It is that time of year again, General Assemblies are wrapping up. Here is the contentious sessions report from Rhode Island, South Carolina, Kansas and Illinois which were marked by veto showdowns with their respective governors and often stalemate on key issues even between chambers in those states.<< MORE >>

Good Monday morning! I trust y'all had a great Independence Day weekend. This week we focus on three United States Senate races in Dixie. Pay close attention to the race in Mississippi where the Democratic candidate is running neck-and-neck with the incumbent Republican. The GOP has not had to worry about a Senate seat in Mississippi for over twenty years. Have a great work week.<< MORE >>

With the passing of former North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms this past Friday, the nation lost an individual who was unwavering in his committment to conservative principals.  The conservative beliefs of Jesse Helms often conflicted with the times granting Senator Helms with the hatred of many in the political business.

As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Helms led the successful effort to bring Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic into the NATO alliance. He secured passage of bipartisan legislation to protect our men and women in uniform from the International Criminal Court. He won overwhelming approval for his legislation to support the Cuban people in their struggle against a tyrant. He won majority support in the Senate for his opposition to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. He helped secure passage of the National Missile Defense Act and stopped the Clinton administration from concluding a new anti-ballistic missile agreement in its final months in office -- paving the way for today's deployment of America's first defenses against ballistic missile attack. He helped secure passage of the Iraq Liberation Act, which expressed strong bipartisan support for regime change in Baghdad. He secured broad, bipartisan support to reorganize the State Department and bring much-needed reform to the United Nations, and he became the first legislator from any nation to address the U.N. Security Council -- a speech few in that chamber will forget.

Watching this record of achievement unfold, columnist William Safire wrote in 1997: "Jesse Helms, bete noire of knee-jerk liberals . . . is turning out to be the most effectively bipartisan chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee since Arthur Vandenberg. . . . Let us see if he gets the credit for statesmanship that he deserves from a striped-pants establishment." This weekend, we got our answer.

Washington Post

I will always remember my younger years, learning politics and hearing the name "Jesse Helms".  His name provoked an instant response of cursing and negativity.  I could not understand why a man held up importatant Presidential nominations, etc.  I listened to the elders around me, all who had little respect for Senator Helms, and came to the conclusion that Senator Helms was an angry old man who hated progress because power was diversified away from the white man.

As I have grown, my political positions have moderated and I am a fairly conservative Democrat.  I find myself understanding what Senator Helms was fighting for in the United States Senate and have gained a respect for his uncompromising stances.

There are many issues in which I disagreed with Senator Helms, but in a day where our elected officials put politics over principle, his brand of public service is sorely missed.  Love him or hate him, Senator Helms fueled the debate in our nation and was instrumental in the development of the modern conservative movement. 

Senator Jesse Helms will forever be an icon in the history of North Carolina and United States politics.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

        

FROM THE JESSE HELMS CENTER

Jesse Helms,the former U.S. Senator, television editorialist and key figure in the country's conservative movement, died at 1:15 a.m. today in Raleigh, according to a statement released late this morning by the Jesse Helms Center in Wingate, N.C.

Funeral arrangements will be forthcoming.

        

Legislative leaders say the state budget proposal they agreed on Thursday would do more than keep classrooms, prisons and mental hospitals operating: It would boost the economy by borrowing $857 million for construction, much of it at UNC campuses.

Senate leader Marc Basnight said the projects, to be bid over the next several years, would generate about 20,000 construction-related jobs. Those jobs, he added, would generate about $85 million in taxes and other income for the state. "You get people working in some pretty difficult times, and you get some taxes back, and you get people into buildings that are heavy in science and technology," Basnight said.

"Good gracious," said Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger, a Rockingham County Republican. "I am just concerned about the level of debt -- just about a billion dollars in debt."

News & Observer

This year's budget negotiations were difficult for legislative leaders due to shrinking revenue projections brought on by the slumping economy.  The borrowing to pay for projects is concerning, but will hopefully bring new economic development that will pay for the itself in the future.

        

The New York Times reports today on an internal strategy from the Barack Obama campaign to compete and win  in the south.  The Obama "Southern Strategy" includes massive voter registration of African Americans in order to make up for losses that national Democrats suffer from white voters.

"Officials in Mr. Obama’s campaign say they are bullish on the South, and they have signaled their aggressiveness with early campaign appearances in North Carolina and Virginia, major voter registration drives in the region, and television advertising in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

Steve Hildebrand, the deputy campaign manager for Mr. Obama, said he saw “tremendous potential” in several Southern states.

