Monkey Business Report: NCGOPe treachery edition

Boy, the monkey sure is getting a workout this week.

Another day, another mailer dropped in our mailboxes here in Moore County by a Raleigh special interest.  It’s a repeat performance by the Senate Republican caucus (a/k/a Phil Berger & Tha’ Boys). Previous mailings have promoted senator Tom McInnis in his primary fight with Whispering Pines mayor Michelle Lexo.  This time, Phil & Tha’ Boys are going full-contact against Lexo.

Spending money raised from Republican donors to attack other Republicans is just wrong.  It’s doubly wrong when the attack is patently false. 

Berger’s mailer suggests Lexo is FOR gun control and has been out on the campaign trail advocating for it.

I reached out to Lexo and asked her about it. 

“I am a member of the NRA and a concealed carry permit holder,” she said.”I am the last one you’d find calling for gun control.”

The Senate Republican mailer said Lexo has “called for gun control.”

“I made a statement about how I couldn’t understand the need for high-capacity magazines,” said Lexo. “I’ve never shot with a high-capacity magazine.  That’s a far cry from calling for magazine bans and further gun control.”

Lexo did apologize for some “technical misstatements” she made on the campaign trail about  existing state gun laws.

“I am, by no means, a gun expert,” she said. “I thought we had certain laws on the books in this state regarding magazines, which I later found out we do not.  I am a big supporter of the Second Amendment and do not favor any new restrictions on our Second Amendment rights.”

McInnis, while maintaining a position as a Second Amendment purist, has in fact sponsored legislation restricting gun usage.  SB217 restricted the use of guns or bows in right-of-ways in Richmond County.

“The bill’s title indicates his concern for safety,” said Lexo.” That — Safety– is the same thing I’ve been advocating for.  But he’s attacking me for allegedly wanting to limit gun rights.  I apologized for an earlier misstatement, but I’ve never advocated for limits on gun rights.  He sponsored a bill that does just that.”

Moore County GOP sources tell me that much of the “gun control” spin injected into the Lexo-McInnis and Byrd-Boles races can be tied to a local gun dealer with close ties to GOP power player George Little — who is strongly backing McInnis and Boles in the May primaries.