#NCSEN: The Thom Tillis Show, force-fed to you by the NCGOP establishment
The Lincoln County GOP is holding their annual Lincoln / Reagan dinner this weekend. Whatpiques my interest about the event is the web page promoting it. The page features a big ol’ picture of smilin’ Thom Tillis and notes that he will be keynote speaker for the dinner. It mentions that he is the speaker of the House and is a US Senate candidate. But, by reading the linked page, you’d never know that he is locked in a tight primary with seven other candidates. You might get the impression that Tillis is already the GOP nominee.
It sounds like something similar will be happening at the Mecklenburg GOP’s Lincoln / Reagan dinner at Carmel Country Club on March 15. A source with the Mecklenburg Young Republicans tells us that Tillis has been invited to speak to dinner attendees and offer a “legislative update.” Never mind that the legislature has been out of session for months and will not come back into session until after the May primaries. Again, there are EIGHT GOP candidates for US Senate. Two of the eight (Tillis and Mark Harris) are from Mecklenburg County. But, according to my sources, Tillis is the only candidate being allowed to speak to the attendees from the podium.
Silly me. I thought primaries were all about evaluating candidates and making decisions as a group. Party leaders picking someone and shoving him down the throats of the people sounds like something that would make Vladimir Putin all warm and fuzzy inside.
The Meck GOP Treasurer just stated that Tillis is a Table Sponsor of the Meck LRDD event. That’s clearly why he’s being afforded this access while it’s being denied to all the other candidates. Chairman Overcash is afraid to cross him because he’s essentially paying for the event.
That’s not the rationale that was reported over at Pundit House….they said Tillis is being given the speaking slot as a matter of tradition based on his position as House Speaker. If this is true, then they have found a way to exclude the other candidates (because they aren’t Speaker) and therefore effectively are violating Section VII, paragraph G. Is that a stretch? Maybe.
However, the Party Counsel said (November ExComm meeting) that while Members COULD do things like donate funds to a Primary candidate, they SHOULD strive to not create a perception of bias. Apparently, the Meck crowd doesn’t care about that which is fine but the State leadership ought to understand that these are the kind of things that create dissent and undermine their goal of “unity”.
Attendees who pay money to attend the event will be bank rolling this blatant corruption of the Party through intimidation of very corrupt politician. The best thing to do is stay away and not participate. Those who do show should nail his a** with a tea bag between the eyes when he gets up to speak. Let Thom Tillis talk to empty chairs and get stuck with the bill. If he won’t show up for public events in the past why would we show up for him. The best thing to do: Just Say No to Drugs and Corrupt Politicians. Corrupt politicians are only able to offend as much as others enable them. Bring the bucket of tar and feathers and a rail and greet the goon at the door.
Abuse of power by the establishment in those instances like Mecklenburg and Lincoln are disgusting. They are in effect endorsements of a primary candidate. All primary candidates should have equal access to those dinners. And such access / endorsement should NOT be able to be bought.
The Pope keeps talking about party unity but does nothing to establishment flunkies who prevent unity by abusing the power of their office to help primary candidates in this fashion. Abuses such as this will mean that conservatives who cannot stomach Tilli$ will feel no compunction of party unity to do so in November.
I can assure any conservative that as 6th District Chairman that I treat ALL candidates with respect and equal billing. Division leads to liberal office holders. Blessings
there is a distinct difference in having someone speak as an elected official and a candidate. Tillis IS the Republican Speaker of the House, we worked incredibly hard to get Republicans elected so we would have a Republican in that position and as the leader of the House Republicans he should travel the state countering the nonsense of Barber and his money Mondays. This is no different then having Howard Coble speak at a dinner as a sitting Congressman even if he had a primary.
