#ncga: Storming the barricades
I am getting all kinds of reports from Jones Street indicating that the voters are not pleased with the elections power grab that just
flew through the legislature. (I am honestly hearing comparisons to The French Revolution.)
Quite a few honorables have mentioned a flood of angry phone calls and face-to-face conversations with folks from all over the state that they’ve never had a cross word with — until now.
I heard from VERY SENIOR sources in the state Senate on this matter. They told me senator Berger’s staff sold the elections package and the “affiliated committee” concept as “an insurance policy.” Senators were reportedly told the provision would be smart to approve — just in case the state party fell into deep financial trouble. These SENIOR Senate sources tell me that leadership has assured the GOP rank-and-file in that chamber that there is low, low, low probability that their caucus will ever set up one of these committees. These sources also told me that leadership will continue to honor the commitment to staying out of primaries. Said one of these sources:
”We’ve had a good ten-year relationship with the folks at the state party. We are really not seeing a need right now to shake things up.”
My Senate sources tell me this whole “affiliated committees” concept was being aggressively driven by House leaders from the very start.
Over on the House side, I am hearing that leaders are getting monster-sized hell about the whole idea of getting involved in primaries. An idea is being pushed there to write formal by-laws forbidding any new committees established by House leaders from getting involved in primary races. There is also a lot of ferocious lobbying going on to draw up rules ensuring that any new caucus committees operate under the exact same rules as the state parties.
Tea Party and grassroots activists are lobbying Governor Pat McCrory hard and heavy to veto the elections package and return it to the honorables so they can remove the offending language regarding the “affiliated committees.” STAY TUNED.
This is a pretty key event in our state’s political history. It will likely spell the end of our two major parties if things stand as they are. Get on the phone with your legislators. Call the governor.
“These sources also told me that leadership will continue to honor the commitment to staying out of primaries.”
Yes, because they have such a great track record of doing so in the past. NOT!
Said one of these sources: ”We’ve had a good ten-year relationship with the folks at the state party. We are really not seeing a need right now to shake things up.”
Note to the legislature: We do the shaking, pal.
Governor McCrory needs to show some statemanship here, because he already isn’t that popular with ordinary Republicans.
I am hearing that one county executive committee has already passed a resolution calling for the removal of David Lewis as National Committeeman over this issue. It couldn’t happen to a more appropriate guy. I also hear a lot of shock and anger toward senators over this.
I’m hearing the addition to the bill (the money grab section) is partly directed at unseating Hassan Harnett…
NC GOP not responding to my inquiries.
They’re all in a Central Committee meeting right now fighting over who will become the next Executive Director. Marcus Kindley just posted that Assistant General Counsel David Williams was just taken to the hospital after fainting. God only knows what’s going on in there.
Agree. It couldn’t be more clear than writing graffiti on Jones Street’s Sidewalks!
This is the Marc Basnight one stop shop for special interests buying influence on steroids. It is thoroughly corrupt. The special interest lobbyist / PAC deals directly with the Speaker and cuts his deal, funneling all the money to the Speaker. The Speaker then holds access to that money over the heads of legislators to make sure the will of the special interest gets done.
It makes buying political influence a heck of a lot easier for the special interests and it makes the Speaker the dictator of the House.
If this corrupt legislation is signed by the governor, then Jim Black will probably be far from the last Speaker of the House doing the perp walk and taking an involuntary vacation at Club Fed.
The rumor around Raleigh is that one particular special interest – the Obama green energy cabal – is prepared to buy the House under this legislation for a cool million dollars.
Call Governor McCrory. Tell hin to veto this corrupt legislation. If he does not, what is the purpose of any conservative supporting his reelection?
“Dictator” means Speaker in Latin. Ironic, no?
I agree fully it will be the end for Pat McCrory if he does not veto it out right.
The talks reflect significant numbers will not vote to re elect.
I would venture to say with the talk going around, it will probably have sustaining effect on Tillis as well in his future roll. I do know thousands of calls went to Pat last week with a decision on that end, to take messages only.
Vote and money tampering is a nasty business and rightly so.
I hear endorsements for RE election, are already on stand by to drop in record numbers as of last week. Republican voters as well have a massive effect as grassroots are ready to abandon re-election efforts for Pat and others.
If the power grab will get rid of the parties, then good. I’m for it.