#ncga: The claws come out!
Who’da thunk that the BENGHAZI SCANDAL would become a major issue in a North Carolina House race ??? Well, it apparently HAS: 
A day after officially learning she will have at least one opponent in the Republican race for NC House District 20 next year, Tammy Covil has fired the campaign’s first shot.
In an e-mail reply to Holly Grange’s announcement Tuesday that she, too, plans to run for the seat Rep. Rick Catlin is leaving, Covil, who is currently a member of the New Hanover County School Board, questions Grange’s connections to a controversial ally of Bill and Hillary Clinton.
“I look forward to getting to know you better over the next few months,” Covil wrote in an e-mail Wednesday from her New Hanover County Schools account. “I’m especially interested to hear why emails between Sydney (sic) Blumenthal and Hillary Clinton, which surfaced during the Bengazi (sic) hearings last month, indicate that while Mr. Blumenthal was pushing Secretary Clinton to war in Libya, he was privately lobbying to secure lucrative contracts for your company, Osprey Global Solutions. According to several articles, Mr. Blumenthal appears to own a financial interest in Osprey Global Solutions as well.”
This article and this one are among many that confirm Mrs. Covill’s assertions. MORE:
[…] Sidney Blumenthal is a long-time aide and friend to the Clintons, who has become a key figure in the investigation in the Benghazi attacks, because of intelligence memos on Libya he e-mailed to Hillary Clinton when she was Secretary of State and while he was on the payroll of the Clinton Foundation. Investigations
into and reports on Blumenthal’s involvement in policy also lead to Osprey Global Solutions, a Wilmington-based company run by Grange’s husband Maj. Gen. (Ret.) David Grange. Holly Grange serves as the company’s director of community relations. Blumenthal reportedly worked with David Grange to help get him and his company access to leaders in Libya after the fall of the Qaddafi regime, though attempts to strike business deals apparently fell through, according to various published reports.
In her e-mail, Covil goes on to quote and provide links to several news stories about Blumenthal’s ties to Osprey Global Solutions. She then signs the e-mail, “All the best, Tammy Covil.”
Wow. How do you respond to THAT? Grange TRIED:
“It’s very unfortunate that Ms. Covil, a member of my own party, has chosen to start this campaign so negatively and question my family’s service to our country,” Holly Grange told WWAY when reached by phone in Pennsylvania this evening.
When asked about Blumenthal’s ties to Osprey Global Solutions, Grange said she was not at liberty to discuss that citing an investigation into hacked e-mails that brought the reported connection to the surface.
Grange did say she is focused on a positive campaign for NC House and focusing on the issues.
“I don’t think it’s necessary to be negative,” she said. “I don’t plan to be.”
Questioning her service to her country? Nope. She’s questioning Grange’s apparent ties to a questionable business relationship at the center of the Beng
hazi mess. Trey Gowdy and the boys inserted the Granges’s company into this. MORE:
Covil has not returned our call for comment on the e-mail.
Um, considering how you guys treated her on THIS story, I can see why.
(Keep it up, Tammy. You go, Girl!)
Tammy Covil is the real deal. She SHOULD question Ms. Grange’s dubious connections. And, WE the People will be better off for it. Go, Tammy, go.
Better be careful, Tammy. If you make it to Washington, Kevin McCarthy will be chasing you all over the city!
He apparently has a “thing” for married female representatives from North Carolina (wink, wink).
Of course, as the old saying goes: “It takes two to tango”.
That is too funny. How fast they quieted that
Great job Mrs. Covill.You have just destroyed Holly Grange with one email. I hope the citizens of New Hanover County are listening!
Good for Tammy! Time to shut this opponent down and the truth will set us free from these duplicitous phonies!
I must say I am impressed with Covill’s great oppo (opposition research). She will make an impressive legislator. It looks like her opponent is a Hillary Clinton Republican and that is something we do NOT need.
Where can we send money to help Covill’s campaign?
