Where is Paul Harvey when you need him?

Published May 30, 2014

By Joe Mavretic

by Joe Mavretic, former NC House Speaker and NC SPIN panelist, May 30, 2014.

14 folks from all over North Carolina got arrested in the Legislative Building. They thought they were there to protest Republican actions. They got hustled by Bill Barber....and the con flopped. The mark didn't take the bait.

There are 170 members of the General Assembly and the budget is in the Senate. If you're going to protest unemployment issues, you go to the office of a Senate committee chair. If teacher salaries are your gripe, you go to the office of a Senate Appropriations chair. If you want to score a newspaper color photo or a TV bite about Republican politics, you go see Phil Berger who is the most powerful chap in the Senate and has a son running for Congress.

None of that happened. Why? None of the Senators are running against Democrat Kay Hagan for the U.S. Senate.

Here's the hustle: Come to Raleigh and "Exercise your First Amendment and constitutional rights." Stuff the House Rules...sit in...sleep in...we'll bring you pizza and sleeping bags.

Here's the con: We invade Thom Tillis's office, he comes out, we confront him and get a great photo op to use against him in November. Remember Bob Etheridge?

Ooops! Speaker Tillis makes a senatorial move. He lets his staff laugh and scratch with the protestors until the police charge all fourteen with second degree trespass.

Score: Tillis-a big one.  Barber-street creds down. Protesters: you got used like paint in a can.

Last words: In politics, hidden agendas can get you in trouble.

Good day.

 

May 30, 2014 at 12:33 pm
Norm Kelly says:

'Barber-street creds down'. The question that needs to be asked is Why does Barber have any cred, street or otherwise? If the media simply chose to ignore him, wouldn't this whole thing just blow over like a bad storm? Yes. Why does the media insist on covering him & his complaints? Why doesn't the media ask him about the meat behind his complaints, for some facts? Is it possibly that it's because the media agrees with Barber? The media believes, with no proof, that the voter law changes, including ID and early voting, are an attempt by Republicans to dissuade blacks from voting? More than likely, the media agrees 100% with Barber. But neither he nor they have any proof. But since virtually the entire lot are libs first, something else perhaps second, then proof and facts are not required. Cuz the facts are that where voting law changes such as NC implemented, voting turnout has increased. Even for poor, helpless, hapless, incapable blacks, voter turnout has increased. (poor, helpless, hapless, incapable are not words I choose to describe the average black person. this is the attitude of your friendly neighborhood lib. check the facts and you will see this is true. check your facts before you insist i'm a racist. i believe blacks are capable, aren't helpless, so why would you automatically assume i'm a racist!?)

And while we are on the subject of FACTS, has anyone in the media asked K for any facts? Where does K stand on finally getting answers on Benghazi? What has K done to move the investigation forward? Where does K stand on the IRS targeting of political opponents? What has she done to pressure the occupier to release relevant information, unredacted? Where does K stand on using the federal government to pressure banks to stop doing business with legal companies that are disliked by the libs in Washington? Is it right that legal businesses that the demon party dislikes are forced out of business because the feds choose to pressure banks to stop accepting their business? What's next? What business, private business, will the central planners target next? Where does K stand on investigating the NLRB for targeting Boeing for wanting to expand business into South Carolina? Where does K stand on the damage being done by the EPA when it comes to electric power plants in the country? The facts are that the EPA is targeting electric power plants with the intent of making it too expensive for up to 40% of them to stay in business. This will leave the country short of electricity, requiring rolling brownouts and causing the cost of electricity to sky-rocket. What is K's plan to stop this overreach by the central government? Where does K stand on fixing the negative effects on the economy as a whole because of the demon party's implementation of socialized medicine? Instead of addressing the impact of not expanding medicare/medicaid for the 'poor' in our state, how about K address the impact on millions of others who are FORCED to participate in socialized medicine.

How about we get to the real issues and ignore Barber and his little games that are meaningless and not factual?! The more attention given to this charlatan the longer his story continues, the more he regains street cred. Not because he deserves it but because people believe too often what they read in rags like the N&D.

May 30, 2014 at 1:13 pm
Rip Arrowood says:

The only score Tillis made was with the rest of the chickens....