Douglas MacArthur

Cunningham wins Army award

bkrueger — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:48:40 -0400

Former state Sen. Cal Cunningham, a potential Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, has received a top U.S. Army award.

Cunningham was one of 28 officers to receive the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award from Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey.

Only two other attorneys have been selected for the award. Cunningham served in Iraq as the senior counsel in the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate from December 2007 until November 2008. He oversaw 27 attorneys.

A captain and paratrooper in the Army Reserves, Cunningham received a 15 pound bronze bust of McArthur at a ceremony last month in Washington.

Cunningham, 35, an attorney with Kilpatrick Stockton in Winston-Salem, has been moving around the state, trying to measure interest in his running against Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year.

Other Democrats either considering the race or being courted include Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre of Lumberton, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and former state Treasurer Richard Moore.

Allred to resign Monday

ryanteaguebeckwith — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:05:34 -0400

Embattled state Rep. Cary Allred will resign.

The Alamance County Republican submitted a letter to House clerk Denise Weeks after noon today saying he will leave the legislature effective 2 p.m. on Monday.

It has been my honor and privilege to serve the people of Alamance County and the 64th District in the House of Representatives.
As General Douglas MacArthur said, "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away."
With that, I bid thee farewell.

Calls to Allred's home and cell phone were not answered Friday.

Allred, who faced ethics questions after inappropriately hugging a teen-aged page, said Thursday that he might step down in September, but also hinted he might resign as early as Monday.

He had previously changed his mind about leaving the Republican Party, however, so some observers, such as Greensboro News-Record reporter Mark Binker, were skeptical.

State Republican chairwoman Linda Daves called on Allred to resign earlier this month.

Update: "It's for the good of the House," said Rep. Paul Stam, an Apex Republican and House minority leader. "Everybody needs to remember he had a 30 year career and I hope everybody won’t judge him on one or two events. He did a lot of good."

The resignation would end the ethics inquiries against Allred.

"If he's not a member of the House there's no reason to go forward with it," said Bill Holmes, a spokesman for House Speaker Joe Hackney.

Update: Hackney issued a statement on the resignation.

"I appreciate Rep. Allred's years of service to this state and will remember him as a staunch advocate for the people of Alamance County. I wish him well in his retirement," Hackney said.

Allred's farewell

ryanteaguebeckwith — Fri, 29 May 2009 13:54:57 -0400

Allred's farewell

"As General Douglas MacArthur said, 'Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.'"

— State Rep. Cary Allred, an Alamance County Republican, quoting the World War II general in a letter of resignation from the legislature, on May 29, 2009.

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