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April 2008
Local politicians endorse Clinton
A handful of local politicians were among 60 from North Carolina who endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton today.
The Democratic presidential candidate received endorsements from former state Sen. Tom Taft, along with Pitt County Commissioners Beth Ward and Eugene James.
Other locals who announced their support for Clinton were Grimesland Mayor Gerald Whitley and Ayden Mayor Stephen Tripp.
Tripp’s endorsement comes as a bit of surprise. He had previously endorsed Sen. Barack Obama, Clinton’s rival for Democratic nomination. The mayor also voted for Obama on April 24 in an effort to promote early voting, campaign officials said.
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John McCain coming to NC Tuesday
John McCain returns to North Carolina to talk about the courts and give a speech on the future of the Judiciary to be held at Wake Forest University.
Doors to he event, held in the Wait Chapel on Tuesday, will open at 8 a.m.
The event will also include Sen. Richard Burr, Sen. Fred Thompson, Sen. Sam Brownback and former solicitor general of the United States Ted Olson.
To RSVP, click here or send an e-mail to northcarolina@johnmccain.com.
Click here for a map to the Wait Chapel.
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Dyson campaign for Hillary in Greenville today
Actress Erika Alexander and Rev. Marcia Dyson will meet and greet volunteers and supporters at the Greenville for Hillary Headquarters, 2502 S. Charles Blvd., at 7:30 p.m. today.
The women will share their reasons for supporting the Senator, including her 35 years of experience making real change for Americans and her ability to lead on day one in the White House.
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Obama repudiates Wright’s latest comments
While he was on the campaign trail in North Carolina today, Barack Obama discussed comments Rev. Jeremiah Wright broadcast yesterday.
“I have been a member of Trinity United Church of Christ since 1992,” Obama said. “I’ve known Rev. Wright for almost 20 years. The person I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago. His comments were not only divisive and destructive but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the black church. They certainly don’t portray accurately my values and beliefs.
“And if Rev. Wright thinks that that’s political posturing, as he put it, then he doesn’t know me very well, and based on his remarks yesterday, I may not know him as well as I thought either.”
Watch the rest of the discussion below:
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Greenville Women for Hillary holding phone bank tonight
Tonight, Greenville for Hillary volunteers, supporters and staff will hold a phone bank at their headquarters at 2502 Charles Blvd. from 6-8p.m. tonight.
This event, which is free and open to the public, is part of the campaigns effort to mobilize support leading up to the Tar Heel State’s primary election on Tuesday, May 6.
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Easley endorses Hillary Clinton
North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton this morning.
Easley’s support boosts Clinton’s presidential bid one week before the state’s May 6 primary.
Appearing on stage with Clinton at North Carolina State University, Easley said she “gets it,” and she is “ready to deliver.”
Easley is the second North Carolina superdelegate to endorse Clinton. Sen. Barack Obama, Clinton’s rival for the Democratic nomination, has the support of six of the state’s 17 superdelegates.
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Clinton’s Charlotte appearance changes location
Today, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton will be in Charlotte for a Club 44 event (to make Clinton our 44th president), but the location has changed.
Now, they will be at the Time Warner Cable Arena, 333 East Trade St., but doors will still open at 4 p.m.
General admission is free, but special ticket prices for VIP seatings range from $20-$250.
Click here for more information
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Obama to visit N.C. next week
Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign announced this afternoon the Democratic presidential candidate will be making another appearance in North Carolina next week.
Obama will host town hall meetings in Wilmington and Wilson on Monday before attending events in the Triad area and Hickory on Tuesday.
The focus of his trip will be the needs of hardworking families, the campaign said.
Obama will appear in the Wilson Beddingfield High School gymnasium at 6 p.m. Monday. Doors open at 4 p.m. for the the event, and admission is free. Tickets are required, however.
Tickets for the Wilson events are available until 7 p.m. today and from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday at the Obama for America Table, 102 N. Douglas Street, Wilson and the Obama for America Wilson office, 211 Tarboro Street.
Details about the other appearances have not been released.
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McCain condemns NC ad
Today, John McCain spoke more on the ad NC Republicans are running against the Democrats. Here’s what he had to say:
The ad focuses on the relationship between Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright, and criticizes democrats Beverly Perdue and Richard Moore for endorsing the presidential candidate. McCain wrote the NC Republicans an e-mail yesterday requesting that the ad be removed.
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Vote for your favorite Obama ad
The entries for MoveOn.org’s “Obama in 30 seconds” competition are in and it’s time to vote.
People across the nation submitted more than 1,000 videos in hopes that their ad will be aired on national TV. The finalists, decided by your votes, will be seen by a panel of top film professionals, artists, and netroots heroes for the final decision.
Click here to start voting.
Final judges include Ben Affleck, Steve Buscemi, Matt Damon, Congresswoman Donna Edwards, musician/activist Michael Franti, Adrian Grenier, producer Ted Hope, Rev. Jesse Jackson, John Legend, President of Focus Features James Schamus, Russell Simmons, Oliver Stone and Eddie Vedder.
Here are some examples of what you’ll be voting for:
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Clinton wants you to ask for a NC debate
Senator Hillary Clinton wants her supporters to sign a new online petition demanding another debate between the Democratic presidential candidates to be held in North Carolina.
Originally, Clinton and Senator Barack Obama were supposed to have a debate in the state on April 27, but he canceled it saying “It’s not clear that another debate is going to be the best use of our time.”
If you want to see another debate between the candidates, click here and submit your information.
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Obama’s backstage message
Before taking the stage at the rally held in Minges Coliseum April 17, Barack Obama had a special message to NC voters.
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Ron Paul’s still in the game
Ron Paul posted a new message to supporters (or just those not supporting McCain) that addresses the Pennsylvania primary and his intentions to keep running for president until the convention.
Watch below:
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Arcade Fire tickets now available
Tickets for Arcade Fire and Superchunk’s early-voting concerts, tagged “Change Rocks,” in North Carolina are now available.
Tickets can be picked up in Forsythe, Guilford, Randolph, Almanace, Orange, Durham, and Wake Counties during early voting hours starting today.
“This is a defining moment for this country,” said Win Butler of Arcade Fire. “We want to encourage people to get up, get out, and go vote.”
“People are incredibly excited about this election and this primary,” said Mac McCaughan of Superchunk. “Our music is a unique way to get people involved and participating.”
The Change Rocks concerts will be held May 1 at Greensboro Coliseum Complex Pavilion Parking Lot, 1921 W Lee St. (gates open at 1 p.m.) and May 2 on the Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main St. (gates also open at 1 p.m.).
Tickets are required. Tickets are free, but only one ticket may be picked up person. Space is limited and admission is on a first come, first serve basis. The show is for all ages.
TICKET PICK-UP INFORMATION:
For May 1 show Greensboro:
Obama for America Office
8 West 3rd Street
Winston-Salem, NC 28401
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Greensboro Coliseum
* Beginning Saturday
Northside of Pavilion Parking Lot
1921 W. Lee Street
Greensboro, NC 27403
Hours: Monday-Friday: 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Obama table outside Shaw Building
158 Worth Street
Asheboro, NC 27203
Hours: Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Obama table outside Board of Elections office
505 E. Green Drive
High Point, NC 27260
Hours: Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Youth Services Building
201 West Elm Street
Graham, NC 27253
Hours: Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Obama table outside Courthouse
301 W. Market Street
Greensboro, NC 27401
Hours: Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
For May 2 show in Carrboro:
Obama table outside UNC-Chapel Hill Planetarium
250 E. Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Hours: Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Balloons and Tunes
208 W. Main Street
Carrboro, NC 27510
Hours: Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Morning Times Café
10 E. Hargett Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
Hours: Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Obama table outside of the Old Durham Ball Park
Corporation and Morris
Durham, NC
Hours: Monday-Saturday: 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m
Pullen Art Center
* Beginning Saturday
105 Pullen Road
Raleigh, NC 27607
Hours: Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday: Noon-5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
Additional ticketing locations will be announced here
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Jenna Bush may vote for a Democrat
Last night, First Lady Laura Bush and her daughter Jenna appeared on CNN’s “Larry King Live” to promote their new children’s book, “Read All About It!”
But their discussion got a little more interesting after King asked the Bush’s about the presidential nominees. Laura said her favorite was “the Republican,” while Jenna said she was open to other candidates.
“I mean, who isn’t open to learning about the candidates and I’m sure that everybody’s like that,” she said.
Click here to read more about it
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Municipal leaders vote today for Obama
Ayden’s Mayor Steve Tripp is among 43 municipal leaders in North Carolina who have endorsed the presidential campaign of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama.
Obama’s campaign today announced that Tripp would be casting his ballot for Obama at 1 p.m. today during early voting in Pitt County.
Forty-two more mayors and mayor pro-tems also are expected to vote at 1 today, Obama’s campaign announced, including Greenville Mayor Pro-Tem Mildred Council.
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Neal back in Greenville for endorsement
U.S. Senate candidate Jim Neal will visit Greenville on Thursday when he expects to receive an endorsement from a city council person.
Neal, an investment banker from Greensboro, is among six Democrats vying to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole. The event is at 7:30 p.m. at Acasia’s Tipsy Teapot, 409-B Evans St.
This is a return visit for Neal, who visited here in March and watched the Final Four at Buffalo Wild Wings.
“I want you to join me. I want you to believe in this change we are witnessing, and to support this campaign,” Neal said in a news release announcing the event.
“Don’t just hope for the change; join the millions of students and young workers making that change come about. Give of yourself, and make a difference with my campaign.”
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Women for Obama meeting
The Pitt County Women for Obama has scheduled an informational meeting to be held at noon Friday at the Obama campaign headquarters in Greenville.
Minerva Freeman writes, “You are invited to come out to hear strategies and to commit to working for NC victory for Obama … Our theme is: Each One Reach One!”
The meeting will last about an hour and lunch will be served. Call Freeman at 258-3522.
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Clinton tour updates
Hillary Clinton’s trip to Jacksonville has been moved from Thursday to Friday.
Doors to the Jacksonville Fire Department Station 4, 100 Firehouse Lane, open at 7 a.m. and the event, a “Solutions for America” event, is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.
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McCain asking NC republicans to remove ad against Obama, Perdue and Moore
John McCain took time away from his Time For Action Tour to send an e-mail to the North Carolina Republican Party to remove an ad critical of Barack Obama’s relationship with his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright
Steve Holland of Reuters reports that McCain was on his campaign bus in Kentucky when he spoke about the video.
“We asked them not to run it,” McCain said. “I’m sending them an e-mail as we speak asking them to take it down. I don’t know why they do it. Obviously, I don’t control them. But I’m making it very clear that there’s no place for that” in his campaign.
