polifrog
A recent comments section has been added to the left column for those of you interested.
out
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Rep. Brad Miller, David Price, Bob Etheridge, Mel Watt -- All Cast a Yes Vote for Health Care, Cap and Trade,The TARP Bailout, and Stimulus...
polifrog
I repeatedly look up the voting records of our NC representatives, but finding just the top issues can be difficult, so below is a record of how our NC Democrat representatives voted on ObamaCare, Cap and Trade, TARP Bailouts, Stimulus and the Balanced Budget Amendment.
...NC...Rep......ObamaCare..Cap&Trade......TARP..Stimulus....Budget*
Brad Miller..........yes.................yes............yes..........yes..............no
David Price..........yes.................yes............yes..........yes..............no
Bob Etheridge.....yes.................yes............yes..........yes..............no
Mel Watt..............yes.................yes...........yes...........yes..............no
GK Butterfield....yes.................yes.............no...........yes..............no
Mike McIntyre....no...................no.............no............yes.............yes
Larry Kissell.........no...................no..............x............yes..............no
Heath Shuler........no..................yes............no............no...............no
* Balanced Budget Amendment
I found this site to be a helpful aid in answering similar questions.
out
I repeatedly look up the voting records of our NC representatives, but finding just the top issues can be difficult, so below is a record of how our NC Democrat representatives voted on ObamaCare, Cap and Trade, TARP Bailouts, Stimulus and the Balanced Budget Amendment.
...NC...Rep......ObamaCare..Cap&Trade......TARP..Stimulus....Budget*
Brad Miller..........yes.................yes............yes..........yes..............no
David Price..........yes.................yes............yes..........yes..............no
Bob Etheridge.....yes.................yes............yes..........yes..............no
Mel Watt..............yes.................yes...........yes...........yes..............no
GK Butterfield....yes.................yes.............no...........yes..............no
Mike McIntyre....no...................no.............no............yes.............yes
Larry Kissell.........no...................no..............x............yes..............no
Heath Shuler........no..................yes............no............no...............no
* Balanced Budget Amendment
I found this site to be a helpful aid in answering similar questions.
out
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Civitas poll -- Rep. Mike McIntyre 42% -- Ilario Pantano 52% (Indicates Brad Miller Weakness)
polifrog
Civitas:
Now contrast Brad Miller's past four election results to McIntyre's:
It is becoming increasingly difficult to argue that Rep. Brad Miller is not in danger of losing his seat to challenger Bill Randall.
Update:
I thought I would add that to some degree McIntyre's difficulties stem from his lack of support for certain bills (No on ObamaCare, No on the Bailout, No on Cap & Trade, but Yes on The Stimulus) over the past congressional session. The result is that some of his base feels unrepresented. In short, McIntyre lost his base while at the same time, never fully having had all the conservatives, has lost conservatives as well.
This is not the case for Brad Miller. I do not believe a man could rally his socialist base more than Brad Miller has.
[edit: stats in title were transposed]
out
Civitas:
...looking at those who are most likely to vote in 2010, Pantano’s lead jumps to a 52 percent-42 percent margin. In addition, Republicans are heavily backing Pantano (81 percent-14 percent), along with unaffiliated voters by a 61 percent-34 percent margin. Democratic voters are in support of McIntyre by 71 percent-16 percent.Contrast McIntyre's current Civitas polling information with his past four election results:
Furthermore, 46 percent of voters think McIntyre is a moderate compared to 21 percent who think he is a conservative. Nineteen percent of voters said he is a liberal, and 14 percent said they are not sure.
- (2008)69-31
- (2006)73-27
- (2004)73-27
- (2002)72-27
Now contrast Brad Miller's past four election results to McIntyre's:
- (2008)66-34
- (2006)64-36
- (2004)59-41
- (2002)55-42
It is becoming increasingly difficult to argue that Rep. Brad Miller is not in danger of losing his seat to challenger Bill Randall.
Update:
I thought I would add that to some degree McIntyre's difficulties stem from his lack of support for certain bills (No on ObamaCare, No on the Bailout, No on Cap & Trade, but Yes on The Stimulus) over the past congressional session. The result is that some of his base feels unrepresented. In short, McIntyre lost his base while at the same time, never fully having had all the conservatives, has lost conservatives as well.
This is not the case for Brad Miller. I do not believe a man could rally his socialist base more than Brad Miller has.
[edit: stats in title were transposed]
out
Rep. Brad Miller -- His Campaign Strategy, Weaknesses and Ways to Counter...
polifrog
Rep. Brad Miller has been essentially silent during the run up to this campaign season. This will not be the case indefinitely.
Brad Miller's campaign strategy in past election cycles has been to attempt to label his opponent with unflattering imagery in the final 2-3 weeks of the campaign. It has been a successful strategy for him and his current campaign which can be best described as a stealth campaign conducted through a compliant media shows every indication that he will repeat this strategy.
Funding the media blitz required when implementing such a strategy in the final weeks of a campaign may prove more difficult for Miller this season than in past campaigns. Brad Miller, though, continues to have the advantage of a second constituency of lobbyists in DC who have both deeper pockets and a more focused interest than those Brad Miller truly represents in North Carolina.
Earlier this year in this post I wrote:
Of course, this is a fundraiser held amidst Brad Miller's second constituency of special interests in Washington DC. They are his constituency of dollars, not votes.
The image of the invitation has since been scrubbed from the site at the above link, but an image of it is below:
This remains Brad Miller's funding edge over Bill Randall. According to Open Secrets as of late June Brad Miller received less than half of his campaign funding from individual contributions and 10% of those flowed into Miller's campaign from outside NC. The greatest portion of Miller's campaign funds (over half) have come from Political Action Committees (PACS) more commonly known as special interests. These are the people who he raises funding from (sells his influence to?) through "breakfasts" such as the one imaged above.
Some more takeaways from opensecrets:
But how is Miller's strategy to be countered?
out
Rep. Brad Miller has been essentially silent during the run up to this campaign season. This will not be the case indefinitely.
Brad Miller's campaign strategy in past election cycles has been to attempt to label his opponent with unflattering imagery in the final 2-3 weeks of the campaign. It has been a successful strategy for him and his current campaign which can be best described as a stealth campaign conducted through a compliant media shows every indication that he will repeat this strategy.
Funding the media blitz required when implementing such a strategy in the final weeks of a campaign may prove more difficult for Miller this season than in past campaigns. Brad Miller, though, continues to have the advantage of a second constituency of lobbyists in DC who have both deeper pockets and a more focused interest than those Brad Miller truly represents in North Carolina.
Earlier this year in this post I wrote:
Brad Miller, like all representatives, has fund raisers, but I question Brad Miller's motives when he holds a fund raiser for himself in Washington DC. I doubt many North Carolinians are willing to drive to DC to have a breakfast in Brad Miller's support at $1000 to $5000 per head. Brad Miller has no constituents in Washington DC, yet apparently he finds it fertile enough ground for campaign contributions that he held a fund raiser in Washington DC on March 25,2010.
Of course, this is a fundraiser held amidst Brad Miller's second constituency of special interests in Washington DC. They are his constituency of dollars, not votes.
The image of the invitation has since been scrubbed from the site at the above link, but an image of it is below:
This remains Brad Miller's funding edge over Bill Randall. According to Open Secrets as of late June Brad Miller received less than half of his campaign funding from individual contributions and 10% of those flowed into Miller's campaign from outside NC. The greatest portion of Miller's campaign funds (over half) have come from Political Action Committees (PACS) more commonly known as special interests. These are the people who he raises funding from (sells his influence to?) through "breakfasts" such as the one imaged above.
Some more takeaways from opensecrets:
- Brad Miller's strategy is expensive and as the graph below indicates money does not seem to be flowing his direction as easily as it once did.
- One of the largest expenses listed under the expenditures tab was to a polling firm in Virginia, Cooper & Secrest Assoc. It is interesting that the Miller campaign has yet to see fit to release their data. The fact that the results have not been released by the Miller campaign not only suggests a lack of pride in the numbers, but more importantly, weakness in their polling data.
But how is Miller's strategy to be countered?
- The first is to expect the attacks.
- The second is to take note of the missing information in his attacks. This season every major bill Brad Miller voted for will likely be absent from his campaign. There is a reason for this; it weakens him. Attacks and belittlement will be his only "ammo". Attacks, though, debase a campaign. Countering with factual information referencing Miller's poor record of governance will enhance the respectability of the Randall campaign.
- Look for ways that these "attacks" from Miller can be used against him as Florida Rep. Alan Greyson's attacks have been used against him.
- Take note of the fact that Miller is an incumbent. This may seem obvious, but when a local election is nationalized, as this one has been, the mood of the nation, positive or negative, will be transferred t0 the local level. The national mood this season is decidedly negative.
- Take note of the fact that Brad Miller more than doubles his campaign "war chest" with PAC money to run his campaign.
- Note that Miller has been a beneficiary of the corrupting use of earmarks to "buy" his constituents votes with their own tax dollars, transferring nearly $27 million dollars as earmarks resulting in ranking himself in the upper 1/3 in congress most like to dabble in this corruption.
- Take note that Miller has spent his way to a $13 trillion national debt, dollars spent on the backs of the unborn even though he said this on his website:
"Most American families have to balance their budgets and make ends meet, the same should be true for government," said Miller. "The Bush Administration has turned a projected 10-year $5.6 billion surplus into a nearly $3 trillion deficit and that must be reversed."
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Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Rep. Bob Etheridge Loosing Touch With the Rabble...
polifrog
"Who are you?"
Visit your fellow constituent running for Etheridge's seat, Renee Ellmers.
all we are saying is give tea a chance
out
"Who are you?"
Visit your fellow constituent running for Etheridge's seat, Renee Ellmers.
all we are saying is give tea a chance
out
Rep. Brad Miller -- And His Campaign Advertising That Can Only That Can Only Remind His State That it Was Forgotten...
polifrog
First some polling info via Dick Morris on Hannity:
Brad Miller is one of those 160 that have gone unpolled.
In a normal election this would be taken as a sign of strength, but this round of elections is the first in memory that has followed two years governance through Broken Consent.
None of these had the support of the citizenry.
