In the fall of 2008, as polls showed her chances for reelection diminishing with each passing day, then-Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-Inside the Beltway) decided to jump the shark, er, pull the “Godless Atheist” card. She started running ads across the Tarheel State (which she supposedly represented, but rarely visited) pointing out (quite accurately) that a leader of the Godless Americans held a “secret” fundraiser for her opponent Kay Hagan. That Democrat attended said fundraiser.

Now, while Mrs. Dole’s ads had more basis in fact than some of the stuff put out by the Coakley campaign in recent days, they betrayed a whiff of desperation. With those ads, she destroyed whatever chance the native North Carolinian had of reviving her candidacy.

Now, if the Massachusetts media were as harsh on Coakley’s negative ads as the Carolina media were on Dole’s, then the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s mailer alleging “that Scott Brown wants rape victims turned away from hospitals” could have a similar effect on Coakley’s candidacy.  A Brown spokeswoman called the ad “patently false“.  When a candidate is down (or declining in the polls) in the last lap of an electoral contest, such negative ads rarely have the intended effect.  Instead of scaring people away from the savaged candidate, they make them disgusted with the candidate firing the broadsides.

Of course, it would be the Bay State Democrats sponsoring the attack.  They want to deflect as much blame as they can away from the Coakley campaign itself

Whether or not this ad alone will prevent a Democrat from winning in this Democratic state is still far from clear.  It is just one of many areas were the Coakley campaign (and it allies) have blundered in recent days.  (I mean, heck, the late Senator Kennedy’s son kept calling the woman vying for the seat once held by his father, Daniel Webster and Charles Sumner Marcia.*)

* (more…)

Welcome Instapundit Readers!!

PatriotPartner has been trying to call Sen. Kay Hagan’s office today to express outrage over the radical “green jobs czar”, Van Jones.

However, while most of us are still working today — it appears our Senator from North Carolina has vanished.  All of her phone numbers are going unanswered, and the voicemail is full.  That says to me: “I don’t want to hear from my constituents.”

Congress has been out for a month and the President has been on vaca for 2 weeks.  The rest of America (well, those of us who still have jobs) are working our asses off.

Can’t we expect the same (or better) of our elected officials.

Don’t believe me?  Call Senator Hagan’s offices and see for yourself:

SENATOR KAY HAGAN

DC OFFICE: 202-224-6342

GREENSBORO, NC OFFICE: 336-333-5311

RALEIGH, NC OFFICE: 919-856-4630

Can someone please find my Senator? I hope she isn’t in Argentina.

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

UPDATE (from Dan): Seems my Senator, Ma’am Barbara Boxer, is also on the missing persons list, though they do answer the phone at her LA office.

UPDATE (from JohnAGJ): My Senators in Virginia at least have been found. Jim Webb (D) refuses to hold town hall meetings, believing them to be unnecessary, while Mark Warner (D) seems to be trying to please everybody: giving Democrat talking points on the one hand, while claiming to oppose the House bill with the other.

Yikers. 

An overwhelming majority of North Carolina voters support amending the state constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman, according to poll results released this week by the Civitas Institute.

The poll of 600 registered voters from Feb. 16-19 found that 76 percent support a constitutional amendment outlawing gay marriage, while 21 percent are opposed to such an amendment.

State law in North Carolina defines marriage as being between a man and a woman, but a measure being pushed in the state legislature calls for a constitutional amendment on the issue.

It is too bad they didn’t poll on the question of civil unions, too.

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

I just got off the phone (as a constituent) with the Washington, DC office of freshman US Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC).

I asked a simple question:  “Given the fact that Sen. Hagan voted to confirm Attorney General Holder added to his comments yesterday calling America a “nation of cowards”, and given the fact that if I dare speak about race in the workplace, I’d be fired under current employment laws….. Does Senator Hagan think I — an ordinary American — am a coward?”

The poor dude who answered the phone sputtered, then said he “figured she would not agree with Holder’s statement”.  But then put me on hold and after about 3 minutes came back with:  “Let me take your address so we can send you a response to Holder’s nomination since Sen. Hagan still has to answer a lot of letters about the subject.”

I don’t know, it is a pretty simple question:  Senator Hagan — do you think I’m a coward?

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

First snow of season hits Charlotte – WCNC.com

Many schools, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg, are closed today and kids are ready to head outside to play in the snow.

Snow continues to fall across the area with the heaviest snowfall in Stanly, Anson and Richmond counties. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are closed with an optional teacher work day.