The ad takes aim at Democratic candidates Beverly Perdue and Richard Moore and criticizes their endorsements of Obama. The ad states that Obama’s relationship with Wright shows he is “too extreme for North Carolina.”
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Arcade Fire playing for Obama
The Canada-based indie/alternative band Arcade Fire has scheduled two outdoor shows in North Carolina in support of Barack Obama.
Frontman Win Butler posted a new message in his online scrapbook saying they wanted to play with fellow indie rockers Superchunk.
So, in celebration of early voting, they will play at rallies on May 1 at the Greensboro’s Coliseum Complex Coliseum Complex Pavilion parking lot and May 2 at Carrboro’s Town Commons. Both shows begin at 2 p.m. and free tickets are required.
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Clinton making her way back to NC
The Clinton campaign today announced new details of Hillary Clinton’s return to the Tar Heel State Thursday and Monday.
On Thursday, her campaign has scheduled events in Jacksonville, Fayetteville, and Asheville, and she will be joined by former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Hugh Shelton, Ret.
All of Thursday’s events are free and open to the public. No tickets are required.
Additional details on the Jacksonville event have not yet been released, but in Fayetteville, Clinton will be at the Riddle Center at Methodist University, 5400 Ramsey St. Doors open at 2:15 p.m. and the event starts at 4:15 p.m. In Asheville, Doors open to the Asheville Civic Center, 87 Haywood St., at 6 p.m. and the event begins at 8 p.m.
On Monday, Clinton will appear with her daughter Chelsea in Uptown Charlotte at The Square at the intersection of Trade and Tryon. Doors open at 4 p.m.
General admission is free, but ticket prices for reserved sections range from $20-$250.
Click here for more information
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Warren and Jenkins endorse Obama
Two Pitt County legislators have endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Sen. Clark Jenkins and Rep. Edith Warren announced Tuesday they are supporting the Illinois senator, along with 27 other lawmakers from around the state.
Following is a complete list of the endorsements Obama received Tuesday:
N.C. Senate: Tony Rand, Senate Majority Leader, Cumberland Doug Berger, Franklin Charlie Dannelly, Mecklenburg Katie Dorsett, Guilford Anthony Foriest, Alamance Linda Garrou, Forsyth Malcolm Graham, Mecklenburg Clark Jenkins, Edgecombe Edward Jones, Halifax, Perquimans Eleanor Kinnaird, Orange Vernon Malone, Wake Floyd McKissick, Durham
N.C. House of Representatives:
Dan Blue, Wake
Alma Adams, Guilford
Angela Bryant, Nash
Jean Farmer-Butterfield, Wilson
Becky Carney, Mecklenburg
Bill Faison, Orange
Richard Glazier, Cumberland
Larry Hall, Durham
Ty Harrell, Wake
Pricey Harrison, Guilford
Sandra Hughes, New Hanover
Marvin Lucas, Cumberland
Grier Martin, Wake
Annie Mobley, Bertie
Henry Michaux, Jr., Durham
Edith Warren, Pitt
Michael Wray, Warren
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Time for Action Tour: Day 1
Republican presidential nominee John McCain was in Alabama Monday for the first day of his “It’s Time for Action” tour.
In Gee’s Bend, a town isolated by the nearby river, he came to discuss racial tensions and economic difficulties its residents face (and he spent most of his time there with a group of older, singing women).
Watch the video below for highlights:
McCain will be in Ohio today, Kentucky on Wednesday, Louisiana on Thursday and Arkansas on Friday.
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Michael Moore endorses Obama
The day before the Pennsylvania primaries were to be held, famed director Michael Moore publicly endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president and asked Pennsylvanians to do the same — as a favor to him.
On Monday, Moore posted a blog entitled “My Vote’s for Obama (if I could vote),” and asks kindly for Pennsylvanians to vote for Obama in their primary since he and his fellow Michigan residents cannot.
“I haven’t spoken publicly ’til now as to who I would vote for, primarily for two reasons: 1) Who cares?; and 2) I (and most people I know) don’t give a rat’s (expletive) whose name is on the ballot in November, as long as there’s a picture of JFK and FDR riding a donkey at the top of the ballot, and the word “Democratic” next to the candidate’s name,” he writes.
But on a more serious note, he first criticizes Clinton and her campaign: “Over the past two months, the actions and words of Hillary Clinton have gone from being merely disappointing to downright disgusting.
“I guess the debate last week was the final straw. I’ve watched Senator Clinton and her husband play this game of appealing to the worst side of white people, but last Wednesday, when she hurled the name ‘Farrakhan’ out of nowhere, well that’s when the silly season came to an early end for me.”
And on his endorsement: “What we are witnessing is not just a candidate but a profound, massive public movement for change,” Moore writes. “My endorsement is more for Obama The Movement than it is for Obama the candidate.”
Click here to read the entire endorsement
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Events offer chance to meet candidates
Candidates meet conservatives today
Judge John Tyson, candidate for re-election to the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and Joe Johnson, candidate for state superintendent of schools, will speak at the Conservatives, Arise! meeting.
The event is at 6:30 p.m. today at the Golden Corral, 504 S.W. Greenville Blvd. Dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7 p.m.
No reservations are required. For more information, call 321-8838 or visit www.downeastrepublican.com.
Candidate meets Republican club
The Down East Republican Club will meet Thursday at Frank’s Pizza, U.S. 264, Washington.
Eric Smith, candidate for North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, and a representative of the Purpose of God Outreach Center will speak on the relationship between education, crime and economic development.
Dinner begins at 6 p.m. The meeting starts at 6:45 p.m. Call Al Klemm at 944-5068 for more information.
Pitt Republicans plan meeting Pitt County Republican Party will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at McAlister’s Deli. Local candidates will speak.
Senate 5 candidates gather
The six candidates in the District 5 Democratic state Senate race are scheduled to participate in a forum on Monday in Farmville.
Don Davis, Charles Johnson, Tony Moore, Chuck Stone, Kathy Taft and Ed Wilson are set to take part in the event sponsored by the Ayden-Grifton Times-Leader, The Farmville Enterprise and the Standard Laconic of Snow Hill.
The event will be held in the town hall at Farmville and begins at 6:30 p.m.
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District conventions schedule
This Saturday, North Carolinians will have a chance to attend the remaining Congressional District Conventions throughout the state, and John McCain wants you help by becoming a delegate to the Republican National Convention for him.
Click here if you do not know the district in which you are registered to vote
The remaining North Carolina Congressional District Conventions are as follows:
Congressional District: 2nd
Time: 9 a.m.
Contact: Joseph Avery, (919) 938-2533, javery1406@aol.com
Congressional District: 3rd
Time: 10 a.m.
Where: Havelock Tourist and Event Center, 201 Tourist Center Dr., Havelock
Contact: Jack Millis, (252) 646-6911, wmillis@ec.rr.com, www.3rdncgop.com
Congressional District: 4th
Time: 9 a.m.
Contact: Martha Jenkins, (919) 932-2256, marthajenkins@gmail.com
Congressional District: 10th
Time: 10 a.m.
Where: Citizen’s Center, 115 West Main Street, Lincolnton
Convention Chair: Neil Moore
Contact: Laurie Moody, Secretary 10th District, www.ncgopdistrict10.com/index.html
Congressional District: 11th
Time: Noon
Where: Haywood Community College
Contact: Stephen G. Duncan, (828) 777-5718
Congressional District: 13th
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Where: North Carolina Republican Party Headquarters (downstairs), 1506 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh
Contact: Bill Peaslee, (919) 481-1992
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Plans for N.C. debate squashed
There will be no debate between Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton.
In a release today, the N.C. Democratic Party announced the proposed debate scheduled for April 27 has been canceled due to “time constraints and logistical issues associated with such a large, national event.”
The party said there were also growing concerns about what another debate would do to party unity.
Clinton accepted an invitation for the debate earlier this month. Obama never agreed to participate.
Both candidates have committed to attending the Democrats’ Jefferson-Jackson Dinner May 2 in Raleigh. Tickets are available by signing up online at www.ncdp.org.
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Clinton renews call for NC debate
Today, NC State director for the Hillary Clinton campaign, Ace Smith, issued a statement after Senator Barack Obama declined having a debate in North Carolina:
“It is unfortunate that Senator Obama has chosen to brush off the people of North Carolina by flatly refusing to debate. But we are willing to move forward with another time and location for the debate so that he has no excuse for not participating. Unfortunately, it is becoming clear that Senator Obama simply does not believe that North Carolinians deserve the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates about how they will fix our economy, bring our troops home and provide quality health care for every American.
“Hillary Clinton is committed to debating the issues facing the Tar Heel State. We hope Sen. Obama will make the same commitment.”
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MoveOn creates Facebook petition against ABC
Did the questions Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos asked democratic presidential nominees during Wednesday’s debate seem, well, a little questionable to you?
It certainly bothered MoveOn.org.
The Web site’s Political Action team has sent an e-mail to their members requesting that they join a new Facebook group and sign a petition asking ABC and other media outlets to stick to important topics.
“Over 250,000 people have signed our petition to ABC so far in reaction to last Wednesday’s debate,” the e-mail says. “This week, we’ll buy an ad to increase pressure on ABC—and it will include the total number of signatures. You can help this number grow.”
Click here to sign the petition
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Sean Astin crossing NC for Clinton
Actor, director and producer Sean Astin will meet with voters across North Carolina this week in support of Senator Hillary Clinton.
Astin, star of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and “Rudy,” will visit with students, volunteers and undecided voters during a three-day tour today-Wednesday.
He began the tour at 8:30 a.m. today in Albemarle for an event called, “Breakfast with Sean Astin and Albemarle Voters.” He then passed through Troy at 11 a.m., Wadesboro at 2 p.m. and will hold more open-press events in Monore at 3:45 p.m., Waxhaw at 5 p.m. and Monroe at 6:45 p.m.
Tomorrow, he’ll hit Pinehurst first, at 9:45 a.m. at 3395 Airport Road. Then it’s off to Lillington at 1:30 p.m.; Raleigh at 3 p.m. in NC State’s Caldwell Lounge; Chapel Hill at 4:45 p.m. at the Class of 2000 Lounge on Airport Drive; and Roxboro at 6:45 p.m. in the Person County Office Building, 304 S. Morgan St.
The tour ends Wednesday after a 10 a.m. appearance at the University of North Carolina School of Arts, 1533 S. Main St., Winston-Salem, and an 11:45 a.m. lunch, also in Winston-Salem.
During President Clinton’s first term, Astin was appointed in 1995 by then Secretary of the Army Togo D. West Jr., as his Civilian Aid from Central California and Los Angeles. Astin served five full two-year terms, completing a rewarding 10-year association with the Army in 2005. Sean Astin was also appointed by George Bush to the Bi-Partisan/Non-Partisan Presidents Council on Service and Civic Participation. The mission of the council is to “Promote a Culture of Volunteerism and Civic Engagement.”