When Brad Miller put 1/6 of the North Carolina's economy (the state he represents) under federal influence through ObamaCare he diminished North Carolina, the state he represents.
When Brad Miller voted in favor of raising the utility rates of all North Carolinians through Cap & Trade he forgot the people he represents.
When Brad Miller voted in favor of bailing out the mega monster mega banks he forgot the people he represents while picking their pockets and never forgetting the banks.
And when Brad Miller voted in favor of the stimulus bill he forgot not only the people, but the progeny of his state while never forgetting to grow governance through stimulus.
Brad Miller's current silence is understandable in this light. He has no record to run on. None. Polling would not only bring attention to him, but to his awful record of forgetting those who he represents while lavishing the wealth of his state's citizenry on those who he does not represent.
out
First some polling info via Dick Morris on Hannity:
- Number of districts a republican is leading the incumbent in the polls -- 54
- Number of districts with a republican within 5 points of a democrat polling under 50 -- 19
- 160 districts represented by democrats that have gone unpolled.
Brad Miller is one of those 160 that have gone unpolled.
In a normal election this would be taken as a sign of strength, but this round of elections is the first in memory that has followed two years governance through Broken Consent.
- ObamaCare
- Cap & Trade
- Trillions in a Financial Bailout for the Banks
- The Failed Stimulus
None of these had the support of the citizenry.
When Brad Miller put 1/6 of the North Carolina's economy (the state he represents) under federal influence through ObamaCare he diminished North Carolina, the state he represents.
When Brad Miller voted in favor of raising the utility rates of all North Carolinians through Cap & Trade he forgot the people he represents.
When Brad Miller voted in favor of bailing out the mega monster mega banks he forgot the people he represents while picking their pockets and never forgetting the banks.
And when Brad Miller voted in favor of the stimulus bill he forgot not only the people, but the progeny of his state while never forgetting to grow governance through stimulus.
Brad Miller's current silence is understandable in this light. He has no record to run on. None. Polling would not only bring attention to him, but to his awful record of forgetting those who he represents while lavishing the wealth of his state's citizenry on those who he does not represent.
out
Monday, September 27, 2010
Congressman Brad Miller's Moral Relativism vs. Bill Randall and The Positive Influence of Principles on Governance....
polifrog
(a repost)
Bill Randall has mounted a campaign based on principles stemming from religion, the Constitution, and morality.
Frequently the preacher within Bill Randall emerges on the campaign trail when referencing The Ten Commandments. Just as often his respect for the words within the Constitution as they are written, as well as the ideals enshrined within those words, become vivid talking points for Randall. The Randall Campaign has embraced these two and produced an appealing morality all too often absent in modern politics. As important as the morality though, is the fact that they are principles, a yard stick, by which one can measure Bill Randall's actions against and if elected, his political leadership.
The positive results of this were on display during the primaries between Bernie Reeves and Bill Randall. Although, Reeves and Randall agreed on much, there were a handful of points on which they parted.
One of these was the sudden and unfortunate BP disaster in the Gulf. Prior to the BP gusher Randall and Reeves were indistinguishable from one another on the topic of oil drilling. Drill here, drill now. That ended with the threat of oil inundating the NC coast. Bernie Reeves' position conveniently shifted from pro drilling to no drilling. Bill Randall, on the other hand, stuck to principle; continued his pro drilling stance and despite his muddled government/BP collusion press conference won the primaries.
That is not to say Bill Randall's pro drilling stance won the primaries for him, but it is to say that the episode helped to define Randall as a man of principle who, when confronted with a politically expedient choice, chose principle. Many conservative voters battered with the disappointment that was the listless conservative congress under the first 6 years of Bush found Bill Randall's reliance on principle refreshing. Conversely, Bernie Reeves seemed imbued with the odor of the stale unprincipled conservatism of the Bush years.
In truth, Bernie Reeves got caught on the wrong side of Conservative Party history. The Conservative Party is being rewritten before all our eyes with something more powerful than Newt Gingrich's Contract With America, but Reeves missed it. The party is being reformulated through an injection of Tea Party morality based on fundamental principals that candidates are expected to govern by. Where the Contract With America had a half-life (it came to an end when its to-do list was completed), Tea Party morality is as permanent as the Tea Party movement. The Tea Party is in its essence a repudiation of moral relativism seeping into the Conservative Party and gives voters that essential yardstick by which to judge a politician's performance. This will prove more effective than Newt's Contract With America.
And this is one of Brad Miller's primary difficulties come this November 2. This election comes at a time when Americans are coming to the conclusion that they elected an illusion to the presidency and in return they received disillusion. Currently many Americans question their president's religion. They question... who is this man? National politics is normally just background when electing representatives. Not this year.
When North Carolinians go to the polls this November, will they be comfortable with a moral relativist like Brad Miller? He is a man who believes, on the one hand, that a woman's right to choose supersedes her child's right to live and her right to choose extends to the moments before her child's birth, while, on the other hand, he supports removing all our health-care choices through ObamaCare. The conflict does not stop there; Brad Miller claims to be guided by lessons learned from his church. Clearly Brad Miller must separate the act of governance from his biblical guidance, and if that is so he is not guided by Christian belief.
Not only is Brad Miller not guided by biblical teachings, but he does not seem to rely on Constitutional text either. Where does he find the Constitutional right to force anyone to purchase anything through ObamaCare? Does he not see that ObamaCare conflicts with the tenth amendment? How does he divine a right of privacy that allows a woman to choose to kill her own child, while at the very same time he ignores the obvious wording of the second amendment? Where does he find a limitation on free political speech through incorporation? None of these interpretations are in our Constitution.
Yet these interpretations of our Constitution are no different than the those that allowed the atrocity of slavery to exist within America. Politicians like Brad Miller who are willing to interpret Constitutional "rights" such as infanticide in and out of existence are worse than their slave rationalizing brethren. At least slaves got life.
Brad Miller can point to neither The Ten Commandments nor can he point to The Constitution as a moral anchors. Brad Miller has no principles; he has no morality by which he can be judged. And when the North Carolina electorate visits the polls, will they be keen to reelect a politician (Brad Miller) who has no moral yardstick by which to gauge his performance?
No. North Carolina is ready for a political cleansing.
out
(a repost)
Bill Randall has mounted a campaign based on principles stemming from religion, the Constitution, and morality.
Frequently the preacher within Bill Randall emerges on the campaign trail when referencing The Ten Commandments. Just as often his respect for the words within the Constitution as they are written, as well as the ideals enshrined within those words, become vivid talking points for Randall. The Randall Campaign has embraced these two and produced an appealing morality all too often absent in modern politics. As important as the morality though, is the fact that they are principles, a yard stick, by which one can measure Bill Randall's actions against and if elected, his political leadership.
The positive results of this were on display during the primaries between Bernie Reeves and Bill Randall. Although, Reeves and Randall agreed on much, there were a handful of points on which they parted.
One of these was the sudden and unfortunate BP disaster in the Gulf. Prior to the BP gusher Randall and Reeves were indistinguishable from one another on the topic of oil drilling. Drill here, drill now. That ended with the threat of oil inundating the NC coast. Bernie Reeves' position conveniently shifted from pro drilling to no drilling. Bill Randall, on the other hand, stuck to principle; continued his pro drilling stance and despite his muddled government/BP collusion press conference won the primaries.
That is not to say Bill Randall's pro drilling stance won the primaries for him, but it is to say that the episode helped to define Randall as a man of principle who, when confronted with a politically expedient choice, chose principle. Many conservative voters battered with the disappointment that was the listless conservative congress under the first 6 years of Bush found Bill Randall's reliance on principle refreshing. Conversely, Bernie Reeves seemed imbued with the odor of the stale unprincipled conservatism of the Bush years.
In truth, Bernie Reeves got caught on the wrong side of Conservative Party history. The Conservative Party is being rewritten before all our eyes with something more powerful than Newt Gingrich's Contract With America, but Reeves missed it. The party is being reformulated through an injection of Tea Party morality based on fundamental principals that candidates are expected to govern by. Where the Contract With America had a half-life (it came to an end when its to-do list was completed), Tea Party morality is as permanent as the Tea Party movement. The Tea Party is in its essence a repudiation of moral relativism seeping into the Conservative Party and gives voters that essential yardstick by which to judge a politician's performance. This will prove more effective than Newt's Contract With America.
And this is one of Brad Miller's primary difficulties come this November 2. This election comes at a time when Americans are coming to the conclusion that they elected an illusion to the presidency and in return they received disillusion. Currently many Americans question their president's religion. They question... who is this man? National politics is normally just background when electing representatives. Not this year.
When North Carolinians go to the polls this November, will they be comfortable with a moral relativist like Brad Miller? He is a man who believes, on the one hand, that a woman's right to choose supersedes her child's right to live and her right to choose extends to the moments before her child's birth, while, on the other hand, he supports removing all our health-care choices through ObamaCare. The conflict does not stop there; Brad Miller claims to be guided by lessons learned from his church. Clearly Brad Miller must separate the act of governance from his biblical guidance, and if that is so he is not guided by Christian belief.
Not only is Brad Miller not guided by biblical teachings, but he does not seem to rely on Constitutional text either. Where does he find the Constitutional right to force anyone to purchase anything through ObamaCare? Does he not see that ObamaCare conflicts with the tenth amendment? How does he divine a right of privacy that allows a woman to choose to kill her own child, while at the very same time he ignores the obvious wording of the second amendment? Where does he find a limitation on free political speech through incorporation? None of these interpretations are in our Constitution.
Yet these interpretations of our Constitution are no different than the those that allowed the atrocity of slavery to exist within America. Politicians like Brad Miller who are willing to interpret Constitutional "rights" such as infanticide in and out of existence are worse than their slave rationalizing brethren. At least slaves got life.
Brad Miller can point to neither The Ten Commandments nor can he point to The Constitution as a moral anchors. Brad Miller has no principles; he has no morality by which he can be judged. And when the North Carolina electorate visits the polls, will they be keen to reelect a politician (Brad Miller) who has no moral yardstick by which to gauge his performance?
