WataugaWatch

The Blue Ridge Parkway is indisputably a major economic engine for the 5th Congressional District of North Carolina, as well as elsewhere. Almost 20 million visitors come every year and drive its two-lane blacktop and buy fuel, food, lodging, and the geegaws that gladden the tourist heart, generating almost $2.3 billion in revenue annually in North Carolina and Virginia.

Even conservative Republican Senator Dick Burr realizes its economic importance for his state. Burr has signed on as cosponsor with Sen. Kay Hagan of a 75th Parkway anniversary bill which would authorize the preservation (by purchase) of up to 50,000 acres of land along the Parkway route. Heath Shuler (NC-11) is a key sponsor of the House version of this bill.

Conspicuously missing from the House bill's list of co-sponsors are two who actually represent counties through which the Parkway passes ... Patrick McHenry (NC-10) and Virginia Foxx (NC-5).

Foxx's explanation is all rigid conservative ideology. She wouldn't spend a dime, not even to help her own constituents.

The Winston-Salem Journal scolds her in an editorial this a.m.: "...we can't afford to get behind on preserving the parkway. The recession is lifting, and resort property prices will soon resume their steady climb. We should have money for land ready so that orderly development can be balanced with preservation -- our responsibility to future generations."

Labels: Blue Ridge Parkway, Health Shuler, Kay Hagan, Patrick McHenry, Richard Burr, Virginia Foxx

That monument to bad judgment, Karl Rove, was in Raleigh yesterday raising money for Sen. Dick Burr, who apparently needs help in the worst way.

Rove gave an interview to the News&Observer in which he opined that Republicans need "to address the kitchen-table issues that people talk about at home that affect their lives: jobs, the economy, health care, access of their children to college, how to pay for college, quality of life, the environment."

Look at that laundry list closely. When have the Republicans offered any substantive help on any of those topics? Why, Madam Virginia Foxx alone is a study in NOT helping. She votes against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, she votes against raising the minimum wage, she votes against extending unemployment benefits, she votes against college loans, hell, she votes against the School Lunch program! And "the environment"? Don't make us laugh out loud and choke on our tongues!

So we don't know which Republican Party Karl Rove is talking about, but it isn't the one currently sending Madam Virginia Foxx to Congress.

Labels: Karl Rove, Republican "brand", Richard Burr, Virginia Foxx

Nate Silver, the Numbers Nerd at fivethirtyeight.com, the man who has called more races right than anyone else we know, crunches the math for North Carolina and declares that the U.S. Senate race against Dick Burr "winnable with a tip-top campaign" and that -- surprise! -- "Elaine Marshall looks like the best candidate."

There are gonna be some NC politicos and young turks howling over that one.

Labels: Elaine Marshall, Richard Burr

News that Karl Rove will do a fundraiser for Sen. Dick Burr in Raleigh in January produces a shiver of recognition: This IS, after all, a senator shaped by, made by "the awful aughts," and we certainly needed to be reminded of the massive failures of that whole crew.

The Burr "optics" are most curious but very revealing: nothing of solutions, nothing of a vision for the future, but just the same old same old, a discredited past and a nasty politics. Abysmal symbols for a lackluster public official.

FOOTNOTE
Rove, incidentally, will be shaking his money-maker for Burr fresh off his second divorce. He's sure to stress family values!

Labels: Karl Rove, Richard Burr

...of lobbyist cash, that is.

Sen. Dick Burr, topping the list for fundraising parties and the predictable flocking of like-feathered lobbyists who want to stuff money up his ever-lovin' patootie.

Nothing like corporatocracy and cocktails, eh, Senator?

Unfortunately, any number of Democratic Senators are also dog-paddling in those same Martinis.