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Calls for Clinton event scheduled for Saturday
Michael Trujillo, North Carolina field director for the Clinton campaign, sent out an e-mail to residents asking for their help in making Hillary the next president.
“Please join us and other Hillary supporters across North Carolina as we make 100,000 calls to our neighbors and fellow voters and remind them why Hillary is ready to lead this nation,” the e-mail reads.
“She is ready to deliver universal health care, invest in alternative energies, and bring our troops home from Iraq. So come to your North Carolina for Hillary office in Greenville tomorrow and help us make history by delivering North Carolina to Hillary.”
This calling event will be held from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday at the Greenville headquarters, 2502 S. Charles St.
Click here to let them know you’re coming
Click here if you would rather call from home
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Volunteer: Barack the Vote one of the ‘best I’ve seen’
ECU Students for Obama and other volunteers held a registration and voting event called “Barack the Vote” today from 11a.m.-3p.m. at the bottom of College Hill.
In the summer-like weather, students tossed footballs and Frisbees, ate free pizza and listened to music provided by a DJ while volunteers drove people to early-voting sites every 30 minutes.
Nadia Shazly, ECU student and volunteer with ECU Students for Obama, said she thought they had a good showing.
“This is one of the best (turnouts) I’ve seen on this campus,” 18-year-old Shazly said. She also told The Reflector that they had been registering young voters the last couple of weeks.
“This is a way to see there is more to politics than what George Bush has to offer.”
Early voting will be available to North Carolinians through May 3.
During Barack the Vote, the 2008 Pitt County Democratic Party held their convention (from 1-3 p.m.) in Superior Court No. 1 at the Pitt County Courthouse.
Delegates to the first and third congressional district convention and the N.C. Democratic Party State Convention were elected.
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ECU students appear with Obama on ‘Colbert Report’
Last night, after Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum had mostly cleared out, Students for Obama interns and some East Carolina University students were asked to stick around and help Barack Obama tape a segment for “The Colbert Report.”
The segment, which aired last night, repeated today at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and will air again tonight at 8:30 p.m. on Comedy Central, showed Obama standing in front of the students as he joked with Colbert about political distractions and put them officially “on notice.”
“Stephen,” Obama said, “I would go so far as to say I want to put these political distractions on notice.
“Boys, bring out the ‘On Notice’ board.”
After fumbling around a box for the “distractions” card, Colbert asked Obama which issue should be taken off of the board.
“Well, it can’t be grizzly bears,” Obama said. “They are the number one threat to America.”
Obama decided to remove James Brady from the board, citing, “He’s a good guy.”
The episode also featured Senator Hillary Clinton fixing Colbert’s main screen and Senator John Edwards giving the night’s “Word,” which was renamed the “Ed-Words.”
Because the “Report” does not air new shows on Fridays, the episode featuring Obama, Clinton and Edwards will also probably air throughout the weekend and Monday.
Watch what happened below:
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“Signed, Sealed, Delivered”
Closing music brings an end to the rally.
He stands on the stage with Price, Butterfield and Watt. Cheers all around, signs dance in the air, and the press takes the stage to shoot photos, lower microphones and get the best vantage point of Obama as he moves through the crowd.
Clearly the folks here were moved by his speech, cheering at times, lapsing into respectful silence when Obama began to discuss the needs of disabled veterans, single-parent families and others.
Those who are not filing to the doors are milling around, hoping, it seems to get another glance of him as he works the crowd. He did not head for the door, but dove into the herd of students to meet, greet and sign autographs.
They are moving in waves, trying to get ahead of the group, craning and leaning to see him, cell phones in the air to get even a chance of a photo.
He is leaving now for a gathering of Democratic VIP supporters who paid for thie privilege of dining with Obama.
As he exits the arena, supporters send up one more cheer, then head for the exits themselves.
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That’s what hope is
“…imagining, and then fighting for what didn’t seem possible before.
There is a moment in the life of every generation when the spirit and the light come through…
This is our moment. This is our time.”
“You and I together, we will transform this country, we will transform the world.”
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“My job as Commander in Chief is to keep you safe”
It means training soldiers properly, and treating the properly when they come home, but also means using our military wisely.
“The war in Iraq is unwise. It distracted us from going after Bin Ladin … fanned the flames of anti-American sentiment around the world.”
“I was opposed to this war in 2002; I will bring this war to an end in 2009.”
“I don’t just want to end the war; I want to end the fever of fear that has gripped our foreign policy.”
“I will meet not just with our friends, but with our enemies. Some people said, “You can’t do that, and I said, yes I can. Watch me.”
Says we will lead in shutting down nuclear arsenals, battling hunger and the murder in Darfur. Adds that he wants to see the restoration of civil rights.
On the Democratic party:
“We are going to bring this party together. Whatever the differences between myself and Sen. Clinton, they pale in comparison to my differences with John McCain,” who, he says is a respected American and war veteran, but basically running for a continuation of George Bush’s administration.
“We don’t want to be the party of yesterday; we want to be the party of tomorrow.”
That’s why I’m running for president and that’s why you are here today. So let me close by saying, “Oh, Obama, you said people were angry and people were bitter. I may not have phrased things exactly perfectly, but I was absolutely certain about what I meant and what I said.”
“People are angry, people are frustrated.”
“This campaign started because we wanted to transform that frustration into hope.”
“The reason I talk about hope is because, if you think about it, there is no reason for me to be standing here today.”
Says he was raised by a single parent who gave him two things: education and hope.
“The idea was, if you talk about hope, you’re naive somehow. Hope is not blind optimism…I know how hard it will be to change this country … good intentions are not enough. But I also know that nothing in this country, except somebody, somewhere was willing to hope.”
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Building new infrastructure, discussing education
“If we’re spending $10 million a month in Iraq, we can afford to spend $10 a month in America” building infrastructure that will give all areas access to the Internet, to good roads, water and sewer.
Millions of jobs we can create in a green economy … training our workers for green jobs of the future, increasing fuel efficiency of cars …
… all of this we can do if we have a president who has a sense of urgency, that every child in America has the best education this country has to offer. If we invest in early childhood education, we can give youngsters a head start.
Wants to reward teachers with incentives.
Criticizes No Child Left Behind. “I don’t want teachers teaching to a test. I want our students to learn art and music and civics…”
“And (big cheer) I believe it is time to make college affordable for every American.”
“…. young people, you’ll have to give something back in return. Community service. We’ll invest in you, you invest in America, and together we will move this country forward.”
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“We’ve got to change”
… how business is done.”
“The American people through $25 donations, $75 donations and $5 donations have funded this campaign. You have shown it can be done.”
“We have registered 78,000 new voters. I met a man backstage who said he had taken a week off his vacation time to go and register voters … said it was the best vacation he had ever had, because he’s feeling ready to bring about change.”
“So there is something in the air in this election.”
“We can tell those lobbyists that this is over, because they have not funded my campaign, they cannot run the White House… when we have a Congress answerable to you, we can do something about it.”
Outlines his health plan by saying Congress will enact subsidies for those who do have insurance and provide opportunities for those who don’t.
“If you’re ready for change, we can make an economy that is fairer.”
“CEO is making more in a day than a worker makes in a year … if the company goes belly-up, the CEO goes away with a golden parachute, and the worker loses his pension.”
Tax breaks not to companies who go overseas, but those who invest in Greenville.
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“When we come together”
“There is no challenge we cannot meet, no destiny we cannot fulfill.”
“I am here to report, after 15 months…. I am here to report … my faith in the American people has been vindicated. Because everywhere I go, we are ready for change, we are ready for something new ….”
Applause, cheers drown him out, but he continues nonetheless.
“Young people have been getting involved like never before. But those of us who are young at heart have been getting involved, too.”
“…because when we go to the polling places in November, the name George W. Bush will not be on the ballot. The name of my cousin, Dick Cheney, will not be on the ballot.”
…”That was really embarrassing. If we have a family reunion, I won’t be going with the hunting party.”
“…We come together tonight not just to be against something, but we want to be for something. We’ve got big problems to solve in America. People wnat to know how they can pay the rent, how they can pay the medical bills…How many people used to work in a plant, and the plant gets up and goes overseas … they don’t just lose their jobs, they have to compete with their kids for a job at Wal-mart for $7 and hour.”
“The biggest problem we have is not how we solve the energy crisis or the problems of heath care. That’s not our biggest challenge. Our biggest challenge is that our politics don’t work…the partisanship and bitterness is so deep… that it’s hard for people to get out of it.”
“The status quo resists change.”
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“I’ve been running for 15 months now”
Why did he start so long ago?
He says he’s running because of what Dr. King called, “The fierce urgency of now,” because, “I believe there is something wrong with being too late.”
“We are at a defining moment in our history. Here at home, our economy is in shambles. George Bush just figured this out. Wall Street just figured this out, but people on Main Street have known it for a long time.”
“Because people are working harder and harder just to get by, paying higher prices for gas, health care … and now, suddenly the housing market has collapsed.
“Goes to show you that, under George Bush, pain has trickled up.”
“We can’t afford to wait. … we cannot wait to end global warming…. to bring this war in Iraq to a close… and that is why I am running for President of the United States of America.”
Part of the reason I decided to run because I believed the scope of our challenges had oustripped the scope of our political systems to overcome.”
Pause. From the audience, as he points out someone who needs EMT help, “I love you Barack!”
And he answered, “I love you to.”
“Politics is not about tearing each other down, but about lifting the country up.”
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He looks taller on TV
He’s here. To the tune of “The Rising” by Bruce Springsteen
Noise is deafening, but he’s pausing to greet and sign autographs.
Wow, it’s loud in here, like bottling a Pirates football game, compressing it and releasing it in a phone booth.
He’s on the stage. I swear, he looks like he is 18 years old.
If noise could elect a candidate…
He waves and tells folks to sit down and thanks Gurganus for his introduction, the students, faculty and staff of ECU (loud cheer), Chancellor Steve Ballard, Mayor Pro-Tem Mildred Council, Reps. G.K.Butterfield, Mel Watt and David Price.
One last order of business, he says, is early voting. Wants every person here to vote tomorrow. One-Stop-Shopping here in North Carolina, he says. You can go, register and vote at the same time. “How much easier can we make it for you?”
Whoops. Tries to give his early voting phone number, 1-800-NC-EARLY, and stumbles over spelling early (says he almost pulled a Dan Quayle).
Now for the speech.
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Warmup Act III
NOW he’s in the tunnel.
HEeeeere he comes! I think.
Maybe.
Um.
OK. Never mind.
Must be now. Here comes the national press, filing in with their cameras to a niche next to the stage.
Goldsboro man, Franklin Gray, is speaking now, saying he is a reformed Republican who is a Barack Obama supporter.