No. North Carolina is ready for a political cleansing.
out
BJ Lawson, Sen. David Price Debate Scheduled...
polifrog
Lawson and Price have scheduled a debate that will take questions from the public before and during the debate.
More information here.
When
October 8
Where
Durham Transportation Center
out
Lawson and Price have scheduled a debate that will take questions from the public before and during the debate.
More information here.
When
October 8
Where
Durham Transportation Center
out
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Once a Hippie, Now the Man -- Perpetually Living Off the Plate of Another....
polifrog
With the most recognizable of the bailouts, TARP, being quickly paid down (and the atta'-boys that are sure to follow) it is wise to understand the totality of the Financial Bailouts.
PBS describes the nearly $13 Trillion bailout of our financial system.
And the bailouts continue to roll in:
The Hippies are, and have been The Man for some time now. This is their pig, but they refuse responsibility for this or anything else. Firmly ensconced in moral relativism they selfishly support choice over life, they choose debt over thrift, they choose The Man over liberty, and they push poverty on all, but themselves.
The majority of the boomer generation could never stop thinking of themselves. First rejecting the thrift, success and sacrifice of the greatest generation then engorging themselves on a combination of free love, consumerism, and me-ism. Nothing satiated these people; not even their incessant self aggrandizing through the media. They were lost in an endless maze of desire unable to find contentment. Now with the bill for all their excess firmly on the table, they pass it on to subsequent generations. Once a hippie, now the man -- perpetually living off the plate of another.
Never before has our country seen such a worthless, selfish, shiftless, horrible, or gluttonous group of malcontents so intent on shifting their individual responsibility to society as the generation that followed the Greatest Generation.
They truly are --- The Worst Generation.
all we are saying, is give tea a chance
end hippie/boomer rant
With the most recognizable of the bailouts, TARP, being quickly paid down (and the atta'-boys that are sure to follow) it is wise to understand the totality of the Financial Bailouts.
PBS describes the nearly $13 Trillion bailout of our financial system.
And the bailouts continue to roll in:
WSJ
Regulators announced Friday a rescue and revamping of the nation's wholesale credit union system, underpinned by a federal guarantee valued at $30 billion or more.
The Hippies are, and have been The Man for some time now. This is their pig, but they refuse responsibility for this or anything else. Firmly ensconced in moral relativism they selfishly support choice over life, they choose debt over thrift, they choose The Man over liberty, and they push poverty on all, but themselves.
The majority of the boomer generation could never stop thinking of themselves. First rejecting the thrift, success and sacrifice of the greatest generation then engorging themselves on a combination of free love, consumerism, and me-ism. Nothing satiated these people; not even their incessant self aggrandizing through the media. They were lost in an endless maze of desire unable to find contentment. Now with the bill for all their excess firmly on the table, they pass it on to subsequent generations. Once a hippie, now the man -- perpetually living off the plate of another.
Never before has our country seen such a worthless, selfish, shiftless, horrible, or gluttonous group of malcontents so intent on shifting their individual responsibility to society as the generation that followed the Greatest Generation.
They truly are --- The Worst Generation.
all we are saying, is give tea a chance
end hippie/boomer rant
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Rep Bob Etherdige - The Founding Fathers Would Have No Interest in the Contitution Today...
polifrog
If Henry Ford were asked what he thought of our country today his answer would surly focus on the automotive industry. Likewise, Thomas Edison might give an answer that would center on technology.
But if you were asked what you thought the founding fathers would think of our country today, do you think they would be concerned with the constitutional evolution of the nation they crafted or with technological advancements.
Bob Etheridge seems to believe the Founding Fathers would be more interested in super bouncy balls:
The Constitution could not be further from this man's mind even on constitution day.
out
If Henry Ford were asked what he thought of our country today his answer would surly focus on the automotive industry. Likewise, Thomas Edison might give an answer that would center on technology.
But if you were asked what you thought the founding fathers would think of our country today, do you think they would be concerned with the constitutional evolution of the nation they crafted or with technological advancements.
Bob Etheridge seems to believe the Founding Fathers would be more interested in super bouncy balls:
WakeMyNC.com
When the floor was opened for questions, Rep. Etheridge was asked what he thought our founding fathers would think of our country today. Rep. Etheridge replied, "All in all, I think they would be amazed and awful proud of the technological advancements we've made, the opportunities we have, and where we're headed."
The Constitution could not be further from this man's mind even on constitution day.
out
Friday, September 24, 2010
How Bad Do Our Banks Think the Economy Is?
polifrog
What if our banks refused to give loans to fully collateralized businesses? In most cases they don't; an incentive is needed to make the loan happen.
In this post I explored a loan made to Mortex, a textile company located in Wendell. ( Eastern Wake News story. )
Get this:
A few questions have to be asked:
out
What if our banks refused to give loans to fully collateralized businesses? In most cases they don't; an incentive is needed to make the loan happen.
In this post I explored a loan made to Mortex, a textile company located in Wendell. ( Eastern Wake News story. )
Get this:
- Mortel needed nearly $4 million to continue operating
- Mortel's loan was fully collateralized
- Mortel only got the loan when Capital Bank was assured by the USDA that the bank would be protected from losses on the loan of up to 80%
A few questions have to be asked:
- Just how bad do the banks expect to economy to get that they require an 80% loss back-stop on fully collateralized loans before considering going forward?
- Just how bad does our government think things might get that they agree to this 80% back-stop?
- Is inflation considered in measuring losses on these? A bout of inflation would not only increase the likely hood of default but it would run up the losses that could be counted against the %80 back-stop.
- Is the USDA program needed because there are lower risk investments that are more attractive to the banks? (Ex. the fact that they can borrow money from the Fed. for less than 1% then invest the money in T-Bills at 4% to 5% )
out
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Rep. Brad Miller -- The Silent Socialist...
polifrog
I am new to blogging, dragged into it by rogue governance, so Guarino is new to me.
I was unaware of what he refers to as "a biennial feature" on his blog that this time around compared self proclaimed socialist, Bernie Sanders, who serves as a Senator in Vermont to Rep. Brad Miller.
It it he compared the the voting records of the two via the American Conservative Union (Conservative) and the Americans for Democratic Action. (Liberal) The two use the same 100 point scale.
...................ACU ...............ADA
...................2009 .............2009
Miller.......... 0................... 100
I agree.
out
I am new to blogging, dragged into it by rogue governance, so Guarino is new to me.
I was unaware of what he refers to as "a biennial feature" on his blog that this time around compared self proclaimed socialist, Bernie Sanders, who serves as a Senator in Vermont to Rep. Brad Miller.
It it he compared the the voting records of the two via the American Conservative Union (Conservative) and the Americans for Democratic Action. (Liberal) The two use the same 100 point scale.
- For the ACU, the closer to zero one rates the more liberal one is.
- For the ADA the closer to 100 one is more liberal they are.
...................ACU ...............ADA
...................2009 .............2009
Miller.......... 0................... 100
Sanders...... 12 ..................100
Guarino concludes:
If anything, Congressman Brad Miller's voting record is to the left of Senator Bernie Sanders. Draw your own conclusions; but I think Miller himself is a socialist, just like Sanders.
I agree.
out
Mourning in America
polifrog
Ours was once a smaller government that avoided imposing itself on the citizenry but remained in contact with that citizenry. Where did that government go? We now have a distant and large government that finds it necessary to barricade itself behind wrought iron and plexi-glass.
I miss that representative democracy.
Ours was once a smaller government that avoided imposing itself on the citizenry but remained in contact with that citizenry. Where did that government go? We now have a distant and large government that finds it necessary to barricade itself behind wrought iron and plexi-glass.
I miss that representative democracy.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Rep. Bob Etherage - Daily Kos Scrapes the Bottom of the Barrel Over Renee Ellmers...
polifrog
Heh!
Bankrupt of ideas, Daily Kos charges Renee Ellmers of racism.
Daily Kos contiues:
Oh, and BTW don't forget to mention the 70% of Americans who support her position are stoopid and "gullible".
out
Heh!
Bankrupt of ideas, Daily Kos charges Renee Ellmers of racism.
URGENT - Bob Etheridge is Fighting A Racist - Help Him
Daily Kos contiues:Now, thanks to the Tea Party, Congressman Etheridge is in a dogfight. And he's fighting a woman, Renee Ellmers, who has risen to Tea Party prominence on the back of a campaign against the Health Reform Plan, a campaign based on misinformation and gullible people who don't read for themselves.
But she just outed herself as a racist Islamophobe in her new campaign ad.
[emphasis mine]
What does the left do in a loosing dogfight? Charge "racism"!
Don't forget Bob Etheridge is "fighting" one of those frightening "woman" who prefer constitutional principle!Oh, and BTW don't forget to mention the 70% of Americans who support her position are stoopid and "gullible".
It seems Renee Ellmers may have Bob Etheridge on the ropes.
“Those Vietnamese and GOP are trying to take our seat from us.”
out
Renee Ellmers Takes a Stand While Rep. Bob Etheridge Hides...
polifrog
Unencumbered by moral relativism Renee Ellmers leads while Bob Etheridge hides.
There is nothing wrong with labeling a thing that is wrong as such.
It should be pointed out that freedom of religion does not extend to freely building structures where ever one chooses. For instance, if a religion wished to build on the DC Reflecting Pool, they would be denied and this denial would not constitute an infringement of their freedom of religion as they would still be able to practice ... just elsewhere.
Of course, if your a moral relativist like Bob "who are you?" Etheridge accosting college students is just fine if only you would take the time to understand his perspective.
out
Unencumbered by moral relativism Renee Ellmers leads while Bob Etheridge hides.
There is nothing wrong with labeling a thing that is wrong as such.
It should be pointed out that freedom of religion does not extend to freely building structures where ever one chooses. For instance, if a religion wished to build on the DC Reflecting Pool, they would be denied and this denial would not constitute an infringement of their freedom of religion as they would still be able to practice ... just elsewhere.
Of course, if your a moral relativist like Bob "who are you?" Etheridge accosting college students is just fine if only you would take the time to understand his perspective.
out
Rep. GK Butterfield Has Scheduled a Town Hall?
polifrog
It certainly seems so according to The Warren Record, though they avoid using the term "town hall":
This certainly sounds like a town hall. Brave man.