Besides being a West Point graduate and a veteran, Holly has a master’s degree and she is a lawyer. She is a certified NRA instructor in Basic Pistol, Basic Rifle, and Personal Protection in the Home, and is certified by the North Carolina Department of Justice as a Concealed Carry Handgun instructor. Does that sound like a “Hillary Clinton Republican”? Plus, she’s on numerous boards, including some for veterans. Honestly compare the two and their qualifications. I’ve known her and her husband (retired Army general) for years. They are NOT democrats. They are as conservative as you can find.
She doesn’t have to be a supporter but money talks and BS walks
What are you – her campaign manager? You certainly are no souther gentleman. Maybe you are the democratic plant smearing a great conservative female!
CovilforNCHouse@gmail.com for campaign contribution information!
I have known Holly Grange for 15 years. She is not a “Hillary Clinton Republican” nor does she have “dubious connections.” She is very conservative. She was one of the first female graduates of West Point. Her father was one of the most-respected generals in the US Army as was her husband. North Carolina would be lucky to have her serve them in my opinion. And she doesn’t deserve the slander of these comments and article. I’m glad to see Holly taking the high road with this person trying to smear her.
Mr. Hawkins,
Then perhaps Grange should answer the questions put to her.
As she explained (and for some reason you don’t understand) it’s part of an investigation and she’s not legally allowed to comment on it. Why are you calling for someone to break the law? If the investigation comes to show she or her husband did something illegal, then you have your evidence. If you and Ms. Covil can’t understand this, perhaps she is not bright enough to represent North Carolina. She does seem to struggle in the spelling department.
What a cop out. Congressional investigations do not typically have any orders to civilians this far from the actual investigation that would prevent such a person commenting. Now, if this is more in the nature of pleading the fifth because the particular individual doing so may have committed a crime, that is a horse of another color, and that person should not even be considered for a nomination for public office.
If there is any Congressional order that prevents Grange from commented, then she needs to either prove it or shut up. If it is a pleading the fifth type of concern, she needs to reveal that as well. If she fails to come forward with any such order, then we have to assume that argument is bogus.
Fine. Then vote for a school board member with an associates degree in accounting to represent you. This is America. As we’ve seen with Obama, you get what you deserve when you vote unqualified people in.
I would not want most PhD’s to represent me as they are overwhelmingly liberal. I want someone who is solid on the issues, and Grange has some unsavory associations that make her highly questionable.
I have known Holly Grange for more than 20 years and most of our interaction was in community service. Holly Grange is intellegent, competent and has the highest moral compass. I hope the people of North carolina recognize a Veteran and acomplished woman as the best choice for office and the best choice to reoresent them as a conservative Republican
None of that tells us she is conservative. Issues matter, not being a community organizer . . . err …. community service. There are Marxists out there with the same attributes you mention, so those attributes mean nothing. Grange clearly has connections with some highly questionable people, not as bad as Marxists maybe but still pretty bad for GOP voters.
When we have a proven conservative running, why should we chance it with a likely poseur? Lots of non-conservatives like to claim to be a conservative, like Sen. Thad Cochran (RINO-Miss.) in spite of only having a conservative ratings in the 30s. Cochran votes more often on key votes with Harry Reid than with Ted Cruz and yet he claims to be a conservative. Politicians like Thad Cochran and Renee Ellmers, another poseur, are phonies – counterfeit conservatives. Our voters want the real thing and some proof that a candidate is what he / she claims to be. Covill has a record that proves it. Grange has associations with individuals that raise very serious questions. The answer here is very clear.
Besides being a West Point graduate and a veteran, Holly has a master’s degree and she is a lawyer. She is a certified NRA instructor in Basic Pistol, Basic Rifle, and Personal Protection in the Home, and is certified by the North Carolina Department of Justice as a Concealed Carry Handgun instructor. Does that sound like a “Hillary Clinton Republican”? Plus, she’s on numerous boards, including some for veterans. Honestly compare the two and their qualifications. I’ve known her and her husband (retired Army general) for years. They are NOT democrats. They are as conservative as you can find.