SURELY, he’ll be here soon. Whoa. Here come the suits with earpieces. Surely, with all of this security around…
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O, Barack …
“Yes we can! Yes we can!”
Music rocks the area; cheers go up … and we wait.
… but not for long. He obviously has been spotted. Like the football team waiting in the tunnel, he is churning enthusiasm before he even emerges…
The crowd reacts to the slightest provocation. “Change We Can Believe In” signs have been distributed and are being waved in time to the music.
Does he have a theme song? Should we wait for “Purple Haze?” Wait. Wow. They are bumping the whole joint with the bass line.
OK. So maybe he wasn’t in the tunnel after all.
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Warmup Act II
The chant goes up: “O-Ba-Ma!, O-Ba-Ma!”
Nathan Lean, president of ECU’s students for Obama group, leads us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Ivy Simmons of Greenville speaks, too, saying we are excited to have him here. Other staffers talk about early voting, encouraging folks to take advantage of the opportunity.
Barack the Vote event tomorrow, 11-3 at the bottom of college hill. Fun, food, games and rides to the early voting polling places. AND, for seniors, from 11-3 there’ll be Barack the Vote at the county senior center, and one for families, same hours at Jaycee Park.
Pull out your cell phones, they say. Text NC to 62262, and you can be looped in to the Barack Obama Campaign.
Want everyone here to fill out a form to commit to early vote before they leave today.
Rep. G.K. Butterfield has taken the stage to introduce Obama, discussing his bond of friendship with the senator. Rep. Mel Watt, 12th District of NC, also is here. Watt and Butterfield high five.
Watt reminds the audience of yesterday’s endorsement of Obama. Cheers drown him out. He introduces U.S. Rep. David Price from the Triangle.
Obama, Price says, “is a leader who can bring the change we need. … restore America’s moral leadership in the world … bringing us back from the diplomatic meltown … of President Bush.”
“Barack Obama can win! This Obama campaign has swept this country; it has gone on for a long time. The youngest generation of voters is overwhelmingly in the Obama camp.
“We’re going to turn North Carolina blue, and Barack Obama is going to lead the way.”
Glad you can hear me over all this noise.
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The introduction
Looks like Barack’s warm-up act is hitting the stage.
Mildred Council, longtime member of the Greenville City Council and Mayor Pro-Tem, is onstage to welcome us to see Sen-A-Tor Ba-rack-a O-ba-ma.
“The road to the White House runs through America’s hometowns,” she said, quoting a publication. “Good evening to the people of North Carolina, and Eastern North Carolina in particular.
“We are a community of progressive strength in the aspects of courage, healthcare and leisure. We are working toward an all-inclusive city.”
WHooops! She called him Doctor Obama. “Barack Obama, I’m sorry!”
“Today is a special day for all of us. … to see a person of great fortitude … commanding leadership… to become the next presidential nominee… and, in November, the president of these United States of America.”
“… we want to thank him for his commitment to our men and women in uniform. We admire his ability to engage and to appeal to Democrats, Republicans and Independents of every demographic group.”
“… if we give him this opportunity to be president it will only broaden and be a positive force in all of our futures.”
“Greenville is the hub is eastern North Carolina. … as Southerners, we welcome Barack Obama with open arms and want him to feel right at home Down East.”
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Of every hue and color
One of the coolest parts about this gathering is the number of folks of all backgrounds, ethnic persuasions and ages.
There are a number of what President Bush once refered to as “women of cover” (No comment.), black kids, white women with silver hair, elderly African-American men who have seen yesterday … and love today … rednecks, bewildered, tired staffers, Secret Service and, of course, the press. Dailies, weeklies, local TV, networks, Oh. Excuse me. Networks …
Cheers are going up from time to time as folks THINK they hear or see something.
5 EMS calls so far, mostly fainters from the heat, and one diabetic seizure.
More than 1,500 folks are waiting outside. They’re setting up a sound system so they can hear the speech.
Anticipation is building. 20 minutes until O-hour.
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Stemming the flow… except for CNN,CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, DEFG
Looks like there is a higher power here in Greenville.
The Fire Marshall.
Though there seems to be some space available on the floor, the fire marshall has told staffers (and the Secret Service — take That! Homeland Security) that it’s time to pause and review. How many are here? How many are waiting? There is talk of moving them to the “overflow” area, but we’re not sure where that is.
The national press is filtering in and starting its setup.
And Linward Barnhill, 73, of Greenville, showed up in his American flag shirt. Obama staffers grabbed him and escorted him to the bleachers behind Obama’s podium, where he’ll be seen by TV cameras. He told us, “It’s a day to be patriotic.”
Meanwhile Sen. Obama is entertaining questions from our reporter. Odd. Somewhere near the Pirates’ locker room stands a presidential candidate and a small town journalist. Welcome to America.
He’s due to take the stage in 40 minutes.
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Purple … Gold! No…Wait!
Did I say pep rally?
The wave has encircled the arena already stirring us into a sea of folks, but folks seem to be confused about why they’re here. They’re yelling, “Purple!” and being answered with, “Gold!”
I guess that has a better ring than “Demo!” … “Crat!”
Our reporter has just been summoned for his one-on-one with Sen. Obama, so he must be in the building — or at least nearby.
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The Eagle wanna be has landed
Welcome to Greenville, Sen. O’Bama.
You have a coliseum full of people who’re being blasted with your mix tape music, an army of volunteers, at least one of whom is wearing your campaign buttons as earrings, and an atmosphere that approaches that of a giant pep rally.
There’s room left on the floor now, and a few seats in the upper reaches, but he’ll face a packed arena by the time he arrives.
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This just in …
He’s in the air!
The flight tracking site has revised his take-off time, and already, he’s nearing PGV airspace.
Maybe he’ll make his 6 p.m. appointment after all.
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Obama’s Mix Tape
Here’s what we’ve heard today, though we’re told much of it was played at the Clinton rally… still, if the candidates’ policy proposals aren’t all that far apart, can we suppose that their taste in music … nah.
Here you go:
Walk On, U2; It’s Gonna Be a Lovely Day, S.O.U.L. S.Y.S.T.E.M.; Change, Blind Melon; Back in the USA, artist unknown; American Land, Pogues (we think); Rockin’ Me, Steve Miller Band; My Hero, Foo Fighters; Won’t Get Fooled Again, The Who; Man in the Mirror, Michael Jackson; You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet, BTO; Times Like These, Foo Fighters; Boy in the Bubble, Paul Simon
…. so far.
The crowd of youngsters on the floor is now about 10 deep, still in that arc around the stage. Already, cell phones, cameras and other electronic equipment is being hoisted above heads for photos.
Williams Arena, which seats a is about 75% full. It seats about 7,500. People are filing in steadily, still.
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Flight delayed
… well, at least according to the Internet, it is.
Tracking what we believe to be the plane bringing Obama to Greenville, we find that its departure has been delayed by about 40 minutes. Given the size of the plane on which he will be flying, we’ll have to wait for him to deplane along with the army of national press that’ll be traveling with him.
The rally is supposed to get under way at about 6 p.m. We’ll see.
Seats are still filling steadily here in the coliseum, with a crowd that seems to be divided about 60%-40% African-American to white, about 65% under the age of 30. Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” is blaring from the speakers, and youngsters, now allowed onto the floor of the coliseum are crowded around the semi-circular stage area like a five-deep arc of people.
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“Obama is my home boy”
The seats are filling as Obama supporters and others pour into the arena. Doors were opened about 3:45; selected folks are being allowed onto the floor level, where the bleachers are open on three sides (press is on the other).
Most people are being asked to go upstairs, and the front rows are filling quickly — well the REAL front rows, those reserved for Pirates supporters who donate big bucks for great seats at basketball games, are still empty, so they must be holding those for similarly well-heeled Obama supporters.
The line outside is huge, with folks carrying portable chairs, umbrellas to protect them from the heat, and wearing t-shirts saying, “Obama is my home boy.” The Secret Service has more than 30 members of the transportation security administration manning metal detectors.
Volunteers are herding late-comers to the back of the line. One volunteer stood at the front of the line shouting, “To the left! To the left!” urging folks to “listen to the words of Beyonce. (It’s for sure that, at an Obama rally, they wouldn’t herd anyone to the right.)
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From inside Minges
We have been admitted to Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum, having been sniffed, frisked, wanded, ID’d and sent along our merry way.
The seats are all empty save for 50-75 stragglers (probably volunteers) who’ve gained admittance and are staking their claim. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 people have been waiting outside in the sun for hours. One couple, we were told, was here shortly after midnight. When the Obama staff workers found them, they sent them home with a promise of front-row seats tonight.
There are probably 100 press types wandering in this area, which is cordoned off by waist-high steel fencing. Two rows of tables are lined up behind, with “traveling press” afforded front-row seats, while the lowly local press is relegated to the back.
Obama signs dot the arena, student volunteers are wearing purple and gold “O” ECU for Obama t-shirts.
Anticipation is building already; sound checks and camera hook-ups are under way.
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Lines indicate packed house at Minges tonight
East Carolina University officials are expecting a packed house with at least 1,500 people in line at 2:15 p.m., an observer said.
J.J. McLamb with ECU facilities was warning Minges coliseum would fit 8,000 people tonight.
Campaign organizers were dividing the crowd into two lines, one for students and another for the general public. They were keeping folks busy by having them fill out forms, an observer said.
The “Ticket for Change” form asks people to become activity involved in the campaign by either pledging to early vote for Obama, volunteer to go door-to-door on election day or house a volunteer.
It also requests the name, telephone number and e-mail of individuals.
ECU security officials were monitoring the situation and working to figure out how to direct the two lines once the doors opened.
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Lines forming for Obama
Three hours remain until the doors open for Sen. Barack Obama’s speech in Greenville today, but people are already lining up for the event.
Approximately 200 people are sitting outside of Minges Coliseum right now, and there are already members of the parking and transportation staff directing traffic around the facility.
The lot directly beside Minges is full, but there are still plenty of spots available next to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium and in the Minges lot next to Charles Boulevard.
Check back here for more updates as they become available.
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Debate recap
Did you miss last night’s debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton?
Watch the highlights from TPMtv below:
Do you think Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos were too harsh?
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More details about Obama appearance
Officials from the campaign for Sen. Barack Obama say they expect him to take the stage around 6 p.m. today.
The Democratic presidential candidate is speaking during a campaign rally at East Carolina University’s Minges Coliseum.
Doors open at 4 p.m. for the general public, and admission will be granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
For security reasons, officials are requesting attendees not bring bags, signs or banners. They also suggest people limit personal items brought to the event.
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Parking should be plentiful for Obama rally
Anyone heading to Minges Coliseum today to hear Sen. Barack Obama speak should not have any issues with parking.