When:
out
It certainly seems so according to The Warren Record, though they avoid using the term "town hall":
In keeping with its practice of introducing area voters to candidates in key races, the Lake Gaston Association (LGA) will host the following political candidates at its next meeting: U.S. House District 1 candidates G.K. Butterfield (D, incumbent) and Ashley Woolard (R); and N.C. House District 049 candidates John May (D), who was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Rep. Lucy Allen, and Glen Bradley (R).But...
...
The public is invited to meet these candidates, listen to their positions and take the opportunity to ask questions on the issues.
In order to allow sufficient time for each candidate to speak and answer questions from the audience, other LGA business will be kept to a minimum for this meeting.
| |
This certainly sounds like a town hall. Brave man.
When:
Wednesday, Oct. 6Where:
9:30 a.m.
Lake Gaston Baptist Church
( one mile north of Eaton Ferry Bridge on Hwy. 903, near the Food Lion Shopping Center)
out
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Rep. Brad Miller, Bob Etheridge, David Price -- And the Immorality of the Mandated "Generosity" Called Health Care Reform...
polifrog
Ed Morris said of Rep. Larry Kissell's NO vote on ObamaCare:
Just how moral is ObamaCare? Let's look at church attendance between nations that compel attendance to those that leave the matter to individual choice.
IN the US. church attendance rates seem wedded to around 44% while in Europe the rates often fall into the single digits depending on the nation. These low rates that plague Europe could easily be rectified by law through the use of mandatory church attendance provisions. If we assume Europe achieves attendance records of near 100% through such measures could it then be argued that Europe is more moral than the US?
The obvious answer is NO. Morality can not be forced onto a people exogenously. Although it may look like morality statistically (a near 100% church attendance), it is not a true morality and negatively affects the church and nation. Religion is cheapened, as a whole, because it is understood that most people are only there to avoid breaking the law at which point the motives of all those who attend church become questionable.
True morality, on the other hand, springs forth from within an individual through voluntary action (40%-50% church attendance in the US) to positively affect the church and nation. Although the percentage of regular church goers is less in the US, those members that choose to attend are more frequently true believers which, in turn, positively affect the respect of the church.
If we now turn to generosity we find that liberals have a penchant for mandating generosity and calling such mandates "moral" even though this is no different than mandating that the citizenry attend church. When Ed Morris says "but if he can save one life, it's a moral responsibility," he is arguing that mandated generosity through ObamaCare is a moral imperative.
In so doing, liberals loose sight of the fact that true generosity, the giving of dollars of love, with love, is lost. The dollars they gather enter the gov. by force and as such are not dollars of love. Those dollars then work their way through the soul crushing machinery of governance. Many of those dollars are skimmed off to run the bureaucracy, while others lube the gears of political leverage and influence. The dollars that remain are soulless and without love or humanity when they finally get into the hands of those who need them. These dollars do not carry with them any sense of goodwill, but are instead dollars for the sake of statistics. Liberals then point to all those soulless dollars as a metric of morality.
Government taxes are increasingly crowding charity. Dollars that may have gone to The March of Dimes or to The Red Cross or may have been used by one individual to help another are instead absorbed by government. Compare the offices of any charity to the the offices of any Government program and ask yourself if the government's overhead is moral. Compare the way dollars are received by the recipient from the gov. to the way they are received from an individual and ask yourself which is more moral. We are witnessing the death of American charity and liberals call that moral.
There is no morality in ObamaCare, only the statistical patina of morality. Legislating morality is in itself immoral and cheapens morality in America just as religion is cheapened in a nation of forced adherents.
By voting for ObamaCare, Brad Miller lent his support for immorality, soulless dollars and a cheapening of American morality.
out
Ed Morris said of Rep. Larry Kissell's NO vote on ObamaCare:
The Daily Vampire:It may even cost him his job," Morris said. "But if he can save one life, it's a moral responsibility."
Just how moral is ObamaCare? Let's look at church attendance between nations that compel attendance to those that leave the matter to individual choice.
IN the US. church attendance rates seem wedded to around 44% while in Europe the rates often fall into the single digits depending on the nation. These low rates that plague Europe could easily be rectified by law through the use of mandatory church attendance provisions. If we assume Europe achieves attendance records of near 100% through such measures could it then be argued that Europe is more moral than the US?
The obvious answer is NO. Morality can not be forced onto a people exogenously. Although it may look like morality statistically (a near 100% church attendance), it is not a true morality and negatively affects the church and nation. Religion is cheapened, as a whole, because it is understood that most people are only there to avoid breaking the law at which point the motives of all those who attend church become questionable.
True morality, on the other hand, springs forth from within an individual through voluntary action (40%-50% church attendance in the US) to positively affect the church and nation. Although the percentage of regular church goers is less in the US, those members that choose to attend are more frequently true believers which, in turn, positively affect the respect of the church.
If we now turn to generosity we find that liberals have a penchant for mandating generosity and calling such mandates "moral" even though this is no different than mandating that the citizenry attend church. When Ed Morris says "but if he can save one life, it's a moral responsibility," he is arguing that mandated generosity through ObamaCare is a moral imperative.
In so doing, liberals loose sight of the fact that true generosity, the giving of dollars of love, with love, is lost. The dollars they gather enter the gov. by force and as such are not dollars of love. Those dollars then work their way through the soul crushing machinery of governance. Many of those dollars are skimmed off to run the bureaucracy, while others lube the gears of political leverage and influence. The dollars that remain are soulless and without love or humanity when they finally get into the hands of those who need them. These dollars do not carry with them any sense of goodwill, but are instead dollars for the sake of statistics. Liberals then point to all those soulless dollars as a metric of morality.
Government taxes are increasingly crowding charity. Dollars that may have gone to The March of Dimes or to The Red Cross or may have been used by one individual to help another are instead absorbed by government. Compare the offices of any charity to the the offices of any Government program and ask yourself if the government's overhead is moral. Compare the way dollars are received by the recipient from the gov. to the way they are received from an individual and ask yourself which is more moral. We are witnessing the death of American charity and liberals call that moral.
There is no morality in ObamaCare, only the statistical patina of morality. Legislating morality is in itself immoral and cheapens morality in America just as religion is cheapened in a nation of forced adherents.
By voting for ObamaCare, Brad Miller lent his support for immorality, soulless dollars and a cheapening of American morality.
out
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Infantilization of Great Britain... Is Democracy Better off with a Soviet Foil?
polifrog
It starts with diapering the citizenry through nationalized health-care like ObamaCare... Via CNBC
Apparently some in GB. believe one no longer owns their time on Earth, at least, in the sense that their recompense for giving it up, it is suggested, should go to the state first, after which an allowance is doled out from the state.
Would this be suggested if the USSR hadn't vanished?
Perhaps more than we thought, in the decades of the Soviet presence, the very fact that the Soviet state existed worked as an example of the the obvious loss of liberty under state control and hindered state growth in western democratic nations.
Sometimes I feel that western democracy was better off with the foil of the USSR to define itself against .
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It starts with diapering the citizenry through nationalized health-care like ObamaCare... Via CNBC
The UK's tax collection agency is putting forth a proposal that all employers send employee paychecks to the government, after which the government would deduct what it deems as the appropriate tax and pay the employees by bank transfer.The UK is loosing its sense of property rights.
Apparently some in GB. believe one no longer owns their time on Earth, at least, in the sense that their recompense for giving it up, it is suggested, should go to the state first, after which an allowance is doled out from the state.
Would this be suggested if the USSR hadn't vanished?
Perhaps more than we thought, in the decades of the Soviet presence, the very fact that the Soviet state existed worked as an example of the the obvious loss of liberty under state control and hindered state growth in western democratic nations.
Sometimes I feel that western democracy was better off with the foil of the USSR to define itself against .
out
Will Rep. (In Hiding) Brad Miller Accept Bill Randall's Invitation to an Rockingham NC Town Hall Meeting?
polifrog
Brad Miller's penchant for immoral governance has forced him to avoid contact with his constituency unless it is done on his own terms. He has a preference for arriving at meetings without first alerting the public that he will be available. The press, of course, knows. Evidence can be found in their (after the fact) reporting of visits that leave the impression that Brad Miller is making himself available to the public in articles like these here, here, and here.
Apparently the press knew to be at these locations, but could not be bothered to pass information concerning Brad Miller's hushed scheduled visits on to their readers.
To that end Bill Randall has invited Brad Miller to a town hall in Rockingham Co. NC. today.
Via WGSR:
Brad Miller will not be there, though; he has no interest in his constituency's thoughts.
Brad Miller - Not your parent's Democrat.
out
Brad Miller's penchant for immoral governance has forced him to avoid contact with his constituency unless it is done on his own terms. He has a preference for arriving at meetings without first alerting the public that he will be available. The press, of course, knows. Evidence can be found in their (after the fact) reporting of visits that leave the impression that Brad Miller is making himself available to the public in articles like these here, here, and here.
Apparently the press knew to be at these locations, but could not be bothered to pass information concerning Brad Miller's hushed scheduled visits on to their readers.
To that end Bill Randall has invited Brad Miller to a town hall in Rockingham Co. NC. today.
Via WGSR:
According to a news release from the GOP – Randall will meet the public from 6:30-8:30 that evening at the Rockingham County High School auditorium in Wentworth.
...
Randall’s campaign says that Miller has been invited to the Town Hall Meeting – but he hasn’t responded.
Brad Miller will not be there, though; he has no interest in his constituency's thoughts.
Brad Miller - Not your parent's Democrat.
out
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Rep. Brad Miller, Bob Etheridge and David Price -- Breaking the Common Bonds Through ObamaCare...
polifrog
---I wrote this in reply to a comment and thought it would make a good post on a slow news day.---
I was at a roadside watermelon stand earlier this summer. A third fellow by the name of Obama strolled up as I was about to buy a peach of a watermelon from the vendor. He said, "Hold on, let me take that $5 and buy that melon for you."
"OK. what could be the harm?" I said, and let the money slide into his left hand which he had oddly nicknamed "The Insurance Industry". He immediately took off and he dashed from one milling customer to the other attempting to influence them with his new stash. During all the scurrying he managed to flick three dollars into a nearby creek for what he deemed to be "future investment". This seemed slushy to me, but whatever.