Military academies do also produce some liberals, like Jimmy Carter. ”Numerous boards” can mean just about anything. NRA is okay, but its political arm has a bad reputation for endorsing establishment lunkheads and even liberal Democrats, and Grange seems to be just someone they certified as an instructor. Serious second amendment supporters look to more solid national gun rights groups like Gunowners of America and the National Association for Gun Rights who support the more serious pro-gun candidates.
Are you a North Carolinian? As I recall, Grange carpetbagged to NC more recently than 15 years ago.
As I said, I KNOW them. They are not liberals. They are NOT democrats. They are conservative Republicans. Her husband’s business brought her back to North Carolina. She’s an Army brat who has lived all over this country. She did not “carpetbag” to NC to run for office. It is her home. Why are you intent on smearing a fellow Republican whom you obviously know nothing about? Do your research first. If you then think that everything you currently believe about her to be true, then smear away. But I suggest that you not only read up on her, but talk to people who have known her for years (like me). You’ll be pleasantly surprised (unless you are a relative of Covil’s).
You seem to have dodged the question of where YOU are from. Apparently, it is NOT North Carolina.
Do you have anything else to do? Something positive? Help Tammy be a positive woman that can run on Her credentials and what she believes in. I want to know what she is going to for citizens of this district.
Being a lawyer is a good reason not to support her. The house and senate is full of lawyers and how did that work out for Conservatives?? George Holding? The biggest liar of them all. Ring any bells? NC speaker Moore? Lawyer! Could go on and on about failed lawyers whom are disingenuous and worth less? Are you supporting Hillary she is a lawyer and has a masters degree?
Grange did not even show up in southeastern NC until 2009 when she carpetbagged in from Illinois, hardly a hotbed of conservatives. You say you have known her for 20 years, so it would appear that you may not be a North Carolinian yourself. If so, why do you think some out of stater should be trying to tell North Carolinians how to vote?
I knew her and her family in Illinois. There are many conservatives in Illinois. (I am one.) I’m not telling you as a North Carolinian how to vote. I’m telling you as one conservative to another that your worries are unfounded. She is a conservative Republican. Her father was a great Army general. Her husband is a retired Army general, VN vet, former commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division, and deputy commander of Delta Force. It seems obvious you don’t want to do any research and find out anything for yourself and just make up opinions in your head without facts. So vote for Tammy. It’s your right. Hopefully her spelling will improve before the election.
The Grange family moved to Winfield Illinois from GERMANY where they were stationed IN THE US MILITARY. When Gen. Grange retired, he found a job in our town and I was so lucky to make the aquaintance of this extraordinary family. They are staunch caonservatives who have served their country wilth honor and distinction – not like the kind of honor and dostinction Beau Bergdahl was lauded with by this democratic farce of an administration, but with actual blood sweat and lots of time that a North Carolina school board member would never and could never appreciate. They served our country all over the world and would represent North Carolina, the entire Constitution (not just the second amendment which I know for sure they they support as General Grange and Mrs. Grange taught scores of Boy Scouts how to shoot and respect weapons and the second ammendment for years) and support Veterans as I watched them do here at the VA Hospital and Homeless Veteran shelters. You have NO idea what or whom you are talking about. Holly Grange is the real deal and you are a very small person to try and besmerch her character. Of course they left Illinois – the politics here is horrendous and the Democrats have ruined the state. They had no ties here and real ties to North Carolina – why would they stay in Illinois? They came here for a job when he retire from the Army and went home for a job when they found one there.
I would never myself have the audacity to be posting on an Illinois political blog trying to tell people in your state how they should vote in one of your legislative races. You friend seems to have scared up a whole posse of outsiders, and yankees at that, to try to stir the pot for her in our state. Well, that is not terribly appreciated in the south.
Mind your own political races in your own state, not ours.
I was not the one who dug up the connection with Hillary’s bag man, but it is a very serious question. The fact that your friend has no political credentials in NC is another.
Mr. Hawkins & Ms. Kawka us every the term conservative in a very loose fashion. Your character is affected by who you associate with and the very dubious Sidney Blumenthal is by definition, one of the worst people a true conservative should be connected to.
