Free Republic

North Carolina Right to Life PAC joins South Carolina Citizens for Life (SCCL), its sister affiliate in South Carolina, in endorsing former Senator Fred Thompson for President of the United States of America. “By endorsing Fred Thompson for President, North Carolina Right to Life PAC wants all North Carolinians to know Senator Thompson’s long-standing pro-life record, his unwavering commitment to protecting unborn children from abortion, and our belief in his ability to win,” stated Barbara Holt, PAC President. “As President, Fred Thompson will be a strong advocate for life at all stages.” Fred Thompson amassed a 100% pro-life voting record...

Pat McCrory, mayor of Charlotte for nearly 13 years, said he has always wanted what's best for the Queen City. But he's being tugged by the question of whether he can be more effective leading the city as mayor or wielding his influence as governor. As he mulls his decision whether to run for governor in 2008, McCrory said he is still committed to guiding the city's growth and trying to solve its problems. But the city's issues in many ways are tied to the support and funding it gets from the state, which have been inadequate, he said.

Like noxious bugs swarming over a crumbling tenement, followers of Ron Paul have invaded the blogosphere. Their target is anyone who dares to criticize their hero. Bloggers have dealt with them in various ways. Some have tried banning them outright. Others allow readers to engage them in back-and-forth debates that can easily take a thread to several hundred responses. I used to find the Paulites annoying, but recently I had a revelation: Far from being scorned, Paul’s rabid fans should be welcomed and encouraged. We should do everything we can to make certain they keep pushing their man, sending him...

Candidates for most of the big 2008 primary races are running neck-and-neck, according to the September poll of North Carolina voters by the Civitas Institute. In the Democratic presidential primary, former Sen. John Edwards polled 22 percent, followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton at 20 percent and Sen. Barack Obama at 19 percent. Twenty percent said none of those candidates, and 20 percent said they weren't sure. In the Republican presidential primary, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson polled 25 percent, followed by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani at 21 percent, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 13 percent and...

North Carolina Rep. Walter B. Jones’ status as one of the most outspoken congressional Republican critics of President Bush’s Iraq war policies has drawn him national attention that he had not previously received in a House career now in its seventh term. But Jones’ maverick posture is not universally appreciated back home in eastern North Carolina’s 3rd District, a conservative Republican stronghold that gave President Bush 68 percent of its votes in November 2004 — more than a year and a half after the controversial war began. The Iraq issue is central to a challenge Jones has drawn for next...

Visiting Goldsboro Wednes-day, Onslow County Commis-sioner Joe McLaughlin an-nounced to a small crowd at McCall's Bar-B-Que & Seafood Restaurant that he will be challenging U.S. Rep. Walter Jones for the Republican nomination in the 3rd Congressional District. "This campaign's only about 36 hours old," McLaughlin laughed during his introduction. But he seems to already be generating some interest in the party's base. Running primarily against Jones' stance on the war in Iraq, McLaughlin said throwing his hat into the ring was a tough decision, but one he felt he had to make. "Since 1994, I have been a Walter Jones...

State Treasurer Richard Moore, who has overseen the sale of $5.5 billion in bonds since he took office in 2001, has steered much of the lucrative legal bond work to the law firms of lawyers who have helped finance his political career. Moore has raised at least $215,525 from some of North Carolina's elite law firms, including donations from some of the biggest names in state politics, according to a review of campaign finance reports filed with the State Board of Elections.

Patrick McHenry is the neighborly sort. The Cherryville congressman was recently spotted west of his congressional district to see if he could talk state Sen. Tom Apodaca into challenging a former football star, Rep. Heath Shuler, who earned national recognition last year by beating Rep. Charles Taylor of Brevard. Apodaca, a third-term state senator and rising star in Raleigh, is thinking about it. But McHenry hasn't stopped there. A member of the National Republican Congressional Committee executive board, he's taken it upon himself to find someone who can take back the congressional seat he believes Shuler won on a fluke....

Vernon Robinson: My New Conservative Herohttp://www.postchronicle.com/commentary/article_21227787.shtml By Sher Zieve Jul 12, 2006 I don't live in North Carolina but, if I did I'd campaign for Vernon Robinson. Running for the House of Representatives, Robinson is engaged in a campaign that firmly attacks the country's liberals and leftists in a most remarkable way. Robinson tells the unvarnished truth about them with great humor and some of the best sarcasm from a politician that I've ever heard. Robinson's truth has even recently been reported to have made a number of liberal "journalists" heads explode. No, THAT'S something I would have paid to...

According to a Public Policy Polling survey released today, likely voters in North Carolina's Eleventh Congressional District, are unhappy with the direction of the country, the President, and Republican Congressman Charles Taylor. If the election were held today, voters say that they would vote to elect Democratic challenger Heath Schuler, 46% to 42%. When leaners are added the margin remains at 4 percent, 49% to 45%.

Vernon Robinson's quest to become a congressman took an unusual turn yesterday as the filing deadline for local, state and congressional elections expired. Robinson dropped his plan to challenge seven-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, a Democrat and the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, in the 12th Congressional District and instead switched his filing to run in the 13th District, which is represented by Brad Miller, a Democrat.

You guys should check this group out. I met one of their members out in Ohio working with a congressional candidate. They knew what they were doing and I was impressed but i didn't realize that Alex had his own team until yesterday. I looked at their website its got some really solid ideas in terms of strategy. Check it out: http://www.vandenberg-strategies.com

After weeks of cajoling from high-ranking Democrats — including former President Bill Clinton — former football star Heath Shuler announced Monday that he would challenge Rep. Charles Taylor (R-N.C.) next year.

'Rats running ads questioning Taylor's involvement with two men convicted of bank fraud and his business partnership with a former KRG general.

This guy doesn't fool around! "The minister of a Haywood County [North Carolina] Baptist church is telling members of his congregation that if they're Democrats, they either need to find another place of worship or support President Bush. Already, the Reverend Chan Chandler has ex-communicated nine members of East Waynesville Baptist Church. Another 40 members have left in protest. During last Sunday's sermon, he acknowledged that church members were upset because he named people, and he says he'll do it again because he has to according to the word of God. Chandler could not be reached for comment today, but...

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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is launching a Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity that will be led by former U.S. Senator and vice presidential candidate John Edwards. The Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity will be a nonpartisan initiative, bringing together UNC-Chapel Hill faculty and other national public policy experts to examine innovative and practical ideas for moving more Americans out of poverty and into the middle class. The center will have an advisory committee of senior faculty representing multiple disciplines across campus. In addition to leading the center, Edwards also will serve as a guest...

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2004 US Senate Elections These are the states I am watching: Florida: I believe that Martinez will help Bush here. I think Cubans that are having doubts about Bush will support him when they vote for Martinez. I think most Hispanics would like to have Martinez representing them and that will push him past Castor. Castor comes off very old and too loyal to the “party.” And she is in real trouble when she has to explain about how she handled the “terrorist professor” when she was the president of USF. She has been around in politics for over ten...

Gannett Fails One-Newspaper Communities/Counties- Port Huron Times Herald a Queue for Government Intervention? In particular, with today’s concentration of all reporting medium with just a few companies- who determines the void or lack of reporting in the best interest to citizens. I’ve challenged a Gannett newspaper, the Times Herald of Port Huron Michigan of its obligation citizens in one-newspaper counties. There appears to be an immediate need to make certain legislation be brought requiring corporate newspapers to better report news and serving the communities they cover. At a crucial time with the 2004 Primary literally days away- this particular newspaper,...