Eventually he returned to the watermelon vendor and gave him a $1.50. Fifty cents had disappeared beyond the $3 of "future investment".
At this point Obama forced the watermelon vendor to hand me and another fellow, who had yet to spend a dime, each a watermelon off the vendor's table of week old melons that were normally half price. With that, he then had the audacity to claim he had created one free watermelon.
End result....
Breaking the bonds of economic transaction yields hate between citizens and is the result of immoral governance.
out
---I wrote this in reply to a comment and thought it would make a good post on a slow news day.---
I was at a roadside watermelon stand earlier this summer. A third fellow by the name of Obama strolled up as I was about to buy a peach of a watermelon from the vendor. He said, "Hold on, let me take that $5 and buy that melon for you."
"OK. what could be the harm?" I said, and let the money slide into his left hand which he had oddly nicknamed "The Insurance Industry". He immediately took off and he dashed from one milling customer to the other attempting to influence them with his new stash. During all the scurrying he managed to flick three dollars into a nearby creek for what he deemed to be "future investment". This seemed slushy to me, but whatever.
Eventually he returned to the watermelon vendor and gave him a $1.50. Fifty cents had disappeared beyond the $3 of "future investment".
At this point Obama forced the watermelon vendor to hand me and another fellow, who had yet to spend a dime, each a watermelon off the vendor's table of week old melons that were normally half price. With that, he then had the audacity to claim he had created one free watermelon.
End result....
- Despite the fact that the vendor had lost money, I was pissed off at him for handing me a crap melon.
- The vendor, for his part, was perplexed to the point of frustration by my anger; as far as he could tell I never paid him for the melon he gave me.
- Although the vendor continued to kiss this Obama Character's ass in an effort to retain future business, he was pissed at being forced to operate at a loss until he realized he no longer needed to keep a supply of the best watermelons to retain his market.
- For Obama's part, between visits to collect more money for my next melon, the price of which had already risen to $15, he was too busy picking lobster from his teeth to notice the dischord he had created, nor did he have the inclination to hear my complaints.
Breaking the bonds of economic transaction yields hate between citizens and is the result of immoral governance.
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Obama -- "Guard the Change"...
polifrog
Drudge has been running a photo in conjunction with the story below. There is a more appropriate image to go with Obama's statements, though.
Via Yahoo:
Our divisive president destroying the common bonds that unite our nation.
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Drudge has been running a photo in conjunction with the story below. There is a more appropriate image to go with Obama's statements, though.
Via Yahoo:
[Obama]seeking to fire up an important part of his support base ahead of November's elections, told black leaders on Saturday he wanted their support to "guard the change" he was delivering.
Our divisive president destroying the common bonds that unite our nation.
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Saturday, September 18, 2010
Christine O'Donnell's Career - The Palinization of O'donnell Begins...
polifrog
Bill Maher begins the Palinization of ODonnell with attacks on youthful indiscretion which ,of course, only apply to lovers of liberty, fundamental constitutional principals, respect for American tradition, and patriotism.
Isn't the Palin card maxed out, though?
Obama doing cocaine? No problem -- Bill Maher, another doddering Boomer lost on the seas of moral relativism where double standards abound.
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Bill Maher begins the Palinization of ODonnell with attacks on youthful indiscretion which ,of course, only apply to lovers of liberty, fundamental constitutional principals, respect for American tradition, and patriotism.
Isn't the Palin card maxed out, though?
Bill Maher -- on whose former show, "Politically Incorrect," O'Donnell appeared repeatedly in the late 1990s -- showed a previously unaired clip from Oct. 29, 1999, on his current HBO program, "Real Time," in which the GOP Senate nominee from Delaware said she "dabbled into witchcraft." From ThinkProgress:O'DONNELL: I dabbled into witchcraft -- I never joined a coven. But I did, I did. ... I dabbled into witchcraft. I hung around people who were doing these things. I'm not making this stuff up. I know what they told me they do. [...]
One of my first dates with a witch was on a satanic altar, and I didn't know it. I mean, there's little blood there and stuff like that. ... We went to a movie and then had a midnight picnic on a satanic altar.
Obama doing cocaine? No problem -- Bill Maher, another doddering Boomer lost on the seas of moral relativism where double standards abound.
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Obama -- Who is This Man? (Part 787830)
polifrog
Watch him pause while reading his prompter and reformulate
Just words on a prompter from a politician's mouth....
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Watch him pause while reading his prompter and reformulate
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,"eliminating Creator.
Just words on a prompter from a politician's mouth....
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Friday, September 17, 2010
Rep. Brad Miller - Dressing Up Bank Giveaways as Saving Jobs...
polifrog
Brad Miller is at it again -- Dressing up Bank bailouts as jobs protection through an overtly friendly press.
Eastern Wake News:
And this is how it was done...
Wouldn't you like to be Capital Bank in this transaction?
The interest rate of a loan is usually based on the risk of the loan. In this case the loan is fully backed with assets plus, in the event of default, coverage for 80% of the losses in the loan value. Where is the risk? There is none, yet the bank presumably charges interest. The interest rate is not given in the article, but business loan interest rates are generally quite a bit higher than home loans. In any event, interest charged on a risk free loan above 3% (estimated cost of loan administration and profit) is a government subsidized giveaway to the banks. The interest rate charged by Capital Bank is certainly much greater than 3%.
--This is a possible win for employees of Mortex, if Mortex doesn't fail.
--This is an absolute win/win no risk event for Capital Bank, whether Mortex survives or not.
--Supporting a weak business in a dying industry on the backs of taxpayers is a no win for America.
But how did Eastern Wake News report all this in the opening paragraph?
Brad Miller added:
It must be nice having friends in the press who are willing to throw reputation to the wind for the cause of your election.
Imagine the influence, though, -- Mortex beholden to government, Capital Bank beholden to government handouts, employees beholden to Brad Miller, and government under pressure of a $3.o8 million payout to keep Mortex from failing.
Now imagine weakened business across America taking advantage of such loans and the government giveaway (whether the business defaults or not) to Brad Miller's Bank friends at the expense of the productive class. Risk is for the little people not for the Miller's friends at the banks. Meanwhile Brad Miller dresses up this fleecing of citizens as a jobs saver. Immoral governance.
Are these connections likely to end in economic vitality, or or will they result in increased government influence for the ruling class and a loss of influence for the citizens of America?
Lastly, this sort of activity is what got America into the over leveraged position it that currently plagues our economy. According to this USDA Rural Development PDF this program "allows lenders to make loans above their legal lending limits".
Why does Brad Miller want the citizens of this nation indebted to his Big Bank Friends while protecting those same banks from all risk?
---
As an aside, a few questions have to be asked.
out
Brad Miller is at it again -- Dressing up Bank bailouts as jobs protection through an overtly friendly press.
Eastern Wake News:
Mortex owner Ed Morrell met with U.S. Rep. Brad Miller on Wednesday to explain how the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office helped work out the details for a loan that kept his company afloat.
And this is how it was done...
Capital Bank's Triangle Region president Todd Warrick suggested the company and the bank work on an application to the USDA.
Under the terms of the deal, Capital Bank loaned Mortex $2.6 million on a 15-year note. They loaned the company another $500,000 on a 10-year note. The bank also extended a $750,000 line of credit, which Morrell says he does not plan to use. The loans are collateralized by the buildings and Morrell's personal savings.
Mortex didn't borrow any money from the government, a point Morrell made Wednesday in a meeting with employees. The deal calls for the USDA to guarantee 80 percent of the loans.
That means if Mortex defaults, the USDA would pay Capital Bank 80 percent of the loan balance.
And because the loans are fully collateralized, Capital Bank's exposure is limited.
That puts the pressure on Morrell and his family, which owns the privately-held company.
"(Morrell's wife) Kissie and I are on the hook," Ed Morrell told employees Wednesday. "If we fail, we lose everything we have."
Wouldn't you like to be Capital Bank in this transaction?
- Make a loan that is fully collateralized.
- Make interest on a no-risk loan due to an 80% back-stop on losses. In this case the loans total $3.1 million (credit lines do not qualify for the USDA 80% back-stop).
The interest rate of a loan is usually based on the risk of the loan. In this case the loan is fully backed with assets plus, in the event of default, coverage for 80% of the losses in the loan value. Where is the risk? There is none, yet the bank presumably charges interest. The interest rate is not given in the article, but business loan interest rates are generally quite a bit higher than home loans. In any event, interest charged on a risk free loan above 3% (estimated cost of loan administration and profit) is a government subsidized giveaway to the banks. The interest rate charged by Capital Bank is certainly much greater than 3%.
--This is a possible win for employees of Mortex, if Mortex doesn't fail.
--This is an absolute win/win no risk event for Capital Bank, whether Mortex survives or not.
--Supporting a weak business in a dying industry on the backs of taxpayers is a no win for America.
But how did Eastern Wake News report all this in the opening paragraph?
More than 600 people in Nash, Johnston and eastern Wake counties still have jobs thanks to provisions in a federal stimulus package that loosened underwriting rules for loans to companies in rural areas.
Brad Miller added:
"If you hear of people who say the stimulus package never saved a job, you can look at them and tell them it saved yours," Miller said.
It must be nice having friends in the press who are willing to throw reputation to the wind for the cause of your election.
Imagine the influence, though, -- Mortex beholden to government, Capital Bank beholden to government handouts, employees beholden to Brad Miller, and government under pressure of a $3.o8 million payout to keep Mortex from failing.
Now imagine weakened business across America taking advantage of such loans and the government giveaway (whether the business defaults or not) to Brad Miller's Bank friends at the expense of the productive class. Risk is for the little people not for the Miller's friends at the banks. Meanwhile Brad Miller dresses up this fleecing of citizens as a jobs saver. Immoral governance.
Are these connections likely to end in economic vitality, or or will they result in increased government influence for the ruling class and a loss of influence for the citizens of America?
Lastly, this sort of activity is what got America into the over leveraged position it that currently plagues our economy. According to this USDA Rural Development PDF this program "allows lenders to make loans above their legal lending limits".
