Replies

I'm so disappointed that you have decided to take the path you have chosen to make things what I would think would be very discouraging for an honorable person, Paul Newby. If you knew him, you would not say the things you're saying. He is a gentleman who has done nothing wrong. Frankly, I approved of most of your positions on issues, but see your attacks as political opportunism & dirty tricks. Paul would never have broken the law in order to run for office. He did everything he needed to do to ensure that everything was legal & in order. While you were on the internet, Paul travelled the state in a strong grassroots campaign w/a message that appealed to conservatives. Because of his hard work, we knew him long before we heard from you by email. Where did you get my email address? Yes, you are known now, but at what price to your integrity? You could have run a clean, decent, campaign & done well, if your message was acceptable to the voters, & had a real future in the GOP, but I sincerely doubt you have the credibility for that now. I pray you'll re-think your tactics, apologize to Paul & the grassroots who supported him, & look to the future. It will benefit you & most importantly, our common cause. Judy Keener, grassroots GOP keeners@hotmail.com Dear Ms. Keener: I am not personally acquainted with you. Nor, to my recollection, have we been properly introduced. I have not given you permission to use my Christian name. Perhaps you could use a lesson from Miss Manners. Frankly, I am puzzled by a letter of this nature post-campaign. Maybe you have been in a coma or are of limited intellect? We had an election on Election Day. Had you checked any available news source, you would realize that your candidate actually won, albeit not by the margins that he had hoped. Maybe you are on another mission. I was curious as to whether there would be any sign of intelligent life in our Republican Party leadership and wondered if someone there would take note of my success and send out an olive branch for the future. Perhaps you are tasked as its emissary? You have made demands and threats, but no real peace offerings, so its hard to tell. Here are my responses to your email. 1. No, you are not. Your hypocrisy shines forth like a beacon. 2. And what path would that be, madam, and who are you to judge whether I am on the right path or the wrong? 3. This sentence is unintelligible as written, but at last we get to the nub of the problem. I presume that by the comment, you are complaining on behalf of Mr. Newby about his alleged violation of the Hatch Act. Rather than waste your time spewing vitriol at me, I suggest you go and spend a minute or two at www.osc.gov. You would then have an opportunity to educate yourself about the Hatch Act. The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is a part of our federal government charged with enforcing the act. The OSC takes violations seriously and even has prosecuted federal employees who send emails with political cartoons. As a member of the bar and as a candidate, I take these violations seriously too. We have someone who may have violated the very law that he was sworn to uphold and who will soon be seated on our state's highest court. It is an affront to the law, the office sought and the dignity of the court. It is an insult to the citizens of this state. I felt it was important to bring this matter to the attention of the voting public, as neither the Republican Party leadership nor any of the candidates did so. 4. What things would that be? I know what I said. I stand by my comments about the OSC investigation and the alleged violation of the Hatch Act. Moreover, I have heard Mr. Newby's comments from his own mouth. He spoke before the Republican Executive Committee, before defense attorneys at a convention in Greensboro and at a candidate event in Morehead City. I also talked with various other candidates in Morehead City, and quoted one of those individuals. The candidate whom I quoted is on the opposite side of the aisle politically, but he was correct. I think it is scary that a federal prosecutor boasts about putting business owners out of business, depriving individuals of their day in court, locking people up, taking someone's personal property and enforcing his religion in place of genuine legal reasoning. He is not someone who will be impartial and unbiased, in my humble opinion. 5. Oh really? Then why has he not produced a letter from the OSC which purportedly clears him of any violation of the Hatch Act? If he is innocent, it would be very simple for him to produce the letter and issue a statement. Perhaps he is saving it for the hearing before the Merit Board? Better yet, he could have avoided this whole mess by resigning his job. I have known honorable state and federal employees or prosecutors who have always resigned their job before running for office because they know the law and want to incur no problems. 6. Good for you! 7. I think that you have mistaken me for the Republican Party leadership. It is they who have engaged in dirty tricks from the beginning by sending out their Church ladies and Psycho Dave to attack me and they have continued to do so. It is they who dug up "dirt" on me at the last minute and gave it to the media. 8. And how do you know that? Its up to the OSC to decide whether he broke the law or not. Are you a member of the OSC? Or maybe you are an attorney? If not, I suggest you engage your little gray matter and do some research before you waste your time and energy. I have done my own research and, based on the information that I have learned, I am compelled to conclude that the actions taken were either deliberate or the product of negligence. See also my answer to number 5 about other similarly situated employees who run for office. 