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June 2008
Davis named director of elections
Pitt County’s Board of Elections has named David Davis its new director.
Davis, deputy director since 2003, has been serving as the interim director since Steve Hines left the position in March.
“We are very excited about David’s appointment,” said Pitt County Board of Elections Chairwoman Lillian T. Outterbridge. “We know he is going to do an outstanding job in continuing his work with the citizens of Pitt County, to give them every opportunity to participate in the election process.”
In his new role, Davis is responsible for the supervision of every election conducted in the county. His duties include filing candidates, staffing precincts, training poll-workers, maintaining registration records and addressing polling places. He will also manage the elections staff.
Prior to joining Pitt County, Davis served as the Family Court Case Manager for the 8th Judicial District. He is a graduate of East Carolina University.
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Ron Paul pulls out of race
Texas Rep. Ron Paul has ended his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
Paul said he is suspending his campaign to focus on building an organization to help recruit and elect “constitutionalists, limited government Republicans across the country at the state and federal level.”
The Texas Republican is expected to discuss his future sometime during the next three days at the Texas Republican State Convention in Houston.
“With the primary season now over, the presidential campaign is at an end,” Paul said a the letter announcing his intentions. “But the larger campaign for freedom is just getting started.”
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McCain vs. Obama: The economy
Looking for a super-condensed and simplified explanation on policy differences between John McCain and Barack Obama?
CNN will deliver. Here’s their take on the presidential nominees’ economic plans in 30 seconds:
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Obama confronts Lieberman?
The online/political/gossip world is abuzz with an apparent confrontation between senators Barack Obama and Joe Lieberman during a Senate vote Wednesday.
Josh Marshall with Talking Points Memo, posted on their site that Obama “dragged Lieberman by the hand to a far corner of the Senate chamber and engaged in what appeared to reporters in the gallery as an intense, three-minute conversation.
“While it was unclear what the two were discussing, the body language suggested that Obama was trying to convince Lieberman of something and his stance appeared slightly intimidating.
“Using forceful, but not angry, hand gestures, Obama literally backed up Lieberman against the wall, leaned in very close at times, and appeared to be trying to dominate the conversation, as the two talked over each other in a few instances.
“Still, Obama and Lieberman seemed to be trying to keep the back-and-forth congenial as they both patted each other on the back during and after the exchange.
“Afterwards, Obama smiled and pointed up at reporters peering over the edge of the press gallery for a better glimpse of their interaction.”
Speculation is that the conversation between the two related to Lieberman’s comments on Obama’s speech at AIPAC earlier this week. During a conference call, Lieberman said he was troubled by Obama’s comparison of Iran to the Soviet Union, and that he was right when he said Iran imposed a serious threat.
“Also, he made a major point during the campaign that American foreign policy in recent years has essentially strengthened Iran,” he said, “and at one point he almost seems to suggest that our policy elected Ahmadinejad. I just disagree with that.”
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John McCain shines on ‘College Tour’
Let’s face it, John McCain hasn’t had the easiest time persuading the majority of younger voters to choose Republican candidates this year. And some people remain a little uneasy about the awkward moments (mainly the smile) from his speech Tuesday night.
However, there have been times when the eldest presidential nominee has reached the youth of America.
About three hours ago, his campaign posted a clip from an episode from the “Hardball College Tour” that aired April 15. Throughout, McCain seems to relate well with the students at Villanova University — even landing a few successful punchlines.
If you have 11 minutes to glance through the McCain camp’s favorite highlights, here they are:
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Obama/Clinton secret meeting kept — um — secret
Last night, the press corps was waiting for Barack Obama on a plane when the pilot announced they were leaving without the senator.
With the help and promised silence from a fellow politician, Obama was able to meet privately with Sen. Hillary Clinton for the time since he clinched the Democratic nomination.
And still, no one knows what they talked about.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) offered up her home early yesterday, but says she didn’t hear from Clinton until that evening.
Feinstein says she met with the senators, then gave them water and comfortable seating in front of the fireplace. She then went upstairs to work and didn’t hear from the two until Obama called for her to say “goodbye.” Then they left.
“I feel very strongly that they’re entitled to be able to talk and without having to make a statement or go out to greet the press,” Feinstein told Fox News.
Over the last couple of days, seemingly everyone who’s appeared on a cable news show or in an opinion column has shared their thoughts on whether or not Obama should ask Clinton to join his ticket. Would she really help or just be a hindrance?
This morning, Geraldo Rivera said choosing Clinton is Obama’s only chance of winning.
“If she is not picked by Barack Obama, I think he’s doomed to a McGovern-like defeat,” Rivera said.
On “Good Morning America,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) restated that Clinton would accept a nomination for vice president — if that’s what Obama chooses.
“If Senator Obama should want her to be vice president and thinks it would be best for the ticket she will serve, she will accept that,” Schumer said. “But on the other hand, if he chooses someone else, she’ll work just as hard for the party.”
UPDATE: If your ideal dream ticket reads “Obama/Edwards,” you’re going to be sorely disappointed. Edwards said he is not interested in running for vice president again.