Labels: corporate power, Richard Burr

Elaine Marshall, one of three Democrats announced who say they're running in the 2010 Democratic primary to challenge Sen. Dick Burr, issued a statement on President Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan:

I acknowledge that there are no easy answers in Afghanistan and I respect the time and consideration that the President took in making his decision. However, I disagree that now is the time to commit 30,000 additional men and women to prop up a corrupt government that has shown no real effort to reform itself. The mission that we are about to undertake has too much to do with building a nation that has not had a stable or responsible government in decades and too little to do with keeping us safe at home.

Labels: Elaine Marshall, Richard Burr

Cal Cunningham is announcing this a.m. that he'll be formally entering the Democratic primary race to challenge Sen. Dick Burr on the ballot next year.

He's got an announcement video up here.

Labels: Cal Cunningham, Richard Burr

Sen. Dick Burr has taken $274,586 in campaign contributions from the health insurance industry throughout his career, which certainly helps explain his dependable shilling for the health insurance industry in trying to defeat health insurance reforms in the U.S. Senate:

* In an interview with Fox News in September, Sen. Burr claimed that "no plan, currently considered or passed, in either the House or the Senate," extends coverage to all Americans. However, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that House bill would cover 97 percent of Americans. [North Carolina Policy Watch, September 30, 2009]

* In a November radio interview with radio host Bill LuMaye, Sen. Burr said about the House bill, "It doesn't have reforms in it. The only reform that's really there is that we do away with preexisting conditions." In truth, however, the bill contains numerous other insurance reforms, including caps on out of pocket expenses and lifetime limits, as well as market accountability through health insurance exchanges. [North Carolina Policy Watch, November 17, 2009]

Thanks to Public Campaign Action Fund for blowing this particular whistle.

Labels: health care, Richard Burr

Cal Cunningham, prominently mentioned this year as another possible contender for the Democratic nomination to take on Dick Burr in the 2010 Senate race, posted on BlueNC late last night that he's decided it's not the right race nor the right time.

Leaving Elaine Marshall and Ken Lewis still definitely in.

And Bob Etheridge, congressman from the NC-2 who voted FOR the Stupak amendment on Saturday, is also still considering a run. We'd advise against it.

Labels: Bob Etheridge, Cal Cunningham, Elaine Marshall, Kenneth Lewis, Richard Burr

The Senate Guru lists "Eight Ways Richard Burr Displayed Poor Judgment, a Lack of Integrity, and Utter Contempt for Others." Let us recite some of the ways:

2) Richard Burr Lied About Supporting Additional Funding for the Successful "Cash for Clunkers" Program

Promised he would vote for an additional $2 billion, money already appropriated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but then voted "nay."

3) Richard Burr Voted to Keep "Being a Victim of Domestic Violence" as a Pre-existing Condition Worthy of Denying Insurance Coverage

It's just a basic fact that women have more "pre-existing conditions" than men. Whattya gonna do?

6) Richard Burr Is a Shameless Hypocrite When It Comes to President Obama's Economic Stimulus Bill

Voted against President Obama's stimulus plan as "wasteful" spending, then shows up for the photo op and takes credit when money gets handed out in N.C.

8) Richard Burr Ordered His Wife to Make Some Notorious Trips to the ATM

Everyone's most memorable Burr is the Burr with inside knowledge about an impending bank crisis who was generous enough to let all us ordinary people know about it. No, wait. This is the Burr who sent his wife to grab what she could before the rest of us depleted the cash pool.

There is more in this vein at Senate Guru.

The most recent and perhaps the most outrageous example was Burr's vote against the Franken amendment to a defense appropriations bill that would ban federal funds going to companies (like Halliburton) that require arbitration in the case of sexual assault, rather than allowing a raped woman to seek redress through criminal court proceedings. The measure passed 68 to 30 with all the Democrats and all the Republican women voting for the Franken amendment. Burr was one of the 30 Republican men who were much more concerned about protecting no-bid contractors than protecting the rights of women.

Glad to see Elaine Marshall out this a.m. with a statement condemning this last vote by Burr. Meanwhile, Burr is scrambling to explain it all away, kicking up a small cloud of dust that the amendment doesn't really do women any good and, by the way, some of his best friends are women.

