NC Governor Perdue: 'Suspend Elections to Congress for Two Years'; Raleigh Paper Insists It Was a 'Joke'
Apparently there's no audio or video of North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue's Tuesday humdinger, namely that "I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover." -- yet.
If none surfaces, that will be too bad, because the guess here is that the wiggle room desperate apparatchiks to North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue and writer "jbfrank" at the Raleigh News & Observer are attempting to create -- namely, that she was only joking -- would vanish without a trace if we saw or heard how she delivered the following:
"You have to have more ability from Congress, I think, to work together and to get over the partisan bickering and focus on fixing things. I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover. I really hope that someone can agree with me on that. The one good thing about Raleigh is that for so many years we worked across party lines. It's a little bit more contentious now but it's not impossible to try to do what's right in this state. You want people who don't worry about the next election."Story Continues Below Ad ↓
Someone should ask Ms. Perdue to demonstrate the "funny" vocal inflections and other "joking" mannerisms she used to deliver yuks to her Rotary Club audience. If there's a way to make such a statement funny, I want to hear it. I say it doesn't exist.
Meanwhile, the Raleigh News & Observer -- or is it Stenographer? -- thinks all of this is just a hoot and a half:
Perdue jokes about suspending Congressional elections for two years
UPDATED: File this in the random-things-politicians-say file.
Speaking to a Cary Rotary Club today, N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue suggested suspending Congressional elections for two years so that Congress can focus on economic recovery and not the next election.
"I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover. I really hope that someone can agree with me on that," Perdue said. "You want people who don't worry about the next election."
The comment -- which came during a discussion of the economy -- perked more than a few ears. It's unclear whether Perdue, a Democrat, is serious -- but her tone was level and she asked others to support her on the idea.
Later Tuesday afternoon, Perdue's office clarified the remarks: "Come on," said spokeswoman Chris Mackey in a statement. "Gov. Perdue was obviously using hyperbole to highlight what we can all agree is a serious problem: Washington politicians who focus on their own election instead of what’s best for the people they serve."
The Republicans sure are taking it seriously as they look to score political points. ...
Look, RN&O, you don't have to be a Republican, or independent, or moderate, or even an eeeeeeevil Tea Party sympathizer to take such a statement seriously. Why, even some (but sadly not all) liberals will have a problem with this.
The headline at local ABC affiliate WTVD in Raleigh: "Perdue comment raises eyebrows." Zheesh.
There isn't a snowball's chance in Hades that media types would be desperately backing and filling for a Republican making a similar comment.
If North Carolina Democrats have a lick of sense remaining, they'll strongly disown Ms. Perdue's obviously serious -- in more ways than one -- statement.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
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Comments
And if a Republican had said it, the foaming-mouth media...
Submitted by drsamherman on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 9:38pm.
...would have covered it 24/7 and it would suddenly become a "major issue" for the 2012 presidential campaign.
You need not wonder if Democrats are hypocrites. The two terms are synonymous.
Perdue is the real joke
Submitted by cbeyer on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 9:38pm.
If she was up for election she would lose!
Joking or not, the mindset
Submitted by Dave. on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 9:41pm.
Joking or not, the mindset behind it is what concerns me, and ought to have the residents of NC concerned.
And let’s not forget the Dear Ruler, who has been making end runs on this useless and spineless congress since taking office, while they just sit there with their thumbs up their behinds watching him do it.
I thought it not a little interesting (and maybe not a little ominous) that the Drudge folks selected a pic that had both comrade Gov. Perdue and the Dear Ruler together.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Dear Ruler has made similar comments himself
Submitted by pockets64 on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 9:47pm.
Don't forget that his budget director has said similar things. Also, Obama has complained about the democratic process more than once in the past year.
They are casting seeds. They only need a couple to land on fertile soil.
Peter Orszag and his "commissions".
Submitted by drsamherman on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 9:52pm.
Only a rhetorical difference between Pete-O's "commissions" and Lenin's "worker's committees". So sorry the constitution made life so inconvenient for Democrats by insisting on those pesky old checks and balances.
Dear Ruler has decided not to follow the democratic process
Submitted by Radical1979 on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 10:01pm.
Look how he's dismantled NCLB. It wasn't a perfect law, and I could argue against it, BUT, it was debated, passed, and signed into law through our Constitution. One flick of his pen and the law was thrown out the window.
And how about this, Rad......
Submitted by motherbelt on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 10:54pm.
Aide Says Obama Might Move Agenda Forward by Executive Orders
Obama overruled his Environmental Protection Agency by repealing an ozone regulation, and he’s commissioned Cass Sunstein, head of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, to identify other regulations that can be tweaked or rolled back....