Why does Brad Miller want the citizens of this nation indebted to his Big Bank Friends while protecting those same banks from all risk?
---
As an aside, a few questions have to be asked.
- Just how bad do the banks expect to economy to get that they require an 80% back-stop on fully collateralized loans before considering going forward?
- Just how bad does our government think things might get that they agree to this %80 back-stop?
- And finally, is inflation considered in measuring losses on these? A bout of inflation would not only increase the likely hood of default but it would run up the losses that could be counted against the %80 back-stop.
out
Rep. Mike McIntyre Pulls All His TV Ads ASAP (Updated)....
polifrog
Updated:
Hmmm...
out
Updated:
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- Congressman Mike McIntyre's Campaign emailed TV stations in Wilmington and Florence, SC today to pull the candidate's TV commercials ASAP.
The campaign called us after reading our on-line story and said their TV buyer was confused about the plan this weekend. It isn't pulling ads, just starting new ones this weekend.
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) --Congressman Mike McIntyre's Campaign alerted TV stations in Wilmington and Florence, SC to pull the candidate's TV commercials ASAP. No reason was given in the request. We've called and left a message with Campaign Manager Justin Smith to find out more and will update this story when he returns our call.
Hmmm...
out
Rep. G.K. Butterfield and His Pigs at the Trough -- Napolean Is Not Just an Orwell Character ...
polifrog
Rep. G.K. Butterfield (NC-1) tangled with BeafortCountyNow over the issue of congressional staffers being able to unload their student loan payments onto the taxpayer.
Butterfield was apparently unaware of the government perk.
It seems that there are so many troughs from which to feed that our N.C. Congressman from district one has difficulty tracking just those within his office.
With millions scraping to get by and graduates often finding it difficult to make payments on their loans, we have bureaucrats in DC fattening themselves as the graduates starve.
And where does this cornucopia of troughs from which the gluttonous DC bureaucrats feed lead? To DC largess, and private sector poverty:
out
Rep. G.K. Butterfield (NC-1) tangled with BeafortCountyNow over the issue of congressional staffers being able to unload their student loan payments onto the taxpayer.
Butterfield was apparently unaware of the government perk.
"I've never heard anything about that and doubt seriously that it could be true. I have heard that some of them have gotten in trouble for not paying their taxes, but I don't know anything for sure on that."Later it was discovered that such a lavish perk does indeed exist.
...the Committee on House Administration did establish the Student Loan Repayment Program to provide House employing offices an additional tool with which to recruit and retain qualified staff in the service of the House. In general, the program enables participating House employing offices to authorize repayment of qualifying student loans on behalf of eligible employees who agree in writing to remain in their employment for a period of one year.
It seems that there are so many troughs from which to feed that our N.C. Congressman from district one has difficulty tracking just those within his office.
With millions scraping to get by and graduates often finding it difficult to make payments on their loans, we have bureaucrats in DC fattening themselves as the graduates starve.
And where does this cornucopia of troughs from which the gluttonous DC bureaucrats feed lead? To DC largess, and private sector poverty:
out
Thursday, September 16, 2010
A Conservative Contract With North Carolina Via Paul Stam....
polifrog
Correction:
Democrats have held the North Carolina Senate since 1898. This is plainly unnatural. According to North Carolina FreeEnterprise Foundation the mood of the electorate this year could bring change to that:
out
Correction:
Rep. Stam wishes to inform the author that the statement "Democrats have held the North Carolina House since 1898" is inaccurate. Though this may be the case for the Senate, it is not for the House. The Republicans controlled the House for 4 years in the mid-1990s.Corrected.
Democrats have held the North Carolina Senate since 1898. This is plainly unnatural. According to North Carolina FreeEnterprise Foundation the mood of the electorate this year could bring change to that:
Currently, Democrats control the Senate by a 30 to 20 margin. The chamber is the Democrats to lose. Based on national trends and voter sentiment, expectations are that 2010 will be a tough political year for incumbents and Democrats. It will be a challenge for the party in power to hold on to the seats they have, and regardless of the overall outcome of the fall election, the margin of control in the Senate is likely to narrow.Attempting to capitalize on this climate of change Paul Stam, North Carolina House Republican Leader has introduced what appears to be a contract with North Carolina.
North Carolina’s state government must reduce costs and regulation on business, large and small, so that they can create jobs and prosperity.
If the people of North Carolina entrust Republicans with a majority in the General Assembly on November 2, 2010, we commit to govern the State by focusing on these priorities:
1. Years of overspending by Democrats have given North Carolina the highest tax rates in the Southeast and a budget deficit of at least $3 billion; we will balance the State budget without raising tax rates.
2. High taxes are killing jobs. We will make our tax rates competitive with other states.
Within the first 100 days you will see us:
1. Passing The Healthcare Freedom Protection Act, exempting North Carolinians from the job-killing, liberty-restricting mandates of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obama Care).
2. Fighting to protect jobs by keeping our Right to Work laws.
3. Reducing the regulatory burden on small business.
4. Funding education in the classroom, not the bureaucracy.
5. Eliminating the cap on charter schools.
6. Passing the Honest Election Act, requiring a valid photo ID to vote.
7. Passing the Eminent Domain constitutional amendment to protect private property rights.
8. Ending pay-to-play politics and restore honesty and integrity to state government.
Let's roll.
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Spag Correctness
polifrog
The Spag Report
continued here
out
The Spag Report
"Of course you must replace something with something else, and the hope is that the Republicans will have learned their lesson, rid themselves of phony conservatives, and have a candidate that can sweep the nation the way Reagan did in 1980. It shouldn’t be hard after four years of left wing rule, but putting up just any Republican won’t help conservatives. I sense that the direction of the movement and the Republican Party if it is wise will be more towards Ron Paul and away from the neocons. That is the hope anyway."I wrote that back in 2008 and it has proven to be true. I also wrote in May 2008 that an Obama victory might be exactly what conservatism needs to get back on course after too many years spent acting like Democrats and expanding government:
"They haven’t gotten the message of 2006. One big reason they lost was because they were acting like Democrats in form and substance. More of the same will not encourage conservatives to come out and vote for them. That’s why I say that maybe it is time for Obama. If we are going to be in the wilderness for awhile, we might as well get something positive in exchange."
continued here
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Dick Morris Understands the Tea Party Impact...
polifrog
We have been told repeatedly that the TeaParty is extremist in various ways. Most of those accusations have failed to weather the test of time. One accusation, though, continues to have currency (albeit inflated) -- that the TeaParty is more conservative than the republicans.
Bill Clinton is part of that chorus that the narrative that the TeaParty is extremist. He recently said:
The TeaParty falls between the Republican and Democrats in ideology. Their primary concerns are excessive taxation (Taxed Enough Already) and excessive government spending that has lead to deficits that have called into question the strength of our currency.
These are the people who before there was a TeaParty heled put power in the hands of conservatives in 1994 to fix the spending problem. Those conservatives after a promising start failed them and in disillusionment turned to Obama who promised to reinstate "the spending policies of Bill Cinton" (better defined as the brief success of the 1994 congress who controlled the nation's purse at the time). Within months it was obvious that they had been had and they were pissed. With a nudge from Rick Santelli, the TeaParty was born and with it the Republican Party is being rebooted.
With the recent extreme spending and deficit growth their concerns are of more importance to an ever growing number of people. The debt spending issue unlike many issues is not divisive in the same sense that abortion or Iraq has been. It is an issue that disparate individuals can unite around. As a result profligate debt spending has become a transcendent issue between many conservatives and liberals and with a new home for them being created in the Republican Party the Republican Party has added member at the expense of the Democrat Party.
Dick Morris gets it...
out
We have been told repeatedly that the TeaParty is extremist in various ways. Most of those accusations have failed to weather the test of time. One accusation, though, continues to have currency (albeit inflated) -- that the TeaParty is more conservative than the republicans.
Bill Clinton is part of that chorus that the narrative that the TeaParty is extremist. He recently said:
HuffingotonPostHis assessment is wrong.
"A lot of their candidates today, they make him [Bush] look like a liberal," Clinton told an enthusiastic crowd.
The TeaParty falls between the Republican and Democrats in ideology. Their primary concerns are excessive taxation (Taxed Enough Already) and excessive government spending that has lead to deficits that have called into question the strength of our currency.
WSJ
Back in April, the New York Times/CBS did a poll of tea party supporters. When asked, "What should be the goal of the Tea Party movement," 45% said, "Reduce federal government." That is, cut spending. Everything else was in single digits.
These are the people who before there was a TeaParty heled put power in the hands of conservatives in 1994 to fix the spending problem. Those conservatives after a promising start failed them and in disillusionment turned to Obama who promised to reinstate "the spending policies of Bill Cinton" (better defined as the brief success of the 1994 congress who controlled the nation's purse at the time). Within months it was obvious that they had been had and they were pissed. With a nudge from Rick Santelli, the TeaParty was born and with it the Republican Party is being rebooted.
With the recent extreme spending and deficit growth their concerns are of more importance to an ever growing number of people. The debt spending issue unlike many issues is not divisive in the same sense that abortion or Iraq has been. It is an issue that disparate individuals can unite around. As a result profligate debt spending has become a transcendent issue between many conservatives and liberals and with a new home for them being created in the Republican Party the Republican Party has added member at the expense of the Democrat Party.
Dick Morris gets it...
But these days, social issues are in remission and economic/fiscal problems have, understandably, taken center stage. In this environment, purists of the right have a big advantage because nobody doubts the sincerity with which they embrace the goals of limited government, low taxes, and reduced spending. Politicians of all stripes – including most Democrats – vow allegiance to them as does the overwhelming majority of the electorate. In this environment, the distinctions of left and right give way to the difference between sincerity and insincerity, leaving the voters to judge. With candidates like Sharron Angle in Nevada or Christine O’Donnell in Delaware or DioGuardia in New York, voters don’t have to guess. They know real conservatives when they see them.
out
Sen. Bob Etheridge Decieves His Constituency With Deceptive Image Management...
polifrog
I am revising this previous post that was based on a HomeInHenderson article that did not mention it was an Etheridge press release.
