Fay-O entranced by the Puppetshow

Joining the growing list of media outlets who wouldn't know an expert if he sat in their laps:

Chris Hayes, a legislative analyst for Civitas, said Parfitt's low name recognition because of having never run before could be one of the reasons for the difference - as could Dawkins' familiarity among voters from his time on the City Council and the fact that his father was mayor for six terms.

But there could be other factors that come into play, too, Hayes said. "Unaffiliated voters, who are currently divided in their choice of candidate," he said, "may play a crucial role in this race."

In one little blurb, Hayes has cast the Democrat as having no experience, and the Republican as having both experience and well-loved father/mayor.

CMS to close 8 inner-city schools

And the NAACP is not happy with their choices:

A proposal by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to close eight urban schools, where less than 10 percent of the total enrollment is white, has sparked bitter debate and action by state and local NAACP leaders accusing CMS of racism.

But to some, it's the latest twist in a cycle of discrimination that dates back to Jim Crow schools, continued with urban renewal projects that razed black neighborhoods, and gathered new force when courts dismantled CMS' desegregation plan about 10 years ago.

I've spent the last few hours trying to work this thing backwards, so follow me if you're interested:

More proof why we need Elaine in DC

Wise words from our Secretary of State:

“Prosperity belongs to all if we work for it,” Marshall said to the crowd. “We do not believe the budget should be balanced on the backs of the middle class. The millionaires need to pay their fair share.”

Women are entitled to equal pay for equal work, she said. “This is not a women’s issue; it’s a family issue,” Marshall said.

That's exactly right. Inequality in pay doesn't just impact the (female) earner, it puts her children at a disadvantage as well, if she's also a mom. And there's about 10 million single moms out there, with some 15 million kids they're raising. And only about 1 in 4 receive any type of government assistance.

Angry jerks call WUNC during fund drive

Upset over NPR's firing of Juan Williams:

Volunteers taking calls during WUNC Radio’s annual fall fund-raiser this week are hearing from listeners who have strong opinions about the firing of NPR news analyst Juan Williams.

“We’ve heard from quite a number of people upset that he was let go,” said David Brower, WUNC’s programming director. Brower said he personally talked to 19 people Thursday night after they called in on pledge lines.

The thing is (and you should already know this), most of those people barking on the phone aren't regular NPR listeners, they're reactionary sheep responding to this viral conservative e-mail:

Daydreaming about the Crusades

King freaks out over the removal of Christian flag from war memorial:

The city council decided last month to remove the flag from above the monument in Central Park after a resident complained, and after city leaders got letters from the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State urging them to remove it.

Since Sept. 22, the vigil has been bolstered by home-cooked food delivered by supporters, sleeping bags and blankets donated by a West Virginia man and offers of support from New York to Louisiana.

"Today we ride to the Holy Land!...I mean, North Carolina...whatever, glory awaits us wherever we go! Ride!"

Women for Elaine Marshall rally this Saturday

Just received this via e-mail:

I just want to remind you that the Women for Elaine Marshall Rally is this Saturday, October 23, at 10am. This exciting event will be held in Greensboro, NC at Bennett College for Women in The Little Theater. Our theme is Women Empowering Women. I will be speaking along with inspiring North Carolina women. We will talk about what women can do to encourage and help other women get to the polls to early vote or vote on election day.

You can RSVP for the event right here, and there's also a charity drive going on as well, so you may want to bring some of this stuff:

Star endorses Leutze, derides Goolsby

Strong words for a strong candidate:

Former UNCW Chancellor Jim Leutze not only understands the issues facing Southeastern North Carolina, he has been actively involved with helping to solve them. He’s accomplished what many politicians only talk about.

I usually don't get too excited about endorsements, one way or the other. But Leutze, with very little institutional support, has slowly chipped away at his opponent's 21 point polling advantage, and this non-ambiguous thumbs-up from the region's primary newspaper could make this race a toss-up.

Here's what the Star has to say about his opponent:

Report connects Tea Party leaders with white supremacist groups

NAACP connects the dots, but is it in time?

The new report describes what it calls links between tea party factions and white supremacist groups, anti-immigrant organizations and militias, according to a news release issued by the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, which wrote the document.

Not only have tea parties given platforms to extremists, the news release said, the movement is a recruiting ground for hard-core white nationalists who are “hoping to push these (white) protesters toward a more self-conscious and ideological white supremacy.”

Pantano touts shooting contest

Speed-changing of clips will be graded:

The Star-News of Wilmington reported Tuesday that U.S. House candidate Ilario Pantano will hold a pistol match Sunday at a shooting range as he tries to raise funds for his campaign against incumbent Democrat Mike McIntyre.

Pantano is inviting anyone contributing $25 to show off their marksmanship in a timed target-shooting challenge. Donors who beat Pantano will get their money back.

Helpful hint: If Pantano asks you to climb inside a car to look for something, don't do it.

The cell phone factor

Polls that dial only land-lines may be Conservative-heavy:

The nonpartisan Pew Research Center recently found that polls that contact only those with land-line phones gave Republicans a 4 to 6 percentage point edge over Democrats compared with polls that included cell phones, in four out of five national polls this year.

In the most recent poll, a survey of likely voters reached via land lines gave Republicans a 12-point edge. Polls that also called voters who use only cell phones found the Republican edge was 7 points, 50-43 percent.

And polls that only call Jitterbugs gave Republicans a 42 point advantage.

BlueNC

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