nc-03

Cross-posted from Bloviations.

As promised, the text of my letters to Senators Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr and Congressman Walter B. Jones, Jr.

This is a cross-post from Bloviations and is the first in a series of posts examining 2008 Primary Elections in Onslow County.

Primary 2008 over and all that’s left is to clear the battlefields of the dead and wounded. For North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional District, that means sweeping away Democrat Marshall Adame and Republican Joe McLaughlin.

Craig Weber defeated Marshall Adame by nearly 30,000 votes (or 39% of votes cast).

I got a call from my son today. Billy is the son who was wounded in battle in Iraq just outside of Baghdad in 2006. He has shrapnel in his neck and shoulder, still. He has had surgery on his leg and it is well again. He is suffering from, and has been diagnosed with, Traumatic Brain injury (TBI). Consequently he now has a type of Tourette Syndrome and suffers from "tics", sort of involuntary jerks or sudden movements. I am happy I still have my son.

Anyway Billy called to tell me that he has been informed, by the Army Medical Board, that he is being retired with a 50% disability. My son understood the risks of being a career Army soldier. He had seen me serving in the Marines almost his whole live as a young man. It seemed a natural transition for him when he decided to make the Military his home. He also had the understanding that the Army too understood and accepted their responsibilities to him. That part hasn’t worked out that well. Our President must not have factored in the cost of wounded soldiers when he let us borrow the money from China to wage war in Iraq.

I want to thank the BlueNC family of bloggers for their support and encouragement.

The Reception/Fundraiser in Raleigh was a great time and I got to see a lot of my friends. It was a mixed blessing of successes, some greater than others, but I am glad we did it and look forward to the now several others being planned on my behalf within the NC-03.

NC Insurance Commissioner Jim Long, Jim Neal, Mayor Don Davis, Beth Wood, Ronnie Ansley, Ed Ridpath, Kristin Ruth, and Roy Lucas all said some pretty nice things which I very much appreicate and thank them for.

Special thanks to......

Cross-posted from Bloviations.

Raleigh's News and Observer reported today that Marshall Adame and Craig Weber have filed for the May 6th Democratic Primary.

Cross-posted at Bloviations.

Joe McLaughlin isn't the only candidate in NC-03 making the news today. Marshall Adame was spotlighted by the New Bern Sun Journal for more positive reasons, though.

Says the Sun Journal:

Jacksonville's Daily News reports.

Joe McLaughlin has resigned from the Onslow County Board of Commissioners.

"This move will allow me to spend day and night fighting for a return to conservative leadership in Washington,” said McLaughlin, a Republican who is challenging Rep. Walter Jones for the 3rd District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

I wonder if the reports of Congressman Walter B. Jones, Jr. continued support by the GOP have something to do with this?

Although I kind of expected it sooner or later, it was discomforting to begin recieving some pretty graphic hate emails fom Blackwater employees and other supporters of Blackwater..
I hope I never get used to it.

We've been very fortunate at BlueNC to have a strong relationship with Marshall Adame, the man who plans to retire Walter Jones from congress. He has written quite a few articles and has provided us a first-hand account of what is going on in Iraq because the man was there and he wasn't playing peek-a-boo in the green zone.

Marshall will be with us Wednesday, January 16 at 6:30 pm and has offered to stay and chat past our normal one hour span to make sure all questions are answered. Here is your open thread to post early questions.

Thanks and we'll see you all here tomorrow evening.

February Fundraiser for MARSHALL ADAME NC-03 in Raleigh (An Early Notice)