Is Team McCrory issuing political ‘hits’ on Senate leaders?
It sounds like something out of one of The Godfather movies, or the final days of Nixon. But the reports we’re getting make that headline look like a real possibility.
Late last week, SOMEBODY was conducting push polling via telephone in the districts of senators Tom Apodaca, Bob Rucho, and Harry Brown. Sources familiar with the matter tell me the effort appeared to be quite coordinated — with a uniform set of questions differentiated only by changing the name of the senator in question from district to district.
What do those three have in common, other than being senior leaders in the Senate’s GOP majority? All three have recently been linked to unflattering comments about the governor in the drive-by media.
I turned to some of my better-connected political wise men (and women) to shed a little light on this. I spoke to one veteran GOP operative who had this take:
”Seriously. These are safe Republican districts. Why would the Democrats bother with spending that kind of money there? All three of these guys have gotten under the skin of arguably the most thin-skinned man in North Carolina, who also happens to hold one of the most powerful positions in North Carolina right now. This is the governor and his team throwing down the gauntlet. This is the political equivalent of the horse head in the bed.”
A Jones Street source had this to add: 
“I would not be surprised if that polling gets dropped in the hands of some key individuals across the state who end up filing for a Senate run with a campaign treasury full of all kinds of shady soft money. You know the bad part about primarying these guys? Those three raise a lot of money that gets shared with senators in much tighter races. Making these guys fight off a well-funded primary challenge could end up costing us some other seats in 2016.”
I spoke with a half-dozen folks well-connected and well-versed in the ways of Raleigh. To a person, they all saw the fingerprints of Team McCrory on this one.
Take this info and connect it to our earlier story about senator Jerry Tillman. We got word that a Moore County GOP operative, who happens to be VERRRRRRRRRRY CLOSE to Gov. Pat, was beating the bushes for a potential primary opponent for Tillman — who happens to represent Moore County, and is the senate’s majority whip — in 2016.
Our sources informed us that one of the first recruitment calls went to Rep. Jamie Boles, who represents Moore County in the House. (Sources close to Boles confirmed for us that the legislator DID get called by the McCrory ally and was asked to run for Senate. The Boles camp says their man is not interested in running for Senate as long as Tillman is an incumbent planning to seek reelection.)
I received the polling at my home and the polling was conducted by Carolina Rising a pro McCrory PAC. Hilarious how Pat McCrory’s team is now using DEMOCRAT talking points to do negative push polls.
RR – Thank you for your posting – I was wondering if Carolina Rising was POLICY based or PERSONALTY, now I know.
I wonder if all the conservatives giving money to the Governor’s shady soft money outfit would keep giving if they knew it was being used for hit jobs on conservative senators?
Why is no one running against this clown????????? Why are conservatives so cowardly??? All talk, no action. Get ready for governor Cooper.
I agree,Kim. Rino politicians who do not get a primary go unchalenged and move further to the left. What in the world is going on with Tricky D. Burr? I can not believe we don’t have anyone to primary him, either. So disappointing!
I find this very disturbing and I hope those Senators call out the shenanigans. It is not productive because those guys need to be there.
What is the old saying? Turn about is fair play? Maybe these legislators ought to find someone to primary McCrory.
McCrory’s actions are a big contrast to those of Governor Jim Martin, who always went out of his way to help Republican legislators politically.
Of course, Governor Holshouser recruited primary opponents to quite a few GOP legislators from the conservative wing in 1974 and heavily backed them, but did not knock off a single conservative incumbent in the primaries. That, and his purge of the party, split the GOP terribly, and coupled with Watergate led to the most disastrous general election losses in party history.
yep all’s well that ends well. Everything is the same and nothing changes…..
until we make it change
YOU ready?
Pat is and never was a team player. He has squandered every once of good will from the GOP base and voters enthusiasm level matches Lindsay Graham’s presidential campaign.
NCGOP will not likely be in Pat’s corner, especially after the Convention shenanigans.
It’s not looking good for ole Pat.