Labels: Elaine Marshall, Richard Burr

N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall has filed paperwork to create a campaign committee for a run for the U.S. Senate seat currently warmed by Dick Burr.

This announcement will probably clear the field of many potential rivals, as Marshall will be formidable in any primary.

She has, for example, been consistently the top Democratic vote-getter in Watauga County whenever she's on the ballot.

Labels: Elaine Marshall, Richard Burr

Taking a page from the George W. Bush playbook (speak only before friendly, pre-screened audiences), Sen. Dick Burr did some back flips on health-care reform in Charlotte yesterday, assisted by John McCain and Mitch McConnell, to an invitation-only audience. During which Sen. McCain had the unmitigated gall to praise the screaming mobs who've disrupted Democratic townhalls, which have most assuredly NOT been invitation-only.

Shorthand version: These GOP senators LOVE to see Democrats shouted down by people who don't know what they're shouting about, while the senators bask in the warm puppy-love of invited corporate slaves, who are evidently very comfortable with the level of ignorance among the general public.

However, one doctor in that hand-picked audience yesterday in Charlotte wandered a bit off-message. He had the balls to challenge (finally!) the standard Republican line ("We've got the best health-care system in the world") and challenged McCain's assertion that only 12-15 million Americans are uninsured.

Labels: health care, John McCain, Mitch McConnell, Richard Burr

Big phony health-care event in Charlotte today on behalf of Sen. Dick Burr, at which fellow senators John McCain and Mitch McConnell will also appear, saying approximately (1) the U.S. has the greatest health-care system in the world and (2) we're all completely and totally in favor of reforming the greatest health-care system in the world, so long as the big corps get to keep all their profits and even increase them.

The event is being paid for by big corp Carolinas HealthCare Systems, which runs 25 hospitals in Charlotte and South Carolina.

No conflict of interest here. None.

Meanwhile, the multi-millionaire CEO of N.C. Blue Cross/Blue Shield, the insurance giant that has grown obscenely rich from maintaining a monopoly over state employees' insurance (among others), says he's against competition (duh) but very much for a public mandate that everyone buy insurance, since that will increase his profits several billionfold.

If these blood-suckers were capable of shame, which clearly they are not, they'd be hiding their fat faces in the sub-basement of the Department of Can We Get Any More Greedy?

Labels: Blue Cross, health care, John McCain, Mitch McConnell, Richard Burr

There's chatter this a.m. over at BlueNC about Cal Cunningham, who's obviously itching to get into the Democratic senatorial primary for a chance to face "Bank Panic Dick" Burr, the Invisible Senator, next year. A whole host of possible candidates -- including Cunningham, Elaine Marshall, Dennis Wicker, and Bob Etheridge -- are waiting for Sen. Robert Menendez, head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, to tap the DSCC's pick, since a lot of money and tactical support would come with the tapping. Coronation by the DSCC would also winnow the field pretty quickly.

We've had a chance to meet and hear Mr. Cunningham speak a couple of times recently, and we're impressed that he would take the fight to Burr and is probably best equipped to generate enthusiasm among that newest Democratic demographic, the 18-30 age group. He's honing his attack on Burr and drawing the necessary distinctions.

Chuck Schumer, head of the DSCC two years ago, picked Kay Hagan to run against Liddy Dole. Robert Menendez will do the picking this year. It's not necessarily the way we'd like to see our senatorial candidates picked, but that's the way it is. Period.

Labels: Bob Etheridge, Cal Cunningham, Charles Schumer, Dennis Wicker, Elaine Marshall, Elizabeth Dole, Kay Hagan, Richard Burr, Robert Menendez

Afraid he might be breathed on by actual North Carolina voters, Sen. Dick Burr held a closed door meeting with criminally underpaid hospital administrators in Hickory who hate the idea of a "public option" for health insurance and believe that a foreign-born Muslim president has no right whatsoever to be trying, even, to reform health care in America and possibly no right to even be living upon the earth.