The administration also implemented several policies related to mortgage assistance and housing without Congressional action.
Curses on that pesky constitution and this big messy thing called democracy!!
MB,
Submitted by Chris Norman on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 10:57pm.
Well, we know that PRC-loving Tom Friedman would cheer, don't we?
motherbelt
Submitted by Radical1979 on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 11:00pm.
I'm curious about one thing, is an EPA regulation a law? This is the reason Congress should have put a stop to the president legislating through the back door years ago. We know Obama wanted to grant amnesty through EO, but I think he realized he didn't have quite enough precident. That's what changes to NCLB are all about. Changing legislation that no one likes, so that by the time he wants to legislate Congress will be so used to it they won't do anything.
Between the president and the Supremes we could just disband Congress.
Yes, Radical...an EPA reg carries the force of law.
Submitted by Jer on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 3:32am.
And a President can issue Executive Orders which are legally binding for the purpose of implementing existing regulations, or he can repeal previous Executive Orders, or he can enforce new regulations drafted by agencies which have been expressly granted the authority to promulgate them, or he can simply refuse to enforce regulations which are already on the books. George W. Bush did a little to a lot of all of the foregoing--especially the issuance of new regulations. In fact he was one of the most prolific regulators of all of the Presidents of the past half century.
"Some people still seem to think Republicans take a hands-off approach to regulation, probably because the party is always quick to criticize the burdens regulations place on businesses. But Republican rhetoric doesn't always match Republican policy. In 2007, according to Wayne Crews of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, roughly 50 regulatory agencies issued 3,595 final rules, ranging from boosting fuel economy standards for light trucks to continuing a ban on bringing torch lighters into airplane cabins. Five departments (Commerce, Agriculture, Homeland Security, Treasury, and the Environmental Protection Agency) accounted for 45 percent of the new regulations.
Since Bush took office in 2001, there has been a 13 percent decrease in the annual number of new rules. But the new regulations' cost to the economy will be much higher than it was before 2001. Of the new rules, 159 are "economically significant," meaning they will cost at least $100 million a year. That's a 10 percent increase in the number of high-cost rules since 2006, and a 70 percent increase since 2001. And at the end of 2007, another 3,882 rules were already at different stages of implementation, 757 of them targeting small businesses.
Overall, the final outcome of this Republican regulation has been a significant increase in regulatory activity and cost since 2001. The number of pages added to the Federal Register, which lists all new regulations, reached an all-time high of 78,090 in 2007, up from 64,438 in 2001."
But depending on the timing and Congressional control, the process of both passage and repeal can be quite complicated.
Jer
That is right, Jer, Bush was no conservative
Submitted by TheHistorian on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 5:47am.
Said so before, will say so again. Bush isn't President any more, Jer. Your guy is. Quit making excuses of "the other guy did it" and clean out your own house; it stinks. For instance, we just set aside "No Child Left Behind" by EO waivers. He has trebled the number of czars, including the two that were just appointed. He has refused to abide by court decisions on implementing ObamaCare. The only thing I can say is that he doesn't even follow his own EOs. For instance, Guantanamo is still open.
Jer, you have a lawless President. And one who is increasingly less popular with the people. Go look at his polls.
Dennis Prager
Not trying to defend the myriad of new regs
Submitted by bkeyser on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:48am.
under Bush, but the majority of them had to do with 9/11. Most were security-related, and many more were financial but tied to financial dealings with certain foreign entities. Still others were EPA-related as the"Global Warming" movement was gaining political traction.
That's the problem with these types of arguments- "Bush created more regulation than any president before", "Bush lost 5 million jobs under his presidency", "Obama lost 2.5 million jobs since the Stimulus was passed", etc. The context is always left out and the argument generalized.
Bush, for example, assumed office at the tail end of a pretty serious recession and the country was hemorrhaging dot com jobs. Working with Congress, certain policies were implemented to stem that recession and point the country toward growth. Then 9/11 hit. New regulations were put in place to deal with the obvious holes we had in security and the financial sectors. The economy suffered, as you'd expect, but again working with Congress, some new and some retread policies were put in place that turned the economy around and created an environment that led to an overall unemployment rate that bettered the Clinton-era. Growth was strong and steady for 5 years. Then, as economies do, our's took a turn for the worse. The housing market and the financials that fed it, tanked. This wasn't because of policies Bush implemented; it was the result of decades of government intervention in the mortgage industry. But, under Bush's presidency, the "Great Recession" began and the massive job losses occurred mostly before he left office. These count toward his 8 year record on job creation, but he's unfairly blamed for these job losses. Just like new regulations as a result of 9/11; had that event not occurred, surely the vast majority of new regulations credited to him in your post above would not have happened.