A Winter Storm Warning continues for the Piedmont until noon. The rest of the area is under a Winter Storm Watch.

Here’s the view of Global Warming from my house this morning….

Is Algore in the Carolinas today?

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

I hope everyone is enjoying the first day of 2009.  We are watching the Rose Bowl, rooting for Penn State, and have just finished a yummy New Year dinner cooked by PatriotPartner.

Saxby wanted some of the smoked pork, sauerkraut, black-eyed pea salad and collard greens.  He had to settle for a pig’s ear dog treat.

So, what are your New Year’s resolutions?   I have two:   exercise regularly and use the phone vs. text/email.

I’m keeping it simple.

Oh yeah, and MORE podcasts! (And more cowbell, of course)

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

I keep forgetting to post these photos taken of PatriotManse by PatriotPartner.  We have the outside decorating down to a science and can complete it in one afternoon.   The Christmas Tree, on the other hand, requires two weekends and help from PatriotPhillyPal, Mark.

PS — It is close to 60 degrees here in Charlotte today.  And I just had to turn on the A/C. 

UPDATE:  Sun came out and the Queen City is approaching 70 degrees today.  Yee haw.

In the meantime….. Dude, Where’s My Global Warming?

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

Yes folks, it is true what you’ve been hearing the past couple of days.  We here in the Queen City are without gasoline.  Of course it is affecting the normal folks like me who just want to fill up the tank.  But it is also impacting schools (they are closed — buses can’t fill up), and law enforcement (imagine calling 911 and being told “we can’t come — no fuel).

Drivers across the Charlotte region are waiting patiently — and, in some cases, impatiently — for a promised large shipment of gasoline expected to reach the Queen City by afternoon.

But the lines and traffic disruptions that dominated on Thursday continue this morning, with people in some cases having parked at gas stations overnight, waiting near the pumps with their tanks on empty. As was the case yesterday, arguments and scuffles are breaking out as frustrations boil over.

At about 8:30 this morning, a woman in line at a Citgo station in Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood neighborhood told others in line she was saving a place for her father, who was on his way with gas cans. The station, at Parkwood Avenue and The Plaza, was selling only premium gas. The wait was about 45 minutes.

When I flew back into Charlotte-Douglas Airport last night, I went quickly to hunt out three gas stations I know about near the airport.  All pumps were closed and police were guarding the businesses.

PatriotMom reported witnessing yesterday a foreign invader (Florida tags) butt in front of the whole gas line at a station in South Carolina and people getting quite angry.

I had planned to get some photos of gas lines (they are miles long) today.  People are lining up at a station at there mere rumor that a tanker truck is on its way with petrol.

This photo is courtesy of the Charlotte Observer — but I don’t live very far from this gas station in South Charlotte.

However, my own gas tank is so low that I don’t have the luxury yet of going out until I know for sure there is a guarantee I’ll get gas.   I will take my camera with me though in case I have to sit in a long line later this weekend.

Why is all this happening in Charlotte this week, you may ask?

The shortage is caused by the hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast this month, disrupting refinery production. Refineries had enough fuel in reserve to stock southeastern pumps for a week or so, but it ran out before the refineries could get back to full production.

The Charlotte area is served by the Colonial pipeline, which told Carolinas officials yesterday that they were delivering a large shipment of fuel to Spartanburg, S.C., and that an even larger shipment would arrive in Charlotte this afternoon. N.C. Gov. Mike Easley asked several oil companies to release additional supplies from Tennessee and Wilmington.

Remind me again why Democrats are opposed to drilling US oil reserves?

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

Really, you just cannot make this stuff up. 

Artives Freeman stunned the courtroom on the first day of his murder trial. He walked in dressed in a suit and tie — and covered in his own feces.

As lawyers, court staff and deputies watched in disbelief, Superior Court Judge James Morgan questioned the 24-year-old unemployed Charlotte man.

But Freeman — who was representing himself — never said a word.

The judge ordered Freeman committed to Dorothea Dixon Hospital in Raleigh for an evaluation to determine if he’s competent to stand trial.

Ooh, ooh.  Pick me to answer if he is competent!  Pick me!  Pick me!

I’m actually posting this early Saturday evening, but I didn’t want to bump the Hillary withdrawal piece that Dan wrote.  But I just HAD to pass this along from here in the Carolinas.

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

The Queen City, or “Crown Town” as PatriotPartner would say, has an infux of visitors this weekend for the big one:  The Coca-Cola 600 tomorrow at Lowes Motor Speedway.   Concord will become the third largest city in North Carolina for a few hours tomorrow.   Cool, huh?

