Joe Sinsheimer

Joe Sinsheimer today called on Governor Perdue reconsider the appointment of Tony Rand to the state's Parole Commission. I couldn't agree more.

Senator Rand’s statements to the Raleigh News & Observer on Friday, December 11, 2009 (“Rand says he knows little of LEA”) are absurd and misleading and raise questions as to whether Rand is the right person to try to reform the state’s broken parole system. Rand’s comments to the News & Observer indicate that he either shirked his duties in apparent violation of federal securities law or is deliberating misrepresenting his role at Law Enforcement Associates Inc. In either case, Rand’s activity should disqualify him from serving as head of the state’s parole commission.

I don't know Joe Sinsheimer, but I like how he writes, and especially what he writes. Joe gave me permission to post this letter in full, a letter from him to Governor Perdue.

__________________________________________

November 18, 2009

Governor Bev Perdue
Office of the Governor
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0301

Dear Governor Perdue,

The recent State Board of Election hearings on Governor Easley and his alleged campaign activities, as well as the Verizon contracting scandal, have once again shaken confidence in our state government. These repeated scandals are damaging our state’s reputation for honest government and demand executive leadership. While we all hope the General Assembly will take on the call of reform in the 2010 session, there are a number of positive and immediate steps you could take as governor to help restore confidence in state government:

I'm relieved that Joe stepped up.

Updated with video, courtesy of the Dome. A.

I really admire the way Joe Sinsheimer does what he does. It'll be interesting to watch Mr. Merritt squirm and backpedal in the face of this new challenge.

Since Jim Black checked into an extended-stay facility in Lewisburg, PA the metaphors surrounding Joe Sinsheimer have been flying thick and thin. Guest number 50655-056 at the USP Lewisburg probably has a few choice metaphors of his own given that he once called a reporter "A sorry sack of s**t", a metaphor that was not forgotten by the NC Capital Press Corps.

Under the Dome wrote a piece called A new sheriff in town? noting that

Gary Pearce and Carter Wrenn agree that Joe Sinsheimer has become a force to be reckoned with in Raleigh.

Pearce called him Joe Sledgehammer saying that:

He’s honest. He’s not beholden to anybody. And he’s a hell of a good political researcher. He knows how to get information, and he gets it right.

Stronger ethics laws are great. But what North Carolina really needs to clean up politics may just be more Sledgehammers.

Joe Sinsheimer is continuing to do the hard work, pushing to get to the bottom of yet another stinky mess in the General Assembly. The Dome has a good take on the story:

I suspect that some of you know the mysterious pundit-turned-public-prosecutor, Joe Sinsheimer, but I don't. All I know about him is what I've read and heard over the past year. For example, Joe was featured this week on the State of Things (WUNC radio), which was reported by the Dome Blog today.

Sinsheimer first showed up on my radar in relation to Jim Black. He was on the case early and relentlessly, a bulldog, so to speak. He's often sought out by the MSM reporters, perhaps because he has a way of forcing dialog and putting elected officials on the spot.

His next foray into Democratic house-cleaning involved Representative Wright, where he called early and often for investigations and action. He apparently sent a letter to Speaker Hackney and, for whatever reason, Hackney felt compelled to respond. (I'm jealous. Hackney never answers my letters.)

And now Joltin' Joe is on a new trail of corruption, as evidenced by his calling out Verla Insko. Here's the text of the letter he sent Verla, posted on Squeeze the Pulp.