Tillis is no different than the Democrats, he supports Amnesty for Illegals, has purposefully watered down bills such as e-verify in the House that thanks to our great Senate were stopped before they passed through to the other undocumented Democrat McCrory. Republicans have said NO to toll roads but Tholl Road Thom aggressively pushes toll roads against the Republican Party’s own platform. His chief chump in Karl Rove vows to destroy the tea party and has waged a war against conservatives as we can see from Tholl Road Thom recruiting primary challengers to conservatives across the state for not pushing his Tholl Road scam. Republican or Democrat it is of little difference anymore Thom Tillis is proof of that. What good is a Republican legislature if the same bad product is cranked out just like in the day of the Democrats. Defund the NCGOP and give directly to a specific candidate. Don’t let your money be laundered through the gangsters at the NCGOP.
John – I was at the same meeting you were in Cherokee, perhaps you should focus more on the INTENT of the statement Instead of the words.
When you are in a campaign, that is a distinction without a difference to say that incumbent candidates should be treated differently than non-incumbent candidates. It is the same excuse that Democrats used to give to not let Republicans have access to public events, that the Democrats were there as ”incumbents” not candidates. In the middle of a campaign that is absolute bullshit. It is weird to be hearing the same drivel from establishment Republicans that we heard from Democrats a couple of decades ago. I guess it just goes to show how similar Democrats and establishment Republicans are.
blessings.
As an Executive Committee member of the Cleveland County Republican Party we will be happy to accept Table Sponsorships from ANY and ALL of the Republican US Senate candidates! Heck, we’ll accept a Table Sponsorship from Sen. Hagan if she was to so choose. Our Reagan Day Dinner will be on Saturday, April 26, 2014 and will feature Retired USMC Lt. Col. and Fox News Analyst Bill Cowan as our Keynote Speaker. Come one, come all! If you’re interested, please visit http://www.ccgop.com.
Oh really, down in Mecklenburg on March 15th, the Republican establishment is going to give preferential treatment (wink, wink, AN ENDORSEMENT wink, wink, nod, nod) in direct violation of their GOP governing documents to only one U.S. Senate candidate and legislative mob boss and not allow any of the other US Senate candidates to speak. Never again can one claim the Democrats are the only party of questionable dealings. Those in attendance should stand and walk out when “the one” stands to speak or chant “NOT TILLIS, NOT TILLIS, NOT TILLIS, NOT TILLIS” until he leaves the podium in shame for co-opting such an underhanded move. It’s okay to raise a little hell people. Make ’em feel the heat.
So you’re saying that if the Brannon campaign, or the Harris campaign, or the Grant campaign or the Alexander campaign or ANY other campaign, State or Federal, wanted to purchase a table sponsorship, the Meck GOP would refuse to accept their money and acknowledge their contribution? I have a hard time believing that. Can you provide any proof that, say the Brannon campaign, attempted to sponsor a table or to attend and were rejected? Or any other campaign? These dinners are held to raise money for the County Parties and I’ve NEVER heard of a NC County GOP refusing somebody’s money. I’m just interested in knowing if you have?
Oh, I have no doubt that Overcash and the Meck GOP would accept money from anyone who offered it. They’d list their name on the program, and maybe even mention their name in acknowledgements from the lectern.
Then they’d go ahead and let Tillis give his “legislative update” and not let any of the other candidates give speeches, just like they’re doing now.
Well, as long as the Speaker gives an impartial “Legislative Update”, but not a campaign speech, where’s the rub? As the sitting Speaker of the North Carolina House, who just happens to be a Mecklenburg County Republican, this is their prerogative and doesn’t constitute an “endorsement”. I’m certain that at GOP Reagan/Lincoln Day Dinners across the State, the Republican NCGA members from the County, or members of the NCGA GOP Leadership are afforded the opportunity to speak concerning the accomplishments achieved in the past session. As long as the Speaker doesn’t mention the US Senate race and only discusses the business conducted in the last session of the NCGA, there is no conflict. Some may not like it, but there is no violation of the rules of the Party. It’s called reality.
Any county party should allow any GOP candidate to sponsor a table, but they should not give a speaking role to one candidate without offering the same to all candidates for the same office. Endorsements and speaking roles should not be able to be bought. County parties that allow themselves to be bought are just as corrupt as Boss Hog Tilli$ himself.
