Health care vote leaves some ill [upset NC Dems threaten Kissell with primary]

Charlotte Observer ^ | November 18, 2009 | Jim Morrill

[MitchellC]

Nearly two weeks after U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell bucked his party and voted against health care legislation, June Mabry's phone line is still burning up with calls from angry Democrats.

[...]

Kissell, of Montgomery County, was one of 39 Democrats who voted against the health care bill that passed the House by five votes this month. He was one of just eight from a district that President Barack Obama carried last year.

It didn't take long for the backlash to begin.

The liberal group MoveOn.org has been running a TV ad in his district that applauds congressmen who "stood tall" to support the bill. "Our representative, Larry Kissell, stood small," it says.

A group called the Progressive Change Campaign Committee has online ads that feature Kissell's picture and the word "Betrayal." And some Democrats now expect a challenge to the freshman lawmaker in North Carolina's May primary.

"I anticipate a primary," says Mecklenburg County Democratic chair Joel Ford.

[MitchellC]

LMAO

LMAO

[KoRn]

"The liberal group MoveOn.org has been running a TV ad in his district that applauds congressmen who "stood tall" to support the bill. "Our representative, Larry Kissell, stood small," it says."

I've been seeing the exact same ad being run against the dem congressmen from my district that voted against it. It's a stupid ad IMO. When I saw it, it made me want to call his office to thank him for his opposition, but I'm still pissed at him for TARP, porkulus, and crap & tax which he all voted for.

[MitchellC]

What makes this especially hilarious is that Larry Kissell is a Daily Kos-loving lefty who I'm certain would have voted for the bill were his party masters not so worried about losing the seat. (The same with his 'no' vote on cap-n-trade.)

For the record, there are four known GOP candidates at this point.

Tim D'Annunzio of Raeford

Lou Huddleston of Fayetteville

Hal Jordan of Charlotte

Darrell Day of Hamlet [beware of loud auto-playing flash]

I attended a candidates' forum held by the Cabarrus County GOP two weeks ago, and I was most impressed with Huddleston and Jordan.

D'Annunzio is throwing a lot of his own money into the campaign and I've read that he has basically bought up every billboard in the district. He needs to work on his presentation.

Huddleston seems to be a favorite of the NRCC. He was recently added to their Young Guns list.

Jordan came close (~60 votes) to unseating Jim Black in an overwhelmingly Democratic district in an overwhelmingly bad year for Republicans, in 2006.

NC *Ping*

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[MitchellC]

So much for the spin on that poll. Looks like they're trying to make it easy for us.

[fieldmarshaldj]

If the Dems try to run a challenge to Kissell from the left and takes him out, it’s safe to say we’ll reclaim the seat. Then again, knowing how the Dems operate, this may be all smoke and mirrors to fool the district into making Kissell look like a “moderate” and make him stronger for the ‘10 race. They are the masters of polipsych warfare.

[MitchellC]

knowing how the Dems operate, this may be all smoke and mirrors to fool the district

I've scoured the local nutroots and they're all legitimately POed. Which is great, because these are the people who through their sweat and money took a no-name candidate with close to zero party support and came within 200 votes of knocking off a wealthy, well known incumbent in 2006. Would the NCDP want to feed into the shedding of his little ground army, for the sake of maneuvering?

One thing that strikes me is the particular discontent among the black Dems. If a primary challenge does come about, I suspect it will be from there, and any candidate that has the backing of the Political Black Caucus here is going to be a real contender. All they've got to do is turn out the vote in Charlotte and Fayetteville and hand out their little pamphlets and it'll be over for Kissell.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Well, we shouldn’t have lost this seat to begin with (I was flabbergasted to see how far to the left Robin Hayes moved in his last year in office, an execreble 48% Conservative rating, making him an outright liberal Republican, for which more than likely turned off enough Conservatives to result in the win for Kissell).

I’m just saying if the nutroots knock off Kissell in the primary, we’ll probably take it back, but if Kissell beats a ultraleft challenger, he’ll say, “See, I’m a moderate. I put the needs of my district ahead of party, etc.” It just seems like the kind of stunt the Dems might pull to save their vulnerable members. Yeah, the nutroots may still be enraged about his vote, but would they legitimately be looking to toss him in what would absolutely cost them this seat ? They may be crazy, but they can’t be that stupid.

[Tax-chick]

I see a D’Annunzio billboard when I drive to Monroe. (I’m in Sue Myrick’s district, though.) I’m impressed with his effort, if nothing else, and I’d rather see his signs than the Pepsi ones with the Zero symbol on them.

[NCBraveheart]

I wonder who is running against Etheridge in District 2

[MitchellC]

I posted a list of the GOP assemblymen in the district on the NC board, but are there any other elected Republicans in the 2nd district? Mayors, councilmen, commissioners?

[MitchellC]

He’s definitely got the passion (and the money).

[Impy]

Some lunatics are convinced that 70% of people are for socialist heath care and that democrats would win everywhere if only they ran on it.