McCrory dumps campaign for gas crisis

Pat McCrory canceled two campaign events today to scurry back to his day job and tend to the gas shortage and sale of Wachovia in Charlotte.

The Republican gubernatorial candidate scrubbed a "Meet the Candidate" lunch at Fat Buddies Ribs & Barbecue in Waynesville and a rally at the Transylvania County Republican Party headquarters in Brevard.

"He's back on his way to Charlotte now," campaign spokeswoman Amy Auth said around 10:45 a.m.

McCrory scheduled a press conference at 11:45 a.m. in the mayor's office.

More after the jump.

—————

Democrats already have taken a shot at him over his campaigning during the gas crisis.

"On Thursday, McCrory briefly appeared at a press conference in Charlotte during the region's gas crisis," party officials said in a news release, "then promptly left town to continue campaigning across North Carolina while the crisis continued, including riding a convertible in a parade in Benson On Saturday and attending fundraisers and other campaign events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday."

McCrory and other officials in the state, based on information from Gov. Mike Easley's office, said last week that a large shipment of gasoline on Friday should help put the system back to normal, but shortages persist, as do long lines, short tempers and gas pumps covered in plastic bags.

You must be logged in to post a comment on this blog. If you already have an N&O online user account, click here to log in. Otherwise, click here to register (it's free!).

What's Perdue doing during crisis? NOTHING

Submitted by concerned53 on September 29, 2008 - 2:15pm.

Dear Beverly:
You seem to be focusing all of your time and energy on trying to communicate what the Mayor is or is not doing regarding the various problems facing our state. But even you state that he had a press conference on Thursday expressing his concern for the problems and stating his understanding that gas supplies were on the way (ironically based on information from Easley).

You would have a leg to stand on if you had in fact been doing anything about it yourself or said anything recently other than the following:
- Oh, just go out and fill your gas tank to the top, even if you don't need it
- There are no problems with either our banks or North Carolina's economy
- Oh, we have job losses in North Carolina?

The Mayor's campaign has always been focused on dealing with the State's problems and that is his focus now with our immediate problems. Until you prove that you are focused on problem solving versus just knocking your opponent, please get back in the back seat with Easley or whomever!

» login to post comments

Perdue Response to Economic Crisis

Submitted by McCroryManager on September 29, 2008 - 11:34am.

From NCGOP press release today:
On Friday, Beverly Perdue discussed the current economic crisis with the Greenville Daily Reflector. "North Carolinians can take comfort in knowing the major banks that make North Carolina their base of operations are stable, she said." (Burns, Bobby, "Bev Perdue drops by," 9/29/08) Today, Wachovia was bought out by Citigroup in a deal brokered by the FDIC.

Perdue, while speaking of job losses in North Carolina, also said the state was "fundamentally healthy and on the right track." (Burns, Bobby, "Bev Perdue drops by," 9/29/08)

August marked the eighth consecutive month of job losses in the state. The August unemployment rate of 6.9 percent marked the highest jobless rate since January 2002. ("NC unemployment rate reaches 6.9 percent," WRAL.com, 9/19/08)

A poll conducted by Civitas in September found that 48 percent of North Carolinians feel the state is on the wrong track while only 35 percent believe the state is headed in the right direction. (September 2008 Decisionmaker Poll, 9/24/08)

» login to post comments