months ago that her breast cancer had returned in an incurable form.

Edwards spoke Wednesday at a health care round-table in North Carolina, the Associated Press reports.

The wife of two-time Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards was first diagnosed in 2004, and later declared cancer-free. Last year, the cancer returned and spread to her bone.

Edwards supports mandatory universal health coverage and has been speaking out against the policies of Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

Her husband, however, has no public events planned until after the election. He’s been in self-imposed exile since admitting this summer that he had an affair.