Anyway, to all of you visiting the crown jewel of the South — welcome!   We have great restaurants, awesome attractions, and the friendliest people this side of Sydney Australia.

As for tomorrow — GO JUNIOR.   We will be at the race, pit passes in hand, and I’ll have some photos and videos later this weekend.

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

The time has come as I finally get my official “say” in the 2008 election.  Tomorrow is the North Carolina Primary!  And we have a lot going on in the Tar Heel state besides that one primary race you are hearing a lot about.

So for all of you from North Carolina who read GayPatriot or have family/friends that do…. here are my official, personal endorsements.  (GP Ed. Note:  I respectfully still disagree with Dan on his support of John McCain, so these are my PERSONAL endorsements).

FOR REPUBLICAN NC GOVERNOR:  Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory.

It is about time that the largest metro area in the state have a larger say in Raleigh.  Our voice has been minimized lately because the former DEMOCRAT from our area who was the Speaker of the House is sitting his ass in jail due to massive corruption.

McCrory is the seven-term Mayor of the City of Charlotte.  He has governed with, what I would call, a conservative pragmatism.  Not perfect, but just right for being a Republican mayor in the second largest city in the South. (Yes, that’s right Atlanta!)   He has made job growth, fighting crime and cracking down on illegal immigration the cornerstones of his campaign.   I think he is the best GOP candidate to win back the Governor’s Mansion for conservative governing this year.

DISCLOSURE:  I am a proud financial contributor to McCrory for Governor.

FOR DEMOCRAT PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION:  Senator Hillary Clinton

As a proud footsoldier of Operation Chaos, it is my duty to urge unaffiliated and switched-Republicans in North Carolina to VOTE HILLARY!!! (I think a little vomit just came up…)   

Ahem, anyway… if we have to have a Democrat in the White House I’d much rather have the devil we know than the silver-tongued devil we don’t know.   

Oh yeah….and on gay rights — Hillary, Obama & McCain are all the same; why waste my breath on that topic?

FOR REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION:  “NONE OF THE ABOVE”

We have a cool option on the North Carolina ballot that I plan to use tomorrow:  None Of The Above (NOTA); technically the spot on the ballot reads: No Preference – Republican.

I cannot in good conscience vote for John McCain who, without the pantsuit and cackle, looks to be a lot like Hillary Clinton rather than Ronald Reagan to me.  I fear the unchecked President McCain (with support/acquiensence) of the Democratic Congress) will roll the clock back on securing the border, ensuring economic growth and may allow millions of Americans to be vaporized because he doesn’t want to even consider the Jack Bauer-treatment of terror suspects.  Don’t even get me started about the threat as President he poses due to his blatant disregard to the freedom of speech guaranteed under the First Amendment (McCain-Feingold).

Sorry John…. you may have won over others in the Republican Party — but you have a LONG way to go with me.   I can at least let you know how I feel … with my vote for ‘NOTA’ tomorrow in North Carolina.

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

I just finished up a podcast with Kevin Naff, the Editor of the Washington Blade. Primarily I wanted to talk to Kevin about the horrible execution-style murder of those college kids last August in Newark, NJ. Lou Chibarro of the Blade has the latest details.

On the podcast, Kevin tells me that the mainstream media is proactively covering up the fact that at least one of the murder victims was openly gay. In addition, all three victims were on their way to a Gay Pride event before they were murdered. Kevin has been trying for nearly a year to lift the veil of secrecy and get some national attention to this angle. He also says police have confided that the details of the murder were much more gruesome than at first reported.

I promised Kevin we would follow the story here at GayPatriot, and help as we can.

Also on our show today, Kevin and I discussed Pansy-gate. Kevin’s take mirrored my own. Who knew that a top echelon member of the Gay Media Mafia was so smart! (Just razzing you, Kevin!)

And we wrapped up with an overall look at Hillary vs. Obama vs. McCain.

Feel free to listen to GayPatriot’s America at BlogTalkRadio…. or just push play below!

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

In my pro-McCrory for NC Governor posting on Thursday, I made the following sweeping statement….

None of the other GOP candidates can make the same claims since they don’t have executive experience and have not made illegal immigration a priority like McCrory has.

At the time I wrote it, I nearly didn’t because I thought it was too sweeping and I admittedly haven’t studied every piece of the other GOP candidates’ platforms in their campaigns for NC Governor.

So, I’m happy to present another side (and a correction-of-sorts) from an email I received from a Fred Smith for NC Governor supporter.

