JimNeal's blog

Firstly, I want to again congratulate Senator Hagan on her nomination as the candidate to beat US Senator Dole in the 2008 senatorial race. I have told Kay that she has my full support and encourage you to work hard on her behalf.

To the staff, volunteers and bloggers who made our campaign so vibrant I thank you. We were a lean organization running a 21st century grass roots campaign. We took almost 20% (about 250,000) of the votes cast despite our lack of resources and the fact that nobody in NC had a clue who Jim Neal was 7 months ago. I am very proud of each and every person who volunteered their time and contributed to our campaign.

We have a debate!

People across North Carolina are frustrated with their economic reality. Our nation’s economy lost 80,000 jobs last month. For those who do have jobs, take-home pay buys less. The cost of gas, housing and food are rising. And most feel that politicians are more interested in protecting campaign contributors than regular citizens.

On this day when we recall the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. we can also be inspired by the courage he showed in dark and dangerous times. His words continue to remind each of us to find our own words to speak out every day for a tolerant and just society.

"We have an opportunity to make America a better nation." These words, spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on this day in 1968 shortly before his death, are just as true today. They still give courage to people of all nations who seek a more fair and just society. Dr. King lived without fear and his life reminds us how much can be accomplished by standing strong for what is right.

[crossposted on Daily Kos and my campaign blog]

It’s critical to understand the reasons for our skyrocketing oil prices if we want to lead our country away from protracted conflicts in the Middle East and towards energy independence.

The United States is the world’s largest consumer of oil, using about 20 million barrels per day. Petroleum is not traded in a free market. If the oil market were truly free, it’s unlikely we’d be paying over $100 a barrel. Oil prices are in fact highly manipulated by people who claim to be proponents of free market capitalism and cartels that are interested in anything but a free market. But our government has the power to manipulate oil prices as well. It could bring down the price of oil, if it so chooses, by opening the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Tapping this cache of over a half a billion barrels of oil would have a dramatic and immediate impact on oil prices.

[cross-posted on dailykos at and on my campaign blog]

We’ve been talking a lot about our US Senate campaign being a choice between politics as usual and speaking truth to power.

I was surprised and frankly shocked while reading Greensboro’s Yes Weekly article about State Senator Kay Hagan.

Kay points to Senate Bill 3 (SB 3) as an example of how “we do things right in Raleigh.” The legislation adopted by the state senate last year gives away the store to Duke Energy, one of the top contributors to Kay’s state senate campaigns .

You may not know about SB 3. And the problem is I don’t think you’re supposed to. The Raleigh News-Observer says SB 3 was “an insiders' deal from the get-go,” passed with “virtually nonexistent” public debate and no “serious financial analysis of its total impact on consumers.” http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/martinez/story/626147.html

I want each of you to take a moment and look at the most recent SurveyUSA poll. It has me running neck-and-neck with my main Primary opponent, battling to be the Democratic candidate to unseat Senator Elizabeth Dole in November!

Despite being outspent two-to-one, this recent poll demonstrates what we already knew: that spreading our message of positive change embracing all North Carolinians is what will defeat Senator Dole in November.

Some of the most exciting energy I’ve seen since I started this campaign has come from online activists. That's why we’ve started a grassroots house party program that will bring our message to all corners of the state – and nationwide as well.

Our campaign needs a friend to help...

Yesterday at 9:00 am Dems from all over the state convenved in Richmond County at Richmond Community College in the quaint village of Hamlet. Hamlet is best described by the words of the Hon Wayne Goodwin, who was honored at a subsequent reception hosted by the NC College Dems- as "a little town like Mayberry."

It was quiet a rodeo.