Health insurance options would erode the fabric of America, said Burr, who allowed a reporter for the Hickory Daily Record within 20 feet of His Presence only after the reporter had been sprayed with a strong disinfectant. Why are we crapping our pants over the threat of options? Because options might horribly impact insurance companies' profit margins, and what are we as American senators if not guardians of The Prosperous? And voters might never again vote for a Republican, at least not until Tom DeLay wins Dancing with the Lying Scumballs.

Labels: health care, Richard Burr

Though NOT in Watauga County. We're likely to see Virginia Foxx here before we see Senator Burr.

Senator Dick plans to meet groups in Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania, Mitchell and Yancey counties, though the Citizen-Times has no info about how one might get into one of those meetings.

Among other denials, the senator will no doubt be correcting that moment in Durham when he went a little off-message: "It's okay if you want to have a government option, but you've got to leave the private sector private." Well, okay then. (HT: B.M. at BlueNC)

Labels: health care, Richard Burr, Virginia Foxx

Hat-tip to James at BlueNC for publicizing the DemocracyNC study of "Healthcare and Insurance Campaign Contributions to North Carolina Members of Congress." Fifth Dist. Congresswoman Madam Doctor Virginia Foxx is among four NC reps who've taken in over $180,000 from the health industry, and we know the garbage that falls out of her mouth.

But Sen. Dick Burr is the grand champion money-raker from these particular special interests. He's banked $1,674,101, "or almost three times the $630,949 raised by number two, Rep. Sue Myrick (R-Charlotte)."

All the North Carolina Republicans in Congress oppose health-care reform (with the possible exception of Walter Jones), and they will of course deny that these outrageous mounds of health-industry cash have anything to do with their attitudes. We believe 'em, right?

We expect Republican elected officials to side always with the rich and powerful. More disturbing are the $$ some of our Democrats are swallowing, particularly Sen. Kay Hagan and 11th Dist. Congressman Heath Shuler. Both tend to the "blue" end of the spectrum and have at various times expressed longing to protect the interests of big insurance monopolies.

As for Rep. Jones of the NC-3, he's a special (admirable) case (though we doubt very seriously that he'll ever vote for a final health-reform bill):

Of the twelve NC members of Congress in office during 2004-2008, Rep. Walter B. Jones Jr. (R-Farmville) got the least amount from the pharmaceutical industry -- a total of only $7,000 over three campaigns. Jones is also the only Republican from North Carolina who voted for requiring Medicare to use its purchasing power to negotiate lower drug prices, for encouraging the use of generics, and for allowing the import of FDA-approved prescription drugs.

Rep. Jones says the perceived relationship between votes and campaign money damages "public trust" in Congress. In fact, he is the main Republican sponsor of the Fair Elections Now Act (HR-1826), which would provide a public campaign option in Congressional elections, similar to the program now in place for appellate court judges in North Carolina. At a hearing on the legislation in July, Rep. Jones used the drug industry's political clout as the example of why reform is needed.

Labels: health care, Heath Shuler, Kay Hagan, Richard Burr, Sue Myrick, Virginia Foxx, Walter Jones

Senate Guru profiles the four "most likely" Democrats to get into a Senate primary race next year to challenge Sen. Dick Burr.

Four? Add Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy, sez Senate Guru.

Labels: Cal Cunningham, Elaine Marshall, Kenneth Lewis, Richard Burr, Senate Guru

According to the Hendersonville Times-News, Heath Shuler will stay in the U.S. House:

"I am not running for Senate. I am not running for Senate. I am not running for Senate. I have said that a thousand times, and I don't know why they keep coming up [with the idea]. Of course they keep coming up and running polls."

The "they" who keep the rumor alive that Shuler has Senate ambitions includes Shuler's own chief of staff, who appears to be largely responsible for resurrecting the notion. Maybe he'll stop now.

Labels: Heath Shuler, Richard Burr

Elaine Marshall, North Carolina's excellent Secretary of State, sez she's not ruling out a run for U.S. Senate against Dick Burr.