Fred Smith has been campaigning all over the state and since August has visited all 100 counties at least once. He has set out specific things he would do as governor. He has talked at length in every county he has visited about the problems caused by illegal immigration, what it costs the state and what the governor could do to address the problem. He has the support of sheriffs all over the state and has talked with them at length asking them what they need to address the problem.

This reader also referred me to a speech given by Smith which includes strong words against illegal immigration.

We believe that we are, as our national motto says, one nation under God. And we believe we ought to speak the English language. And the problem we have today is we have illegal aliens coming to this country with such velocity that they’re overwhelming our melting pot and the reason for that is the federal government has let us down on border security. The federal government has let us down on upholding the rule of law and that’s going to leave it to the states and the state of North Carolina to put a Band-Aid on this problem.

And as governor I would do four things. The first is I would try to make sure that every sheriff’s department had a chance to be a part of the 287(g) program to catch, detain, and deport illegal aliens violating our laws. Second, if you get a driver’s license you be legally entitled to get a driver’s license in this state. Common sense says if that’s what they do in Mexico that’s what we ought to be able to do here in North Carolina. The third thing, we need to pass illegal immigration reform like the states of Georgia, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Colorado, have to say if a government agency or institution is going to give a benefit they must enforce federal law which they ask are you legally entitled to this benefit. And fourth we need to have a voter ID card to protect the integrity of our voting system.

Sounds good to me. I’m still a staunch McCrory supporter, but I’m happy that Smith is taking a strong stand on illegal immigration, too!

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

Republican NC gubernatorial candidate (and Charlotte Mayor) Pat McCrory has a new ad up touting his success in cracking down on illegal immigrants. None of the other GOP candidates can make the same claims since they don’t have executive experience and have not made illegal immigration a priority like McCrory has.

Primary Election day is May 6. Go, Pat, go!

DISCLAIMER: I have personally contributed to the McCrory for Governor campaign

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory seems to have vaulted into front-runner status in his bid to become North Carolina’s next Governor.  He clearly is the GOP frontrunner….

In a survey of 500 likely voters conducted Tuesday by polling firm Rasmussen Reports, only Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory’s name registered with a majority of people asked about GOP candidates. McCrory entered the race two weeks ago, but 36 percent of respondents had a favorable impression about him while another 19 percent had a negative impression.

Meanwhile, 63 percent of those surveyed said they had never heard of or weren’t sure they knew the name of Salisbury attorney Bill Graham, even though he led a very public campaign to lower the state’s gas tax a few years ago.

Seventy-two percent weren’t sure they knew Robert Orr’s name, despite his two successful statewide campaigns for a seat on the Supreme Court, and 74 percent didn’t recognize the name of longtime state Sen. Fred Smith of Johnston County, who has run an extensive television advertising campaign in recent months.

And it looks like McCrory is fairing quite well in a hypothetical matchup with the two likely Democratic opponents:

The two Democratic front-runners, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue and State Treasurer Richard Moore, have name recognition on a par with McCrory. Both registered favorable impressions among 35 percent of those surveyed. Twelve percent said they had an unfavorable impression of Moore, and 27 percent said that of Perdue.

In possible head-to-head match-ups, McCrory is in virtual dead heats with Moore or Perdue. Moore’s 4 percentage point lead and Perdue’s 3-point lead are both within the poll’s 4.5-point margin of error.

This should be an interesting race… and with my choices in the GOP North Carolina Presidential Primary (May 6) looking like foul meat in the summer sun, at least I will have one candidate I can aggressively support!

McCrory for Governor!

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

Will Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory run for Governor?

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory has been contacting top Republicans to gauge whether they would support him in a potential campaign for N.C. governor.

State legislators, businesspeople and fundraisers told the Observer on Wednesday that McCrory has called them within the past week. They said he got mixed responses because many key activists have already committed to one of the three people already running for the GOP nomination, or to one of the two Democrats.

McCrory sent an e-mail to supporters Dec. 13 with results from a statewide poll he commissioned. The poll showed him “in the lead” in the GOP primary, according to the e-mail, though McCrory did not give details.

As a resident of Charlotte, I’m praying our Mayor decides to get into the 2008 North Carolina Governor’s race… though the clock is ticking!   I have been a supporter of McCrory since we moved to Charlotte in 2005.  We need a Western North Carolina voice and presence like McCrory in the Governor’s Office.   Our part of the state has been ripped out of our share of tax money paid… especially for infrastructure.