Tammy has an Associates Degree and is on the Board of Education? Does she believe in higher education? Does she believe that our children should be college educated?
Senator jesse Helms NEVER got a college degree of ANY kind. At one point, we had TWO US senators — Helms and Lauch Faircloth — who did not have a college degree of any kind. Bill Gates doesn’t have a college degree. Neither did Steve Jobs.
There have been some people who have accomplished great things without a PhD, Masters, or bachelors. Be careful going down that road. Folks with college degrees are a minority in this country. (And, after observing what’s going on at our campuses these days, I might see that as a good thing.)
Holly Grange is an intelligent, amazingly talented CONSERVATIVE woman. I can not even imagine anyone who knows her to think she has any liberal leanings! She also is more honest than anyone I have ever met & she is not afraid to speak her mind no matter who you are. She is tireless when she wants to get something done & trust me it gets done! So if you are looking for that type of person check her out.
Are you another of her Illinois friends? Sometimes what a yankee thinks is conservative is not the same critter we would expect here in the south.
And bantering around the word ”conservative” does not cut it. Lots of moderates and even liberals do that. Heck, even George McGovern did it when he ran for reelection to the Senate in South Dakota in 1974, when he should have known no one would buy it after his views were thoroughly exposed when he was Democrat presidential nominee in 1972.
Then do your research on both of them. Although it seems pretty obvious you are a relative of Tammy’s (or Tammy herself) and so nothing is going to change your mind. And because you sound so close-minded about everything we’ve tried to tell you, it sounds like you might well be the close-minded liberal democrat. And maybe Tammy Covil is one too. That’s why you’re so afraid to have a true conservative Republican in the race.
I am a seventh generation North Carolinian, and we southerners don’t need you yanks trying to mind our business. I have been familiar with Covil by reputation for some time but have never had the pleasure to have met her, much less being related to her. She has proven herself as an effective conservative public official. Why would any thinking NC conservative vote for an unknown and unproven Illinois yankee, obviously recruited by the establishment moderates, over someone who has proven herself as solid conservative leader like Covil has?
I don’t know. You sure sound like a liberal: you attack and attempt to smear the name of a good person, you don’t do any research, you believe yourself to always be right, anyone who disagrees with you is attacked and besmirched. Sounds like a liberal to me. Yes, I think you’re a democrat. That’s why you want the conservative out of the race and the lesser candidate in.
Are you Tammy’s mother?
I “wonder” who you are with the snarkey comments Mr. Wonder about someone you don’t even know. You should be ashamed of yourself. Why don’t you find out the facts instead of being so ignorant about this outstanding woman.
I would love to be a fly on the wall for a debate between these two candidates. Holly is brilliant and your school board member would be toast. He knowlege of government and international affairs, FIRST HAND, is expansive and her honesty and character will shine through.
Why don’t you mind your own state’s politics instead of trying to inject yourself in ours?
Because we don’t want to see liberal democrats like you bring down another state.
Or Tammy’s father?
I am from Illinois & my choice for president would be Ted Cruz does that tell you how conservative I am? I think that all this talk is just nonsense to distract form the real person. Holly Grange is very conservative. This smoke will not stop her. So they better come up with something real. Carpetbagger? what was she supposed to do stay in Il when her husband came to NC for his new job? You should be lauding her for getting involved! I don’t know who this school board member is & she could be a fine person but she can not walk in Holly Granges shoes when it comes to life experience,strategic abilities,education & courage. I mean she was one of the few women to graduate from West Point in her day. You sound kind of frighten by Holly Grange. Hmm I guess you should be. Sorry guy She is the real deal, a real conservative in the flesh no namby pamby, wishy washy, liberal. Kind of bragging on the conservatives in NC shouldn’t we conservatives be sticking together. When you have something concrete to talk about try it again because right now you ar just blowing smoke. You keep wondering because that is all you can do to figure out how your board member can compete with a power house like Holly Grange.