“If you go in and look at the number of unregistered voters in demographic groups that are important to Barack’s candidacy — younger voters, African-American voters — the potential is just incredible,” Mr. Hildebrand said.

And yet since the South began to shift away from the Democrats in the 1960s, it has become one of the biggest and reddest of the Republican strongholds. In the last two presidential elections, the Democrats failed to carry any of the Southern states. Although recent Democratic nominees have typically gotten about 9 out of 10 of the votes of Southern blacks, they still need a substantial chunk of the white vote to prevail. Political scientists put that figure at close to 40 percent, though it depends on the state, and the Democrats have rarely gotten it."

New York Times

As a resident of North Carolina, I think it is great that the Obama campaign is promising to commit to making North Carolina a "blue state" in 2008.  However, as a political realist, if current polls shift in a negative direction, I would not be surprised to see the Obama campaign spend less resources on our state as we get closer to election day in November.

        

Charlotte Mayor and GOP Gubenatorial nominee Pat McCrory has taken his first shot at Democratic nominee Lt. Governor Bev Perdue's college education initiative.  McCrory is critical of the two years of college education that Perdue would provide to students free of charge.

"The mayor said he would support offering targeted scholarships to help fill labor gaps in areas where the state is lacking, such as in mental health. But he doesn’t support a broader plan because it would end up costing taxpayers too much, he said.

“It’s not free; someone’s going to get the bill,” 

Charlotte Observer

Polls show that McCrory and Perdue continue to run in a statistical dead heat.  Both candidates must attract independent and moderate voters to their camp if they plan on being our next governor.

This race will be decided on whether voters want McCrory's promise to change the way business is done in Raleigh versus Perdue's calls to expand upon the progress North Carolina has witnessed in the past 20 years.  With an ever changing electorate, this race promises to be exciting into the fall.

        

As the North Carolina General Assembly attempts to wrap up the 2008 Short Session, debate and disagreement between tax relief takes center court.  The House and Senate both propose tax relief in hopes of stimulating the slow growth economy.

"The economy is tanking and elections are around the corner, so state lawmakers are eager to provide North Carolina residents with a bit of tax relief.

If only they could agree on who is most deserving.

If you earn less than $30,000 a year and struggle with gas and grocery bills, you'll probably line up behind the breaks being proposed by the state House.

If you're in line for a gift of more than $12,000 this year, you might be pulling for what the Senate is pushing.

That's the strongest contrast between both chambers' tax breaks, which are now a key part of negotiations on a budget that's expected to exceed $21 billion. Both chambers have agreed to $50 million in tax relief this year but differ greatly on how to do it."

News and Observer

It is great to see the General Assembly debating tax relief during the short session.  Tax cuts are a proven way to stimulate economic growth and will work to continue to make North Carolina a friendly place for families and business to relocate.

        

Referencing shrinking revenue, the Johnston County Board of Commissioners approved a 55 million dollar budget Wednesday failing to provide the local school board with funds to increase the teacher supplement by 1%.  The vote has some school board members frustrated.

"The 2008-2009 budget was one of the toughest to balance, commissioners said, with the economy in dismal shape and sales tax revenues projected to be nearly flat next year. But by trimming budget requests, board members managed to keep property taxes the same level as the past five years, 78 cents per $100 valuation.

That tax rate means the owner of a $150,000 home would pay the county $1,170 in taxes.

Some Johnston County school board members left Wednesday's budget meeting angry. The $55.2 million that commissioners voted to give them would be insufficient to cover a long-coveted annual 1 percent teacher supplement increase, said Kay Carroll, school board chairman.

"It means we're going to be less competitive in hiring staff," Carroll said.

Currently, the district offers teacher supplements on top of the statewide base salary, ranging between 6.5 percent and 9.5 percent -- depending on a teacher's years of service. Other districts offer higher supplements. Wake County, for instance, offers supplements between 13.25 percent and 16.75 percent."

News and Observer

        

The debate over offshore drilling has reached the states of North Carolina and Florida as President Bush calls on Congress to lift its ban. In this week's southern political report, find two articles from the state's dealing with this issue. << MORE >>

The Wake Democratic Men’s Club will meet on June 9, 2008 from 6 - 8 PM at the Clarion Hotel, 320 Hillsborough St., Raleigh. Guest speaker will be Rob Christensen, longtime political columnist for the Raleigh News & Observer. Mr. Christensen is also the author of the recently-published book, The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics. Time-permitting, a Q&A session will follow Mr. Christensen's presentation. The Club will also induct its officers and directors for 2008-2009 at this meeting. The cost of the sit-down dinner is $16. RSVP to wakedemmen@wakedems.org or 919-773-0245 no later than Monday, June 9 at noon.<< MORE >>

There appears to be a split between North Carolina Senate Republicans and the GOP nominee for Governor Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory.  The split in policy became public this week when Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger (R) Eden sponsored legislation to put a one year freeze on forced annexation.  The bill's sponsorship was followed by protests from supporters at the legislative building on Jones Street.

