richard burr

Cross-posted from Bloviations.

Today, the U.S. Senate blocked the McCain-backed military education program.

The McCain/Graham plan calls for would give only $2,000 a month for service members that have more than 12 years of military service and was offered as an alternative to the much more effective Webb plan which would give service members 36 months of tuition, book costs, and a stipend.

You have to hand it to Dick and Dole, they are shameless hypocrites of the highest order. And whiners to boot. After joining their Republican colleagues in obstructing almost every decent piece of legislation to cross their paths in the Senate, now they're complaining because the mean old Democrats won't give a reactionary corporate judge a cushy job for life.

Plus they're threatening to shut down the Senate if they don't get their way. That would be fine by me - because there are few things more important than keeping extremists like Robert Conrad off the bench.

In this last year, President Bush has nominated several persons who are extremely controversial when it comes to civil and consumer rights. For the Fourth Circuit—already the most conservative court in the country—Bush has nominated Robert Conrad, who has never ruled for a plaintiff in an employment discrimination case ...

And by email from NARAL:

Robert Conrad has called Planned Parenthood a "radical, pro-abortion fringe group" that "promotes a radical abortion agenda." What's more, from 1983 to 1986, Conrad served on the board of directors for a so-called "crisis pregnancy center" that provided medically inaccurate information about pregnancy, contraception and abortion.

Just in case you had any confusion about supporting Kay Hagan in November, this should put that to rest. We need Kay to take Dole out.

From the Dome today:

The fourth annual report by technology consulting firm Knowlegis on Congressional power was based on leadership positions, indirect influence, legislative activity and earmarks.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr score 18.94, ranking 69th in the Senate; while Sen. Elizabeth Dole scored 13.39, ranking 93rd.

In the House, Rep. Mel Watt scored 32.75, ranking 53rd; Rep. David Price scored 30.16, ranking 67th.

The least influential were Rep. Robin Hayes, who scored 9.56 and ranked 360th; and Rep. Virginia Foxx, who scored 6.49 and ranked 399th.

Go see the Dome for links to the complete listing.

WRAL is reporting that Burr would accept a veep nomination from McCain.

Cross-posted from the Brock Log.

North Carolina's Junior Senator, Richard Burr (R) lost his bid for the Republican Senate Conference Chairmanship to Senator Lamar Alexander from Tennessee.

Frontpaged by A. Thanks, Thomas.

Like an old drunk who's been beating his kids, Richard Burr apparently doesn't have the personal strength to do the right thing. In a plea that can only be described as pathetic, Burr yesterday asked the audience at a Raleigh business meeting to "badger" Congress. The story is from The Dome.

Speaking at the Breakfast Club of the Triangle meeting at the Brier Creek Country Club, he said he didn't have much to say about the current political situation in Washington, D.C. "I could sum it up in one word: Nothing," he said.

He said the level of "political divisiveness" is higher than he's thought it could ever be, and he referred to a series of Johnson Automotive ads that the group watched in which a car salesman, played by a puppet badger named Grady, harasses customers.

"Now is when you need to badger us," he said.

Imagine if you had an employee who said "please badger me into doing my job . . . I can't do it on my own." If that employee worked for me, his ass would be on the street in about 30 seconds.

Like I said. Pathetic.

The Charlotte Observer reports this afternoon that the newly appointed ranking Republican on the Senate's Veteran Affairs Committee hasn't bothered to show up for more than half the votes during his tenure.

To the Editor:

Sept. 19 was a dark day in the Senate. The fact that Senator Jim Webb’s proposal to increase home leave for troops was defeated leaves me wondering if anything positive can happen again in the Senate.

I feel compelled to apologize for Senators Richard Burr and Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina as they blindly support President Bush. As a resident of the state, I am deeply embarrassed and in despair by what seems to me to be voting records that do not reflect any independent thought.

This was truly a disappointing day.

Linda Watson

Cullowhee, N.C., Sept. 20, 2007

Bradley Hardy, NC Federation of College Democrats

A group of UNC-Asheville students challenged on Wednesday Republican Sen. Richard Burr’s hypocrisy while he was on their campus to promote faith-based initiatives and advise local churches on how to receive money from the federal government.

The students took their tuition bills and textbook receipts to Burr to remind him of the financial burden that college students face and ask why he didn’t believe they deserved some relief.

The protest was organized through Facebook, an Internet social networking group, and covered by the Asheville Citizen-Times.

Earlier this year, Burr had an opportunity to help make education more affordable for millions of college students by voting for Senate Bill 1762, “The Higher Education Access Act”.

But once again, Burr chose special interests over the needs of his own constituents.

UNC-Asheville students are planning to confront Senator Richard Burr when he stops by their campus tomorrow, August 22, 2007.

Students are organizing through Facebook, of course, and telling each other to "Bring Your Tuition Bills" to Burr.