Taylor, Jones Should Give Up the Dirty Money

The Hotline Blog today published a list of members of Congress who have given up dirty money from Abramoff and DeLay. Guess who ain't on it?

Charles Taylor, Walter Jones, and the NCGOP need to cough it up and do it quick (details at the NCDP website). As much as I hate giving these guys good advice, I'd hate letting them retain wages of sin even more.

Everybody Loves Charles Taylor... In Russia

Ed Cone has the goods on the NC mountains' crookedest representative:

NC 11th district Congressman Charles Taylor, famed for his disappearing vote against CAFTA, has won a Golden Galaxy Award from the American-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for furthering economic relations between the two countries.

Taylor: NAFTA is the Cause of Job Loss (Do Not Mind My Vote For CAFTA)

At his annual year-end fundraiser, Charles Taylor NC-11 was hit with a question on job loss (the area has lost 6,100 jobs since January 2003), His response was to point to 100 jobs being sent to Mexico and blaming NAFTA. From the Citizen-Times:

Taylor and Allen met with media representatives prior to the start of the dinner. When asked about the region’s future now that another 100 jobs will be lost after last week’s announcement that Asheville’s Cardinal Health plant is relocating to Mexico, Taylor blamed the North American Free Trade Agreement.

With House Races Heating Up, Taylor Already Avoiding Bush

The Charlotte Observer has a piece about the early virulence of the Democratic challenges in NC-8 and NC-11. The piece features Shuler and his fundraising advantage and Dunn and Kissell in the 11th.

The piece points out that the main issue in the 8th has been trade and Taylor's vote in favor of CAFTA. Dunn has made a big deal out of the vote, and Kissell has even named a goat (picture at http://www.larrykissell.com) after CAFTA. Given this, is it any surprise that Taylor did not show up when Bush was here promoting CAFTA last week?

Hayes has played up his ties to the president in the past, but choose to meet with workers at a yarn mill this week when Bush visited a construction equipment plant in Kernersville.

Foxx: "Heath Shuler has no chance of winning."

Hm. I wonder what those words will taste like in November. Ashes, I suppose. That sentence is from an article in The Hill all about Shuler's run for the 11th. Also in there:

At the end of the third quarter, Shuler had $248,957 in the bank while Taylor had just $19,369, according to Federal Election Commission reports.

During the same period, Shuler raised $263,642; Taylor took in $134,791. In recent months, prominent Democratic Reps. Sherrod Brown (Ohio), who is running for Senate, Steny Hoyer (Md.) and Robert Menendez (N.J.) donated to the Shuler campaign.

Cafta Strikes Again

North Carolina continues to lose jobs because of CAFTA:

A long-time textile plant in Edenton will lay off 203 workers starting in April.

And Edenton Town Manager Anne-Marie Knighton says the recently
adopted Central American Free Trade Agreement is to blame.
Last week, Weyerhaeuser Company said it will shut down its plant
in nearby Plymouth after 57 years, which is expected to displace
another 200 workers.

Local agencies are developing ways to help families impacted by
the layoffs.

abc11tv.com: CAFTA Blamed for Layoffs at Edenton Textile Plant

Charles Taylor: Working Hard for the Citizens of... Michigan?

Why? Because some of Michigan's citizens pay better.

Lobbyist Jack Abramoff really makes things happen for his clients. Unfortunately, it looks like he does that through bribery and influence peddling. Jack knows that there are members of Congress who don't see why their positions of power and prestige shouldn't be used to line their own pockets. Jack understands that these members of Congress are easily bought and can be put to work for any group that can raise the cash. And Jack knows that he can rely on Charles Taylor, of North Carolina's 11th Congressional District.

Another NC-11 Challenger: Clyde Michael Morgan

Check out his website, which is far more blunt about difficult issues than a serious candidate's web site ought to be (as in "If you are against abortions - don't have one"). You'll also find spots left open on this page for "SOME VETERANS SITE" and "ANOTHER VETERANS SITE." Still haven't found the right veterans, Mr. Morgan? (See also "SOME ABORTION LINK" here.)

Thanks to RealValues for the heads-up. I agree with RV that this guy doesn't seem to be running a serious campaign, but I'm sure it will be an interesting one. Stay tuned.

Bad News for NC-11!

I am very sad to report that the denizens of North Carolina's 8th Congressional District may be stuck with corrupt banker Charles Taylor as their representative. The disheartening reason, dear readers, is that our challenger is going to be destroyed!

Visit Heath Shuler's website and drop a few dollars; let's show NRCC spokesperson Carl Forti just how destructible Shuler is.

Shuler Featured in the NY Times

Great article here (free subscription required). The piece starts on Shuler the football legend getting Republican voters to switch to him.

Because Shuler is a Democrat who played football at the University of Tennessee, and because this part of western North Carolina generally votes Republican and roots for Tennessee, the endorsement usually goes this way: "You're on the wrong side of the ticket, but you know what? I'm going to vote for you anyway."

College football loyalties can run deeper than party lines. The candidate nods and smiles. The voter tips his Tennessee cap. Just like that, the voter is once again a fan and the candidate once again a legend.

BlueNC

charles taylor