kmr's blog

On the CNN site via the Heritage Foundation.
Jesse Helms died at 1:18 a.m. today.

Via the Citizen, this week's Letter from the Editor:

I was in the Triad the other day visiting with some fellow media types including blogger Jon Lowder, who related an incident he’d happened upon while returning from a recent visit to Pittsboro.

Lowder encountered a traffic stop on N.C. 87 just inside the Alamance County line. After watching the sheriff deputies and highway patrol checking licenses and looking over the cars, Lowder said it was apparent that the law was interested in vehicles with Hispanic occupants and not much interested in anyone else.

Spent a good deal of time looking at solar and wind for the house after a friend alerted me to the fact that even Costco is selling the stuff.

While I'm sure Perdue's people have excellent poll numbers explaining why they want to bring up vouchers, I'm a little baffled as to why they'd want to come out and attack on it so quickly. It just looks very contrived and allows McCrory a chance to emphasize the change-the-tone theme.
If the general election strategy is to attack rather than inspire, this race could tighten very, very quickly.

Democracy NC sent this out on Sen. Obama's opt out of public financing:

Statement from Bob Hall, Executive Director of Democracy North Carolina, regarding Barack Obama’s decision to forego participation in presidential public financing program:

Senator Obama’s decision is predictable, given the shortcomings of the presidential public financing program and his capacity to raise money from private sources. The current program lacks the carrots and sticks – the incentives and penalties – to attract and sustain participation by major party candidates.

Further update: N&O shedding 70 jobs, consolidating editions down to two: State and Final. Publishers' message to staff.
Wow.
McClatchy cutting workforce 10 percent citing slow ad sales.
(Then, there's the matter of all that debt.)
Bloomberg says the tally will reach 1400 jobs.
Via the N&O: Serious cuts at the Char-O including 22 newsroom positions.

It was not immediately clear how the N&O will be affected by today's announcement. More details are expected after affected employees are notified.

Here's the link to the Rasmussen poll story on Dole/Hagan.
Here's the link to the one showing a two point margin for McCain over Obama.

Same story. Same company. Same state.
N&O — Headline: State Republicans find bright spots
Subhed: Despite national woes, party leaders say odds are good for McCrory and Dole
Char-O — Headline: GOP sees tough road ahead
Subhead: Party optimism is directed more toward McCrory and N.C. races than toward the national contests.

Wonder if the Obama folks were kidding about NC possibly being in play.
Hmm, maybe this email I just got from 'em offers a clue.

CHICAGO, IL-The Obama campaign announced today that Senator Obama will launch a two-week economic swing-the "Change that Works for You" tour-on Monday, June 9. Obama will travel across the country, talking to Americans about how the economy affects their everyday lives. He'll hold events with voters where they work and where they live, discussing the challenges we face and his plans to turn the economy around.

The tour will kick off on Monday with an economic speech in Raleigh, North Carolina.

hmm. indeed.

Ah, good morning. A cool 68 here in the Piedmont.
Oregon and Kentucky voting away. My guess is that very soon this election will not be about blogging.
Meanwhile, in a provincial capital not far away:
• Fitz -- short session promising to be short
• Geddings still having hard time getting sympathy from the justice system
• Wachovia number two, BoA number five on write-down per employee list
• Binker on Hagan/Dole