Cal Cunningham

Along with the press release, our Communications Director sent this note to the Sierra Club. We wanted to share this with the BlueNC community as well.

In the debate last night we saw again that the only thing clear about Cal is his inconsistency. Now on both offshore drilling and nuclear he has made contradictory statements, trying to have it both ways. It is apparent that he is attempting to get the support of progressive groups now, but also position himself for a shift in the general election. He's faking left, but very clearly headed right. I believe that this endorsement is a mistake and will look bad for the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club, and the broader environmental community, only loses out when it endorses candidates that do not show real leadership on the environment.
-- Sam

LEWIS CALLS ON SIERRA CLUB TO WITHDRAW ENDORSEMENT: SAYS CUNNINGHAM WAS FOR DRILLING BEFORE HE WAS AGAINST IT

N.C. Dems debate the meaning of 'covered in oil'
By Sean J. Miller - 04/15/10 10:46 AM ET

North Carolina Senate candidate Cal Cunningham seemed to be channeling Jimmy Buffett at a Democratic forum in Raleigh Wednesday night.

When the topic of offshore oil drilling came up, Cunningham said: "If you go swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, you come out covered in oil."

One of Buffett's most famous lines is, "Nibblin' on sponge cake, watchin' the sun bake, all of those tourists covered with oil."

Attorney Ken Lewis (D), one of Cunningham's main rivals for the nomination, was quick to pounce. His campaign promptly called for Cunningham to "apologize" to the governors of Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas for his "'covered in oil' slur."

"I think Cal has been listening to too many Jimmy Buffet [sic] songs: That's not what he meant by 'all of those tourists covered in oil,'" said Bruce Clark, Lewis's campaign manager.

Tune in tonight to discuss the debate responses from your favorite candidate. I'll even dust the rust off and try my hand at live-blogging the event.

If any of them wink into the camera you gotta chug!

The Cunningham campaign released Cal's first TV ad today, a biographical spot highlighting his biography and service record.

Elsewhere, Tom Jensen previewed his own new release, hinting that the numbers in the Democratic Primary for US Senate haven't changed much since last month's poll found the race tightening, with undecideds still outpacing all three leaders.

Last week, with the primary election cycle nearing its end, I started a conversation on how to make the difficult decision of deciding between good democrats in this primary election. And I gave the 3 campaigns some guidance on what I hoped to see in terms of taking stands on issues, and clarifying stands that have already been taken.

I wanted to see not only what campaigns will say among friends when they speak on bluenc.com, or pamshouseblend.com, or dailykos.com, or BlueNC Radio, or through direct messages on facebook, or in person at the Orange County Democratic Party Convention that I attended over the weekend, but also what they will say to the whole electorate by means of their website. Based on a number of factors, including what they're willing to say to the whole electorate, I find myself ready to pick, support, and endorse a side.

The debate will be on NBC17 on Wednesday and early voting starts on Thursday of this week so decision time really is right now. I invite those of you have who have made up your minds regardless of the candidate, and want to share some guidance about how you got there, to jump in too!

Democratic County Conventions are being held today all across North Carolina. Unfortunately, despite his super-human capabilities, Ken can't make it to all of them. He has asked that the following letter be read to convention-goers on his behalf. Read it. Share it. Make sure progress has a voice in this year's election:

Dear North Carolina Democrats,

I come from a very different place than the senators serving today. My grandmother was born in 1893, on a plantation in Person County. She was taught to read and write by her children and lived to be 100 years old. Even though her own mother had been a slave, my grandmother believed deeply in the promise of America as the land of opportunity. Now, her grandchild seeks to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Senate to make real on that promise, and to secure a future where all Americans have the opportunity to realize their full potential.

You know who Americans for Prosperity are right? They tried to privatize social security, tried to defeat health care, supported segregation in Wake County, helped to organize the Tea Party (mostly by paying people), etc. etc.

When Dallas Woodhouse goes around the state attacking workers, government, and everything in between, he likes to describe himself as a "Civil Rights leader." Maybe he went to school in Texas or doesn't know what people had to endure to earn that title, but that's what he calls himself and I'll let him wear his Napoleon hat if it makes him happy.

Any rate, he has made an endorsement in North Carolina's Democratic Senate Primary!

http://americansforprosperity.org/040910-americans-prosperity-praises-ca...

Americans for Prosperity Praises Cal Cunningham's Brave Stand for Worker Rights

North Carolinians have been warning out of state folks for months that Cal Cunningham isn’t the progressive savior his DC-run campaign would claim. Never has that been more obvious than today when he flip-flopped on EFCA.

AP - http://www.wlos.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.nc/3e9e54c7-www.wlos.com.shtml

Cal Cunningham said in an interview with The Associated Press that he supports elections as the sole way for there to be unions created, but opposed so-called "card check" organizing. He clarified in a later interview that he would be open to hearing arguments about "card check" but felt it could not pass. The labor-backed idea would allow workers to form a union by signing cards instead of by secret ballot.

Wow, the DSCC isn’t even trying to hide it anymore. Look at this post their latest twitter posting: Less than 30 days until the #NCSen primary. Join @calfornc! http://calfornc.com/30-3-30 #30330

Cal, don’t forget that North Carolinians are the ones who get to decide not DC. Poetry and the DSCC can only get you so far.

In additional to the other significances of this day, April 4th 2010 also marks the one month away point from the May 4th Primary Election. This also puts us 10 days away from the primary debate happening on April 14th. More debate info here: http://www.rtpnet.org/lwvnc/newsevents/2010_Senate_Primary_Press_Release...

I am grateful to those candidates and their campaign members who have taken the time to participate on bluenc.com, on pamshouseblend.com, on dailykos.com, and who have chatted with me on facebook.com as well as those who have spoken out on BlueNC radio. But I’m even more interested in what you have to say to everyone, not just what you have to say in left leaning circles. And so I am particularly interested in what you have to say on your campaign websites for all to see. Like a lot of Democratic Primary voters, I'm getting ready to pick a side or draw a line in the sand as it were, and so I have taken a moment to detail what I hope to see before I make that decision, and when.