Heard on the Street Posted: Thursday, November 19th, 2009 Wicker says No
Add to the list of prominent Democrats who have turned down the invitation to challenge Senator Richard Burr the name of Dennis Wicker. It wasn`t surprising to most observers that neither Bob Etheridge nor Wicker would pass. Etheridge has more clout than most any Congressional representative for our state. He is in a relatively safe district, but should he decide to run, the conservative nature of the district might make it attractive for a Republican to get the seat. Democrats are faced with tough races and don`t need to lose any seats in Congress.
Wicker smartly decided that he didn`t want to have to raise 15 million dollars to wage a primary and general election campaign. He is making money and life is good for the Sanford Democrat.
But why, we wonder, is the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee working so hard to recruit candidates when they already have an attractive “name” candidate? Elaine Marshall has run statewide, is articulate, has a good track record and women make up 55 percent of the voters. We want to know why Washington keeps searching for other candidates?
The only answer we get is that national Democrats don`t think Marshall can raise money and keep saying that in the time since she has declared, she hasn`t gotten big dollars. But this doesn`t make sense. You have to know that if Jim Hunt and other big name Dems got behind her campaign Marshall could get the bucks.
Look for more discussion on this topic on this week`s NC SPIN.
Nesbitt elected Majority Leader
Asheville`s Senator Martin Nesbitt was elected by the Democratic Caucus to become Majority Leader, replacing Tony Rand. To understand the implications of this election we need some history.
Martin Nesbitt grew up on politics. His mother, Mary Cordle Nesbitt served in the House until her death. Martin was appointed to fill his mother`s unexpired term in 1979, serving in the short session of 1980 and standing for his first election in 1981. Nesbitt was part of what many longtime observers believe was the brightest freshman class to come of the legislature in many decades. Their ranks included Dennis Wicker, who became Lieutenant Governor; Harry Payne, later Commissioner of Labor and chair of the Employment Security Commission; Bobby Hunter, who is a Supreme Court Justice and Joe Hackney, current Speaker. All were young and bright. All wanted to be Speaker. Two of them were.
Nesbitt was bright, ambitious and eager to learn the ways of the House. It didn`t hurt that his father-in-law was Billy Watkins, a legendary power broker and gamesman. With Watkins as a mentor, Nesbitt learned fast and moved ahead, adopting many of Billy`s hardball tactics and highly partisan arguments. Martin rose through the ranks to become chair of the Appropriations Committee, one of the most powerful positions in the House. He was a key player in drafting the budget and negotiating with the Senate. In the process Nesbitt got bruised and bruised others to the point where few thought he could ever gain his goal of being Speaker. His fate was cast when he challenged Speaker Jim Black and fell out of favor. His further rise in power was stymied.
Fate stepped in when Senator Steve Metcalf resigned his post. Blocked in his quest for ultimate power in the House, Nesbitt sought and received the nomination of his district Democratic Executive Committee and he was appointed to the Senate in 2004, to the consternation of some Senators. They knew Martin`s reputation from the House, knew he wasn`t well liked, had heard of his partisan outbursts on the floor and his willingness to take on those in power. With only 50 members the Senate was more of a “Gentleman`s Club.” Even if Republicans were not treated equally they were treated with respect.
Martin Nesbitt is nothing if not a hard worker and he came to work. He gained respect, if not popularity, in the Senate and it was known he wanted to rise in the ranks. Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight`s ill health appeared to provide an opportunity for a future run for the Pro Tem`s job. Then fate stepped in again. Tony Rand mysteriously stepped aside as Majority Leader. Nesbitt was far from the most popular Democratic Senator but the bench of viable candidates was short. Dan Blue, while very popular, capable and charismatic, had only been appointed this year. David Hoyle is rumored to be retiring after this term. Dan Clodfelter had made far too many of his colleagues mad. A. B. Swindell was a good team player but dismissed by most for leadership.
Marc Basnight may be many things but no one will ever say he isn`t good at counting votes and knowing where his members are. It`s one of the major reasons he has stayed in power for so long. Even Republicans talk about how accessible and collegial Basnight can be. Marc seems to like the good-cop, bad-cop arrangement he has had for many years with Rand. It has worked well and Rand didn`t mind being the bad cop who had the support and backing of Basnight. Faced with the options we think Basnight had little choice but to select Nesbitt. Basnight sat him on the buggy, hitched up the horses, but Basnight kept the reins.
