ethics

The House narrowly approved a new ethics rule to create an independent office that would consider ethics complaints against House members.

Rep. Virginia Foxx voted No.

Roy Carter for Congress

A Caldwell County Republican reported it last week. A 70-year old lady asked Pat about it in Lincoln County this week. Pat denied it publicly. "Not a word of truth in that article."

But public documents tell another story.

The public’s trust in those elected to operate our government, from either party, has eroded severely. Frankly, this lack of trust and dissatisfaction is well-deserved at all levels.

Let me go ahead and admit that I am understandably biased on this post: I'm a former Democratic House member who is married to an outstanding current Democratic House member, works in State government on the legislature's front lines, and serves in several roles in county, district and State party committees.

Mark Binker says we should be on the look-out for a statement today from the NC Legislative Black Caucus about Thomas Wright. He speculates the Caucus is none too happy with how Mr. Wright is being treated in comparison to the contortions the House went through in deference to Jim Black. If that's true, they're absolutely right to be angry.

. . . but another caucus member who was in the meeting said the statement would basically call for "allowing the process to work." In other words, the caucus was unhappy that the Speaker so vocally called out one of its members, especially after Democrats showed a great deal of forbearance with former Speaker Jim Black.

UPDATE: The statement from the Black Caucus is posted below.

In 2003 a tuition grant clause was slipped into the state budget favoring certain students by granting free tuition at UNC campuses for graduates of the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics, the prestigious state boarding school in Durham. The provision was slipped in during budget planning by a Senator chairing the appropriations committee.

Sen. Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, is the driving force behind the tuition grant. She used her influence as chairwoman of an appropriations committee to insert the grant into the budget.

Prepost: I have been asked why I am posting national news all the time when this is primarily a site for NC political news. My answer: what is done on the national level soon affects North Carolina so it is best to keep informed about both. And, this site already has a lot of superb writers of NC news.BB)
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I honestly didn't think the Senators would back the provisions put in the House version of the Ethics Bill, but they did and even went a bit further. The Democrats came thru this time because they want to be seen as the "clean" party and get the White House back and a larger margin of Dems in Congress in 2008. But Hey, who cares why they did it, just that tougher ethicls legislation is passed. Read on:

“Senate Passes Ethics Package

Parties Reach Hard-Fought Deal On Lobbying and Other Reforms

I thought I was finished writing about Charles Taylor, but the man's misdeeds just won't stop hitting the news. Taylor smashed the conventional election wisdom by getting shellacked despite outspending Heath Shuler by over 2 million dollars. From the N&O: "In the 11th District in Western North Carolina, Democrat Heath Shuler spent $1.7 million in upsetting Republican Rep. Charles Taylor, who spent $3.8 million. That includes $2.7 million that Taylor loaned his own campaign."

Back in 2004, Taylor broke the law by refusing to file campaign expenditures to the Federal Elections Commission, and now they're whacking the lumpy former Congressman with a big fine -

Dick Morris has written an article on a potential set of steps to be taken on cleaning up Congress if the 110th is serious about it. I don't expect to see much of this as I find both parties to be inherently corrupt. Don't bother attacking Morris - it's too easy. If you find his proposals off the mark, let' s hear it. If you can suggest others, let' s hear it. For those not inclined to click before commenting, here is a snapshot:

1. Ban spousal and family employment by campaign committees and PACs.
2. Ban immediate family members of senators or congressmen from lobbying Congress.
3. Restore presidential power to line-item veto earmarks in appropriations bills and reverse the anti-impoundment legislation passed during the Nixon administration.

While so many of us are waiting to see family during the holidays, House Speaker Jim Black is waiting to see if he'll be indicted after being fingered as a co-conspirator by convicted extortionist, Michael Decker.

Representatives are, by and large, coy over whether they'll support another Jim Black term as Speaker if he somehow avoids indictment. There are a few exceptions - Bill Owens says, "Even if he is indicted, it doesn't mean he's guilty", and Bill Faison says, "We do not need a sitting speaker indicted and carried off the podium in handcuffs."

A new Democratic netroots effort, fertilized by the sulfur spread by Black, is underway at BlackOut-NC.com. The tagline says it all:

"Encouraging our representatives to make an ethical choice when voting for Speaker of the House. Promising respect for candidates who choose to elevate our party and our government, and promising a permanent pain in the ass to those who don't."