Guy looking at your March 8, 2014 at 3:18 pm reply below (no reply button to that) I STRONGLY disagree – I was at a district meeting in the 11th when he spoke last year and have/had no problem with that even though EVERYONE knew he was running, BUT once he filled for Senate he became a candidate. He should have resigned and ran the best race he could. How do you expect him to give an “impartial ‘Legislative Update'” when he IS the leadership that will take credit for all the good things the GA has accomplished (without mentioning any of the bad).
I wish the other counties would rename their event. I only attend Reagan Day events. Seems like many have, but I just moved to a county this hasn’t and I cannot in good standing attend.
The late Senator Hamilton Horton (R-Forsyth) used to say that holding a LIncoln Day Dinner in the South was like holding a Cromwell dinner at Buckingham Palace.
And people continue to criticize me when I call for a strong conservative third party. The establishment Republicans have already decided who will run against Hagan.
But at the end of the day we must all unite in support of the Republican nominee whoever the nominee may be. Come November we must put aside our differences and elect a Republican Senator to represent North Carolina.
It will be up to the winning candidate to unite the party. Taking Democrat positions on issues like amnesty for illegal aliens, green boondoggles like the renewable energy mandate, and being wishy-washy on Obamacare will not unite the party. Supporting primary challenges to other elected Republicans will not unite the party. Ducking candidate forums in primaries will not unite the party. Sucking up to liberal and special interest groups will not unite the party.
From where I sit, I can see 7 GOP primary candidates running the types of races that can unite the party and one running the type of race that will not unite the party.
You have to also realize that while establishment Republicans only care about someone having an ”R” by their name, conservative voters care about issues. Establishment voters will support any candidate with an ”R” by their name, but to attract conservative voters, a candidate has to be dependable on issues. One primary candidate has a record of extreme undependability on issues and that candidate will have a very hard time uniting the party. If he wants to see who to blame for being in that position, he only has to look in a mirror.
Tillis will have the cash,the seasoned campaign team Rove knows how to put together, who stop at nothing.By the time the election comes around the average voter will think Tillis is Jesse Helms.Rove has already split the Tea Party vote with Harris entry.Rove is not about to let Tea Party candidates not of his choosing loose the senate like last election without a fight.You may not like Tillis but Rove has out
maneuvered you and that happens in life and politics.Get over it.He beats Hagan by a long shot.After Brannon graciously accepts defeat and learns from this groom him for another office.Perhaps Governor, which is more important anyway.Game set match, unless Brannon has some secret strategist from the Obama campaign we don’t know about and millions of dollars hid.Then it would be a nail biter runoff.
Rove lost the Senate. Of the Senate candidates Rove backed, 10 of the 12 LOST. Tilli$ is just another one of those losers. He wants to blame the Tea Party, but it is actually the establishment at fault with dud candidates.
If either of the Tea Party candidates had won the Missouri US Senate primary, which was almost a three way photo finish, instead of the social conservative / establishment dud Todd Akin, we would have won that seat. Rove now wants to blame the Tea Party for Akin, but the Tea Party split in the primary between the other two candidates. The Tea Party was allergic to Akin in the primary due to Akin’s strong support of earmarks and his knee jerk support of Boehner in numerous cave-ins on budget / spending / debt issues.
The Senate Conservatives Fund and Club for Growth have MUCH better records of actually winning elections in the Fall than loser Rove.
In the Kentucky primary this year, the Rasmussen poll shows that conservative newcomer Matt Bevin is a stronger candidate in the general election than establishment dud Mitch McConnell. Bevin leads the Democrat by 6 points while McConnell is only tied with her. Yet Rove sticks with the weaker establishment candidate.
Karl ”Marx” Rove is ALL about CONTROL, not necessarily about winning.
There is only one direct comparison I know of between the effectiveness of a Rovian general election campaign and a conservative general election campaign. It is rare to have two statewide races for federal office in the same state the same year, with both being open seats and with a Rovian candidate in one and a conservative in the other, but that happened in North Dakota in 2012.
