#NCSEN: Show of hands. Who’s got their ‘big boy pants’ on?
There’s some, um, ”intriguing” audio floating around cyberspace detailing a meeting between state House speaker Thom Tillis, at least two legislators, and some voters. The meeting was apparently held in Tillis’ Raleigh office following the release of THIS video featuring state Rep. Larry Pittman (R-Cabarrus).
Listening to the audio, Tillis comes off like a prosecutor 
conducting a cross-examination. He also sounds a bit thin-skinned — demanding an apology from people he feels misquoted him or disseminated what he considered false information about him.. That thin-skinnedness is rather surprising, considering Tillis’ no-holds-barred aggressive take-down of incumbent Republican John Rhodes in 2006. (What was the old saying about dishing it out?)
Take time to listen to the linked audio. Here are some of the details I found interesting:
- Toll Roads. Tillis can be heard on the tape describing toll roads as the best idea he knew of to finance road construction. (I am sure the Trucking Association will be surprised to hear that.) I can think of at least two better ones: cutting existing state spending and weeding out waste in the DOT. There has GOT to be something we could cut and NOT MISS.
- Common Core. Tillis, on the tape, sounds upset with Pittman for characterizing Rep. Linda Johnson, a Tillis ally and chairman of the Education Committee, as a fan of the common core curriculum for public education. Tillis says on the tape that Johnson, like himself, is a supporter of a study of common core. But Pittman held his ground and stood by his story. State Rep. Michael Speciale (R-Craven) can be heard on the tape speaking up in defense of Pittman’s version.
- Primaries. Tillis can be heard on the tape telling his audience that the House caucus will not get involved in GOP primaries involving members of the caucus who are “in good standing.” He clarified that by saying a vote of censure against you by 3/4 of caucus members puts you in not-so-good-standing, and makes you a potential target for caucus involvement. Tillis also told a story about a discussion he had with Pittman in 2010, when Pittman had filed for a primary against incumbent Jeff Barnhardt. Tillis said he told Pittman what a bad idea it was to run against an incumbent Republican, and how counterproductive it was to the idea of obtaining a GOP majority. THIS was coming from a man who arrived in Raleigh after successfully primarying Americans For Prosperity’s Legislator of The Year.
- Big Boy Pants. Tillis can be heard on the tape confirming for his audience that he IS wearing his ‘big boy pants’. That’s good to know.
Is it just me or does Tillis sound more then a wee bit petulant? And what a leader! Instead of talking to individuals with which he might have a problem, he calls a group meeting. Who is he trying to embarrass? Himself? He did a pretty good job of that. Gosh. it seems that Tillis is ready for prime time…he would fit in so well with Harry Reid.
Tilli$ really pitched a tantrum, didn’t he? I am surprised he did not try to interpose a Romper Room No-No on some of the other participants!
He may have his big boy panties on, but they sure are in a wad.
Hmmm! TIlli$ seems to hold grudges. He got in such a snit, he recruited a primary challenger to one of those conservatives at that meeting, Larry Pittman, and tried to find one against the other, Mike Speciale. The one who needs to be defeated in his primary is Thom ”Amnesty Amigo” Tilli$.
Down, Down, Down with Tilli$.
It is only a matter of time before the Chamber endorses Tillis. The Chamber is one of the most pro-Common Core entities that there is. The Common Core study committee is a sham — just like the man who is responsible for setting it up is. He did it for political cover.
Tillis is selling out our children for his own political future. And, since most of us who are of voting age were NOT educated with the Common Core, we have still have the critical thinking skills to actually see Tillis for the hack he is.
Thank you to Pittman and Speciale for actually standing UP for the people, whom they were elected to serve.
The Chamber did that a few days ago. They are the mother of all $pecial intere$t groups these days, supporting crony capitalism instead of free enterprise. In addition to being a big cheerleader for Common Core, they are also among the top pushers of amnesty for illegal aliens. And they now say they are OK with Obamacare. They have been on a real anti-conservative tear this election season, supporting all the RINOs against conservatives in primaries, even supporting establishment challengers against conservative incumbents like Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich). Supporting an anti-conservative like Thom Tilli$ who himself tries to knock conservatives out of office was only to be expected.
Okay, my hand’s raised, I got my big boy pants on. That picture of Tillis is classic, really portrays the nut within. Looks like he’s cinching up his “big boy pants.” Hilarious!
Cartman Tillis brings to mind Cartman on Southpark: You will respect my Authoritah!!!
Is this guy a joke or what? Really the Republican party is putting him out there as a gag right?
He’s some video of Tillis in action. You will respect my Authoritah!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx4jn77VKlQ
Interesting that the speaker mentioned importance of obtaining a GOP majority. Here is very closely what he said on a state wide GOP CH conference call last April. He initiated the call. I expressed concern about the “gamefish bill” and commented that I thought it might damage the GOP politically in the east. He responded that if the fishing industry did not give up something that one day when he was gone “in 20 months” that someone will come along and take everything they have got. He then said ‘now politically the Republicans can afford to lose a couple of seats and hold on to the majority’. This leads me to reason that he is a politician first and foremost. Not a statesman of principle.