9. See my answer to number 5 and 8. 10. The last time that I checked, Ms. Keener, you were not on my campaign staff or at my place of employment. You thus have no knowledge of what I have done or where I have been. How do you know that I was on the internet? My campaign was largely run on the internet. That simply does not mean that I was at a computer terminal 24/7. For several weeks, I traveled across this state. I spoke with Republican groups, concerned citizens and college students and faculty. I asked these groups whether they had been visited by any candidates, including Mr. Newby. They told me he was not there. Where was he? Not sticking up for our college students and faculty. He could not even answer simple questions asked by a Duke law school student. I did. And I was in contact with many others. Obviously, many found my message appealing or they would not have voted for me. 11. So what? This is a rehash of an old argument that I heard before. Mr. Newby declared his candidacy, therefore no one else needed to apply. I was involved in another campaign before this time. I only made up my mind after the July primary when I had time to study the races. Also, Justice Orr did not resign his seat until the end of July. On the date on which I declared my candidacy, at least six others had also registered, four of whom declared their candidacy on the same day as me. There were no signs up at the State Elections Board barring me or anyone else from entry in this race. That is why we have primaries and elections. 12. My campaign purchased email addresses of various groups from legitimate sources. Evidently, yours was on the list. If you don't want to be on the list, look on the page for the "unsubscribe" button. If that is too taxing, then notify my campaign manager to take you off the list. 13. Yes, I certainly am, thanks to my and my campaign staff's efforts and hard work during this campaign. Thanks also go to my Rangers. 14. As Ronald Reagan once said, "there you go again." What on earth are you talking about? I am one of the few candidates in any race that actually displayed any integrity and stuck to my principles. I was always open and honest with the public. I can't be bought because I self-financed my campaign. I wish that I could say the same of others. 15. And how many political campaigns have you successfully run such that it would warrant me to take your advice? I did run a clean and decent campaign and I did very well. Mr. Newby knew about what was going on behind the scenes by the Republican Party leadership. At no time did he ever put a stop to the attacks. Nor did he seek to distance himself from them or make a statement that it was wrong. As he abetted these thugs, you should direct your comments to him, not me. 16. Oh it was! Just look at the number of votes that I received. 17. <& had a real future in the GOP> No, not with such fine leaders as Art Pope, Ferrell Blount and Bill Peaslee at the helm. Here is the olive branch perhaps? I behave like a nice little girl and tell everybody how very sorry I am that I did the unthinkable act of actually running for office when it wasn't my turn and by further demonstrating that I almost beat 2 political party machines because it will help the pitiful Republican Party leadership that lost 5 house seats, all but 2 of the state judicial races, and virtually all but 1 Council of State seats (although there are 2 races that are still too close to call). And what do I get in return if I don't? More attacks from the Church Ladies? Or if I'm contrite and can hang in there for 20 years, maybe they will give me a crumb from the table? Tell your masters who sent you to deal with me directly if they have a real offer to convey. Otherwise, I'm tempted to utter some very unladylike remarks about that you and that horse you rode in on. 18. Point to one misstatement in this campaign which allegedly refutes my credibility about anything. We are back to moralizing again. You are unfit to judge the credibility of anyone given your gross misstatements and mischaracterizations of me. 19. There! Evidence beyond a doubt that this is a Church Lady. I pray too, by the way. 20. Again, how many political campaigns have you run? 21. I will do no such thing. I have nothing to apologize for. It is he who should personally apologize to me for the attacks which even now continue. No judicial candidate has ever had to endure personal venom of this sort. We used to have Canons of Ethics which prohibited a candidate or others from making such statements on his behalf. Mr. Newby simply could have ignored my candidacy and instructed the Republican Party leadership to do likewise. He chose, either intentionally or because of his own ignorance, not to abide by the rules and had others do indirectly what he could not do directly. 22. <& the grassroots who supported him> See my answer to 21. I apologize to no one about this campaign. 23. <& look to the future.> I am doing that even as we speak! 24. I certainly hope so! 25. <& most importantly, our common cause.> Aha! Looking out for your own self-interest, eh? Our common cause, Ms. Keener, is to elect good and principled people to office. People who share the values and beliefs in limited government. People who are sworn to uphold the law and the Constitution. People who will not make up the law or force their views on those who may not think and act as we do. People who will fairly and impartially apply the law, with justice for all and malice toward none. You have backed a candidate who is not such a person. PAID FOR BY RACHEL LEA HUNTER FOR SUPREME COURT P.O Box 332 | NW 1251 Maynard Road | Cary, North Carolina 27513 Ph. (919) 386-0246 | Fax 877-572-9790 Copyright 2004. RACHEL LEA HUNTER FOR SUPREME COURT

Updates!