North Dakota has only one US House seat, so that is a statewide race, and in 2012, both that and the US Senate seat were open seats. For the Senate seat, an establishment candidate backed by Rove and the NRSC got the nomination. For the House seat, the support of the conservative Club for Growth allowed a conservative to win a closely contested primary. In the general election, the Rovian establishment Senate candidate. Rove and his Crossroads GPS were heavily involved in the Senate campaign while the Club for Growth helped the House candidate. The Senate candidate ran ads about being bipartisan and reaching across the aisle. The House candidate ran ads on red meat conservative issues. Facing the very same set of voters on the same election day, the House candidate won handily, while the Senate candidate went down to defeat.
So much for Rove being any kind of campaign genius.
Brant, “Reagan Day Dinners” are Party fundraisers. That’s their purpose. They aren’t campaign events.
Having a legislative leader there is a big draw, which helps raise more money for the GOP. We should all be grateful to Thom and any other Republican leader who comes and helps the Party raise money at these events.
If they aren’t campaign events, then candidates shouldn’t be there giving campaign speeches. Mecklenburg also has Ruth Samuelson and Bill Brawley, either of whom could easily give an update, since neither of them is involved in an 8-way primary.
And I’m sure they are both welcome to come, but they won’t draw the crowd that Tillis does.
This is why McClatchey and Thime Warner Cable (remember Tillis has a business relationship with Thime Warner Cable) are sponsoring the debate in Davidson in Tillis’s backyard at Davidson College. They want everything set to draw a big crowd to give the perception that Tillis is liked in front of his business partner’s, Thime Warner Cable’s camera. To the contrary he is toxic to the GOP and more importantly conservatives. The media wants to help now to deliver him to the general election so they can unload all his baggage in the general. I think they refer to it as an evisceration. They know he is an unwinnable candidate against Hagen. Too much baggage. Get it?
Reagan Day dinners are actually BOTH fundraisers and campaign events.
I think you overestimate the popularity of Thom Tillis. And even if that were true, the ends don’t justify the means.
Last comment directed at Davie.
I think it’s a better idea to work to defund the GOP. They’ve done enough damage already with thugs like Tholl Road Tillis.
This must be like white guilt.
I mean I worked my whole life to be an establishment Republican and now I must feel ashamed. We finally elected a Republican General Assembly and won the Governors Mansion but now must feel ashamed. So now the establishment Republican must look back with regret at what we achieved. I will be honest with you, it is a little hard to take in.
We have finally made it to the top of the mountain but must now feel ashamed for being loyal to the party. This must be the moment when we look into the abyss and the abyss looks back at us.
Thom Tillis and Karl Mark Rove are pay for play, corrupt politicians. What’s to be proud of? You should be embarrassed that they are in the GOP. I am.
For the most part, establishment Republicans masquerade as conservatives at election time, pulling the wool over voters eyes to get elected, and then behave otherwise once they are elected. Many voters, including Republican activist voters are getting sick of that deception, and if we do not stamp it out, we will see lots of them just stay home like the 3 million white voters who came out for McCain / Palin but stayed home for Romney (accorded to the detailed analysis by Seane Trende, co-author of the Almanac of American Politics). We are crapping in our mess kits to put up establishment duds who betray GOP principles like Toll Road Tilli$. Tilli$ would not know a political principle if one jumped up and bit him, as he is nothing but a rent boy for the $pecial interest$.
I would not worry too much about being an establishment Republican. The anti-establishment Republicans pick their candidates based on their candidate “knowing the Constitution.” I have not figured out what “knowing the Constitution means” but I think it is like some secret code that indicates you are “tired of Washington” and “want to abolish the IRS” and “want to send the illegals home, etc.” Then after all the rhetoric, chanting and wailing the anti-establishment types get tired and go watch reruns of Walker, Texas Ranger.
I’ll be loyal to the party as long as the party is loyal to its own principles. Short of that the party is not worth much.
Question: If an establishment Republican backs Brannon then is that establishment Republican fit to accept communion and walk upright among men or women?
You seem to want to make this about Brannon, but I’m equally disturbed that Mark Harris, Heather Grant, Ted Alexander, Ed Kryn, Jim Snyder, Alex Bradshaw, and Bill Alexander are also being silenced.
