Freepmail or ping me on the thread to be added to the John Armor for Congress ping list.
Posted on 05/04/2008 3:00:58 PM PDT by MitchellC
John Armor is a student of history. He knows where the country has been and where he would like to take it in the future. As a Republican candidate for the 11th Congressional District, Armor has the chance to make an impact.
Armor is running against Asheville City Councilman Carl Mumpower and former Henderson County Republican Party Chairman Spence Campbell in the Republican primary.
Raised in the Baltimore area, Armor attended Yale University, where he earned degrees in political science and English. He took a job at an advertising agency shortly after graduation but wanted a new challenge. He enrolled in night school, and over the next four years earned a law degree.
Armor said night school was a challenge. He worked a full day at the office and still needed enough energy to pay attention in class and study.
"I did it as a backdrop to politics, because I thought I would get involved in politics a lot earlier than I did," Armor said of studying law.
He ran for the Baltimore City Council in 1971. His boss at the advertising agency did not like the venture into politics and fired him. Armor eventually lost the race for City Council, and a friend approached him about starting a law office.
"We opened up a law practice," Armor said. "And the first case we had, believe it or not, went to the Supreme Court."
The case involved a small-party candidate being kept off the ballot. Armor said he was amazed that he was able to get involved in a Supreme Court case so early in his legal career.
"It's like a ball player getting to play in the World Series," Armor said. "But I didn't get paid. We only got expenses."
Armor said he has represented numerous clients whose cases went to the Supreme Court. He said he did most of the work for small nonprofits and did not make very much money. He finds the work, rewarding, however.
"When you are working for people like that, you know you are going to get paid peanuts," Armor said.
Armor practiced law in the Washington, D.C., area for 10 years. He inherited a family home in Highlands and moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina in 1994. Armor still practices Constitutional law in federal court, but he has not taken the bar in North Carolina.
"I made a decision for mental and physical health to move to Highlands," Armor said.
Nick Bazan is the president of the Mountain Top Rotary of Highlands. He said Armor joined the club about a year and a half ago and has made a strong impression on the members.
"I like John," Bazan said. "He is very articulate. I like the way he argues his points."
He said Armor has spoken to the club several times and, like on the campaign trail, has laced his talks with historical references.
"He has been prone to quote things and give us a historical perspective," Bazan said.
He said he believes Armor is qualified to be a congressman for Western North Carolina.
"I think he would make a good congressman," Bazan said. "I think he has a good perspective on things."
Jumping in politics
The political bug stayed with Armor after he left Washington, D.C. Two years ago, he challenged long-term Congressman Charles Taylor in the 11th District Republican primary. Taylor had been shrouded in controversy and Armor thought it was time for Taylor to leave office.
"I said at the 2006 convention that Charles Taylor's time is over," Armor said. "A few of them walked out."
Ever the student of history, Armor realized that incumbents almost never lose. They are always better financed and have more name recognition. Like Taylor, incumbents most often lose when they are surrounded by controversy and beat themselves.
Armor lost but said he enjoyed the experience. He decided to get back into the race, wanting the opportunity to challenge Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville, in November.
"I sort of expected I would lose to Mr. Taylor unless something extraordinary happened," Armor said.
Armor has actively campaigned throughout the primary season. He has appeared at all the debates and said he enjoys being able to express his views about political issues.
"That is my skill," Armor said. "I debated John Kerry in college. I have been at this a long time."
Campaign gets ugly
For most of the political season, the race between the three Republican candidates for Congress was amicable. But over the last month, the campaign has turned more ugly. Mumpower accused Armor of not being a Constitutional lawyer and said Campbell was violating the law by putting campaign signs in the right-of-way.
Armor and Mumpower exchanged heated words through press releases in recent weeks. Mumpower accused Armor of not being a Constitutional attorney because he has never argued a case before the Supreme Court. Armor refutes the accusation. While acknowledging that he has not argued before the court, he said he has had numerous briefs entered into Supreme Court cases on behalf of his clients.
"It's sad for him to accuse me of being a dishonest lawyer," Armor said.
Armor said his most important case at the Supreme Court has been Bush v. Gore, the case that decided the presidency. Armor filed a brief in the case and he said the court went in the direction he suggested.
Besides the debate over his background, Armor also set off a controversy at the Flat Rock debate last month. A representative of Armor sent an e-mail to the organizers of the Flat Rock debate expressing concerns about the use of political banners. Evidently Mumpower had placed a large banner on the wall at a previous debate and Armor's campaign wanted the issue addressed.
The organizers sent a message to all the candidates and set guidelines on the use of banners in the St. John in the Wilderness Parish Hall. The organizers said banners had never been allowed in the Parish Hall at prior debates. Mumpower got upset, complaining that the rules had been changed midstream. The issue was finally resolved but not before Flat Rock Mayor Bob Staton referred to Mumpower as an "arrogant a***"
The issues
Armor paints himself as a conservative with a strong knowledge of history. He said he has the best background and ability to defeat Shuler.
"I am trying to present myself as a genuinely conservative person," Armor said.
Curtis Matews has known Armor most of the time he has lived in Highlands. He said Armor has a strong moral foundation.
"He has a sense of ethics that we all should aspire to," Armor said. He added, "I think he is a very knowledgeable and intelligent person. He has a tremendous knowledge of the Constitution."
A key difference politically between Armor and Mumpower is the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Armor, along with Campbell, supports a Senate version to renew the law. It gives telecommunications companies immunity against prosecution. The companies helped the federal government get information about suspected terrorists. Mumpower is worried about the infringement on America citizen's civil liberties. Armor, however, argues that the law has nothing to do with Americans. He said it involved tracking terrorists overseas who use U.S. telecommunication companies' equipment.
"I think FISA is an important issue because security is an important issue," Armor said. He said the Constitution "does not apply to somebody who is a resident of Baghdad."
Armor said he would work hard for the people of Western North Carolina if elected. He said he has a vast knowledge of the workings of Congress and the federal government and can use that to his advantage.
"I will work with the Republican leadership as long as they don't want me to sell my soul," Armor said.
He said he has a good chance of winning the Republican primary and defeating Shuler in the fall. Armor said he has campaigned heavily in the rural counties of the district. He believes that if he can hold his own in Buncombe and Henderson counties and do well in the others, he will win. Armor said he needs to pick up around 6,500 votes in Yancey, Polk, Jackson and Macon counties to win the primary.
Freepmail or ping me on the thread to be added to the John Armor for Congress ping list.
Hell, lets make him our presidential candidate!
Way to go John...
Good luck.
Best of luck.
What a retarded claim.
Good luck John.
tet.
Hope you win, John.
Good luck John.
Good luck John.
May God smile on your campaign!
Who is the seat incumbent, and which party?
Heath Shuler, Democrat.
Good Luck John.
Good Luck John.
Seconded.
Good Luck from Cary! I wish you were running in my district.
Good luck to you, Congressman!! We can always use a voice for reason in the cesspool that is Washington, D.C.
Good luck, big guy!!!
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