I am from Illinois & my choice for president would be Ted Cruz does that tell you how conservative I am? I think that all this talk is just nonsense to distract form the real person. Holly Grange is very conservative. This smoke will not stop her. So they better come up with something real. Carpetbagger what was she supposed to do stay here & leave her husband to go work in NC? Beside I believe she attended college in NC. So it is not new to her to be there
GUWonder ~ I live in this district and if Tammy is relying on you to win her votes, she will need to do a lot more than slam Holly Grange. At least with Ms. Grange we know what she has accomplished and how she and her family have served our country. Please tell me, ‘Where’s the beef.” That’s all that matters to me. Let’s get Tammy enrolled in some night classes and get her involved in some other civic activities and then let’s talk about what she can do for us. Based on what I have seen there’s nothing there. And, well then there’s you.
I do not tend to support candidates based on what their parents or spouses accomplished, and her Illinois posse seems to play that broken record continuously. Neither do academic degrees mean a whole lot, as Brant has pointed out. What matters is what someone has accomplished to move the ball forward on conservative policy, and there Covil has a solid record, and I have seen nothing in the ranting of her supporters that shows any sort of a record of moving the ball forward on conservative policy by Grange. I do see questionable connections between the company she works for and Hillary Clinton’s bagman, and that raises a red flag.
Can you believe these liberal Yankees,whom have never been on this site, making all these dumbfounded accusations? After reading the garbage these Illinois people are spewing they have made my mind up for me. Dodge and deflect attack the messenger. Sounds like they are from Obama’$ school of politics!
I support Tammy. The opponent’s supporters protest so much I believe the campaign is already on life support.
This is hilarious. A great article followed by many, very telling posts.
Let’s see, we have Tammy Covil who is a rock solid public servant with a proven record of serving the citizens of New Hanover County as well as all the Children of NC. She is a principled Conservative who has earned my vote.
And then we have a relative newcomer to NC, who’s claim to fame regarding public service in NC was a political appointment by the good gov to the Ports Authority. Her fan base, from out of State, are on here telling us we have to vote for her because, well, her father was a great General. Oh, and this fan base is based in the liberal bastion of Illinois. And because they’re smarter than us, they also show us what condescending elitists they are by criticizing Ms. covil’s education. Barack Obama, who by the way, was their US Senator and sadly our President, went to Harvard. How’s that working out for us?
If there’s one thing we’ve learned these past several years and that is we no longer accept someone saying they’re conservative. As Ted Cruz says #ShowMe
If Ms. Grange is anything like her “friends” here on this thread, we say in our most Southern way, Bless her heart.
“If there’s one thing we’ve learned these past several years and that is we no longer accept someone saying they’re conservative. As Ted Cruz says #ShowMe”
I wish “we’ve” collectively mean’t NC Republicans as a whole, but unfortunately, we’re all too likely to re-nominate the Year 5 “conservative” Richard Burr next year.
For clarification, “we” means those us us who are actual conservatives. Eve been in the trenches and understand the difference.
I will NOT vote for Richard Burr. His 39% Heritage Action conservative score makes him no different than a democrat. And his 5th year conservative facade dies not fool me.
What will be telling will be when we see who she hires as a consultant. I’ll bet it will be one of that pair of progressives who were on the payroll of the green left in the last legislative session, Stewart or Shumaker. That will tell the tale. Conservatives do not hire either of them. They are as anti-conservative as you can get.
I’m reminded of the story about one of General Forrest’s horses going crazy on the attack when a bluecoat Yankee officer came calling on the general during radical reconstruction. An employee (a black man who had served with General Forrest in the war) met the Federal Officer, laughed and said, “Yeah sir, that horse went through the war and never did like those blue uniforms and he still don’t.”
Yep, that story came to mind as I was reading this article and the comments to my dog. My canine friend got that serious look and about midway in the comments started a low growl that kept getting meaner and deeper. The ole hound doesn’t care for insults thrown our way, not one bit.
Yeah, all of this makes me feel a bit like my great great grandfather who fought at both battles of Fort Fisher in December 1864 and January 1865 to defend Wilmington, New Hanover County, and southeastern North Carolina from the yankees. We are having to do the same thing in 2015.