East Carolina University officials said they are making the lots normally reserved for students near the coliseum and Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium available to the general public.
Officials are also offering shuttle service beginning at 3:30 p.m. from the Curry Court overflow parking lots near the Belk Building at the intersection of Charles and Greenville Boulevards.
“We anticipate that should be enough parking,” said Wood Davis, interim director of ECU transit. “With all of the parking near Minges and Ficklen and all of the parking at Curry Court, it should be enough. It is also during the evening hours, so that will help, because a lot of the students will be gone from the lots.”
Doors open at 4 p.m. Campaign officials have not said when they expect Obama to speak.
More details about today’s event will be posted as they become available.
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Democrats gear up for John Pierce celebration
The John Pierce Fellowship lunch, a longtime celebration of Democratic Party politics, is scheduled for May 2.
Celebrating its 85th year, the event started as a birthday celebration for Pierce, a merchant and cotton broker from Ayden. It evolved into a celebration for Democratic powerhouses that brought senators, congressmen and governors to town before the primary elections.
This year’s event is being held at the Richard McLawhorn Farm on Norris Store Road, off N.C. 903 South in the Ayden township.
Registration and a reception begin at 10:30 a.m., the program starts at noon and lunch is served at 12:30 p.m. Lunch is $10.
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Campaign RSVP will generate mailings
If you went online to RSVP Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign in anticipation of attending his rally in Greenville, expect to hear more from the campaign.
People who sign up at the www.nc.barackobama.com will be notified about other North Carolina events, campaign spokeswoman Katherine Lyons said.
Organizers of today’s Obama appearance at Minges Coliseum say they ask for attendees to RSVP so they can determine whether additional rooms will be needed to hold the expected crowd, which will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.
But those who filled out the RSVP will continue to receive information, she said.
The Web site asks people who want to attend to consider carpooling because of limited parking space. It also says to not bring bags, signs or banners for security reasons, and to limit personal items brought to the event.
The coliseum’s doors open at 4 p.m. Campaign officials have not confirmed what time they expect Obama to speak.
Congressmen endorse Obama
One day before Sen. Barack Obama returns to North Carolina, the Democratic presidential hopeful picked up a pair of congressional endorsements in the state.
Congressmen David Price, who represents the 4th District, and Mel Watt, a 12th District representative, each announced their support for Obama today during a conference call.
The lawmakers are both North Carolina superdelegates who previously endorsed Sen. John Edwards.
Their decision gives Obama the support of six of North Carolina’s 17 superdelegates. Only one of the state’s superdelegates is backing Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The rest are uncommitted and many have said they are unlikely to endorse a candidate until after the state’s May 6 primary.
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Ron Paul releases new ad
The Ron Paul campaign posted a new radio advertisement on YouTube.
They began broadcasting the ad on radio stations on April 10 and plan to keep it running throughout the state until its April 22 primary.
Press play and listen:
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Obama picks up two N.C. endorsements
One day before Sen. Barack Obama returns to North Carolina, the Democratic presidential hopeful picked up a pair of congressional endorsements in the state.
Congressmen David Price, who represents the 4th District, and Mel Watt, a 12th District representative, each announced their support for Obama today during a conference call.
Both representatives had previously endorsed Sen. John Edwards.
Their endorsements come one day before Obama is scheduled to hold a town hall meeting in Raleigh and a rally in Greenville.
The Obama appearance in Greenville will be at East Carolina University’s Minges Coliseum. Doors open at 4 p.m., and admission will be granted on a first come, first serve basis.
Campaign officials have not confirmed what time they expect Obama to speak.
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Hillary Clinton coming to Winston-Salem
Senator Hillary Clinton will be back in North Carolina Friday; but this time, she’s heading to Winston-Salem.
She’s also invited a friend to help during this campaign stop before the May 6 primaries — Maya Angelou.
Clinton will be speaking in Wake Chapel, 1834 Wake Forest Rd., at Wake Forest University. The event is free and open to public. Doors open at 4 p.m. and speakers are scheduled to take the stage at 6 p.m.
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ObamaRama rescheduled
ObamaRama has been renamed and pushed back from Thursday due to Barack Obama’s scheduled appearance in Greenville and moved to Friday afternoon.
The rally, now called Barack the Vote, will still be held at the bottom of College Hill Drive but will now be from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. This will be an early-voting kick-off event and will feature live music (2-3 bands), free food and games. Contributing organizations are also hoping to offer transportation to and from the early voting location.
For more information, contact Jessica McQuade at jam1023@ecu.edu with any questions, comments or concerns.
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Obama to speak at ECU
The campaign for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has released more details about his visit to Greenville Thursday.
Obama will be speaking at Minges Coliseum on the East Carolina University campus. Doors open at 4 p.m., but the time of the speech has yet to be released.
Katherine Lyons, campaign spokesperson, said tickets are not required for the event, but people are strongly encouraged to sign up here if they plan on attending.
Admission is based on a first come, first serve basis, Lyons said. For security reasons, the campaign is also asking that people do not bring bags to the event. Signs and banners will not be permitted.
Further details will be announced as they become available.
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Hagan to visit Boulevard Bagel
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kay Hagan announced she will visit Greenville tomorrow at 7:30 a.m.
Hagan will host a meet and greet with voters at Boulevard Bagel, 327 E. Arlington Boulevard, just west of Greenville Boulevard.
Hagan, a state Senator, is among six Democrats vying to run in November for the seat held by Republican Elizabeth Dole.
Visit the N.C. Democratic Party’s Web site for links to her Web site and the other candidates’ sites.
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Obama campaign hosting local economic forum
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign is encouraging undecided voters to attend one of the economic forums it is hosting Tuesday throughout the state.
The event will offer voters a chance to learn more about Obama’s plan for the economy, and discuss ideas with their friends and neighbors, campaign officials said. It will also feature a briefing via conference call from one of Obama’s senior economic advisors.
One of the forums will be held at the Obama for America Greenville Headquarters, 414 Evans Street. The event begins at 5:30 p.m., and the briefing starts at 6 p.m.
It is being held on the deadline for filing tax returns to highlight Obama’s commitment to tax fairness for the middle class and his detailed plans to invest in the middle class and make real change happen, campaign officials said.
Last Friday, the campaign announced Obama’s economic blueprint for North Carolina - a 47-page book detailing his plan to turn the economy around and invest in the middle class. The book is available online here.
Other forums are being held in Asheville, Burlington, Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, Hickory, New Bern, Raleigh and Winston-Salem.
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Clinton opens campaign office
Supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign staged a quiet grand opening for their Greenville office at 2 p.m. Sunday.
The young people on hand — taking a time-out from decorating the former mortgage firm with signs, sidewalk chalk and window paint — asked visitors to sign in and sign up for upcoming Clinton support drives.
Two staffers and a rotation of interns and volunteers will organize door-to-door canvassing and call lists to attract area voters.
“We’re just trying to get people out to vote on May 9,” said intern Ronnie Ingold.
A handful of people stopped by during the first hour, though one volunteer said they’d garnered plenty of interest at former president Bill Clinton’s speech Saturday.
The Greenville headquarters is located at 2502 Charles Blvd. and will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
It’s the 11th North Carolina for Hillary office, with others in Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Winston-Salem, Wilmington, Asheville, Jacksonville, Burlington, and Wilson.
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Clinton campaign to open Greenville office today
North Carolina for Hillary will open its Greenville headquarters today at 2502 S. Charles Blvd., the campaign office announced this morning.
The event begins at 2 p.m. Campaign staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions, and visitors will have the opportunity to sign up for activities throughout the region and state, a news release said.
The Greenville headquarters is the 11th North Carolina for Hillary office, the campaign reported.
It joins locations in Raleigh, Charlotte, Greensboro, Fayetteville, Winston-Salem, Wilmington, Asheville, Jacksonville, Burlington and Wilson.
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Clinton’s Three Reasons
Former President Bill Clinton during a campaign stop in Greenville on Saturday, April 12, offers three reasons why he believes his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton, is the best choice for president of the United States.
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From American dream to American nightmare
Former President Bill Clinton on Saturday, during his campaign stop in Greenville for wife Hillary’s presidential bid, describes the state of the American dream.
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Obama announces Greenville visit on Clinton’s tail
On the tail of a Saturday visit by former President Bill Clinton to Greenville, Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign announced he is coming here on Thursday.
Clinton was at South Central High School as part of a six city swing through the region on behalf of the his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton, and her campaign for president.
Obama, Clinton’s rival for the Democratic nomination, will announce details including the location of his visit next week, his campaign said.
He will hold a town hall meeting in the Triangle area followed by an event in Greenville Thursday evening, the campaign said.
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Full audio from the speech
Hillary Clinton will pave the way for energy independence, end No Child Left Behind, make college more accessible and affordable and be the best agent for change as president, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, said Saturday in Greenville.
CLICK HERE TO SCROLL THROUGH THE SPEECH
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Clinton comments on gas prices and healthcare impress some
Gas prices and healthcare costs were two of the most important topics covered during former President Bill Clinton’s speech in Greenville Saturday, some who attended say.
While campaigning for Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, the former president said his wife would fund research for energy-efficient automobiles and support a plan that allows the uninsured to purchase the same coverage federal workers and members of Congress have.
“Hillary Clinton can help us in those areas,” Clint Steele, 55, of Winterville, said. “I think she has the connections to shake what needs to be shaken.”
Marcus Carden, an East Carolina University medical student, said the country is going to be running into a lot of problems with medicare and the uninsured, and he wanted to learn more about where Hillary Clinton stood on those issues.
“He said some interesting things, and it seems like his wife has some good ideas in those areas,” Carden said.
ECU freshman Demauria Squires said she liked the idea of more energy-efficient automobiles because rising gas prices are a major concern of hers.
“It’s burning my pockets, so anything that can help with that would be good,” Squires said.
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Clinton in Greenville calls wife a ‘change maker’
Hillary Clinton will pave the way for energy independence, end No Child Left Behind, make college more accessible and affordable and be the best agent for change as president, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, said Saturday in Greenville.
Clinton spoke before a crowd of about 1,100 that did not fill the new high school gymnasium with people but filled it with cheers and applause in support his wife’s bid for the Democratic Presidential nomination.
Going tieless in a gray sports coats and medium blue shirt, Clinton acknowledged the history-making aspect of the Democratic race — a black man and a woman vying for the top spot. The president urged the crowd to look beyond history and toward tomorrow.
“What matters is who will make the best future for you,” Clinton said. “She believes America works best when we work together,” Clinton said. “That we are best when we are a country of shared prosperity, shared responsibility,” he said.
Clinton was in Greenville as part of six city tour in the region, part of the Clintons’ Solutions for America campaign.
He offered details on major issues and how his wife planned to address them, from the slogging economy to education failures and national security questions. He said his wife was best equipped among the candidates to develop and put solutions into action.