"It's on my radar screen," Marshall said. "I have not excluded myself from that."

She'd have the name recognition, not to mention the political moxie, to dominate the projected rivals who have been mentioned so far.

Labels: Elaine Marshall, Richard Burr

We don't have a dog in that fight, but we had to wonder why 11th Dist. Congressman Heath Shuler waded so confidently into the rebellion in Sri Lanka. What little we know about that mess doesn't make us want to embrace the Sri Lankan government more, nor the rebel Tamil Tigers for that matter, but there was Heath congratulating the Sri Lankan government for defeating "terrorists," as though that would be the final word on the matter. And doing it on the Sri Lankans' dime, which looks so much like becoming a propaganda tool for hire.

Just on the face of it.

Now, according to the Citizen-Times, others a good deal more knowledgeable are saying Shuler was had.

The question remains: why did he dive into this murky pool in the first place? Scrutiny Hooligans in Asheville think he was trying to manufacture some "foreign relations credentials" so that he can seem weighty when he reverses himself and decides to run against Dick Burr for the U.S. Senate.

The only "weight" we see in this is the ham-fisted decision to rah-rah for a government with a lot of blood on its hands.

Labels: Heath Shuler, Richard Burr, Scrutiny Hooligans

We've been hearing his name come up RE a potential Democratic candidate to challenge Dick Burr's reelection.

Every time we see the name, we ask, "Cal who?"

Today, Cunningham gets a nod from former state Democratic Party Chair Jerry Meek, in Roll Call. "He's got an excellent profile in terms of his biography," Meek said. "He's perceived as being a little bit more liberal than, say, Mike McIntyre and Heath Shuler."

O-kaaay. You have our attention.

Thumbnail biography: Cunningham's a lawyer and former state senator who served in the Iraq War and is currently part of the Army Reserve Judge Advocate General Corps.

Longer take: "From 2007 to 2008, he was on active duty in Iraq, where he worked as a military prosecutor as part of a team that prosecuted U.S. Department of Defense contractors on such charges as assault and illegal gun shipments. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his work in Iraq and in 2009 received the Gen. Douglas MacArthur award for leadership. While still in law school, he campaigned for the state senate, winning an open seat in November of 2000. He served on all three Senate committees on education and as vice chairman of the Senate judiciary committee. After redistricting in 2002, Cunningham declined to run for re-election after he found himself in a mostly Republican district. In 2004, he joined the Winston-Salem office of 'white-shoe law firm' Kilpatrick Stockton, handling commercial litigation."

"White-shoe law firm"? ... Wikipedia sez it's "a phrase used to describe the leading professional services firms in America, particularly firms that have been in existence for more than a century and represent Fortune 500 companies."

Cal Cunningham ... a potential rising star in North Carolina, with a striking personal resume. We're all ears: "I'm having conversations with friends and fellow Democrats," Cunningham said on Wednesday. "We're taking a very close and very serious look at this race."

All of this above set off by "Under the Dome."

Labels: Cal Cunningham, Heath Shuler, Jerry Meek, Mike McIntyre, Richard Burr

Sen. Dick Burr was in Ashe County yesterday, speaking to students at Ashe County High School.

In an off-hand comment in response to a student question, Burr confirmed what we've long observed ... that Republicans actually relish being the opposition party, since governing means managing the government, which good conservatives don't believe in anyway:

"In many ways, being the minority is liberating because the majority are the ones who are responsible for setting an agenda," Burr said. "I find that when I am in the minority, I have more time to delve into policy, especially when the other team is in the White House."

We certainly want to make sure that Sen. Dick gets extended years for "delving" rather than governing. In fact, Senator, think how much time you'd have for criticizing the majority if you were out of the Senate altogether.

Labels: Richard Burr

Rep. Heath Shuler's chief of staff is spreading the word that the congressman's phone has been positively ringing off the hook with all sorts of very important people asking Mr. Shuler to reconsider his decision NOT to run against Richard Burr in next year's Senate contest.