I can now reference the HomeInHerderson article to Etheridge as it is now posted on his site as his press release. I held back on my accusations of deception by Bob Etheridge in the previous post as the HomeInHenderson article could have been an accidental source of some of the deception. That is no longer the case as the HomeInHenderson article was an Etheridge press release.
This press release from Rep. Mike McItyre shows Bob Etheridge's press release to be deceptive.
In the Etheridge's press release Etheridge intimates that he put this event together, assembling hundreds of individuals for the express purpose of jobs creation in his district. The title even claims Bob Etheridge hosted this jobs event:
According to McIntyre's press release, though, Ethridge did not create this event., that the event was created by Rep. Mike McIntyre and it is the latest of 14 such gatherings that he has held. Etheridge was in reality only an invited co-host along with G.K. Butterfield, Larry Kissell, Patrick McHenry, Walter Jones, Mel Watt, and Virginia Foxx. That's right despite his claims otherwise, Bob Etheridge was only an honorary co-host and had little if nothing to do with gathering the hundreds involved.
----
Neither the location of this event nor its title were mentioned in Etheridge's press release.
Again, from Rep. Mike McIntyre's press release. Rep. Mike McIntyre refers to his event as “The Washington Perspective” business and economic development summit. The name is appropriate, though, as the event was held in Washington DC. Why would an event centered on helping the economy of NC be held so far from NC and where the attendees were drawn? One would think holding it locally would have benefited the economy of district 2 (the intent of the event) and if space were an issue Raleigh could have supported the event. Why drag hundreds of people and more importantly their dollars to DC? North Carolina and district 2 seem to have been forgotten.
But perhaps that explains Etheridge's omission of the event's location and title in his press release. It does not fit the narrative Etheridge was attempting to convey.
-----
Etheridge further claims:
But Etheridge also provides a list of speakers who were presumably the source of new ideas to solve the issue of economic difficulty in district 2 over the two days:
Etheridge also said, "For the people, by the people" How? -- When the only people scheduled to speak were government employees at an event called "The Washington Perspective" held in Washington DC. How do community leaders outside district 2 help the people of district 2 by meeting in DC?
Additionally Etheridge appears to have mislead when he said,"Keeping in touch with community leaders needs to be a bipartisan operation,”. There was a time when community leaders meant just that, community leaders, not state leaders from across the state meeting in DC. who have been drawn exclusively from government employment rosters.
It appears that the "community" Etheridge is referring to are not the communities of district 2, but rather the government community. This conference seems to be government by government for government. Although Bob Etheridge is able to utter platitudes like "Our government is for the people, and by the people," he seems to have lost all touch with the people outside of government who make up district 2. Is Bob Etheridge aware that there is a private sector from which to draw advise? The private sector should not be viewed only as a beast of burden on which Bob Etheridge funds his governance.
Rep Etheridge press release is an example of image management, deceptive campaigning, and immoral governance to the extreme. It takes more Rep. McIntyre's jobs summit to burnish Etheridge's jobs reputation. Etheridge has claimed someone else's work as his own in an effort to enhance his own image. In the real world this would be called theft, but in the Etheridge's world of governance this sort of deception is apparently just fine. I don't think district 2 believes this deception is just fine, though.
Etheridge is not a man representing his community, but rather a representative of government by government for government attempting to deceive his constituents.
out
I am revising this previous post that was based on a HomeInHenderson article that did not mention it was an Etheridge press release.
I can now reference the HomeInHerderson article to Etheridge as it is now posted on his site as his press release. I held back on my accusations of deception by Bob Etheridge in the previous post as the HomeInHenderson article could have been an accidental source of some of the deception. That is no longer the case as the HomeInHenderson article was an Etheridge press release.
This press release from Rep. Mike McItyre shows Bob Etheridge's press release to be deceptive.
In the Etheridge's press release Etheridge intimates that he put this event together, assembling hundreds of individuals for the express purpose of jobs creation in his district. The title even claims Bob Etheridge hosted this jobs event:
Etheridge Hosts Job Creation and Economic Development Conference
According to McIntyre's press release, though, Ethridge did not create this event., that the event was created by Rep. Mike McIntyre and it is the latest of 14 such gatherings that he has held. Etheridge was in reality only an invited co-host along with G.K. Butterfield, Larry Kissell, Patrick McHenry, Walter Jones, Mel Watt, and Virginia Foxx. That's right despite his claims otherwise, Bob Etheridge was only an honorary co-host and had little if nothing to do with gathering the hundreds involved.
U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington) today concluded his two-day 2010 job creation and economic development conference with business and chamber of commerce leaders from across North CarolinaThis was not Etheridge's event.
----
Neither the location of this event nor its title were mentioned in Etheridge's press release.
Again, from Rep. Mike McIntyre's press release. Rep. Mike McIntyre refers to his event as “The Washington Perspective” business and economic development summit. The name is appropriate, though, as the event was held in Washington DC. Why would an event centered on helping the economy of NC be held so far from NC and where the attendees were drawn? One would think holding it locally would have benefited the economy of district 2 (the intent of the event) and if space were an issue Raleigh could have supported the event. Why drag hundreds of people and more importantly their dollars to DC? North Carolina and district 2 seem to have been forgotten.
But perhaps that explains Etheridge's omission of the event's location and title in his press release. It does not fit the narrative Etheridge was attempting to convey.
-----
Etheridge further claims:
“Our government is for the people, and by the people. This two-day job creation and economic development convention provides a great opportunity for me to talk to business leaders about how we can work together to spur job growth,” said Etheridge.and,
“Keeping in touch with community leaders needs to be a bipartisan operation,” said Etheridge. “That is what these two days have been about – keeping in touch with the people we are here to serve.”
But Etheridge also provides a list of speakers who were presumably the source of new ideas to solve the issue of economic difficulty in district 2 over the two days:
On Monday the 13th:
- Dr. Joseph DeSimone, Chancellor's Eminent Professor of Chemistry, UNC
- The North Carolina Military-Business Opportunity Panel
- Eight North Carolina U.S. Representatives
On Tuesday the 14th:
- General James T. Conway (Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps)
- General George W. Casey Jr. (Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army)
- Secretary Ray LaHood (U.S. Department of Transportation)
- Barbara B. Kennelly (President & CEO, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare)
- Rep. John Lewis (U.S. Representative from Georgia’s 5th District).
Etheridge also said, "For the people, by the people" How? -- When the only people scheduled to speak were government employees at an event called "The Washington Perspective" held in Washington DC. How do community leaders outside district 2 help the people of district 2 by meeting in DC?
Additionally Etheridge appears to have mislead when he said,"Keeping in touch with community leaders needs to be a bipartisan operation,”. There was a time when community leaders meant just that, community leaders, not state leaders from across the state meeting in DC. who have been drawn exclusively from government employment rosters.
It appears that the "community" Etheridge is referring to are not the communities of district 2, but rather the government community. This conference seems to be government by government for government. Although Bob Etheridge is able to utter platitudes like "Our government is for the people, and by the people," he seems to have lost all touch with the people outside of government who make up district 2. Is Bob Etheridge aware that there is a private sector from which to draw advise? The private sector should not be viewed only as a beast of burden on which Bob Etheridge funds his governance.
Rep Etheridge press release is an example of image management, deceptive campaigning, and immoral governance to the extreme. It takes more Rep. McIntyre's jobs summit to burnish Etheridge's jobs reputation. Etheridge has claimed someone else's work as his own in an effort to enhance his own image. In the real world this would be called theft, but in the Etheridge's world of governance this sort of deception is apparently just fine. I don't think district 2 believes this deception is just fine, though.
Etheridge is not a man representing his community, but rather a representative of government by government for government attempting to deceive his constituents.
out
Rep GK. Butterfield - Promulgating Outdated Myths...
polifrog
This past Saturday Rep. G.K. Butterfield repeated two myths that gained unwarranted circulation over the past decade but have subsequently been shown as false.
Via Wahington Daily News:
To any of this one must suspend the reality that our congress has control over the nation's purse. The surplus he attributes to Clinton was in fact crafted by the Gingrich Congress. Bill Clinton was the lucky beneficiary of that success.
This myth of the "Clinton surpluses" allowed Obama to claim the mantle of fiscal prudence and that he in conjunction with Democrats in congress would cut national spending:
And that brings us to the second myth presented by GK Butterfield and Obama -- that of the "Bush" debt. Although, conservatives under Bush wallowed in debt spending to an unpalatable degree, it was not until Pelosi gained control over the national purse that the deficits Obama and Butterfield refer to were created. In fact, national debt was declining under Bush after the 9/11 economic shock until Pelosi forced increased spending during the last two years of Bush.
In both cases G.K. Butterfield asks us to believe that our Presidents control the nation's purse when, in fact, the congress does. The fact that G.K. Butterfield believes that his constituents will believe such blather attests to a contempt for his constituents. For G.K. Butterfield to continue to promulgate these myths in the face of the past two years congressional profligacy indicates a tin ear to reality and an example of immoral governance.
Although G.K. Butterfield could use a refresher course on how our constitutional republic operates, no understanding of our system of governance can alter the roots of his immoral governance.
out
This past Saturday Rep. G.K. Butterfield repeated two myths that gained unwarranted circulation over the past decade but have subsequently been shown as false.
Via Wahington Daily News:
In his speech, Butterfield said the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act helped stabilize a freefalling economy, but it passed with zero Republican votes.
“The Republicans made a political decision to be the party of ‘No,’” he said, sounding a theme often aired by the White House.
Butterfield said the federal government enjoyed a $230 billion surplus when Democratic President Bill Clinton left office.
The surplus was erased as Bush, the GOP — and supportive Democrats he didn’t mention — launched measures including the war in Iraq, which has cost thousands of lives and $1 trillion, according to Butterfield.
To any of this one must suspend the reality that our congress has control over the nation's purse. The surplus he attributes to Clinton was in fact crafted by the Gingrich Congress. Bill Clinton was the lucky beneficiary of that success.