Last April Speaker Tillis was was driving the bus for the Coastal Conservation Assoc. He still is. That is not a good thing for NC or America. The muscle$ of the CCA has led to the ALMOST TOTAL take over of the Division of Marine Fisheries and DENER by the CCA. Good bye fresh seafood. This small number of game fisherman purporting to represent the entire recreational fishery in truth represents their selfish self only. They want 100% access and control of the NC citizens public trust marine resources. They have said the commercial fishermen will have to reinvent themselves. These are the providers of protein to many mouths. The CCA has said the public can eat imports. Make no mistake about it. The CCA agenda is about allocation and control. NC citizens need to protect the State’s seafood producing industry. I can visualize serious needy times. Hope I am wrong.
The comm fisherman are going to defend what is important to NC and the country.{ Ref. Federalist Paper #11.} This comm fishermen believes that the Creator filled the waters of the world with fish FIRST AND FOREMOST for the purpose of human consumption. Not to provide a thrill to a game fisherman fulfilling his leisure time.
Browny Douglas
Typical Tillis modus operandi. He is a 100% pro Chamber of Commerce and 100% pro Big Ag, ie: cheap labor (illegal alien) man servant .
“Not to provide a thrill to a game fisherman fulfilling his leisure time.”
Me and my one hook are a real threat to those trawlers!
Take a boy fishin’.
Does Tillis realize that NC has a higher gas tax than any border state? Does NC have the highest in the southeast section of this country? What are we spending our money on Thom? My Brannon bumper stickers remain on my vehicles!
Tillis is done.
Brannon reportedly said the following on the Glenn Beck show:
“We are pulling back the veil and showing who the wizard is and they are getting exposed,” Brannon said of Tillis, whose conservatism he questioned at multiple points. “We are going to win this without a runoff. There’s no doubt in my mind. The wave is coming.”
From what I understand there was no tongue kissing involved so I think this must be on the up and up.
I like a man that calls his shots. You are not bragging if you can do what you say!
The Republican establishment obviously got it wrong but they have gotten it wrong before.
JR. The people that are the trawlers have been your strongest supporters. They are the last to want to dictate what you catch, and have tried to liberalize speckled trout size and bag limits; liberalize gray trout bag limits; initiate a trophy drum tag; liberalize puppy drum size and bag limits; and work on a more liberal flounder size.These issues, brought forth by the North Carolina Watermelon United (NCWU), were supported by the commercial representatives on the MFC. They were rejected outright by the director, and special interest MFC members. The commercial industry doesn’t want your fish, but we do want what sensible regulation allows us to harvest for our customers, and the seafood consuming public.
I would like to clarify some facts from the meeting described in the article. I am the woman at the 13:00 minute mark of this video. This was a closed meeting in which all participants agreed that there would be no pictures, no audio, nor video of the remarks. The meeting was called to discuss a video that had surfaced with remarks by Rep. Pittman and Speaker Tillis allowed others to remain in the room if all agreed to no recordings. Everyone agreed.
I rode to the meeting with 2 of the particpants, Vallee Bubak and Tracy Bengtson. On the way home from the meeting, Vallee Bubak played a recording she made during the meeting. She placed a recorder in her lap out of view and recorded the entire meeting. I was outraged that Vallee had recorded the closed meeting after agreeing not to. I told her then that she was not to use that recording for any reason because I was on the recording. She agreed to not to use the recording or to release it. Tracy Bengtson witnessed this entire conversation in the car.
I was outraged when this video surfaced with me on it. I immediately called my Rep. Robert Brawley. He called Vallee Bubak and asked her to remove me from the audio but as of today, I am still not removed from the recording.
The audio is only about half of the meeting. The audio is heavily edited and many parts are cut out of the meeting. One portion that is cut out is when Speaker Tillis offered to meet with me again to discuss my concerns about tolls. He did follow up with me and listened to my concerns and explained in great detail how the decisions were made since 2002 concerning DOT and tolling. As a result, I realized that the information that I had been given was not true. I still do not support tolls but I am in total support of Thom Tillis in his Senate run.
I received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Iredell Republican Party in February 2013. I have been active in the GOP since 2009 and am very active in learning about all the issues facing our nation today. Tolls are only one concern that I have and only one of many issues I am educated on. I am offended that this recording which is heavily edited makes me appear to be uneducated and only concerned about one issue which is not the case. I am a person of truth and honor and I take offense to dishonesty. I will go to the end of earth to defend my honor and others who are being wronged.
Do you support Tilli$ temper tantrums in recruiting primary challengers to Representatives Pittman and Brawley, and attempting to recruit others against conservatives? Do you support his gerrymandering conservative Representatives Bradley and Cook out of their house seats and then recruiting challengers when each ran for the Senate? To me, those are far bigger concerns than making public this tape. There is an old saying in politics that if you do not want something repeated, do not say it. Tilli$ is a control freak and we do not need that in public office.