Jerry Meek

I hadn't met our North Carolina delegation until I walked in Monday night. I asked all the people in charge where the North Carolina delegation was sitting so I wouldn't have to walk in and trudge around the floor looking for them. I finally found our delegation. Thinking back, I don't know why I didn't spot them from across the floor. They were the only delegates who were on their feet, dancing, singing, waving signs and cheering and that was at the beginning of the night before any of the big name speakers were on.

Their energy and enthusiasm are infectious. The first night we had more camera crews hanging around our area than any other delegation. They just kept coming and the energy of our delegates never waned.

I wanted Jerry to be my first mutual-interview, but he was in high demand. Thankfully he made some time for me in the midst of the morning.

I love his final question to me. It's exactly the kind of moment I want to have in these mutual interviews. He asked me something that he didn't expect, but gave me the opportunity to talk about something that I'm really interested in.

"Maybe Elizabeth Dole doesn't stand by her ad because she knows that for the past six years she hasn't been standing up for North Carolina's families."

Today the NCDP filed their second ethics complaint in a week against Elizabeth Dole. This time its Federal Election Law that Elizabeth Dole has violated. For more, continue below the fold.

Today the NCDP filed an ethics complaint against Senator Elizabeth Dole. This could be a good one.

Frontpaged by James

Yesterday Morning the Republican Party here in North Carolina landed a "scathing" attack on Education and Jobs for our Rural citizens.

Apparently Linda Daves really is against Education.

Today Jerry Meek attempted to discretely decline a donation from Smithfield Foods.

Their reaction was typical of Smithfield: threats and intimidation.

It is sadly the truth that Smithfield has gotten away with intimidating their workers for over a decade. While Smithfield may be adept at denying the defenseless a voice, they apparently had less luck with my boss:

Ms. Theresa Kostrzewa
2349 Churchill Road
Raleigh, NC 27608

RE: Smithfield Foods and Smithfield Packing

Dear Theresa:

I wanted to follow-up with you regarding our conversation this morning. In that conversation, I informed you of our decision not to accept a contribution from your clients, Smithfield Foods and Smithfield Packing. You indicated that I was making a big mistake, and that you were going to notify corporate executives across this State of our decision not to accept this contribution.

NCGOP chair Linda Daves sent Jerry (NCDP chair) some sunscreen and this nice note.

They're doing some publicity stunts for sunshine week. More info to come.

Art Pope didn't send us nothing . . .

The dining room was filled to capacity with possibly one or two empty seats. The atmosphere crackled with the excitement of the upcoming events on our pathway to true change. Jerry Meek, the North Carolina Democratic Party’s Chair was the guest speaker and four candidates for office were working the crowd.

Bobbie Burrell, the outgoing President welcomed everyone, offering the candidates an opportunity to speak “a sentence or two” about themselves.

I read in the News-Observer that John Edwards is being excluded from the primary ballot for May. Why?

Senate Candidate Jim Neal musses Party Chair Jerry Meek's hair during his comments to the Executive Committee Meeting of the NC Democratic Party on January 26, 2008.

It's funny that the Charlotte Observer bills this story as an exclusive given how much it has been debated and discussed around here, but I suppose it's better late than never. And perhaps now that it has been finally covered by the mainstream media, the issue may be finally put to rest.

Former Wall Street investor Jim Neal of Chapel Hill announced he was running for the U.S. Senate. N.C. Sen. Kay Hagan of Greensboro declared a week later that she was not running for the U.S. Senate. Both are Democrats. Guess which one received a phone call from U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, who heads the Democratic Party's efforts to recruit Senate candidates?