This myth of the "Clinton surpluses" allowed Obama to claim the mantle of fiscal prudence and that he in conjunction with Democrats in congress would cut national spending:
"When George Bush came into office, our debt -- national debt was around $5 trillion. It's now over $10 trillion. We've almost doubled it. ... But actually I'm cutting more than I'm spending so that it will be a net spending cut." -- Obama, during an Oct. 7, 2008, debate in Nashville
And that brings us to the second myth presented by GK Butterfield and Obama -- that of the "Bush" debt. Although, conservatives under Bush wallowed in debt spending to an unpalatable degree, it was not until Pelosi gained control over the national purse that the deficits Obama and Butterfield refer to were created. In fact, national debt was declining under Bush after the 9/11 economic shock until Pelosi forced increased spending during the last two years of Bush.
In both cases G.K. Butterfield asks us to believe that our Presidents control the nation's purse when, in fact, the congress does. The fact that G.K. Butterfield believes that his constituents will believe such blather attests to a contempt for his constituents. For G.K. Butterfield to continue to promulgate these myths in the face of the past two years congressional profligacy indicates a tin ear to reality and an example of immoral governance.
Although G.K. Butterfield could use a refresher course on how our constitutional republic operates, no understanding of our system of governance can alter the roots of his immoral governance.
out
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Karl Rove Needs to Man Up Over O'Donnell...
polifrog
On Greta right now... Rove was first up on Greta and he is airing O'Donnell's dirty laundry again.
This is the third time. Hannidy last night, Fox and Friends this morning and now Greta:
Karl Rove has the acumen to make his point without the collateral damage he may be causing O'Donnell. Rove is quickly becoming the face of a non-TeaParty Republican.
He needs to man up.
out
On Greta right now... Rove was first up on Greta and he is airing O'Donnell's dirty laundry again.
This is the third time. Hannidy last night, Fox and Friends this morning and now Greta:
Karl Rove has the acumen to make his point without the collateral damage he may be causing O'Donnell. Rove is quickly becoming the face of a non-TeaParty Republican.
He needs to man up.
out
Rep. Bob Etheridge -- Image Management or Deception?
polifrog
According to HomeInHenderson.com Bob Etheridge hosted a jobs conference with hundreds in attendance this past Monday and Tuesday.
Bob Etheridge is quoted twice in the HomeInHenderson article:
and,
Moreover, the title of this article gives the impression that Etheridge hosted the event and that he had gathered an impressive group of local community leaders to discuss the issue of jobs and find how to corral a few more toward district 2.
A better description of this conference can be found at WWAY, McIntyre to host business and economic develoment summit.
First,
This was not Bob Etheridge's summit and was in reality Rep. Mike McIntyre's event (the 14th such conference). His co-hosts for this particular gathering included G.K. Butterfield, Bob Etheridge, Larry Kissell, Patrick McHenry, Walter Jones, Mel Watt, and Virginia Foxx. That's right, Bob Etheridge was only an honorary co-host.
Secondly, Rep. Mike McIntyre refers to his event as “The Washington Perspective” business and economic development summit, a name left out of the HomeInHenderson article. The name is appropriate, though, as the event was held in Washington DC. Why would an event centered on helping the economy of NC be held so far from NC and where the attendees were drawn? One would think holding it locally would have benefited the economy of district 2 and if space were an issue Raleigh could have supported the event. Why drag hundreds of people and more importantly their dollars to DC? North Carolina and district 2 seem to have been forgotten.
Third, here is the list speakers over the two days:
I'm not convinced a group of local business leaders entirely made up of government employees fits Ethridge's description of "keeping in touch with the people we are here to serve."
Etheridge also said, "For the people, by the people" How? -- When the only people scheduled to speak were government employees at an event called "The Washington Perspective" held in Washington DC. How do community leaders outside district 2 help the people of district 2 by meeting in DC?
Additionally Etheridge appears to have mislead when he said,"Keeping in touch with community leaders needs to be a bipartisan operation,”. There was a time when community leaders meant just that, community leaders, not state leaders from across the state meeting in DC. who have been drawn exclusively from government employment rosters.
It appears that the community Etheridge is referring to are not the communities of district 2, but rather the government community. This conference seems to be government by government for government. Although Bob Etheridge is able to utter platitudes like "Our government is for the people, and by the people," he seems to have lost all touch with the people outside of government who make up district 2. Is Bob Etheridge aware that there is a private sector from which to draw advise? The private sector should not be viewed only as a beast of burden on which Bob Etheridge funds his governance.
This is faux campaigning or image management to an almost dishonest extent. It takes more than another man's jobs summit to burnish another man's jobs reputation. Although Etheridge's quotes can not be denied, I believe that some of the responsibility of this poor HomeInHenderson article can be laid on HomeInHenderson.com itself. -- But then I wonder who the source for this article was.
I do know this, district 2 should be wary of these stunts.
Check out Renee Ellmers; she is a community leader in the traditional sense. There is a good chance you may have even met her.
out
According to HomeInHenderson.com Bob Etheridge hosted a jobs conference with hundreds in attendance this past Monday and Tuesday.
It is interesting, though, the amount of information this article leaves out.
Bob Etheridge is quoted twice in the HomeInHenderson article:
“Our government is for the people, and by the people. This two-day job creation and economic development convention provides a great opportunity for me to talk to business leaders about how we can work together to spur job growth,”
and,
“Keeping in touch with community leaders needs to be a bipartisan operation,” said Etheridge. “That is what these two days have been about – keeping in touch with the people we are here to serve.”Coming from a community "paper" this all sounds very local especially when there is no hint within the article of where Etheridge met these community leaders.
Moreover, the title of this article gives the impression that Etheridge hosted the event and that he had gathered an impressive group of local community leaders to discuss the issue of jobs and find how to corral a few more toward district 2.
A better description of this conference can be found at WWAY, McIntyre to host business and economic develoment summit.
First,
This was not Bob Etheridge's summit and was in reality Rep. Mike McIntyre's event (the 14th such conference). His co-hosts for this particular gathering included G.K. Butterfield, Bob Etheridge, Larry Kissell, Patrick McHenry, Walter Jones, Mel Watt, and Virginia Foxx. That's right, Bob Etheridge was only an honorary co-host.
Secondly, Rep. Mike McIntyre refers to his event as “The Washington Perspective” business and economic development summit, a name left out of the HomeInHenderson article. The name is appropriate, though, as the event was held in Washington DC. Why would an event centered on helping the economy of NC be held so far from NC and where the attendees were drawn? One would think holding it locally would have benefited the economy of district 2 and if space were an issue Raleigh could have supported the event. Why drag hundreds of people and more importantly their dollars to DC? North Carolina and district 2 seem to have been forgotten.
Third, here is the list speakers over the two days:
On Monday the 13th:
- Dr. Joseph DeSimone, Chancellor's Eminent Professor of Chemistry, UNC
- The North Carolina Military-Business Opportunity Panel
- Eight North Carolina U.S. Representatives
On Tuesday the 14th:
- General James T. Conway (Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps)
- General George W. Casey Jr. (Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army)
- Secretary Ray LaHood (U.S. Department of Transportation)
- Barbara B. Kennelly (President & CEO, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare)
- Rep. John Lewis (U.S. Representative from Georgia’s 5th District).
I'm not convinced a group of local business leaders entirely made up of government employees fits Ethridge's description of "keeping in touch with the people we are here to serve."
Etheridge also said, "For the people, by the people" How? -- When the only people scheduled to speak were government employees at an event called "The Washington Perspective" held in Washington DC. How do community leaders outside district 2 help the people of district 2 by meeting in DC?
Additionally Etheridge appears to have mislead when he said,"Keeping in touch with community leaders needs to be a bipartisan operation,”. There was a time when community leaders meant just that, community leaders, not state leaders from across the state meeting in DC. who have been drawn exclusively from government employment rosters.
It appears that the community Etheridge is referring to are not the communities of district 2, but rather the government community. This conference seems to be government by government for government. Although Bob Etheridge is able to utter platitudes like "Our government is for the people, and by the people," he seems to have lost all touch with the people outside of government who make up district 2. Is Bob Etheridge aware that there is a private sector from which to draw advise? The private sector should not be viewed only as a beast of burden on which Bob Etheridge funds his governance.
This is faux campaigning or image management to an almost dishonest extent. It takes more than another man's jobs summit to burnish another man's jobs reputation. Although Etheridge's quotes can not be denied, I believe that some of the responsibility of this poor HomeInHenderson article can be laid on HomeInHenderson.com itself. -- But then I wonder who the source for this article was.
I do know this, district 2 should be wary of these stunts.
Check out Renee Ellmers; she is a community leader in the traditional sense. There is a good chance you may have even met her.
out
Establishment Republican Losers Need to Man Up -- No Respect for Tea Party Republicans....
polifrog
The Blaze:
Then this from The Hill:
This sore loser response reminds me of (Establishment Republican) Bernie Reeves' lack of respect for (Tea Party favorite) Bill Randall after Randall's NC-13 primary runoff win this summer.
NewsObserver:
Reeves losses to Bill Randall and reacts by calling him unqualified? Where is the mutual respect?
Petty.
Establishment Republicans damage not only the Republican brand, but their colleagues that they leave behind with such childish behavior. These losers need to man up and start writing magnanimous concession speeches.
out
The Blaze:
Before Christine O‘Donnell even had a chance to deliver her remarks to accept the Republican Party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) announced that the party’s fundraising organization would not be supporting the Delaware tea party favorite in the Nov. 2 election.How stupid.
Then this from The Hill:
A Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) campaign source confirmed to The Hill late Tuesday that the longtime congressman will not be endorsing Christine O'Donnell.
This sore loser response reminds me of (Establishment Republican) Bernie Reeves' lack of respect for (Tea Party favorite) Bill Randall after Randall's NC-13 primary runoff win this summer.
NewsObserver:
Reached at his home shortly after the results were known, Reeves said had run a solid campaign based on traditional Republican values only to be beaten by a tea party tide.
“The people have spoken,” Reeves said. “It’s sort of like anarchy out there, where qualifications and credentials don’t matter.”
Reeves losses to Bill Randall and reacts by calling him unqualified? Where is the mutual respect?
Petty.
Establishment Republicans damage not only the Republican brand, but their colleagues that they leave behind with such childish behavior. These losers need to man up and start writing magnanimous concession speeches.
out
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