Why doesn’t this bother you?
“You seem to want to make this about Brannon, but I’m equally disturbed that Mark Harris, Heather Grant, Ted Alexander, Ed Kryn, Jim Snyder, Alex Bradshaw, and Bill Alexander are also being silenced.”
No, I want to make this about a Republican winning the seat come this November. To me that is what this is all about. Sending a Republican to Washington is the end game whether he or she be AKC registered or just an ordinary mutt. Sometimes the mutts are more loyal than the AKC registered types.
Well no, it is about sending someone who supports Republican principles to the Senate. A phony who just mouths the words without believing them who all the while is nothing but a rent boy for the special interests just won’t do. They are really no different than a Democrat.
Then we must lay the facts before the primary voters and trust in their judgement. Most all of my Republican friends see a good chance that we can send another fine Republican Senator from North Carolina to join with the venerable Senator Richard Burr. Having to fine Republican Senators representing North Carolina will make us all proud I am sure.
Oh, you want another like that two-faced Tricky Dick Burr?
We had fine Republican Senators at one time, men who fought for principle like Jesse Helms, John East, and Lauch Faircloth, not scoundrels who change direction every time someone drags a $100 bill in front of them. We need more like Helms, East, and Faircloth and fewer like Burr. Helms, East, and Burr represented the people of North Carolina, not the special interests and Washington beltway establishment like Burr and Tilli$.
The VENERABLE Richard Burr? Holy smoke, THAT’S a keeper! Game, set and match!
Raphael wrote: “We need more like Helms, East, and Faircloth…..”
Absolutely! Helms, East and Faircloth shared the common trait of being “electable.” Who else is running in this primary that is electable, who can beat Kay Hagan?
I think Tillis is the front runner because rank and file Republicans and Independents see him as being electable.
Put forth some candidates who have a broad appeal and I am sure the voters will respond.
Tearing down Tillis will not build someone else up.
Nonsense, junior. The polls show almost no difference in electability among the primary candidates. They all run about the same against Hagan, and in many polls Brannon has run better than Tilli$ against Hagan.
As to Helms and East, Brannon is running a heck of a lot better in the polls in general election matchups at this stage of the campaign than either of them were.
One also has to remember that while the liberal media is dumping dirt on the other candidates now, they are saving their dirt on Tilli$ for the general election. The dirt on Tilli$ that will be dumped in the general election is what the military would call a ”target rich environment”. That makes Tilli$ the LEAST electable in the general election. Lets not give the media that opportunity.
“One also has to remember that while the liberal media is dumping dirt on the other candidates now, they are saving their dirt on Tilli$ for the general election. The dirt on Tilli$ that will be dumped in the general election is what the military would call a ”target rich environment”.”
Holy mackerel!
Can you imagine the dirt that would be hailed at Brannon over the jury decision?
Would you call that a “target rich environment?”
It would be such a large target that not one reporter could miss hitting it.
I think it would be brutal. Beyond brutal.
That civil lawsuit would be old news by November. By blasting it now, the media has assured that it will not have the legs to last until November. It is the stories they sit on now that will explode in the Fall campaign.
The media is sitting quiet until after the primary on Tilli$’ extensive and corrupt ”pay for play” history, his corrupt influence to help a local bank that he is an owner in to stop the bill to end the renewable energy mandate which would have hurt its financing of renewable energy, a big part of its loan portfolio, the sex and (lobbyist) influence scandal in his office that Tilli$ mishandled and which ensnared Tilli$’ roommate and chief of staff, just to name a few.
But the big issue on electability is that we do not need a candidate for the US Senate out of the legislature due to ”Blueprint”. Yes, it was a pack of lies and distortions, but the GOP under Robin Hayes was incompetent in pushing back, and it has gotten way too much traction. If a candidate from the legislature is our US Senate candidate, NC will be deluged with ads from national leftie and Democrat groups repeating the Blueprint smears on the legislature and directing them at Tilli$. Running a candidate from outside the legislature solves this major electiblility problem in the Senate race, and also saves our legislators from being collateral damage from that ad blitz that is sure to come.