I was opposed to McCrory’s too eager support of our light rail project… but overall our Mayor is a visionary, a great communicator, and most importantly would be a strong advocate for a state-wide balanced approach to governing.

RUN, PAT, RUN!

-Bruce (GayPatriot) 

 
(Photo courtesy of Charlotte Observer)

We are in the midst of the big racing weekend of the NASCAR Nextel Cup in Charlotte at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.  House Democrats believe this is a setting more like Colombia, rather than Concord.  More like North Korea than North Carolina, according to House Democrats.  

What a pity and what ignorance.

So now NASCAR has cooties?

I don’t know about you, but I usually keep some syringes in my moonshine jar, out back by the ol’ still that grandpappy tends when we’re not all runnin’ from the police. Maybe we can help some of y’all visitors out with a different kind of medicine.

Said LMS president and general manager Humpy Wheeler: “The very idea of immunization is laughable. It’s like taping your ankles to go to the mailbox. This is not some third- or fourth-world country. As a matter of fact, never in the 50-plus years of NASCAR has there been an outbreak of any kind at an event, other than a few headaches because somebody’s driver ran out of gas, or maybe a morning hangover.”

In fact, this is one of the best places to live and visit in the USA… and I’ve been to many.  Our people are friendly, welcoming, open and honest.  We have a wide mix of diverse culture here in Charlotte and throughout North Carolina — but our heritage is firmly rooted in Southern and American values.

Racing Fans…. welcome to Charlotte and enjoy the Bank of America 500 tonight!  The only disease you might pick up is if you had to fly through Washington, DC.  Unfortunately, there’s no immunization for bigotry.

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

Since every single hurricane forecast for the past two years has been completely wrong…. I’m going to appeal to our favorite (and most sinister) villain of our times:  Global Warming (his black cape flowing behind).

Please… please, Global Warming.   Do what you can to steer Tropical Storm Dean to the Carolinas.   No need for Category Five or anything like that.   But damn, we need the rain.  All of our hurricane forecasters said that, because of you, we’d be drenched in hurricanes by now… and perhaps life as we know it would be over.   So give us some slack in our dry weather condition, would ya?

And Pat Robertson.. listen here:  You just stay out of this!   This is between me and Global Warming.  None of your fancy hurricane-deflecting tricks, you hear?    I just simply do not want to hear another weatherprop person on my TV say the word “drought” anymore!

[Related Story:  Red Faces at NASA Over Climate Change Blunder.   According to the figures released last week, four of America's 10 warmest years are now in the 1930s, during the Dust Bowl era.  Just three years from the past decade remain among the top 10, with 2001 having fallen out entirely.      Oh...just an inconvenient truth.]

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

Last night when I went to bed, I was a resident of Mecklenberg County, North Carolina.

This morning I wake up as a newly absorbed citizen of the city of Charlotte, North Carolina.

I’ve been annexed!

By the way, I never had a say in the matter.  No vote.  Just absorption.

And what do I get as a new resident of Charlotte?   As far as I can tell the only thing new is an increase of $30 per month of taxes.

Isn’t this Annexation Without Representation?

Government, 1
We, The People, 0

-Bruce (GayPatriot)

**WELCOME TIM BLAIR READERS!** 

Would you believe that a North Carolina State Representative drives a Ferrari convertible?  A picture is worth a thousand words.

NC  State Rep. Larry Womble (D-Forsyth Co.) has either come into some serious money, or he needs to answer some questions.  The first one is:  how does a public servant earning $14,000 a year on my tax money afford a $200,000 car?  The second is, what kind of money does a “former educator” earn in the state of North Carolina?  I want in on that gig.

Here’s some more about the story….

Looking at Womble’s 2007 financial disclosure report, [right-click, then "save as" if you have problems viewing it] it shows his only sources of income are from rental property of a condo (of which he has a mortgage), his legislative salary (approx. $13,000), social security, and his retirement from the State of NC as an educator and assistant principal.

According to the statement and Forysth County Tax Records, he also owns four properties in Forsyth County, with assessed values ranging from $17,200 to $107,200.

I’m not saying it’s not possible, but it certainly raises questions as to how a career government employee can afford a quarter-million dollar car.

So his car cost more than his most expensive home?!?!

Interestingly, Rep. Womble is the same legislator who wants North Carolina to apologize for slavery.  More interestingly, he has sponsored legislation to raise the pay of General Assembly Members to $20,000.   Well no wonder!

He certainly takes the term “limosine liberal” to a whole new level!

-Bruce (GayPatriot)