This is reminiscent of the bygone days of a local political boss who used to be famous for volunteering that "Many people have told me..." and what always came next was what the political boss himself wanted to happen, and everyone knew the "many people" were a figment of his imagination.

We think Congressman Shuler made the right decision the first time. Many people have told us that.

Labels: Heath Shuler, Richard Burr

In an e-mail to supporters this a.m., N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper says he won't run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Dick Burr.

Bad for us.

Labels: Richard Burr, Roy Cooper

A quite knowledgeable political insider using the name "Gosh" has posted an astute assessment of Sen. Dick Burr's prospects for reelection at "Under the Dome" (under a thread about the probability that Roy Cooper will run):

Every state has and needs a Star Senator and a Wonk Senator. The Star's job is to raise money, win, and protect the wonk that actually does stuff. Our Star [Liddy] Dole lost, and in the minority aftermath, Burr not only didn't shine as a star but said no a lot to wonk stuff that would make him more effective in order to fill Dole's void. Burr trying to be it all, is equivalent to Burr doing nothing, or everything half-bottomed.

Burr was still learning to be a Junior Senator when his safety net Dole got tossed by 10 points.

Now he's less than nothing, and bad at even that. Burr's neither a star nor a wonk and solidly outclassed by even more Junior members now that he's in the minority.

All partisanship aside, Burr contributes nothing to North Carolina now, and it's not his fault entirely. He just can't. He's already lost. Blame Dole, McCain, Palin, whomever you like. The guy just has no independent presence to break free from the stigma of his own party's failures. He simply can't please the wingnuts and mainstream constituents at the same time, and he's trying to do both.

What the DC Republicans need to determine is if Burr's worth spending $20, $30, $40 million or more to prop up and even make it a close race even though he's still a goner. For the history books, they passed on [Robin] Hayes and were right.

Still, it's a hard decision to make since the GOP has scant places left to go or spend money. So I still predict NC to be the hottest, most expensive Senate race in America in 2010. But only because the GOP giving up and going home is no longer an option. Homeless parties have no place to go.

Labels: Elizabeth Dole, Richard Burr, Roy Cooper, Under the Dome

Senate Guru puts two and two together and comes up with heavy odds that N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper will announce his candidacy by the end of this month for Dick Burr's Senate seat.

That Senate race will be at the head of our N.C. ballots in 2010, and we could not do better than have Roy Cooper leading the slate.

Labels: Richard Burr, Roy Cooper, Senate Guru

"Tonight, I want you to go to the ATM machine, and I want you to draw out everything it will let you take. And I want you to tomorrow, and I want you to go Sunday," Senator Dick Burr told his wife Brooke following a briefing on the looming banking crisis by the Bush Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson last year. "I was convinced on Friday night that if you put a plastic card in an ATM machine the last thing you were going to get was cash."

After the senator's rather revealing confession made a national ripple yesterday, Burr's spokesman tried to damp down the amazement: "The senator is simply trying to express what was on his mind as Congress was attempting to respond to the financial crisis last fall."

What was clearly on his mind was grabbing all the cash he could before the rest of the country found out what he'd been told as a privileged individual who gets briefings from the Treasury Secretary.

A panicky senator with little to no understanding of the U.S. banking system, combined with the "me first" attitude of your run-of-the-mill survivalist ... that's our North Carolina boy!

Labels: bank failures, Bush economy, Richard Burr

After putting a hold on the confirmation of Tammy Duckworth, an injured Iraq war helicopter pilot whom Obama wants as an assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and never giving a substantive reason why, except that it pleased him to delay her confirmation, Sen. Richard Burr has suddenly relented, saying just as inexplicably that he's now satisfied that Major Duckworth can proceed to a confirmation vote.

Might Burr's abrupt about-face have anything to do with the embarrassing publicity he suffered by inflicting his pettiness on a woman whose qualifications were summed up by Rachel Maddow: "...a decorated helicopter pilot, double amputee, experienced veterans advocate, supported by all the veterans service organizations, and nationally known for her work"?