“She is the best change maker I ever saw,” Clinton said.
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South Central students meet with Clinton
A pair of South Central High School students met former president Bill Clinton today just moments before he spoke in Winterville.
Jasmine Flood, student body president, and Josh Grice, junior class president, said they were honored and overwhelmed by the experience, which included the two speaking before Clinton took the stage.
“Meeting a former president is something we never would have imagined we would get to do, let alone talk on the stage before he came out at a campaign rally,” Flood, a senior, said.
Clinton was in town, stumping for his wife Hillary’s campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Grice said he and Flood were approached by South Central Principal John Coleman Friday, and asked to prepare a speech for the event.
“It was an overwhelming experience,” he said. “I thought he represented his wife well.”
Grice and Flood said their meeting with Clinton was brief, but it was something they will remember the rest of their life.
“It was a great honor,” Flood said. “To meet him, and it also was an honor that a former president would come to our school.”
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Third early polling place to open
Pitt County elections officials have added a third location for One-Stop early voting, which begins Thursday.
The polling spot will open at 2000 Cedar Lane, in the Center for Arts and Crafts at Jaycee Park.
It joins existing One Stop stations at the Agriculture Extension building, 403 Government Circle in north Greenville, and the Community Schools building, 4561 County Home Road.
The sites will allow residents to vote at their convenience before the May 6 primary election, elections officials say.
They will serve voters Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., through May 2, and on Saturday, May 3, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.
And here’s some good news for procrastinators. Even if they missed today’s deadline to register for voting on May 6, new voters still can cast ballots at the One Stop stations thanks to same-day registration.
That option won’t be available on Election Day because of the volume of voters expected to participate then.
For more information, call 902-3300 or click here to visit the Board of Elections Web site.
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ObamaRama
The Greenville-based Obama campaign, based on Evans Street, is planning to hold ObamaRama from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. April 17 at the bottom of College Hill Drive. This rally and early-voting kick-off event will also feature live music (2-3 bands), free food and games.
Right now, the contributing organizations are also hoping to offer transportation to and from the early voting location.
For more information, contact Jessica McQuade at jam1023@ecu.edu with any questions, comments or concerns.
The organizing groups are: Eastern N.C. for Obama, Fuquay-Varina NC for Obama, NC for Obama, North Carolina Students for Barack Obama, Pitt Community College Students for Obama and Pitt County For Obama.
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Obama sits down with The Advocate
Presidential nominee Barack Obama gave Kerry Eleveld of The Advocate an exclusive interview on issues in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community and what he would do for them if elected president.
Here are some excerpts:
When asked about his and Michelle’s stance on “waiting your turn”: “I don’t think that the gay and lesbian community, the LGBT community, should take its cues from me or some political leader in terms of what they think is right for them. It’s not my place to tell the LGBT community, ‘Wait your turn.’ I’m very mindful of Dr. King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” where he says to the white clergy, “Don’t tell me to wait for my freedom.”
On the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy: “I reasonably can see “don’t ask, don’t tell” eliminated. I think that I can help usher through an Employment Non-Discrimination Act and sign it into law.”
“… we’re spending large sums of money to kick highly qualified gays or lesbians out of our military, some of whom possess specialties like Arab-language capabilities that we desperately need. That doesn’t make us more safe, and what I want are members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who are making decisions based on what strengthens our military and what is going to make us safer, not ideology.”
About Donnie McClurkin’s speech in South Carolina: “I tell you what — my campaign is premised on trying to reach as many constituencies as possible and to go into as many places as possible, and sometimes that creates discomfort or turbulence … And so nobody is going to be perfectly aligned with my views. So what I hope is that people take me for who I am, for what I’ve said, and for what I’ve displayed in terms of my commitment to these issues, but understanding that there’s going to be a range of constituencies that I’m reaching out to and working on issues that we have in common, even though I may differ with them on other issues.”
Click here to read the full article
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Michelle Obama at NC State
Check out this video of Michelle Obama at NC State University on Tuesday:
Thoughts?
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Senate 5 lunch set in Greenville
The Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce will host a luncheon featuring the six candidates of the District 5 Democratic state Senate race.
Don Davis, Charles Johnson, Tony Moore, Chuck Stone, Kathy Taft and Ed Wilson are scheduled to attend the Power ‘08 Lunch at noon on Tuesday at Brook Valley Country Club.
The registration fee is $12 for chamber members and $17 for non-members. The Power ‘08 luncheons take place on the third Tuesday of every month.
For more information, contact the chamber at 752-4101 or frances@greenvillenc.org.
The candidates also will take part in an April 28 forum in Farmville, sponsored by the Ayden-Grifton Time-Leader, The Farmville Enterprise and the Standard Laconic of Snow Hill.
The event will be held in the town hall at Farmville and begins at 6:30 p.m.
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Presidential debate in North Carolina
Though it may not take place, the NC Democratic Party has posted an application form for a general ticket lottery for the (proposed) April 27 debate between Clinton and Obama.
Clinton has committed and Obama has not. Click here for the Web site.
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Clinton announces leadership council
Three Pitt County men have joined a panel supporting Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Tom Taft, Allen Thomas and Dean Westmorland have joined the statewide leadership council of North Carolina for Hillary Campaign.
Taft i s an attorney and former state senator, Thomas is a land developer and technology entrepreneur and Dean Westmoreland is former Chairman of the Cleveland County Board of Elections and the Cleveland County Democratic Party.
The list is comprised of more than 160 elected officials and community leaders from 23 counties across the state. Others on the council include General Hugh Shelton and Maya Angelou.
“We are supporting Sen. Clinton because we believe she will be the best president for North Carolina and for this country,” said former Democratic Party Chair Tom Hendrickson.
“She understands the issues facing voters in North Carolina and has strong plans to boost our economy and rebuild the middle class. We will work aggressively over the next month to share Senator’s Clinton bold vision for the future of our country with voters across the Tar Heel State.”
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State employees group endorses candidates
The Employees Political Action Committee, a subsidiary of the State Employees Association of North Carolina, has endorsed candidates for three seats May 6 to representi Pitt County in the state General Assembly. The candidates include:
• Edith Warren, an incumbent Democrat from Farmville who represents District 8 in the state House. The district includes parts of Pitt and Martin counties.
• Shelly Willingham, a candidate for the District 3 seat in the state Senate. The seat represents parts of Pitt, Martin and Edgecombe. Sen. Clark Jenkins, a Tarboro Democrat, is seeking re-election to the seat.
• Chuck Stone, one of six Democrats running for the District 5 state Senate seat representing Wayne, Pitt and Greene counties. Sen. John Kerr is not seeking re-election to the seat.
SEANC, which has 55,000 members, is the largest independent public employees association in the nation, according to an association news release.
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Clintons release details for Saturday stop
South Central High School will host former President Bill Clinton during his Saturday visit, the Sen. Hillary Clinton presidential campaign announced today.
The Greenville stop is part of a two-day campaign swing through the region.
Clinton is scheduled to appear at Pitt County’s newest high school at 9:30 a.m. Tickets are not being issued for the event; people will be given entry on a first-come, first-served basis, a campaign spokeswoman said.
Hillary Clinton is campaigning for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. This weekend’s stop is the former president’s fourth trip to North Carolina on his wife’s behalf.
It includes stops in to Roanoke Rapids and Rocky Mount on Friday. Saturday’s stops also include Wilson, Goldsboro, Deep Run, New Bern and Jacksonville.
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President Clinton to visit Greenville on Saturday
Former President Bill Clinton is coming to Greenville on Saturday to stump for his wife, presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton.
The stop is one of eight planned for Friday and Saturday, according to a campaign news release. It’s the fourth trip the former president has made to North Carolina during the 2008 primary season.
“We’re doing our best to touch voters across the state, planning a schedule where either the president or senator will be available to the entire state,” said Carly Lindauer, a Clinton campaign spokeswoman.
It’s the campaign’s first swing through the region. The former president is scheduled to appear in Greenville at 9:30 a.m. but the location has not been finalized, Lindauer said.
The event will be open to the public but tickets are not being issued, Lindauer said. People will be let in on a first-come, first serve basis.
“I think the president is going to be speaking on a wide variety of issues … from ending the war in Iraq to making sure everybody has affordable health care,” she said. “Sen. Clinton cares very deeply about the issues important to the voters in North Carolina,” Lindauer said.
That concern prompted the campaign to launch www.ncaskme.org to take questions from voters and respond to them in television advertisments.
“Utlimtately (voters) will find when they get the answers to their questions (that) she is the most experienced candidate to lead the nation on day one,” Lindauer said.
President Clinton’s eastern swing begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday in Roanoke Rapids, followed by a 9 p.m. stop in Rocky Mount at North Carolina Wesleyan College.
The Greenville event kicks off Saturday, followed by stops in Wilson, Goldsboro, Kinston, New Bern and Jacksonville.
DEBATE NOTE Though it may not take place, the NC Democratic Party has posted an application form for a general ticket lottery for the (proposed) April 27 debate between Clinton and Obama. Clinton has committed and Obama has not. Click here for the Web site.
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Nominees question Petraeus
Presidential nominees took the opportunity to question Army Gen. David Petraeus about the progress in Iraq in Washington today, after Petraeus told Congress he couldn’t promise any troop pullouts beyond this summer.
Robert Burns of The Associated Press reported that Petraeus was told “by a parade of Democrats that, after five years of war, it was past time to turn over much more of the war burden to the Iraqis.”
Sen. Hillary Clinton said she disagreed with those who criticized lawmakers who are calling for an orderly withdrawal.
“Rather, I think it could be fair to say that it might well be irresponsible to continue the policy that has not produced the results that have been promised time and time again at such tremendous cost to our national security and to the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States military,” she said.
Sen. Barack Obama told Petraeus he would not initiate a precipitous withdrawal. And he said talking regularly to the Iranians is critical to getting to the point where it would be safe to end American involvement.
“I do not believe we are going to be able to stabilize the situation without them,” Obama said.
John McCain also got his chance to speak: “Our goal — my goal — is an Iraq that no longer needs American troops. And I believe we can achieve that goal, perhaps sooner than many imagine. But I also believe that to promise a withdrawal of our forces, regardless of the consequences, would constitute a failure of political and moral leadership.”
Click here to read Burns’ article
Below are videos of Clinton and Obama asking Petraeus questions in Washington today.
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Smith a ‘man’s man,’ Greenwood says
WINTERVILLE — Raw oysters, fried shrimp and Lee Greenwood drew about 75 people to Wimpie’s Steam Bar and Cajun Cafe for a rally for Republican gubernatorial candidate Sen. Fred Smith.
