Real Hypocrisy NC
The 527 group Real Jobs NC continues its campaign of distortions and inaccuracies in its attempt to elect more Republicans to the General Assembly.
The group, whose funders include PPD CEO Fred Eshelman, Art Pope, and the Republican State Leadership Committee made the news recently for its mailing criticizing Rep. Chris Heagarty for voting for the 2009 state budget. Heagarty was not a member of the House when the budget passed. He was appointed to his seat months later.
Another Real Jobs NC mailing cited the wrong bill to support one of its claims and another blasted House Majority Leader Hugh Holliman for voting to fund a pier in Nags Head that all the Republicans in the General Assembly voted for too.
Real Jobs NC is also slamming Democrats for supporting business incentives, including tax credits for movie companies that produce films in the state. Incentives are bad, giveaways to wealthy corporations that don't need them. The Real Jobs NC website uses a vote on an incentive bill as a litmus test for lawmakers.
Eshelman should know all about that. As a letter writer to the Wilmington Star-News pointed out this week, Eshelman's company PPD received $2.1 million dollars in incentives from the city and county when the company built its corporate headquarters in downtown Wilmington.
Business incentives are bad and lawmakers who support them should be thrown out of office-unless the incentives go to the company owned by the guy who funds the group that says incentives are bad.
Time to rename the group. Real Hypocrisy NC seems about right.
Another inconvenient fact
Speaking of factual errors and lack of context, Chad Adams of the Lockers Wilmington outpost was complaining recently about how much Brunswick County Commissioners make and mentioned as a comparison that local state Rep. Frank Iler was the 4th lowest paid legislator and made just $18,142 in 2009, citing the recent ridiculous report by the Civitas Institute.
Adams is right. Iler made far less than most legislators in 2009. That's because Iler was not a member of the House until June 17 of that year when he was appointed to replace Rep. Bonner Stiller, who stepped down from his seat. Another pesky fact getting in the way of some right-wing rhetoric.
Another shock: Civitas poll finds Republican with lead
The Pope Civitas Institute, the polling and propaganda arm of the N.C. Republican Party, released another poll this week showing a Democratic legislator trailing his Republican opponent.
These numbers may not be exact, but if you believe the Civitas polls, Republicans will enjoy a 116-4 margin in the state House next year and will control the Senate by at least a 45-5 margin.
From the Fringe
This week's From the Fringe features the folks at Americans for the Prosperous who are taking another right-wing bus tour to a few cities to criticize some Democratic members of Congress this Labor Day weekend.
It is all part of their "November is Coming" activities that has a petition to public officials for people to sign that includes this,
"We want you to oppose big government programs or any other freedom-killing policies or we will remember in November."
Freedom-killing policies? Remember, only right-wingers believe in freedom. (Unless it's religious freedom you are talking about, especially in New York)
From the Fringe favorite George Leef with the Pope Center to Dismantle Higher Education had mostly a quiet week until he attacked Andy Griffith of all people for appearing in television spots explaining the effect of health care reform on seniors.
Leef called Griffith an "aging busybody." Apparently Leef has discovered the Fountain of Youth and is no longer aging himself. Time to share with the rest of us Ponce de Leefon.
And busybody is even worse, revealing that Leef must not be an Andy Griffith show viewer.
Floyd the barber was a busybody. Andy was the Sheriff.
Maybe the mistake is understandable. It's hard to keep up when you are swamped trying to uncover and document all the left-wing conspiracies afoot in the land, not to mention the covert attempt to brainwash all college students and turn them into Marxists.
