coble

Foxx, Shuler, Coble, and Miller have all put their name on House Concurrent Resolution 362 that expresses Iran's threat to US interests and demands that Bush impose strict sanctions.

Another challenger enters the race for NC-06. Coble's got his hands full this time!

I'm just mad.

Among my least favorite things in the world are troop-lovin' Republican hypocrites, and god knows we have more than a few of them representing North Carolina in Congress. But even I was surprised at their recent spate of mindless mumblings, as reported in today's Charlotte Observer.

While support for the war among Carolinas Republicans remains high, Myrick and two other lawmakers from the area voiced critical comments about Bush's ability to convey his message effectively. Though their criticism is mild, it echoes concerns among Republicans across the country about Bush.

U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick said Bush hasn't been able to effectively portray the enemy to the American people. "Iraq became the centerpiece," the Charlotte Republican said. "He has not, in my opinion, done a good job of talking about the big picture, the worldwide problem of the radicalization of the jihadists and what they intend to do."

Rep. Patrick McHenry, a Cherryville Republican, said the president should have characterized the challenge as a "war against Islamic extremists" instead of a war on terrorism. "Terrorism is merely a tactic. Islamic extremists are the ones actively targeting Americans because they loathe our culture, laws and freedoms," McHenry said.

Rep. Robin Hayes, R-Concord, said, "The administration's effort in communicating with the American people has not been very good."

Last week, I traveled to Washington, DC, along with 16 other advocates for early childhood education from North Carolina. We attended a public policy forum, sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). “NAEYC's mission is to serve and act on the behalf of the needs, rights, and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources.”

We spent a day in intensive sessions, learning all we could about specific issues and concerns affecting early childhood at a federal level. What are what are those issues? Find out below the fold.

Here are the votes on HR-4, Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act.

The total votes were 255 votes "Yea," and 170 votes "No," which is 35 votes short of what it will take to override Bush's promised veto. Only Walter Jones crossed party lines on this one.

District 01 Butterfield, G K (D) - Yea
District 02 Etheridge, Bob (D) - Yea
District 03 Jones, Walter B Jr (R) - Yea
District 04 Price, David (D) - Yea
District 05 Foxx, Virginia (R) - No
District 06 Coble, Howard (R) - No
District 07 McIntyre, Mike (D) - Yea
District 08 Hayes, Robin (R) - No
District 09 Myrick, Sue (R) - No
District 10 McHenry, Patrick (R) - No
District 11 Shuler, Heath (D) - Yea
District 12 Watt, Melvin L (D) - Yea
District 13 Miller, Brad (D) - Yea

Once again, we see the Party of Greed following their marching orders from big pharma. If it's OK for the VA to negotiate lower drug prices, how can it not be OK for Medicare, too?

As you drive around Moore County, you see them – sporadically, because he’s never taken us very seriously – but they’re there all the same. The signs: Our Congressman: Howard Coble. But whose Congressman is he?

When gas prices rose to the point where many of us had to choose between putting gas in the car or paying other bills, Rep. Coble voted against cracking down on the oil and gas industries prices gouging. (HR 3402, Vote #500, 9/28/2005)

Rep. Coble voted for the GOP energy bill that gave billions to oil, gas and nuclear industries. (HR6, vote #445 7/28/2005)

Over his career, Rep. Coble has accepted $62,400 from big oil and gas industries.