"The anti-annexation folks want the legislature to approve a one-year freeze on forced annexation. They said they did not want to be forced to pay taxes for services they don't need.

The protesters have some legislators behind them. Forced annexation "hurts families, hurts individuals, hurts taxpayers and doesn't benefit our community in any significant way," said Republican Sen. Phil Berger of Eden."

News and Observer

"Susan Burgess, Charlotte mayor pro tem and league president, said she did not sense any decline in legislative support for annexation.

Annexation has served the state well for nearly 50 years, she said, and is one of the reasons for the success of its cities.

Residents should "participate in the support of the city from which they derive a lot of services," she said, and cities should be ready to provide services to areas they annex."

Despite the strong feelings of some citizens, I can not see this issue causing McCrory significant problems this fall.  However, the annexation issue reveals the divide in the NC GOP over modernization.  This debate has held the Republicans from achieving major electoral success at the state level in NC and until they resolve their differences regarding modernization, the chances of major electoral success will remain low.

        

There are a number of events taking place this week in and around Wake County. Get out and enjoy them. Have a good work week and stay cool as it's going to be HOT!<< MORE >>

North Carolina Governor Mike Easley and House Budget writers appear to be digging in for a budget showdown.  After nixing the Governor's proposed budget Monday, Easley is looking to wage a campaign to pressure the Senate to make changes to the House budget by asking citizens to apply pressure on the legislature to fund his education initiatives.

In a news conference this morning, Easley addressed his concerns with the House budget proposal...

"It's very puzzling to me how a House who was so progressive on education last year can retrench so rapidly this year, failing to fund More at Four for our predominantly minority students, really stiffing the teachers and not providing enrollment increases for college," Easley said.

Easley made his comments to reporters this morning after a meeting of elected state officials.

"It's not only unacceptable, but it's just puzzling to me how they can be that far off the mark," he said.

The News and Observer

If the Senate fails to change major aspects of the House appropriations, it will be interesting to see if the Governor will veto the budget.  His lameduck status could make a veto decision much easier.

        

Good Sunday Morning! Sorry about the lack of posts this past week. I have undertaken a very busy course of events recently that has prohibited me from blogging. Have a great week and get out and join an event near you.<< MORE >>

Recent defeats of Republican candidates in conservative Congressional districts in Illinois, Louisiana, and Mississippi have many Republicans wondering how many seats will be lost in the November election.  2008 appears to be setting up as a major bust for the GOP.

 "North Carolina: We've been somewhat slow to come around on this race -- North Carolina is, after all, a conservative state. State Sen. Kay Hagan (D) ran a solid primary campaign and gets rave reviews from Democratic operatives who aren't easily impressed. Democrats are also overjoyed with several polls (of varying credibility) that show Hagan running virtually even with Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R). That seems a bit ambitious but with Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) promising to contest the Tarheel State and Hagan preparing to run a well funded and active campaign, this race could get interesting. (Previous ranking: N/A)"

The Washington Post

"The Democrat challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry said Thursday that a string of recent GOP defeats could mean North Carolina's 10th District is in play this fall.

"Districts that have long been Republican strongholds are coming into play," Daniel Johnson told Charlotte's Uptown Democratic Forum. "We've got the right opponent in the right year."

Republicans were on the defensive after Tuesday's Democratic victory in a Mississippi district that gave President Bush 62 percent of the vote in 2004. It was the GOP's third consecutive defeat, following losses in GOP-leaning districts in Louisiana and Illinois.

"They are canaries in the coal mine, warning of far greater losses in the fall," U.S. Rep. Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican who once led his party's congressional campaign arm, said in a memo. "The political atmosphere facing House Republicans ... is the worst since Watergate and is far more toxic than it was in 2006."

Two years ago Republicans lost 30 seats as Democrats regained control."

The Charlotte Observer

George W. Bush and the neoconservatives have turned the GOP into a poisonous venom.  Traditional conservatives are so upset at the direction the party has moved that we may see election defeats of incumbent and open seat Republicans that outnumber the 1994 losses by the Democrats.