We assume so.

It's one thing being a big jerk in the cloisters of Washington, D.C., where the home folks don't see your jerkiness. But when it leaks out into the public bloodstream ... well, now, that's another matter.

Same with Madam Virginia Foxx, who is currently rising in the Republican Congressional ranks by empowering her Inner Asshole ... apparently on the belief that her Fifth District home folks don't actually KNOW she's a Giant Asshole, don't stay glued to C-SPAN all day, and even if they did, they'd keep reelecting her particular breed of stink-eye until Jesse Helms arises triumphant from the dead.

Labels: Rachel Maddow, Richard Burr, Tammy Duckworth, Virginia Foxx

Major Tammy Duckworth lost both legs in Iraq when the helicopter she was piloting was attacked in 2004. She ran for senator from Illinois unsuccessfully in 2006 and subsequently became head of veterans affairs for the state of Illinois. President Obama nominated her to become the assistant secretary of veterans affairs in his government, but following her hearing before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee N.C. Sen. Dick Burr decided to be a dick. He managed to delay a vote on her confirmation because he has unspecified questions that he feels haven't been answered adequately enough.

He's playing "petty partisan games," said a spokesman for VoteVets.org, "needling the White House for the sheer fun of it."

Rachel Maddow devoted a minute to denouncing Burr for riding the wrong high-horse.

Labels: Rachel Maddow, Richard Burr, Tammy Duckworth

Sen. Dick Burr has received $355,000 from tobacco groups and employees. He's second only to Sen. Mitch McConnell for having his hand out to Big Tobacco.

At this precise moment, Burr has teamed up with Sen. Kay Hagan to try to forestall tougher legislation aimed at tobacco.

Burr spokesman Chris Walker says the campaign donations don't influence Burr's policy agenda. Riiight.

"It's not something that comes into any equations here," Walker said. "It doesn't really affect what we're doing legislatively."

We're not supposed to believe our lying eyes.

Labels: Kay Hagan, Richard Burr, tobacco

According to "Under the Dome," Heath Shuler announced last night that he would not be a candidate in 2010 in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Dick Burr.

Labels: Heath Shuler, Richard Burr

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, led by New Jersey's Robert Menendez, is targeting NC's Dick Burr for defeat in 2010. No surprise that, with the powerful mojo of Kay Hagan's "impossible" defeat of super-celeb Liddy Dole last November still percolating.

There's going to be heavy pressure on Attorney General Roy Cooper to step up. Heath Shuler's prospects seem far less bright ever since he joined House Republicans in opposing the Obama stimulus bill.

Labels: Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Elizabeth Dole, Heath Shuler, Kay Hagan, Richard Burr, Roy Cooper

By way of Public Policy Polling, who got the analysis from The King of the Polling Nerds, Nate Silver, NC Sen. Dick Burr, who voted FOR George W. Bush's Big Bank Giveaway but who can't countenance President Obama's economic stimulus, is waaay out there in his opposition to the new president, especially given that Obama carried NC: "Burr has been the least cooperative of any Senator whose state did give its electoral votes to the President."

Gunny Freedom, a poster on the thread linked above, sez "Burr is a failure because he is a partisan hack."

Labels: Obama economic stimulus, Public Policy Polling, Richard Burr

Ex-Prez Bill Clinton is in Raleigh today at North Carolina State University (actually, Reynolds Coliseum), speaking about "issues facing the country." The university has announced that there are no more "general public tickets" available, but if you know somebody, you might get in.

One VIP who'll most definitely get is in NC-11 Congressman Heath Shuler, though he could just wait until this p.m. when Clinton will be hosting a luncheon fundraiser for the congressman.

Shuler supported Clinton's wife for president in last year's state primary, and as a super-delegate to the Democratic National Convention, Shuler pledged himself to Hillary because she won his 11th Dist. in that primary ... not that he ever got to cast his vote for her.