“That civil lawsuit would be old news by November.”
I am sure you are right. Kay Hagan and her campaign team will probably forget all about it. Candidates for the United States Senate need not worry about juries finding them liable of misleading investors. An overtime parking ticket at the public library would probably be more damning. The voters are very forgiving and court decisions have never carried much weight with those who support the Constitution of the United States. If civil cases mean so little I am surprised we even allow civil courts to seat in judgement. Might be a good campaign pledge, “I’ll do away with meaningless civil courts. What’s the big deal?”
In fact, I’m so concerned I had to list Ted Alexander twice!
Tillis must have been pretty effective as a member of the General Assembly to get so many of his fellow anti-establishment Republicans upset with him.
Raphael keeps referring to ‘republican principles” as if they came off Mount Sinai.Republicans waved bye bye to principles long ago.I would like to know what they are.If they are small government then where is that.It is incredibly large in every town,city,county and state in America and growing even as we sleep exponentially.Try and start even the smallest of businesses and see the paperwork and government agencies involved.You better wake up pal,the horse left the barn ages ago and is on a rocket ship.No turning back.You can long for freedom and liberty but it is a pipe dream.Your every move is watched by NSA and Google and stored if ever needed.Most of our info will never be needed for security purposes but it sure is for iding who we are as persons.What our taste and likes and political leanings are for those willing to pay to use the info.And that ain’t going to change.I will give you a fact you may not know about.Russia has Trillions in illegal money laundering money in European banks.The European banks profit from this enormously as do their respective countries.Now Obama wants to sanction Russia for moving into Crimea and Ukraine and can’t get the Europeans to go along.Wonder why.American banks have affiiate relations with these huge European banks and make money off of these investments some of which are in the US.If you do a little research you will see several of these banks have been fined and caught for money laundering the Russian money which is a criminal offence but no one is ever sent to prison or charged.My point is no matter who gets elected this is all rhetoric and has been for decades and what we have is a snowball rolling very fast downhill and you are jousting at windmills.
Once the primary is over we must unite behind the Republican nominee. Governor Christie said the following this past weekend at CPAC:
“We don’t get to govern if we don’t win. Let us come out of here resolved not only to stand for our principles. Let’s come out of this conference resolved to win elections again.”
Let us use our collective fervor to elect one more fine Republican Senator from North Carolina to join Senator Richard Burr.
Citing ”bridgetender” Christie? Your liberalism shows. No wonder you like progressive Republican Tilli$. Ever since longtime establishment hack Al Cardenas took over the ACU, there have been way too many establishment types invited to CPAC.
Richard Burr is hardly an example of Republican principles. Last year he had resolutions of rebuke passed against him for selling us out on issues by three Congressional districts, the 6th, 1st, and 3rd (well, the last one was technically a letter of rebuke). The latter two were unanimous. These days Tricky Dick Burr listens more to K Street than to Main Street, and he seems to have totally abandoned all of the political principles he once had. Tilli$, the $pecial interest$ rent boy, would be even more of the same.
I could comfortably support ANY of the other candidates in the GOP primary, but I see little difference between Tilli$ and Hagan. They both make me want to throw up.
Tillis Kool-aid flowing at the Mecklenburg rubber chicken event. Some Mecklenburg Republicans still in a state of denial and delusion.
Sgt. Shultz. I know noth-ing, I see noth-ing!!!
