Wingers Clear the Field for McHenry

We all know politics is a contact sport, but that doesn't make it any less offensive when you see crap like this. The big cheeses on the right wing apparently leaned real hard on the Mayor of Hickory . . . insisting that he drop his primary challenge to Patrick McHenry.

Here's an excerpt:

Rudy Wright had considered running against Congressman Patrick Mc-Henry in the Republican primary. Last week, he announced he wouldn't do it.

But Wright says he's annoyed about the pressure he received from party leaders to stand aside. Wright says he was called by state G-O-P chairman Ferrell Blount, and also got a message from the U-S House Majority Whip through another North Carolina congressman, Cass Ballenger.

He says the calls were "blunt" and "crass" -- and they didn't play a part in his decision. Wright says, "We don't need bullies trying to impose their will on the political process.'