Greenwood, a Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter, joked with Smith and performed a number of his hits. It was the 11th of 19 concerts Greenwood is putting on for Smith, a state senator from Johnston County. Smith is one of five Republicans seeking the party’s nomination for governor.
The rallies with Greenwood, which have included stops in New Bern and Washington, are a fun way to connect with voters, Smith said, and it gives him and chance to delve into his platform.
“This is the exclamation point,” Smith said. “In a 30-second TV ad you can’t tell people anything substantial.”
Greenwood said he’s solicited to support many candidates. He’s helping Smith because the state senator is a “man’s man.”
“He’s good and caring and overcame battles,” Greenwood said. “North Carolina has been a good state to me in my career. I sold a lot of records here and I knew I had fans and thought I could make a difference.”
| SLIDE SHOW |
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Clinton campaign holding “NC Ask Me” phone banks today
North Carolina for Hillary volunteers, supporters and staff will gather at phone banks across the state to continue answering over 6,000 questions that have been submitted since the campaign launched its NCAskMe.com website last Friday.
This is in addition to the NC Ask Me Web videos the campaign has been posting on their YouTube page.
At 5 p.m. the phone banks will begin answering calls at NC for Hillary headquarters in Raleigh (516 N. West Street), Charlotte (6400 Fairview Road), Fayetteville (231 Franklin Street) and Winston-Salem (704 Brookstown Avenue).
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Proud to be in Winterville
He may be best known for God Bless the USA, but Lee Greenwood’s written a few other songs.
Wind Beneath My Wings, for one, and another, Good to Great, that’s a hit with supporters of GOP candidate for governor Fred Smith.
Greenwood will perform the song he wrote for Smith along with others today during a noon rally at Wimpies oyster bar in Winterville.
A little extra effort is what it takes to go from good to great, the song says, a take on Smith’s autobiography, Good to Great.
Smith’s campaign mailed the book to voters throughout the region recently along with an invitation to attend the show, Smith’s chief of staff Jonathan Hill said today.
The Winterville show is the 11th in series of 17 across the state through which Hill says the campaign is reaching core supporters, conservatives who will help raise funds, distribute campaign signs and get out the vote.
The 90-minute show includes an entertaining conversation between Greenwood and Smith and a performance by Greenwood, Hill said.
The shows have been drawing enthusiastic support, Hill said. About 120 attended a lunch show in Goldsboro recently, 150 turned out in Henderson and 120 came out in Alamance County.
“This in a continuation of our grass-roots effort,” Hill said. “Through all of these rallies we will cover the state.”
The concerts are free but campaign organizers are asking for a $25 donation.
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Candidate pledges full support for medical school
State Senator Walter Dalton, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, toured ECU’s Brody School of Medicine today. He was joined on the tour by former State Senator Tom Taft and ECU Board of Trustees Member David Brody. After touring the Family Practice Center Dalton called for funding a new family practice facility to replace the outdated and inadequate facility.
“ECU is providing a vital service to our state, especially rural and Eastern North Carolina,” Dalton said in a news release. “Brody School of Medicine consistently ranks as one of the best medical schools for Primary and Family Care in the nation. I strongly believe we should ensure that ECU continues to provide the best training and care for Eastern North Carolina and a new family practice center will help facilitate those goals.”
Dalton, who currently chairs the appropriations committee in the Senate, also cited the need to fully fund the remaining portion of ECU’s new dental school. He was on hand for the school’s groundbreaking in late February.
“Brody has been fulfilling its mission to bring more doctors and better health care to rural North Carolina and the dental school will soon continue that tradition by bringing more dentists to rural areas that have no dentists or are underserved,” Dalton said. “I have been very supportive of ECU in the state Senate and I will continue to support Brody School of Medicine and the ECU dental school as lieutenant governor.”
Dalton also expressed support for a decision by the UNC Board of Governors to expand the size of entering medical school classes at both Brody and UNC-Chapel Hill.
“We must ensure that as class sizes expand at our medical schools the state follows suit and supports the increase through additional funding and bigger, better, and modern facilities,” Dalton said.
For more information about Senator Dalton and his campaign, visit www.walterdalton.org.
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Locals start organizing, praying for Obama
New organization ObamaVegas is currently planning a meeting scheduled for Thursday for Barack Obama supporters to brainstorm ideas and strategies on how to get more information and flyers out to Greenville.
Definitive location and time has yet to be decided, but organizers are considering the Elm Street Gym around Noon.
For those who can’t make it out, resident Koren Washington is organizing a prayer movement to be held for about five minutes around 10:30 p.m. over the next three Tuesdays.
“This is an opportunity to exponentially augment that power, over the next three Tuesdays, by collectively focusing our spiritual attention and intention before the next critical primaries,” Washington wrote.
“Let’s all take a moment to pray for his continued protection, guidance, and victory at the polls.”
Remember: The deadline for NC voters to register is Friday!
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John McCain update: The ‘Service to America’ tour
Last week, Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain spent four days traveling through Mississippi, Virginia, Maryland and Florida on what he calls his “Service to America Tour.” In each place, he recalled significant moments in his life as an American and a soldier.
The tour began in Meridian, Miss., the location of McCain field and where he spoke of his deep military roots. The field is named after John McCain’s grandfather, an admiral in the U.S. Navy.
“A distant ancestor served on General Washington’s staff,” McCain said, “and it seems my ancestors fought in most wars in our nation’s history. All were soldiers — both Henry and Bill McCain were West Pointers — until my grandfather broke family tradition and entered the Naval Academy in 1902. He was succeeded there by my father, then me, and then my son.”
In Alexandria, Va., where he attended Episcopal High School, he spoke of a relationship he had with one of his teachers that would forever leave an imprint on his heart.
“I doubt I will ever meet another person who had the impact on my life that my English teacher at Episcopal High School did,” McCain said. “But I know there are many Americans who should teach and could influence children as beneficially as he did me.”
Then it was off to Annapolis, Md., the home of the U.S. Naval Academy, where McCain prepared to serve his country in Pensacola, Fl., after graduation: “I want every American to know that, despite its attendant risks and sacrifices, military service even for one or two enlistments or for a career is one of the most rewarding experiences you could ever have.”
The Service to America Tour ended on Day Four in Jacksonville, Fl., McCain’s home before his deployment to Vietnam and after he spent five years as a POW.
“The defense of my country was important not only to the security of my countrymen and the blessings of life in America. It was important to the world: to the peace and stability of the world and to advancing in a hostile world those ideals we believe are universal. I was part of that great cause, a small and unessential part, but a part nonetheless.”
Click here to check out videos and speeches from the tour
After the completion of the tour, McCain released a new Web advertisement. The video, almost 2 minutes and 30 seconds long, focuses on ideals of tolerance and respect:
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Walton to visit Brody School of Medicine
State Sen. Walter Dalton, a Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, is touring East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine today during a visit to Greenville.
Following the tour, Dalton, co-chair of the state appropriations committee, is expected to make a brief speech on healthcare in eastern North Carolina and his plans to strengthen ECU’s medical and dental schools.
The speech is planned for 3:30 p.m. in front of the Moye ECU Physicians’ Center, 521 Moye Blvd.
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Clinton tells DeGeneres of her new breast cancer research plan
This morning, Hillary Clinton appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and announced her plan to find a cure for breast cancer within our lifetime.
“I know your mom is a survivor, and we’ve lost my incredible mother-in-law to breast cancer during Bill’s first term and first year in office, and I’ve just been really committed,” Clinton said.
“We should make it absolutely totally curable, and I also really want to try to figure out what causes it, because we just don’t know why some people are susceptible. I think it’s probably a combination of your genes and your environment and your behavior, but we don’t know quite how all that fits together and we haven’t done enough research, and we also have to get to universal healthcare, which means quality, affordable healthcare for everyone.”
Clinton’s plan would provide $300 million a year in increased funding for breast cancer research at the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, and the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program. Investments will also go to investigate the cause of breast cancer, including the role that environmental pollutants may have, as well as, potential genetic and hereditary links.
The Clinton campaign says the plan would also improve access to screenings and treatment by making mammograms more affordable and providing funding for treatment for low-income women. Under Hillary’s American Health Choices Plan, all women will have affordable, quality health insurance regardless of employment, marital status, or pre-existing conditions so they get the care and treatment they need.
To see what she told DeGeneres about her breast cancer research plan, watch the interview at the 2:50 marker:
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers facing women in America. In 2008, an estimated 180,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women, as well as an estimated 60,000 additional cases of in situ breast cancer, for a total of 240,000 new cases. In 2007, approximately 40,460 women died from breast cancer. Only lung cancer accounts for more cancer deaths in women. Millions more are impacted as family members and friends of women who are battling breast cancer.
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Ready for another “3 a.m.” commercial?
Republican nominee John McCain has posted his own version if the “3 a.m.” advertisements:
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Hillary wants to hear from you
A special message to North Carolina from Hillary Clinton:
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Presidential candidates on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today, on the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death Republican John McCain and Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama spoke at separate meetings about his legacy.
Here are some quotes from each candidate, followed by a link to the each speech in its entirety:
John McCain, to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Memphis, Tenn.
“We see him today from a distance of four decades, more time than the man himself lived on this earth. And it would not be unusual if his stature or reputation had faded with the passing of the years. … But this has not been the case with the firstborn son of Alberta and Martin Luther King, Sr. He only seems a bigger man from far away.
“The quality of his character is only more apparent. His good name will be honored for as long as the creed of America is honored. His message will be heard and understood for as long as the message of the gospels is heard and understood.”
Click here for John McCain’s speech
Hillary Clinton, also in Memphis Tennessee
“Dr. King understood our constitution better than most of us. He knew it was crafted to expand as our hearts expanded. It was not a constricted document from one place in time, but an expansive proclamation of what America could become if we had the courage to do so. Slavery was written onto that document, but so was the potential for equality.
“He waged that revolution, but not just to change our laws, as I heard Bishop Blake talking about, but to change our hearts and behaviors. He reminded us that those who signed our founding documents were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir; the promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In the end he asked nothing more than that we redeem that promise, each in our own way through faith-based institutions, through our businesses, our labor unions, through our political and public service.”
Click here for Hillary Clinton’s speech
Barack Obama, in Fort Wayne, Ind.
“You know, Dr. King once said that the arc of the moral universe is long, but that it bends toward justice. But what he also knew was that it doesn’t bend on its own. It bends because each of us puts our hands on that arc and bends it in the direction of justice.
“So on this day — of all days — let’s each do our part to bend that arc. Let’s bend that arc toward justice. Let’s bend that arc toward opportunity. Let’s bend that arc toward prosperity for all.
“And if we can do that and march together — as one nation, and one people — then we won’t just be keeping faith with what Dr. King lived and died for, we’ll be making real the words of Amos that he invoked so often, and “let justice roll down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Click here for Barack Obama’s speech
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Neal hits Greenville for Final 4
Running a statewide campaign doesn’t leave a person lot of down time, but U.S. Senate candidate Jim Neal plans to root for the Tar Heels on Saturday night at a Greenville restaurant.