Who will Basnight assign as Rules chair? This has been a very powerful post under Rand, burial ground for many bills that never saw the light of day. Two names most frequently mentioned for the post are Clark Jenkins of Tarboro and David Hoyle of Gastonia. As stated before Hoyle is making noises that he won`t seek re-election. He lives in a largely Republican district and already knows the GOP is coming after him. One pundit remembered that the margin of Hoyle`s last election was thin and that there was a late-minute accusation against him that appeared to have traction.
Jenkins also has his problems. His district consists of a large minority population. He has had primary challenges but usually from two or more minorities. Word we get is that Frankie Bordeaux, a prominent and wealthy African American, wants the seat and can afford to finance a campaign. This could be trouble for the Tarboro Democrat.
What about the future? Nesbitt is known to be friends with Blue and there was speculation that the two of them would form a leadership team if Basnight wasn`t going to run in 2010. That appears problematic now: Basnight is not only telling people he`s running, he`s also raising money. But this isn`t a bad place for Martin to be in the interim. Can the tiger chance his stripes at age 63? Can he become everyone`s favorite Uncle Martin? Could he get enough support to become Pro Tem? Can Nesbitt and Blue come up with a winning solution to hold power? Some believe Blue might even become Pro Tem with Nesbitt being his strong number two. Time will tell.
In the meantime there is work to be done. The budget is already 90 million below projections for the first quarter of the fiscal year. Mental Health is a disaster waiting to happen. If the legislature doesn`t take action soon, court cases will force them to do so. At every turn there is another crisis awaiting this legislature and on top of it all there are the 2010 elections which, if current thinking continues, would favor Republicans. (Read My Spin “Would Republicans Rather Fight than Win in 2010?”) As has already been mentioned frequently, these elections are crucial because the next legislature will redraw districts and the party in power will have more sway in those decisions.
There is one conclusion that is inescapable. Power is shifting in this state and in the Senate. Nesbitt is not only a partisan Democrat but a staunch advocate for the West and urban centers. Population shifts will cause new legislative districts with fewer Eastern members. Urban areas will have more power and the long dominance of the East is likely coming to a close.
Board seats for sale
The Charlotte Observer`s revelations about political contributions by members of important state boards has once again raised the question of how we can eliminate the pay-to-play impression in state government. There hasn`t always been such a direct correlation between contributors and board appointments. Democracy North Carolina`s Bob Hall says that the current situation ensures government by the elite instead of by the people. Look for more conversation about this on this week`s NC SPIN.
What about federal investigations?
This week we saw another witness, former Easley campaign manager Jay Reiff, appear before the federal grand jury. A growing number are asking whether this is a witch hunt or if the feds have anything on Easley and his friends. News reports on Easley investigations started in early April. As one observer noted, we could almost have given birth to a baby in less time than these investigations have taken. Either they have some really nasty stuff on Easley or they keep searching, hoping to find something on which they can indict. One way or another it is time to fish or cut bait as anglers like to say.
Mackey gets a PJC
Charlotte Representative Nick Mackey has long been a lightning rod for controversy. This week he pleaded guilty to a contempt of court citation for not showing up to represent a client. He got a prayer for judgment continued and court costs as his penalty.
Next month he goes before the State Bar`s disciplinary commission on accusations he failed to pay taxes on a timely basis for several years and for poorly representing a client. He has also been accused on his bar exam that he was twice suspended as a police officer.
Comment: How are we supposed to have confidence in our legislature when they do not appear to police their own?
Sinsheimer rightly calls for resignations
Political watchdog Joe Sinsheimer sent a letter to Governor Perdue this week urging her to take strong action on ethics reforms. In his letter Sinsheimer asked Perdue to call for the resignation of former Easley attorney Ruffin Poole from the Golden Leaf Foundation. He also demanded that Perdue release the Highway Patrol Travel records from Easley`s years in office and halt the permitting process of a cement plant in Wilmington that is the subject of accusations of undue political influence.
Perdue deferred on calling for Poole`s resignation, saying she was waiting for lawyers to advise her on the matter. She also said she would release the travel records when she gets them. (How many investigators does it take to produce records?). No word on the cement plant request.
