#ncpol: When the campaign check trumps principles, the platform, and sometimes THE LAW
Well, The N&O has broken open a rather troubling story
involving the governor, some of his big donors, and favors they may have received from the state bureaucracy (allegedly thanks to the governor). Granted, we should consider the source. But the detail and documentation in the story is so thorough that there HAS to be something to it.
Some Democrats out there may be giggling. This is not a partisan affair. If proven true — it’s yet another example of the corrupting power of big government. You get close to agencies that have a lot of influence over people’s lives and are funded with everybody’s tax dollars, and things start to get a little flexible with you ethically.
In 1995, while a member of the driveby media, I broke a story about a concerted effort in Raleigh to link campaign contributions to the hiring, or career advancement, of state employees. The conspiracy appeared to have ties to Governor Jim Hunt’s office. But, a curious thing happened. The GOP-led NC House raised a fuss, held hearings, and then made it all go away. The governor’s staff worked with their friends in the driveby media to sweep it all under the rug. Everybody moved on like nothing happened. Nothing to see here.
In 2006, the feds caught the Democrat speaker of the House running a clear pay-to-play scheme. 
In 2013, we had some uproar over UNC Board of Governors appointments. Then-speaker Thom Tillis advocated for certain candidates because they had given HIM — and the caucus — a lot of money. The size of the checks trumped what the candidates could offer to the university system.
The McCrory administration is loaded with folks who have written checks to Mike Easley and Bev Perdue and Kay Hagan AND Pat McCrory. ( In fact, we wrote recently about a big-dollar fundraiser in Sanford for the governor sponsored by some of those play-both-sides wheeling-dealing influence peddlers.)
That same year, we began to her reports about Tillis and Pat McCrory holding court with various lobbyists — considering their spin and pitches in the context of their or their organization’s financial generosity toward GOP-oriented political interests.
On the campaign trail in 2014, we had Thom Tillis publicly championing film incentives within days of receiving a load of movie studio money in his Senate campaign fund.
In 2015, we saw a whole lot of legislators suddenly develop an interest in solar energy — right about the same time they got a lot of money from solar industry interests dumped into their campaign kitties.
When the GOP took control on Jones Street in 2010, and state government in 2012, they promised that things were going to be different from the ways of the old regime. We got a new set of people in charge. But a lot of the nasty habits from the old regime are still apparently hanging around.
Interestingly enough, being one who can’t be bought by special interests, I am targeted with a primary once again, backed by local “Republican” office holders who cater to special interests. I’m sorry. I believe the chamber of commerce has its place, but it is not to run the government. Others also have the right to advocate for their positions. But money will never trump the people’s rights and honest government with me.
It is getting so that there are two wings of the Republican Party, the one that listens to the people, and the one that listens to the special interests. We need to primary all of the latter out of public office. Burr, Tillis, and Ellmers are examples of the latter in federal office from NC. If we can’t get them in the primaries, then withhold your vote in the general.
Unfortunately, the special interest wing of the GOP just retained control of the Speakership of the US House with their rent boy Paul Ryan.
I am proud to be a Republican who has never voted for Pat McCrory either in a Primary or a General Election. And never will.
Going back to a Democrat-controlled gov’t on the state and federal level may be the only cure for these progressive Republicrats. And given that the GOPe won’t be happy till another R’crat wins the nomination for Prez and then loses to Hillary, we’re really screwed.
Ted Cruz hit the nail on the head when he said that Mitch McConnell was functioning as an effective DEMOCRAT leader of the US Senate. That is shameful, and it is shameful that NC sends Obama Republicans like Burr and Tillis to keep McConnell in the GOP leadership. The GOP can do better, and NC can do better.
Note to my fellow Repubs… When we easily agree to believe the NO or WRAL or whatever liberal media outlet before our own Governor without first fully vetting the claims then we should just go ahead and hand the Dems the Governership; and legislature. That way when they raise taxes and destroy business with regulation we can blame the defeated Republicans. Wiping our own hands of any responsibility. What responsibility. What vetting beyond blogs did you do? What primaries did you work for a candidate in? What primary were you the candidate? How many of you sat with legislators or visited Raleigh to wat
sorry… to watch the goings on there… and so on. nuff said!