THIS Budd’s for — BERGER ?????
That’s right. Our junior US senator is trying his hardest to bleed away every last bit of political capital he has.
I’ve run into so many people who characterize Ted Budd as an intellectual lightweight propelled forward by his daddy’s money and connections. I’ve tried to defend him. I’ve pointed to his membership in the House Freedom Caucus and close relationship with his then-House colleague Dan Bishop. He kept a respectably conservative voting record while in the House. His Senate record is still respectable — even though it is slipping leftward some.
Since moving to the Senate, Budd has ditched his buddy Dan and his former colleagues in the Freedom Caucus. (A number of senators liaise with the Freedom Caucus. But not Ted.) He’s taken political advice from a big ol’ Mitt Romney fan. Ted has also hired a former Tillis aide and some lobbyists onto his staff. A lot of his staff came through the ranks worshipping the likes of Dallas Woodhouse, Jason Saine and David Lewis.
As Thom Tillis was openly trying to sink Pete Hegseth‘s nomination for defense secretary, ol’ Ted was out there singing Thom’s praises.
While Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and JD Vance were making conservative mischief, our Ted was nowhere to be found. Not exactly the grassroots conservative posture he once kept.
At the end of our one-and-only face-to-face meeting, I told Budd that there are an awful lot of people who would rather see him spending more time with Rand, Mike and Ted than with Thom. His response? “Stay tuned.” (*I’m STILL waiting.*)
While nearly half the Republicans in our state’s US House delegation are distancing themself from senator Thom Tillis — Ted Budd decides to go on the record showing his love for that rodent.
As the appalling stories about Thom Tillis keep coming out, here in Trump 2.0, ol’ Ted doubles down on his affection for his buddy Thom.
It gets worse. As Phil Berger tightens his iron-fisted authoritarian grip on all-things Raleigh, small government folks are getting worried. The leader of the alleged conservative party is pushing for Medicaid expansion and even more government spending. Casino approvals and legalized weed are getting more attention from Berger than shrinking government and letting people keep more of their hard-earned money. The alleged *conservative revolution* in Raleigh has evolved into a very expensive, very duplicitous cult-of-personality.
Folks in Berger’s home county of Rockingham have become so concerned that they have drafted their very popular sheriff, Sam Page, into a senate primary against Phil Berger. Page has a stellar record with the old Tea Party folks and the current MAGA crowd. He’s been a passionate supporter of president Trump and his crackdown on violent crime and illegal aliens. Sam Page is the kind of guy you’d think Donald Trump AND Ted Budd would both love.
But check out what popped up on Berger’s Twitter / X feed today:
I’m honored to have the support of @SenTedBuddNC
“North Carolina is growing stronger because of Phil Berger. He fights for working families and wins. Phil is a disciplined, principled conservative. We need him fighting for us in Raleigh.” – Senator Ted Budd pic.twitter.com/B8rorbZjq6
— Senator Phil Berger (@SenatorBerger) March 26, 2025
Okay. SO, TED BUDD — who has ridden to success with the help of so many good grassroots conservatives — is throwing in his lot with a man who takes pleasure in knifing small-government fans in the back?
So far, he’s thumbed his nose at us by hugging up to Thom Tillis AND Phil Berger — two guys who are not on any conservatives’ Christmas card lists.
Is he assuming that so many people mindlessly show up to vote for the (R) that it doesn’t matter what he says or does? He may have a point. There are still waaaaaaaay too many people doing just that.
Berger and Tillis need Budd a whole lot more than he needs them. I wish our junior senator would wake up and realize that. *Smell that coffee.*
and shock #1001 from the ranks of gop elected officials.
Oh, the days of Jesse Helms when you knew there was no wind blowing or bending, breaking or twisting. Just straight up conservatism to the last breath.
Bad, bad, bad move Budd! Phil-atio Berger is a weasel of the worst order and a huge embarassment to NC Republicans. Berger is the new Basnight, just as dictatorial and even more liberal than Basnight. Bob Shaw was a great GOP Senate leader. I wish we had someone of his caliber back.
Stupid move Budd. And, the status of that disloyalty issue concerning Berger????? The party gets less and less credible all the time. The state that produced Jesse Helms is now a 21st century embarrassment. God help us.
I understand that three counties have now passed resolutions to hold Berger to account for his blatant party disloyalty in publicly endorsing a liberal Democrat judge against a conservative Republican challenger. That is supposed to be set before the state Republican Executive Committee for adjudication, which could and should be done in May.
The issue is whether the state GOP chairman will try to cover up for Berger. He is the one who calls the meeting. He can stonewall or he can do his job. If he stonewalls, he is totally unfit for reelection.
It is way past time to Flip the Berger.
Conservatives shouldn’t put up with this RINO nonsense but they do. They can complain or they can send a message by deserting the GOP en masse and join the NC Constitution Party. Internal Party reform hasn’t, and never will succeed.
Berger believes in retribution. He controls every GOP seat from NC House to US Congress. If you so much as look at him wrong, he and his cronies will end your career and draw you out of a district. Most GOP elected officials fear Berger because he controls all the strings of power. The people of Rockingham County have a chance to save North Carolina next year by electing Same Page.
Every seat except NC House 32 and Senate 18. Two conservative alliances in Granville County took out the RINO that was occupying NC-32 and denied a win to the RINO that thought she was going to represent Sen 18 and their message to Berger and company is, you’re only winning either seat with our cooperation, and we’ve got conditions.
“Ted has also hired a former Tillis aide and some lobbyists onto his staff.”
It became clear that Budd was heading to the dark side when he picked former George Holding lieutenant Tucker Knott to be his Chief of Staff. And with that little fact, it should be no surprise that his brother, Congressman Brad Knott, through his intermediary District Chair Roger Farina, publicly asked the delegates to the Granville County Republican convention to NOT pass a resolution censuring Thom Tills. Of course, the county GOP Chairman Michael Magnanti folded like a cheap suit and deep-sixed the resolution which one of our members in attendance as a delegate told us, that just minutes before, Magnanti had been bragging that he personally drafted the resolution. All of which shows the true self of “conservative” Brad Knott and reveals so-called NCGOP reformers Farina and Magnanti as just a couple of establishment tools.
Magnati a member of that Plan of Organization committee that is trying to gut the grassroots and give the establishment greater control of the party. ‘Nuf said. He is a phony.
Aye, he reminds me of the con artist in The Music Man. He talks a great game, question is, how many will fall for it?