Sure 'nuff looks like Shuler is off and running for Senate in 2010 against Dick Burr, backed by some powerful fundraising mojo.

Labels: Heath Shuler, President Bill Clinton, Richard Burr

Watching absentee Senator Liddy Dole go down in flames apparently focuses the mind for another relatively unknown senator from NC. "Under the Dome" is reporting that Sen. Burr's PR machinery is cranking up noticeably with an overhauled (hip?) new web site, etc.

Expect to see Sen. Burr kissing a baby near you soon.

We hear he'll come wax your dining room table. Or clean out your refrigerator.

Labels: Richard Burr

It's way early to be talking about stuff like this, but hey! it's a slow week. Public Policy Polling has obliged us all by polling NC Attorney General Roy Cooper's name against incumbent NC Senator Richard Burr in a hypothetical campaign match-up in 2010, when Burr must run for reelection.

This far out, Cooper is leading Burr by four points and has far better favorables than Burr.

For whatever reason, Dick Burr has an unusually low profile in the state, perhaps even lower than Liddy Dole's, who never even lived in the state and only visited when she absolutely, positively couldn't avoid it. We remember when Burr was first elected to Congress from the 5th Dist. in 1994. He came strutting into Boone for a town hall meeting with the people, blanched at a few aggressive questions, and never held another town hall meeting in Watauga that we were aware of (shades of She Who Must Not Be Named!).

The folks at PPP also point us toward a brand-new "Draft Coop" blog that is looking to sign people up and beat the tom-toms. With the filing period for the 2010 elections just 13 months away, now's the time for the Dems to be seriously shopping.

Labels: Richard Burr, Roy Cooper

We've barely gotten one election past us, and there're people already talking about Richard Burr's U.S. Senate seat in 2010, and truth to tell (hang on to your gag reflex!) we're just a year and a month away from the candidate filing period for the 2010 general election.

Yesterday the Hendersonville Times-News runs a long article essentially beating the drum for Shuler to take on Burr. Shuler, after easily winning his first reelection race against a weak if not unstable opponent, seems more than willing for people to puff up his ego even further than he's puffed it up himself. "Heath the Giant Killer."

Now this morning, Public Policy Polling is up with a post seconding the Shuler nomination, saying that the only state-wide Democrat who could rival him as a winning Senate candidate would be Attorney General Roy Cooper. PPP takes it a step further by helpfully mentioning a couple of local state legislators who could handily win Shuler's House seat, if he vacates it to run for Senate. This we doubt, though PPP's statistics are impressive about how both of Shuler's potential replacements in the NC-11 did in their own reelections.

But leaving a now strong Democratic seat open in the overwhelmingly Republican NC-11 looks mighty iffy to us, though (okay, we'll admit it) we thought a candidate named Hagan had exactly no chance in 2008.

Labels: Heath Shuler, Kay Hagan, Public Policy Polling, Richard Burr

Thanks for Brother Doc for pointing out our Senator Burr's involvement in a rancid little piece of Senate puritanism. Burr is one of a mean gang of seven Republican senators who've used a parliamentary maneuver preventing action on the reauthorization of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

It took a special person to denounce Burr and his fellow senators, but not a flaming liberal or even an HIV activist. No, it's Michael Gerson who points the finger at Burr, Gerson, who was a loyal Bushie from 2000 to 2006, writing speeches and giving advice on domestic policy.

Gerson says, "It is the nature of the Senate that the smallest of minorities can impede the work of the majority. But it takes a conscious choice -- an act of tremendous will and pride -- for members to employ these powers against an AIDS bill with overwhelming bipartisan support."

"Rigid, stingy and indifferent to human suffering." Those are the adjectives Gerson uses to describe Burr & his comrades and their perversion of "conservative values."

So much for the Mr.-Nice-Guy image that Burr likes to cultivate. Turns out, he's just a dick.

Labels: AIDS relief, Richard Burr