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Clinton plans Saturday event
Sen. Hillary Clinton announced yesterday that she would end her campaign Saturday (Click here to read more about it) amid constant speculation about her possible role as Obama’s running mate.
But before talking concessions, Clinton sent a mass e-mail out to supporters today thanking them for all their help and support:
“I wanted you to be one of the first to know: on Saturday, I will hold an event in Washington D.C. to thank everyone who has supported my campaign. Over the course of the last 16 months, I have been privileged and touched to witness the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many people working for our campaign. Every minute you put into helping us win, every dollar you gave to keep up the fight meant more to me than I can ever possibly tell you.
“On Saturday, I will extend my congratulations to Senator Obama and my support for his candidacy. This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, but as I have always said, my differences with Senator Obama are small compared to the differences we have with Senator McCain and the Republicans.
“I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party’s nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise.
“When I decided to run for president, I knew exactly why I was getting into this race: to work hard every day for the millions of Americans who need a voice in the White House.
“I made you — and everyone who supported me — a promise: to stand up for our shared values and to never back down. I’m going to keep that promise today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life.
“I will be speaking on Saturday about how together we can rally the party behind Senator Obama. The stakes are too high and the task before us too important to do otherwise.
“I know as I continue my lifelong work for a stronger America and a better world, I will turn to you for the support, the strength, and the commitment that you have shown me in the past 16 months. And I will always keep faith with the issues and causes that are important to you.
“In the past few days, you have shown that support once again with hundreds of thousands of messages to the campaign, and again, I am touched by your thoughtfulness and kindness.
“I can never possibly express my gratitude, so let me say simply, thank you.”
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Terry McAuliffe, ‘Morning Joe,’ and a bottle of Bacardi
Now that Sen. Barack Obama has sealed the deal to be the Democratic presidential nominee, Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe decided to go out with a bang.
With the enthusiasm we’ve come to expect from McAuliffe during his television appearances, he dropped by MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” this morning to discuss and the race and, of course, share a bottle of Bacardi.
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AP declares Obama the democratic nominee
Less than five hours before the polling stations close, it’s already been a busy day for Democratic senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
It began with an Associated Press report that said Clinton planned to concede tonight after the primaries, and ended with another AP article declaring Obama as “the first black candidate to lead a major party into a campaign for the White House.”
The AP based this conclusion on a number of superdelegates who have not yet publicly endorsed Obama, but have secretly told reporters that they plan to.
Their report also said Clinton “signaled interest in joining the ticket as his running mate.” Although, she does not plan to end her campaign tonight.
Click here to read the rest of the AP’s report.
But it’s also been hectic for Clinton Campaign Chairman Terry McAuliffe, who spent the morning reassuring several media outlets that Clinton had absolutely no intentions of conceding tonight.
“… the nomination fight goes on until we see the magic numbers …” McAuliffe said. “No one has the numbers to be the democratic nominee right now.”
Obama or Clinton must garner 2,118 total delegates to secure the nomination. This afternoon, Obama had 2,083, while Clinton trailed with 1,917.
Polls for the final primaries this election season will end today at 10 p.m.
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Political roundup: June 3
Today, residents in Montana and South Dakota will vote in the final primaries on a day that could possibly, finally solidify who the democratic nominee will be. Before that firestorm, here’s a summation of what’s been going on the last couple of days in politics:
Cheney insults W.Va.
Vice President Dick Cheney took a stereotypical swipe at West Virginians while speaking to the National Press Club in Washington.
When asked about being distant cousins with Sen. Barack Obama — and a possible family reunion — he responded by talking about his family history: “We have Cheneys on both sides of the family. And we don’t even live in West Virginia.”
“You can say those things when you’re not running for re-election.”
Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia condemned the remarks and said now that the vice president does not need votes from the American people, “Mr. Cheney apparently feels that he is now free to mock and belittle the people of West Virginia.”
Later, Cheney’s spokeswoman Lea Anne McBride responded and said Cheney apologizes: “On reflection, he concluded that it was an inappropriate attempt at humor that he should not have made.”
Michelle Obama bombshell to be dropped tomorrow? This morning on Fox News, DNC operative Bob Beckel claimed there were rumors that some news on Michelle Obama would cause a new scandal, and the information could be released tomorrow. If the new information is made public, Beckel said it could possibly come from Republicans.
Clinton boasts 17 million
During the last few days, Hillary Clinton and her campaign have focused on the popular vote, saying that 17 million Americans have voted for her so far.
Kennedy’s surgery deemed a success
Sen. Ted Kennedy underwent brain surgery for over three hours yesterday and is now recovering at Duke Medical Center.
Dr. Allan Friedman, leading surgeon on the procedure, said they “attacked” the brain tumor and “accomplished goals in their surgery.”
The next step for Sen. Kennedy is chemotherapy.
Bill Clinton takes on Vanity Fair
After an unflattering article on Bill Clinton was released by Vanity Fair over the weekend, the former president shot back at the writer calling him “sleazy” and “a scumbag.”
The article in question dealt with Clinton’s life since his time in the White House. Some of the writer’s claims include that his 2004 heart surgery altered his state of mind, his womanizing was cause for an intervention and aides worry about him.
Vanity Fair says it stands by the article.