Dear Friends & Voters:

I thought that I would provide an update. I have received many offers of prayers and good wishes. Thank you all. Your efforts are sincerely appreciated.

I have watched the party gyrations and have noticed more internecine fighting among the county GOP, especially in Wake and Orange Counties.

Another individual is bemoaning the fact that a scant 40 people showed up for their annual dinner. It takes no imagination to wonder why when the NC GOP and its county affiliates are in such disarray.

All it takes is a few of them to show up at a precinct meeting, get elected to some post and they are in charge of things. They then proceed to ban or attack or otherwise challenge anyone else who is not of like mind. Such is how autocrats and tyrants behave.

Until the party becomes something other than a private club, until the party and its thugs stop attacking decent individuals, until the party elects real leaders, nothing will change. I am waiting until the party elections. If the same old crew is in charge, I will do as many others have already done and leave.

Speaking of the party, our current leader, Mr. Blount has sounded off once again. One of his current missives rails at our state attorney general for defending UNC. Although his notice of the issue of "college abuse" as I've termed it is welcome, his rant on the attorney general is misguided. One may take issue with Mr. Cooper over certain things, but defense of the university is not one of them. Last time I checked our laws, they indicated that a state school, as an agency of the state, must be represented by our state attorney general. And an attorney is bound by ethical rules to zealously represent his client. Also, the client is the person who is control of the litigation and an attorney is bound to respect the client’s wishes. One would think Mr. Blount would know these simple facts. It again substantiates my belief that we need a change on Hillsborough Street.

I also observed that Vernon Robinson has thrown in his name in the race for the chairmanship. Although I have been accused in various places of controlling Mr. Robinson, nothing could be further from the truth. It’s my understanding that he was acquainted with my campaign manager, Cameron, before I ever arrived. He and Cameron talked and Cameron simply sent out a press release on his behalf that inadvertently had my name on it from my campaign. Other than the connection of Cameron, I do not know him and cannot comment on his vices or virtues. I do not know if he is the one to lead the party or not, but things are so bad, that any change is a welcome one. Therefore, I wish him well in his endeavors.

I also have finished (finally!) the Federalist Papers and have re-read Frederic Bastiat's The Law. I've now moved on to the writings of Thomas Jefferson. In reading these books, some things have struck me. As I previously mentioned, our times and culture may have changed, but not human nature. Mr. Jefferson and others were keen students of this fact and knew the good and bad aspects of human nature. That is why the Constitution was devised. As Thomas Jefferson said, “"In questions of power, then, let no more be said of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution."

How far we have strayed from that simple idea as embodied in that document. Those in the so-called "Republican" party were adherents to a smaller federal government, less taxes and less intrusiveness by the government. Not so anymore. As the chairman of the Republican party once said, the aim of the Republicans is just to not spend as much as the Democrats. In fact, non-war spending under the Bush administration has grown twenty percent (20%), compared to the previous administration. Our government commenced a war on pretenses that those on the left and the right have challenged. Contrary to what my detractors have said, the government has locked up citizens (anyone remember José Padilla?) and granted to itself all kinds of powers that were previously unthinkable.

What doctrine is that? If there is a hope for the future, we need to stop squabbling over meaningless things and return to our roots. Until we regain that footing and adhere to our principles, I fear for the party and our country.

Regarding my health, I have met with my doctors and surgery is scheduled for May 5 at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.. The surgery itself is gruesome to describe. It will be a long procedure and an even longer recovery. But as my doctor said, I do not really have any options in this matter. The tumor has robbed me of not only my hearing, but has begun to affect my ability to taste food, has caused a tingling sensation on the right side of my face and results in a real loss of balance when I am tired. However, after my surgery and recovery, I plan to be back in an action and will keep you posted as to my progress!

Email:
CLICK HERE

PAID FOR BY RACHEL LEA HUNTER FOR SUPREME COURT
P.O Box 332 | NW 1251 Maynard Road | Cary, North Carolina 27513
Ph. 877-893-3713 | Fax 877-893-3713
Copyright 2004. RACHEL LEA HUNTER FOR SUPREME COURT