Today a higher education could mean a number of different things, like I have lots of money to waste, or my public education through grade 12 was insufficient (thank you Tammy for fighting for the kids on this). A high school diploma 40 years ago is almost like a masters degree once you factor all the crap now taught in public institutions (unlike WCA or Roger Bacon). Regardless, the facts remain, as do the questions. How and why did Blumenthal come to go to bat for this company, and what did he expect in return? Maybe it is just a case of greed?
Well, I don’t know. It seems to me, that a strong conservative, with all this education, would not have gotten involved with anything that has Sydney’s name even near it. If y’all like her so good up there, maybe that’s where she should run. Just a thought.
Our Southern Heritage has been under massive attack this year, and some of it has come from Republicans who ”ain’t from around here” like Nikki Haley in SC. When we have a genuine southern lady like Tammy Covil running for the NC House, why take a chance with a recently arrived Illinois yankee? She is certainly not likely to have any respect for our southern heritage. Her Illinois supporters in this thread all seem to look down their noses at us North Carolinians.
There is a caucus opposed to the Confederate flag in the NC House. Would this Illinois yankee vote with it or even join it? Lets NOT take that chance!
Everyone in the military is reassigned every three year, so we’re all carpetbaggers. My daughter was dating a student at a military academy and Gen. Grange was on their board. He said he and Holly went to their graduation every year. I showed Holly my daughter’s dress on my iPhone. Gen. Grange said they wouldn’t be able to go that year and gave my wife and I the tickets.
She was living as a civilian in Illinois before coming just a few years ago to North Carolina. All of this military stuff is just a smokescreen. She was a civilian lawyer in Illinois. She is seemingly not practicing law here in North Carolina. I wonder why?
Are you another of her circle of Illinois supporters? Your references to her father would suggest so
Grange’s resume isn’t in question, the connection with Blumenthal/Clinton is, and I notice her advocates aren’t defending the connection. That’s suspect. Comments from out-of-towners impugning Covil’s education are elitist, insulting and exactly why southerners have a distaste for snobby northerners. You aren’t doing your candidate any favors in this. The fact that Grange responded to Covil’s question by changing the subject to her and her family’s military service is also suspect. If the connection isn’t dubious she should be able to explain it easily. If she can’t discuss it she could say that too, but hasn’t. Military service is a decent credit check here in NC, but isn’t a defense in and of itself, nor does it necessarily mean a candidate is conservative. Plenty of lefties in the military, and the higher the rank, the more political they often become in order to please administrations and climb higher. She has very little track record for us to go on, being a political appointee to the Ports Authority when McCrory has appointed a large majority of democrats doesn’t tell us much. I await the facts with interest.
Well I must say I never knew that you NC southerners were so opinionated about people from the north. I assumed since we won the war so long ago that everyone would get over it by now & come together as one nation. Wow I am surprised. The biggest reason I wrote in to this website is because I read Mr Wunder’s musings and figured I better say what I knew to be true so someone wondering could stop fretting as to whether Holly Grange is a conservative or not. Personally I don’t worry about who wins NC as you said I’m stuck in IL & there are too few of us up here to change our politics but to attack anyone from the North is rather small of all of you.Why not find out more about your candidates & not crucify the northerners. My God we are from the same party we are from the same country. As I said earlier find a real
reason to criticize Holly Grange not some musing about if she is a conservative. Put your mind @ ease on that issue. You all seem too sensitive about someone achieving a good education as well. Shouldn’t all of the people who achieved a good education be proud of that? I didn’t get a degree but I admire anyone who toughed it out not only with time but also toughed it out finically to pay for that education. Doesn’t that show that a person has drive & perseverance? Why is that being elitist? Relax we are on the same team & I hope Ted Cruz wins the nomination because he seems the most conservative. Good luck with your election just keep it real.
The issue here is that her small family run company, which she is actively involved in, seem to have some connections with some really shady people, and Democrat shady people at that.