A Republican group has moved quickly to take advantage of a change in election laws to raise money from well-heeled contributors across the country to help elect Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory as North Carolina's next governor.
The Republican Governors Association has set up a North Carolina political action committee and raised nearly $390,000 for the "RGA North Carolina PAC" in less than three months, Dan Kane reports.
Most of it has come from a handful of contributors who have shown little or no interest in North Carolina politics in the past. Contributors include top executives of the Coors Brewing Co. in Colorado and the Curves fitness center chain based in Waco, Tex.
The PAC's biggest contributor is James L. Barksdale of Ridgeland, Miss., the former chief executive officer of Netscape. He gave $100,000.
McCrory has made a centerpiece of his campaign changing the culture of state government, which he says is controlled by big-money special interests. But his campaign is welcoming the association's help.
"We certainly aren't concerned if business people from around the country are interested in this race," said Richard Hudson, McCrory's campaign manager. "Especially given the fact that labor union money and special interest money is going to be flowing into the Democratic party to support our opponent."
Democratic rival Beverly Perdue's campaign spokesman, David Kochman, said the McCrory campaign's acceptance of the PAC shows McCrory is not serious about campaign finance reform.
"I think it's ironic that a guy who claims he wants to change the political culture would be welcoming this type of activity," Kochman said.
Comments
Re: Please watch your reporting
July 24, 2008 - 8:36am — ryanteaguebeckwith (author)Sometimes I feel like the projectionist in a 3-D movie house where half the audience will only look through the red lens and half the blue lens, and everybody is screaming that the picture doesn't look right...
— RTB
Re: Please watch your reporting
July 23, 2008 - 7:29pm — Isaac136There's a watch list?
omg.
RTB, you must be schizophrenic. You've got BlueNC declaring your loyalty to the right, and you have this a rightwing lunie denouncing you for your leftwing affiliation (and no, being defended by Francis Deluca can't have been reassuring).
What must be reassuring, though, is that you get it from both sides.
Re: Please watch your reporting
July 23, 2008 - 7:11pm — ryanteaguebeckwith (author)Glad it was a misspelling. Policing these comments is my least favorite part of this job. I'll take you off the watch list, then.
- RTB
Please watch your reporting
July 23, 2008 - 5:48pm — SenateYou and Kane are on the watch list.
N&O may have come along way from the days when they published a rooster crowing (one of the symbols of the NC Dem Party) on the front page the day after every election. None the less, the editorial page is clearly still nothing more than an arm of the North Carolina Democrat Party. And the reporters and editors impartiality is clearly in question.
The extremely imbalanced reporting of the finances of the two candidates for governor just serves to confirm the answer to the impartiality question is that you are biased in favor of the Democrats.
North Carolina truly deserves better. Given we are in the 21st century, I had hoped the reporting in the general election would be more balanced. Perhaps one day liberal newspapers will understand why they are in decline.
As to the spelling, it was a typo. I don't think the phonetic association with the typo would have occured to me. If I'd thought of it I wouldn't have been so subtle, his name would have been started with a "C".
Please watch your language
July 23, 2008 - 4:21pm — ryanteaguebeckwith (author)I'm going to assume that your misspelling of Kochman's name was a slip, but you're on the watch list. Next time I'm just going to delete your post.
— RTB
Could Kockman be a bigger hypocrite?
July 23, 2008 - 3:39pm — SenateI distinctly remember radio and TV ads paid for by the Teachers' Union supporting Bev in the primary.
He's either incredibly disingenous (liar is such a strong word but I'm close to using it) or so forgetful that he should have his head examined by a professional.
RTB - you really should change the story to reflect the fact that Bev has recieved support from organizations using similar loopholes in the past and, suprisingly, not said a word about it.
Edit - Actually, after reading the story it is Dan Kane that needs to make the changes.
Re: GOP group sets up PAC for McCrory
July 23, 2008 - 3:19pm — tangozDavid Kochman is either living in a fantasy world or just that arrogant. If it were up to Democrats only they would be allowed to receive political contributions. Their level of arrogance is well known aroud here in Raleigh. Just look at how Basnight and Rand run their legislative body.