Google This:
TILLIS HAS FACED A “REVOLT” AMONG HIS OWN CAUCUS, AFTER BEING CRITICIZED FOR CATERING TO SPECIAL INTERESTS AND USING THE POWER OF HIS OFFICE FOR HIS U.S. SENATE CAMPAIGN
Beaufort Observer Headline: “Speaker Tillis Facing A Revolt Among The Troops.” [Beaufort Observer, Editorial, 5/22/13]
Beaufort Observer Editorial: Tillis “Is Viewed By Many As Being Domineering, Autocratic And Condescending To Other Legislators And Staff” And “There Is A Broad And Deep Resentment Growing Against Tillis’ High-Handed Method Of Operating.” “House Speaker Thom Tillis is under siege. We have been reporting here that we continue to pick up rumors on Jones Street and from Administration operatives that there is a broad and deep resentment growing against Tillis’ high-handed method of operating. Tillis is viewed by many as being domineering, autocratic and condescending to other Legislators and staff.” [Beaufort Observer, Editorial, 5/22/13]
Beaufort Observer Editorial: Tillis Is Reported To Kill Bills Without Debate, And “Few Will Openly Complain Or Criticize, With That Fear And Intimidation Adding Fuel To The Fire.” “The fact that Tillis is viewed as having run roughshod over a number of key bills that were banished to the Black Hole and never heard before ‘crossover deadline’ has exacerbated the disenchantment with Tillis and other key leaders. Tillis’ team is reported to have used the ‘sandbagging’ technique (killing bill without them ever being given a hearing in committee or brought to the floor for a vote in a much more cavalier manner than previous Speakers were reported to have done. Few will openly complain or criticize, with that fear and intimidation adding fuel to the fire. But the revolt appears to be picking up steam.” [Beaufort Observer, Editorial, 5/22/13]
REP. ROBERT BRAWLEY: ANGRILY RESIGNED FROM HIS COMMITTEE CHAIRMANSHIP CITING, AMONG OTHER ISSUES, TILLIS’ “BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP” WITH TIME WARNER AFFECTING ONE OF HIS BILLS
Rep. Brawley “Resigned His Committee Chairmanship Wednesday, Citing A Litany Of Differences With House Speaker Thom Tillis And Accusing Him Of A Conflict Of Interest.” “In a rare move, a leading Republican lawmaker resigned his committee chairmanship Wednesday, citing a litany of differences with House Speaker Thom Tillis and accusing him of a conflict of interest. It’s the second time in less than a month that a Republican lawmaker broke ranks to condemn Tillis’ leadership as he considers a bid to challenge U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan in 2014. Rep. Robert Brawley of Mooresville’s decided to step down as a Finance Committee chairman in a letter that listed four reasons, including the speaker’s apparent business relationship with Time Warner. ‘You slamming my office door shut, standing in front of me and state that you have a business relationship with Time Warner and wanting to know what the bill was about,’ Brawley wrote, not mentioning the specific legislation. ‘You and I both know the bill stifles the competition with MI Connections in Mooresville.’” [Raleigh News & Observer, Under the Dome, 5/22/13]
Rep. Brawley Complained Of Tillis “Slamming My Office Door Shut, Standing In Front Of Me And Stating That You Have A Business Relationship With Time Warner,” Implying This Was The Reason Brawley’s Bill To Help Mooresville’s MI Connections Was Killed. Rep. Robert Brawley’s letter listed grievances, including: “You slamming my office door shut, standing in front of me and stating that you have a business relationship with Time Warner and wanting to know what the bill was about. You and I both know the bill stifles competition with MI Connections in Mooresville. MI Connections is being operated just as any other free enterprise system and should be allowed to do so without the restrictions placed on them by the proponents of Time Warner.” [Rep. Robert Brawley, Letter to Speaker Thom Tillis, 5/22/13]
•Rep. Brawley Repeatedly Claimed Tillis Said He Had “A Relationship” With Time Warner. “Brawley’s letter says Tillis told him he has ‘a business relationship’ with Time Warner, which of course provides internet services. But in recounting the story today on the telephone, Brawley told me – twice – that Tillis simply called it ‘a relationship.’ When I asked about the difference, Brawley said Tillis must have said ‘a business relationship’ because he wrote the letter off of notes on the meeting. At any rate, Brawley said he has ‘no earthly idea’ what relationship Tillis meant. The Associated Press quoted a Time Warner spokesperson as saying there is no such relationship, and Tillis’ spokesman says the same. ‘Frankly, that’s bunk,’ [Tillis spokesman, Jordan] Shaw said. The whole dust up, Shaw said, is ‘a result of a member who’s frustrated that some of his bills didn’t get heard, including one to repeal the gift ban.’” [Greensboro News & Record, North State Politics, 5/23/13]
