NC-06’s Berger: Being Effective = Backing Boehner?
It’s really frustrating when Republican candidates say really dumb things that allow Democrats to come out sounding down-right sensible. Case in point: Rockingham County prosecutor Phil Berger, Jr., who is locked in a runoff fight with Greensboro pastor Mark Walker for the GOP nomination for North Carolina’s Sixth Congressional District.
Berger recently gave Laura Fjeld, a former UNC system employee and the district’s Democrat nominee, a chance to score some points:
Berger Jr. pledges allegiance to the Washington D.C. establishment
Republican Congressional Candidate Phil Berger Jr. recently gave an interview to State Government Radio’s People in Politics segment, in which he pledged his support for Republican Speaker John Boehner.
Berger Jr.’s quote, when asked if he would support Boehner for speaker was:
“We are going to put ourselves in the position to represent the people of the sixth district most effectively. And going to Washington and supporting leadership is one of the things that we can do to be effective members of Congress.”
Only an out of touch pawn of the Washington establishment would think that supporting leadership is the best way to be effective. Berger Jr. does not understand that North Carolina voters are fed up with the status quo because their needs are being ignored.
[…]
Ouch. This kinda reminds me of when Renee Ellmers described John Boehner as her “boss.” What happens when what Boehner wants is the opposite of what your folks back home want?
This past week, all of the North Carolina Republicans — minus Walter Jones — were in Pinehurst to raise money for Berger. Remember, HE is STILL locked in a race against another Republican.
When you serve in the House, your title is “representative.” Supposedly, you are representing the “little people” back home. More and more, it appears the “honorables” are representing the clique in DC and playing defense against US.
What a stupid comment for someone who is asking for the votes of conservatives. We do not want lap puppies for our weak and vacillating ”leadership” which seems more interested in fighting conservatives than fighting Democrats.. We need representatives with the backbone to overturn the crappy leadership we have in DC. Berger has marked himself as a surrender monkey. No wonder the other primary contenders seem to be flocking to back Walker.
Berger looks like he would be Renee Ellmers without the skirt. North Carolina does not need another one of those.
Hooray for Walter Jones, who is a true fighter for the grassroots. I am shocked at Mark Meadows if he participated in the Berger event. Maybe that says we should look somewhere else for a Senate candidate in 2016. It also says how downright sorry our whole congressional delegation is overall.
I don’t know whether Berger or Walker would be the better Representative, but I don’t think Berger’s remark was foolish. Hinting that he would support Boehner is not offensive to real conservatives, though it might alienate the Ron Paul / Alex Jones / Bircher / anarchist nuts.
There are no perfect men, but both a Berger & Walker both seem like good men.
Either of them will almost certainly be a lot more conservative than Howard Coble. Here are the National Journal 2013 rankings for NC’s congressmen, ordered most-conservative to least-conservative. The only Republican more liberal than Coble was Walter Jones:
http://www.nationaljournal.com/free/document/download/5075-1
”National Journal” rankings? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Nobody gives them any credibility whatsoever. National Journal is owned by the same leftwing media group whose flagship publication is the very liberal ”Atlantic”.
But your love of Boehner shows how much you drink the establishment kool aid. You are truly the mouthpiece of the establishment on this board, Dave.
Had the opportunity to hear Mark Walker speak about immigration today. He admitted that his view on immigration has changed since last year when he stated he wanted a path to citizenship for the 12 million undocumented persons in our country. He now says he is for a path to “legalization” but is against “amnesty”.
Ok, Ok, don’t call it amnesty. Bur legalization for 12 million people who are here illegally and jumping them ahead of the people who are trying to enter the country LEGALLY totally sucks. Any tea party person who supports this owes Eric Cantor an apology!
If that is true, we have a real pair of duds in that runoff.
A path to ”legalization” is just a somewhat more drawn our path to citizenship. Neither is at all acceptable.
Can you give a link to confirm this?
Is there an LP candidate and are they okay on immigration? Most LP candidates are NOT.
No LP candidate in the race. I’ve been troubled by Walker’s stance on amnesty since he first announced his run, but I’d take him over Berger, period! Which ought to say something. At Cherokee, Berger held a hospitality suite at which he didn’t even appear. I suppose he could have arrived after I left but I was told without further explanation by several people in the know that he wasn’t going to be there. I enjoyed his refreshments, though. 🙂 Walker was at the convention and highly visible and approachable. Berger’s comment about supporting Boehner was especially interesting given that Coble routinely has primary challengers from conservatives because he always backs Boehner regardless of his constituents’ desires. Coble’s constituent service kept him in office, though….not sure Berger will do the same, he hasn’t even personally reached out to some of the counties in the 6th since he entered the race.
Having said all that, this contest should be interesting…Berger has frontrunner advantage which results in a win 78% of the time (according to a political science study of primaries out of San Diego State), as well as the Cantor-style cash advantage. Walker has the Brat-style ground game plus the Guilford County home town advantage. We’ll know in a month.
http://m.yourmobile.me/walker4nc
http://www.rhinotimes.com/berger,-walker-don’t-hold-back-during-candidates’-forum.html
the first one is from his campaign.
the second one is from the RhinoTimes newspaper in Greensboro. If you are not familiar with it, it has been the conservative voice in gso for 20 years.
Unfortunately, the forum I was at did not allow the press to be there so that Mark (or any speaker) could speak freely (according to the organizer).
RINOtimes…Conservative? Didn’t they hold a fundraiser for Theam Thom? Wasn’t the “guest speaker” Karl Rove? By conservative, you must mean “practical” conservative and by “practical”, I believe they mean Progressive.
Are you the RINOtimes journalist that got mad for not being allowed in?
not connected with rhinotimes in any shape or form.
the rhinotimes and its staff did not host a fundsraiser for thom tillis or anyone. The man that OWNS the paper did so, but blaming the newspaper staff for what the OWNer does is ridiculous.
noticed you didn’t remark about the actual topic here, regarding amnesty.
No wonder conservatives cant get much accomplished. gagging on gnats and swallowing camels and being more focused on who owns the paper rather than the candidates’ positions on the issues.
Comments made on comments happen all the time. But, point well taken ODW.
My understanding is they are both weak on immigration.
I think the biggest primary story that was missed so far was the survival of Walter Jones. Laura Ingraham tricked Taylor Griffin into revealing his amnesty intentions. Walter Jones is an ally of Steve King on immigration and Ron Paul on foreign policy. Like Pat Buchanan.
The Virginia delegation is much better for some reason than NC, even before Cantor lost. Only hand-picked Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte is all-in for amnesty.
Now Obama is dumping illegals in safe Red and safe Blue senate states there is pushback. Virginia is a safe for Democrats in the senate race.
None of the illegals will end up in Arkansas, NC or Louisiana where Obama’s puppets are running for Senate.