        

Governor Mike Easley renewed his plans to bring teacher salary in North Carolina to the national average in a bold budget plan.  Easley, who is constitutionally barred from seeking another term, is calling for a 7% increase in teacher pay and will pay for it with new taxes on alcohol and cigarettes.

Gov. Mike Easley proposed a $21.5 billion budget Monday that would raise taxes on cigarettes and alcohol to help pay for teacher raises and mental health reform.

Easley's budget, a 4.2 percent increase from the previous year, would add a 4 percent tax to beer and wine and a 4 percent tax to liquor to pay for a $68 million fix to the state's failing mental health system.

"It's not a significant amount of money to the consumer, but it is a significant help to the mentally ill," Easley said.

Easley would raise the tax on cigarettes from 35 cents to 55 cents per pack to pay for public school teacher raises that would average 7 percent. Administrators would receive a 6 percent raise.

News and Observer

The budget proposed by the lameduck Easley is sure to find strict scrutiny from legislators seeking re-election.  Will legislators be willing to inact new taxes in an economic slowdown to pay for further increases in teacher pay and other spending priorities?

Easley appears to have laid the ground for this fall's campaign as Democrats will likely attempt to rally around the need to continue the successes in education achievement in order for North Carolina to sustain its economic vitality.

        

"A glance at some of the issues and questions before the North Carolina Legislature, which begins its "short session" on Tuesday.

HOW 'SHORT' WILL IT BE?

Even-numbered sessions of the General Assembly are called "short" because the primary job before lawmakers is to adjust the second year of the two-year state budget. There are restrictions on what non-budget bills can be considered. In recent years, the Legislature has typically adjourned sometime in July.

SO, HOW'S THE BUDGET?

North Carolina's state government coffers should have about $150 million more than projected when the fiscal year ends June 30 _ a surplus, but much less than in the previous two years. The state also has about $420 million that it won't spend this year or was returned by state agencies. But there are plenty of high-priority items begging for money, including pay raises for teachers and state employees; teacher performance bonuses; and $42 million in additional fuel costs for school buses."

Fayettevile Observer

As the 2008 Short Session of the North Carolina General Assembly gets underway on Tuesday, questions are abundant as to how the legislature plans to tackle pressing issues in an election year.  Among the largest questions is how much money will the legislature spend in the tight economic climate.  A lame duck Governor, combined with numerous legislators seeking re-election promises to be an interesting set of dynamics in this short legislative session.

        

Good Monday morning Raleigh and Wake County! I hope you are enjoying the beginning of the work week and well rested after last week's big primary. This week's calendar of events features some very cool opportunities for y'all. On Tuesday, there is a very interesting event in Cary sponsored by the Western Wake Democrats. Check it out! Have a good work week and check back soon for more updates.<< MORE >>

In the aftermath of the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, volumes of analysis has been given by national pundits as to why Obama out performed the polls and predictions.  I awoke this morning to a great piece of analysis and felt I should include it on my blog.

The old politics died on May 6, 2008, as the predictable and inevitable happened and the voters said no to business as usual.

The voters said no to the most phony and fraudulent proposal in memory for a gas tax cut that would never happen, that would profit the oil companies that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) falsely said she was fighting with it, that would do nothing for the people she falsely claimed she was helping with it.

The most reprehensible and shameful aspect of this gas tax fraud was in its cheap exploitation of people who are hurting, and fearful. There is nothing lower in politics that exploiting people who are hurting, trying to deceive them. The voters said no.

The voters said no to the politics embodied by the shameful ABC debate of Gibson and Stephanopoulos that was nothing more than an oppo-research festival. Voters said no to the Tim Russert “Meet the Press” that insulted them last Sunday, wasting time with more than a dozen questions about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright rather than a serious discussion of national issues

The voters said no to the insider pundits who pontificated about what a brilliant and clever tactic the gas tax fraud was, about how Hillary is on a huge roll and Barack looked broken and on his heels only hours before he won a crushing and devastating victory.

The Pundits Blog

The analysis offered by Brent Budowsky is "right on!"  I saw Obama in Rock Hill, South Carolina this past summer.  At the time, I was leaning toward supporting John Edwards but after hearing Senator Obama in person, I switched my support.

Senator Obama is a refreshing change to the 60's divide that has plagued our political system for too long.  He understands the need to move beyond the 50-50 nation and create a real mandate for change.  This fall's campaign will be exciting as our country will be presented with real choices as to the direction we will embark upon for years to come.