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Posted on 04/11/2008 11:32:26 AM PDT by MitchellC
Both the Asheville Citizen-Times and the Hendersonville Times-News have articles, today (11 April), about the congressional candidates debate yesterday in the town of Flat Rock. Both articles have their facts wrong about the Carl Mumpower flap concerning signage at the debate.
The candidates present for that debate of Republican candidates for Congress were Carl Mumpower from Asheville, Spence Campbell from Henderson County, and John Armor from Macon County. Mumpower had first withdrawn from the debate in a huff, and made various accusations against the debate organizers and other candidates. Then, he apparently realized that his behavior was not "winning friends and influencing people."
So, he changed his mind and attended.
The flap began when Mumpower put up three of his road signs behind the podium at a Yancy County debate, so all candidates who spoke, would do so in front of a Mumpower sign. Representatives of both Armor and Campbell objected to the organizer of that debate. The organizer said he was extremely embarrassed, and if he'd been warned beforehand he would have prevented that. But he added that "taking them down now would have created an incident" he wished to avoid.
Fair enough. So those signs stayed. However, Michelle Mead, on behalf of John Armor, wrote the following e-mail in advance to Terry Hicks, organizer of the Flat Rock debate. That e-mail said:
"On previous debates among the Congressional candidates, Carl Mumpower's advance team have tried (and in many cases succeeded) in placing large signs directly behind the podium. This means that all the candidates have to speak in front of Mumpower signs."
Carl Mumpower apparently knew about Miss Mead's e-mail to Terry Hicks, since he sent an e-mail to Miss Mead that said, "I will not participate in campaign forums where we are artificially constrained in our ability to campaign. Last minute rule changes represent an intrusion on free speech, an artificial means to concealing the limited authenticity of some campaigns."
In short, Carl Mumpower's claim that these were "new" restrictions are a lie. The Flat Rock forums have always been held in St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church. Signs inside the meeting room have never been permitted. Mumpower's claim that the objection had to do with anything more than just his signs behind the shared podium is also a bald-faced lie.
Note that Mr. Armor's and Miss Mead's objection was only to signs behind the podium, nothing else. In Yancy County, Mumpower signs were even on the door to the ladies room. That may be overkill, and tacky. But it is certainly within the kind of freedom of speech that Mr. Armor has frequently defended in the US Supreme Court.
The immediate meaning of the Flat Rock flap is small. Mumpower was wrong. He was owed, and received, no apology. The larger meaning, however, is that he does not work well with others. And, as Mr. Armor pointed out, "The House of Representatives has 435 Members, 428 more than the Asheville City Council. The House works through Committees, and through its leaders. Someone who frequently gets into spats with people around him will be a failure in the House." In short, Carl Mumpower's regular behavior disqualifies him from being an effective Member of the House.
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John Armor
Highlands, NC
www.ArmorforCongress.com
Freepmail or ping me on the thread to be added to the John Armor for Congress ping list.
For the record, as you come up the mountain out of South Carolina, Flat Rock is off to the left.
Go John!!
off to the right.... not left
NC ping
Mumpower is slick as snot on a doorknob.......
Gateway to the Dupont Forest.
Bump.
It looks like slick Carl violated the 5th item in his “contract” with the people of the 11th distict in North Carolina. He said he was a “right thing” kind of guy.
Lying and dirty tactics are not the “right thing”. It’s the same ole, same ole.
Seize the power! Keep Carl mum. Send him packing with your vote for John Armor!
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