Brawley’s “Rare” Resignation Was “The Second Time In Less Than A Month That A Republican Lawmaker Broke Ranks To Condemn Tillis’ Leadership.” “In a rare move, a leading Republican lawmaker resigned his committee chairmanship Wednesday, citing a litany of differences with House Speaker Thom Tillis and accusing him of a conflict of interest. It’s the second time in less than a month that a Republican lawmaker broke ranks to condemn Tillis’ leadership as he considers a bid to challenge U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan in 2014.” [Raleigh News & Observer, Under the Dome, 5/22/13]
REP. LARRY PITTMAN: CLAIMED TILLIS HAS BEEN USING THE NORTH CAROLINA LEGISLATURE AS AN ARM OF HIS WOULD-BE U.S. SENATE CAMPAIGN, EVEN EMPLOYING A “COLOR CODE” SYSTEM TO AVOID ANY LEGISLATION THAT COULD HURT HIS SHADOW SENATE CAMPAIGN
Daily Haymaker: Rep. Larry Pittman Told A Group Of North Carolinians That Many Decisions Within The House Majority Are Made In Light Of Speaker Tillis’ Upcoming Senate Campaign. “Pittman told his audience that many decisions within the House majority are made in light of Speaker Thom’s upcoming Senate campaign. Legislators are seriously and frequently told to back off certain tactics that might cause problems for the Senator-in-Waiting. Wow. The lower chamber of our state legislature has been morphed into an arm of the Tillis for Senate campaign.” [Daily Haymaker, Brant Clifton, 4/30/13]
Daily Haymaker: “The Lower Chamber Of Our State Legislature Has Been Morphed Into An Arm Of The Tillis For Senate Campaign.” [Daily Haymaker, Brant Clifton, 4/30/13]
•Rep. Larry Pittman: “I Was Proud To Vote For Thom Tillis To Be The Speaker Again” But “Now He’s Running For U.S. Senate, Or Planning To” And “Things Have Changed.” Rep. Larry Pittman: “You know, I was proud to vote for Thom Tillis to be the Speaker again, when we got back up there this year. Because last session, he was great! You know, I thought, no one could be more fair than this guy is. But, now he’s running for U.S. Senate, or planning to. Things have changed. They tell us all the time about how bad it was when they were in the minority and the Democratic leadership wouldn’t let them get their bills moved or anything. Well now the constitutional conservatives, the Republican part of the house know what that’s like.” [Rep. Larry Pittman remarks, posted 4/28/13]
Rep. Larry Pittman Claimed Tillis Uses A “Color Code System” To Push Through Legislation That Would Benefit His Run For U.S. Senate And Kill Legislation That Might Hurt It – According To Pittman, Some Bills Are Met With: “Well, That’s Too Controversial, It Might Hurt Somebody’s Senate Campaign.” Rep. Larry Pittman: “I have two gun bills. They were talking earlier about the bill that they pushed through, House Bill 937 that we’re working on. Let me tell you about that. I have two bills: House Bill 246, the gun rights amendment, and one that Glen mentioned earlier, House Bill 624, the Enabling Patriots Act. And, um, there’s a color code system that the Speaker gives to, you know, committee chairs when those bills are sent to committee. They’re either coded green, yellow, or red. Those two gun bills right now are coded yellow. Which means for the moment they’re not going anywhere. […] I have some provisions in the Enabling Patriots Act about — well, actually, when it came back from bill drafting, they’d taken some of this out, so I might have to put it back in if it ever gets heard in committee. I had specified that students, faculty, and staff in colleges and community colleges could do concealed carry as long as they — all they had to do is just let security know they were going to do it. Some may think you shouldn’t even have to do that, but I felt like that was about the only way I could get that passed. And also, that principals who have concealed carry and teachers who have concealed carry, I spelled out how they could be allowed to carry on K-12 campus. Well, that’s too controversial, it might hurt somebody’s Senate campaign. And, so, that’s not going to go forward unless I can get some support for it.” [Rep. Larry Pittman remarks, posted 4/28/13]