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).

After 16 years of holding a loose coalition of conservative Republicans, independents and moderate Democrats (some who think they’re still voting for his Democratic daddy) together with duct tape and string, it’s all beginning to unravel: Walter “Freedom Fries” Jones of NC 03 – faced with a staunch conservative vet (Joe McLaughlin) on the right and a 22-year Marine Corps vet (Marshall Adame) with a resume that would knock Walter’s socks off on the left – is in a not-so-pretty pickle.

Cross-posted at the Brock Log.

In an email today, Craig Weber tossed his hat into the ring for the nomination to challenge Republican Congressman Walter B. Jones, Jr. ('cuz, really, who thinks Holy Joe McLaughlin is going to win that primary?) in 2008.

Says Weber in the email to many of Eastern North Carolina's Democratic politicos:

Onslow County Commissioner and Republican Joe McLaughlin has come out frequently and harsh against North Carolina 3rd Congressional District's Walter B. Jones, Jr on his war stance. Commissioner McLaughlin was quoted in an article speaking against Mr. Jones' positions.

From the article.

Onslow County commissioner Joe McLaughlin said he is not surprised at the reaction, adding that many local Republicans are retired or former military and "know in their hearts that Jones' continued opposition" is "harmful to the troops."

"The action by Jones to sponsor the anti-surge resolution merely culminates his history of votes against the war on terror," he said, adding later that Jones is "kind of a Democrat in Republicans' clothing."