Neal is one of five Democrats seeking the party’s nomination in the May 6 primary. He will be at Buffalo Wild Wings, 426-B E. Arlington Blvd., on Saturday to watch the UNC Tar Heels take on the Kansas Jayhawks. His supporters are gathering at 8 p.m. and Neal is expected to arrive about 9:30 p.m.
Do not fear Carolina fans, Neal, a 1978 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, isn’t planning any campaign speeches, spokesman Andrew Kain said.
“We have a bunch of supporters in Greenville and we asked if they wanted to watch the game,” Kain said Thursday. “I don’t anticipate a big candidate speech, just a lot of people watching the Heels and having a good time.”
Neal’s game day break will follow campaign stops in Dare County at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Chowan County.
Hagan comes east this weekend
One Neal rival, state Sen. Kay Hagan, also is campaigning in the region this weekend.
She will hold meet-and-greet events in Wayne, Lenoir, Washington, Chowan and Bertie counties and participate in a Democratic Party rally in Dare County during a three-day sweep that starts today.
The two closest events are taking place today. At 1 p.m. Hagan will host a meet and greet at Wilber’s BBQ, N.C. 70, Goldsboro. She’ll get another sampling of eastern North Carolina-style barbecue at 5 p.m. during another meet and greet event at King’s BBQ in Kinston.
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NAACP holding voter registration drive
Calvin Henderson said he couldn’t think of a better day to start the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s voter registration drive.
Henderson, president of the Pitt County branch, says the organization will start a registration drive today at 10 a.m. in honor of the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s death.
King was assassinated April 4, 1968 on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn.
Henderson said anyone wishing to register can do so between 10 a.m.-5 p.m. until the April 11 primary deadline.
Anyone seeking more information can contact the NAACP office at 758-7645.
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Clinton agrees to N.C. debate, plans TV ads
Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton said today she has agreed to participate in a debate in North Carolina April 27.
The time and location have not been finalized, and Clinton said she doesn’t know if Sen. Barack Obama has accepted the invitation.
The debate would be televised by CBS, and the format has not be determined.
Clinton also announced today a new strategy in which she plans to answer the questions of North Carolinians through a series of 60-second television ads.
Questions can be submitted here.
“People can log on, and ask me anything and everything,” Clinton said during a conference call. “I look forward to having a conversation with the voters of North Carolina, and answering a new question on television each week. I want to know what keeps you up at night, and what gets you up in the morning.”
Ace Smith, state director for the Clinton campaign, said the ads will begin running tomorrow.
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Doyle says N.C. will be vital
Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle believes the North Carolina primary will end a competitive race between Democratic presidential hopefuls, he said during a visit to Greenville today.
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| Gov. Jim Doyle |
Doyle, who spoke at the Barack Obama headquarters on Evans Street, said he didn’t think it was time for Senator Hillary Clinton to end her campaign yet, but he believes an Obama victory in N.C. on May 6 would essentially end it for her.
“I think North Carolina will be, in many ways, the state that brings this to an end, and really makes it impossible for Senator Clinton to get the nomination,” Doyle said.
Doyle does not believe ongoing attacks by each campaign will hurt the Democratic party in the November general election. He said most people realize the need for change, and they will vote for the Democratic candidate, regardless of who it is.
“We will see a lot of Republicans vote for the Democrat, and certainly a lot of independents will vote for the Democrat because we just can’t have another four or eight years of Bush, which is really what Republicans are offering,” Doyle said.
Doyle’s speech centered around the needs of American veterans. He said Clinton’s past claims of being the first to provide health insurance to members of the National Guard was a “gross exaggeration.”
Obama would ensure members of the National Guard and Reserves are deployed responsibly, and receive the medical care and benefits they deserve, Doyle said.
“He is obviously a person who can reach out across the isle to Republicans, and not just lock us into the same old fights we have always had,” Doyle said of Obama.
Hear Doyle’s speech in Greenville
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State mails voter guide
What’s black and white and red all over? The 2008 Primary Voter Guide produced by the State Board of Elections.
The 22-page booklet, which also includes information about the N.C. Public Funding Program, is designed to educate voters about the state’s May 6 primary election.
The booklet explains the registration and voting process, provides information about voter accessibility and brief biographical information about candidates receiving public funding.
The 3.65 million guides were funded through the $3 check-off on the state income tax form for the state’s public campaign fund.
Candidates who accept public funding agree to fundraising and spending limits, according to the booklet.
All candidates for the appellate courts, auditor, commissioner of insurance and superintendent of public instruction are receiving public financing this year.
Two appellate court seats are up for election this year; three people are running for one seat and four people are seeking the other. Their biographies include information about their place of residence, education, occupation, employer, date admitted to the bar, legal and judicial experience, Web site information and a personal statement.
The biographies of the other candidates include place of residence, education, occupation, employer, previously held elected offices, endorsements, Web site in formation and personal statement.
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Wayans brothers to promote voting
Actors Shawn and Marlon Wayans will be visiting eight college campuses in North Carolina this weekend in an effort to encourage voter registration, Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign has announced.
The Wayans will tour Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem State, UNC Greensboro, North Carolina A&T, UNC Chapel Hill, Duke University, North Carolina Central and North Carolina State.
Dates and times are to be announced. Find out more details on the blog as they become available.
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Kerr endorses Wilson
State Sen. John Kerr has endorsed a Wayne County man to replace him in the District 5 seat, which represents part of Pitt and Wayne counties and all of Greene County.
Kerr, a veteran senator from Goldsboro, announced today that he supports the candidacy of Ed Wilson, retired president of Wayne Community College.
The Democratic senator said in a letter he’s known Wilson for many years “and can vouch for his honesty, experience and commitment.”
Wilson’s work in the community college system gives him an understanding of the “important connection between a good education and a good economy,” Kerr said.
Other candidates for the seat include Kathy Taft of Greenville, a State Board of Education member, Snow Hill Mayor Don Davis, Winterville Alderman Tony Moore and former state Rep. Charles Johnson of Greenville.
Louis Pate of Mount Olive is the lone Republican running for the seat in May 6 primary.
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Voter registration on the rise
Nearly 2,000 people have registered to vote in Pitt County since the start of the year, and election officials expect that number to keep rising.
David Davis, interim director of the Pitt County Board of Elections , says the competitive race for the Democratic presidential nomination is bringing a lot of voters out, while not having an incumbent on the ticket is also a motivating factor.
The registration deadline for the May 6 primary is April 11.
Statistics show more women (889) than men (686) have registered since January. There have been more than 3,000 women register during the last year compared to 2,344 men. White voters have made up 757 of those registered since the start of the year, and there have been 702 black voters added to the system during that time.
Pitt County currently has 93,294 registered voters. Davis expects that number to rise above 100,000 by the Oct. 10 registration deadline for the general election.
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NC Clinton headquarters opens today
North Carolina for Hillary will hold the grand opening of its statewide campaign headquarters in Raleigh today at 5:30 p.m. Prominent local officials, campaign staff and volunteers will be there to answer questions and attendees will have the opportunity to sign up for activities throughout the region and state.
The North Carolina Headquarters for Clinton’s campaign is located at 516 N. West Street.
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Smith campaign promotes concerts
GOP candidate for governor Fred Smith dispatched a mailing to area voters inviting them to attend concerts by country singer Lee Greenwood.
The concerts are rallying support and raising funds for Smith’s campaign.
The packages arrived Monday in some mailboxes and included a copy of state senator’s autobiography, “A Little Extra Effort.”
Greenwood is scheduled to appear at Wimpie’s Steam Bar in Winterville on April 8.
The noon event is one of 17 rallies the Smith campaign is holding with Greenwood, best known for his song “God Bless the USA.”
Greenwood is set to appear at 7 p.m. today at Orringer Auditorium at Craven Community College in New Bern.
The concerts are free but campaign organizers are asking for a $25 donation.
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Wisconsin governor coming to Greenville
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama’s campaign announced today that Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle will campaign for Obama Thursday in Greenville.
Doyle, one of the first governors to endorse Obama, will speak at 10:15 a.m. in the Obama headquarters, 414 Evans Street.
The speech is expected to highlight rising key economic issues facing middle class families.
Doyle is also campaigning Wednesday in Raleigh, and heading to Goldsboro and Wilmington Thursday after his Greenville stop.
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McCain’s new Web ad
Republican presidential nominee John McCain released a new ad for Web-viewers on Sunday that focuses on family and character:
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Clinton says Obama doesn’t want N.C. vote
Yesterday, Hillary Clinton spoke with WWAY News Channel 3 about campaigning in North Carolina. — From TPMtv
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ECU voter registration kicks off today
Students for Barack Obama and the ECU College Democrats scheduled to begin a campus-wide voter registration today beginning at 10 a.m.
Today-Friday (and again Monday-April 11), drop by their designated table in front of the Wright Place to learn more about voting in Pitt County.
The organizations are also looking for volunteers to canvass dining halls, courtyards, College Hill and other parts of campus.
For more information, contact Nathan Lean, ECU Students for Barack Obama coordinator, at (919) 738-1951 or Grant Heuer, Obama for America ECU organizer, at (563) 940-5641.
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Ron Paul and the campaign that won’t die
Most of the country may have accepted that John McCain will be 2008’s Republican nominee for President of the United States, but that sure isn’t about to stop Ron Paul or his supporters.
That’s clear as soon as you open his Web page (www.ronpaul2008.com), where next to his smiling face, he proclaims “There were 11. Now there are two.”
Andrew Sullivan of The Daily Dish said Paul won’t quit so the conservatives “have a candidate to vote for at the Convention.”
And his meet-up groups also remain active. On Saturday, a group gathered near the interstate in downtown Chalreston, W.V.
Supporter Eugene Mazzocchi told WSAZ.com said Paul has been ignored, but “when America thinks that Ron Paul has a chance, America will come out and vote for a winner and Ron Paul is a proven winner.”
Tune in to CNN’s Headline News tonight at 7 when Ron Paul will speak with Glenn Beck and probably address his reasons for sticking around.
Click here to read Andrew Sullivan’s interesting article
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Clinton: ‘It’s none of your business’
Chelsea Clinton spent Monday in North Carolina answering questions about both her parents to students at NC State, Peace College and UNC Chapel Hill.
At a town hall meeting in Raleigh, Clinton criticized President Bush and urged students to register to vote, but once again was confronted about her father’s past relationship with Monica Lewinsky.
Just as she did last week at Butler University when asked a similar question, Clinton told the student the incident was none of his business. The exchange drew applause from the crowd.
Click here to read more about Clinton’s trip to N.C.