Here`s the electronic letter Joe sent Bev:
Delivered Electronically
November 18, 2009
Governor Bev Perdue
Office of the Governor
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0301
Dear Governor Perdue,
The recent State Board of Election hearings on Governor Easley and his alleged campaign activities, as well as the Verizon contracting scandal, have once again shaken confidence in our state government. These repeated scandals are damaging our state`s reputation for honest government and demand executive leadership. While we all hope the General Assembly will take on the call of reform in the 2010 session, there are a number of positive and immediate steps you could take as governor to help restore confidence in state government:
First, ask Ruffin Poole to resign from the Board of Directors of the Golden LEAF foundation. Mr. Poole`s decision to refuse/fight a subpoena by the State Board of Elections demands this action. While Mr. Poole has a constitutional right against self-incrimination, it is disgraceful that a state appointee to a board as important as Golden LEAF would refuse to answer questions from another state board. Having already spent close to $400 million of state money and with another half a billion in its accounts, Golden LEAF should play a forceful role in the state`s economic future without North Carolinians worrying about unseemly corruptive influence. Golden LEAF`s work should be held to the highest ethical standards. Recent testimony from the State Board of Elections indicates that Mr. Poole does not meet those standards. While you may lack legal grounds to demand Mr. Poole`s resignation, the governor does command a bully pulpit and you would send a strong message of your expectations of those servings in state government if you asked Mr. Poole to resign immediately.
Second, release all the investigative reports on the missing 2005 State Highway patrol records including those from the special investigative panel you formed in August and the patrol`s internal affairs unit. In May 2009, the News and Observer first reported Capt. Melvin`s February 2009 visit to the Easley personal residence to deliver what Capt. Melvin has since described as a “personal” hard drive. Six months later, we still do not have answers to what Capt. Melvin delivered, nor do we have answers to the important question of whether the Highway Patrol has been engaged in a political cover-up. To date, the only report that has been issued from your administration is a four-page document which could be generously described as “amateurish.” On August 26, 2009, N.C. Crime Control Secretary Reuben Young told reporters: “Governor Perdue and I are determined to do everything in our power to find the answers regarding the 2005 records.” It is now time for you to honor that commitment and release all of the investigative reports in this matter including those produced by the patrol`s internal affairs unit.
Third, impose a 90-day freeze on the environmental permitting process for Titan Cement and ask Attorney General Roy Cooper to conduct an investigation into whether any undue political pressure has been involved in the permitting process to date. The Attorney General`s investigation should focus on actions taken by the Easley Administration to exempt Titan from the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) as well as the state senate`s abrupt decision to kill legislation on this matter this year without a vote. Three recent events have diminished public confidence in the state`s environmental permitting process. These events include 1) the federal bribery convictions of a NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) official and two corporate executives in the Agri-Ethanol case; 2) testimony during the State Board of Elections hearings that top Easley administration officials were helping a coastal developer with a permitting issue at the same time they were soliciting a $50,000 contribution from that same developer; and 3) federal officials recently serving DENR with a half dozen subpoenas that indicate that they are probing whether anyone made payoffs or offered gratuities to state officials during the permitting process. The people of North Carolina, especially those living in southeast North Carolina near the proposed plant, have to know with 100% certainty that the Titan case has been handled fairly. Given recent events, that can`t be said right now. That is why I am asking you take this extraordinary extra step in this controversial case.
Three years ago, just months before Jim Black pled guilty to three separate felonies, I sent Governor Easley a similar letter that included this paragraph: “Too many North Carolinians still believe that government service is an opportunity to enrich themselves or protect their industry`s economic interests. Gubernatorial leadership, as well as further changes to our state`s campaign finance laws, will help alleviate this problem.” Governor Easley never responded to the letter, an action I believe spoke volumes about his interest in honest government. I hope and trust you will choose a different path.
Sincerely,
Joe Sinsheimer
Army needs help
The tough economic times have yielded a double whammy on America`s most trusted charity. The Salvation Army is reporting that contributions are down this year, as much as 15 percent, because of the recession. At the same time the number of people needing help is at an all time high.
For instance, in Wake County the number of children needing assistance this Christmas has leaped from 4,300 to almost 6,000 in one year.
This time of year is one in which to be thankful and to share with others less fortunate. Let us encourage you to make a contribution to the Salvation Army. Stuff a large bill in the kettle where you hear the bells or contribute online. When times are tough, as they are for many right now, we need to share what we have. ");
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