NRCC attacks me for telling the TRUTH

I'm told our campaign is doing well and that the proof is in the attacks coming from the National Republican Congressional Committee. I realize it is their job to try and build up their candidate, Republican Robin Hayes, by tearing me down, but this is ridiculous.

NRCC Press Office
March 17, 2008

Candidate for NC-08 Will Say Anything to Get Elected

Washington- Larry Kissell, the re-run candidate for North Carolina's 8th Congressional District, can't make up his mind on whether he supports or opposes earmarks. His inconsistency on the issue shows he will do or say anything to get elected.

Earlier this year, Larry Kissell was complaining about earmarks, according to a local press report...

Actually I was complaining about President Bush's hypocrisy on earmarks, only discovering their potential for abuse and lack of transparency when his Party loses total power, and then only in his final State of the Union address.

From the Laurinburg Exchange:

"At times I thought I was watching a first-term president laying out his plans for his term," Kissell said after the speech. "Not a man who has been there for seven years."

Kissell said Bush and the Republicans had control of Congress and failed to move on the initiatives that Bush brought up Monday night.

"It is interesting that the president did not veto a single financial bill," he said. "Now all of a sudden he has discovered earmarks - a favorite thing of special interest. I wish he had discovered it sooner before we added on three trillion dollars in debt."

I'm sure we can all agree on that, but the NRCC accuses me of flip-flopping.

Then, last week, Larry Kissell decided it would better suit him to be on the other side of the issue. The Hill newspaper reported that Larry Kissell claims that he wants more earmarks:

My actual statement:

"North Carolina's 8th District is ranked by the Associated Press as one of the most economically devastated in the nation. If earmarks are still part of the system in January 2009, then yes, I would try to get the badly needed help set aside that our district needs. We are home to Ft. Bragg with a growing need for readiness and thousands of stretched-thin military families already in an economy still suffering from years of bad free trade deals. We need to get the rate of return up when it comes to what we send Washington versus the help we get back and given that our long term incumbent sits on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I'd think he'd do more than he has to help. Even freshman Democrat Heath Shuler brought back more to the mountains of North Carolina than Robin Hayes did to us last year. As for transparency, I think it's essential to see what your Representative is up to, and I'd never be ashamed to shout from the rooftops the real help working families need."

The NRCC continues too cute by half:

"Kissell Communications Director Steve Hudson said his candidate's position on earmarks has been consistent, adding that Kissell believes more resources need to be brought home to the district." (The Hill, March 13, 2008)

As a service to Larry Kissell and his staff, the National Republican Congressional Committee is going to conduct a quick vocabulary lesson on the word "CONSISTENT:"

con·sis·tent -- \kən-ˈsis-tənt\ -- adjective: free from variation or contradiction

"I can think of a lot of words to describe Larry Kissell's double talk on earmarks, but consistent sure wouldn't be one of them," NRCC spokeswoman Julie Shutley said.

My staff suggested we send the NRCC's vocabulary lesson to their own candidate, Robin Hayes:

"Every time I drive through Kannapolis and I see those empty plants I know there is no way I could vote for CAFTA," Hayes said. [AP 7/14/2005]

Hayes: "What does CAFTA sound like? NAFTA," he said. "It's not in the best interests of a core constituency I represent." Raleigh News and Observer, 7/14/2005]

"I am flat-out, completely, horizontally opposed to CAFTA," Hayes said. [Charlotte Observer, 7/25/2005]

"Congressman Hayes is extremely pleased to create a fair and level playing field, but it still does not change the fact that CAFTA is not a good deal for 8th District businesses," said Carolyn Hern, press secretary for Hayes." [Winston-Salem Journal, 7/21/2005]

Friends, perhaps the NRCC and Robin Hayes should look up another word: be·tray'al n.

Seriously folks, people believe these types of attacks if they go unanswered and they end up reprinted in the district with no context. The TRUTH is the earmarks process has been complicated with a lack of transparency resulting in "Bridges to Nowhere" and kick-backs to special interests, while the working families of a poor district like mine wait for real help.

Please help me set the record straight. Unfortunately, that takes money and you know how much I hate to ask for it. As someone who gets up every morning and goes to work as a classroom teacher I know how hard you work for your money and I promise you if you entrust my campaign with your support, we'll use it well to set these folks straight.

We all know that this type of politics is exactly what is wrong with Washington. Your support today can help me get to Washington and put some transparency back in government and take our Country back.

Please be generous.