So, I think it's important to remember context. Obama arrived in the midst of the massive layoff cycle but there was nothing he could do on January 21st that would have stemmed that tide; it had to play out. The same is true with Bush; he tried to rein in Fanny and Freddie, but the political will wasn't there in Congress. And even those who believe the US was ultimately responsible for 9/11, they can't logically blame Bush for the policies of the previous 30 years; he just happened to be in office when the attack hit.
That's not to say that Presidents don't make mistakes -they all do- but hindsight is 20-20. Bush and his team may have over-reacted to the 9/11 crisis in the form of new regulation, while Obama may be over-reacting to the threat posed by CO2 in the form of new regulation. The difference is, what was/is the intention behind the new regulation? Which President was looking to preserve America and which one is looking to forever alter it? Which President was trying to protect American citizens, and which one is trying to marginalize them? That's the real difference: Bush regulated out of concern; Obama regulates out of malice.
bkeyser
Submitted by amyshulk on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 5:43pm.
When I talked to my {uber} liberal friends IRL in the past, I was always struck by the difference between us in the path, not the goal, since we both wanted the same outcome.
What wigs us conservatives out, is that now not only is the path completely different, but so is the goal.
C's see the pie as infinite, where by dint of hard work, you too can "arrive" whereas L's see a finite pie, that we MUST atone for past mistakes by elevating people/countries we've wronged, at our own detriment.
THIS is how we see a liberal when we see Pres. Obama's actions. Whether it's malice or just stubbornness I don't know, but I no longer believe R's and D's {as a whole} operate from the starting point of what is good for the U.S. is good for the world. Sad.
Ronald Reagan
Jer
Submitted by Denny Crane on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:17pm.
That's why nobody is claiming that Bush is a Conservative.
We Are The 53%
And I guess, Denny, that's one of the reasons
Submitted by Jer on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:30pm.
I liked the guy so much.
Jer
PEGGED and bookmarked
Submitted by Denny Crane on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:44pm.
Day-um Jer!
I just fell out of my chair from that one.
We Are The 53%
Jer
Submitted by Radical1979 on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:01pm.
I'm not a fan of regulations no matter who makes them. They should be limited to emergencies, as in after 9/11 and should automatically expire.
Scarey territory we've gotten ourselves into.
You do not actually believe that
Submitted by richb313 on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 7:53am.
You do not actually believe that, do you? EPA is banning Asthma Inhalers due to Ozone regulations. The policies institued by Obama on Mortgages have resulted in less mortgages being written, more homes in foreclosure, and banks having the highest reserve deposits in the history of man. Money has stopped moving because of Executive orders and new regulations instituted by Obama.
BTW Executive orders can only be used to give instructions to the Executive Branch of govt. and has no constituional base to be anything else. Yes that pesky Constitution.
I think our Dear Comrade Leader wants a ban on asthma
Submitted by gmaniac1 on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:41am.
inhalers because he has such a hard time distinguishing them from a "breathalyzer.". We don't want those poor kids getting tested for alcohol when they should be "getting uh... uh... some treatment" for their asthma.
Here's the evidence from the horse's own mouth:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxxxGUeZtno
No need for the liberal's favorite sources which would be either none or wikipedia.
Yes, he did, pockets
Submitted by Blonde on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 11:51pm.
Not quite two weeks ago.
It's frightening how the members of this regime are telegraphing their moves...and no one is really paying attention.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
J,
Submitted by Dave. on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:59pm.
...and no one is really paying attention.
And that would inlude the republicans - particularly those in the House, who could be doing a lot more to reign in the Obamanistas, but cannot seem to bring themselves to do so.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
pockets64,
Submitted by Dave. on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:54pm.
Totalitarians have always thought as Perdue does.
That is what makes them so dangerous.
When we have governors and presidents thinking this way, our republic is in deep doo-doo.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
I agree entirely with the governor about gridlock...
Submitted by lsudolemite on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 9:54pm.
That's why we're going to have another massive purge of Dems and RINOs in 2012. Problem solved.
The purge will be of D's and
Submitted by amyshulk on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 5:46pm.
The purge will be of D's and R's that work together, with the result being more "extreme" members from both sides, but we'll only hear about the R's and how bad that is, when the reality is that we are screaming at them to stop the leftward, top down, nannyism!!!
Ronald Reagan
Better idea: suspend Democrats from serving in any office...
Submitted by Phryj1 on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 10:03pm.
..for the next few years or so (I'd recommend a few hundred at least) so that people who actually care about what the Constitution says and aren't addicted to tax-and-spend can undo the creeping leftism and reckless fiscal policies of the Downgradecrats.
Or, heck, a few years of a filibuster proof conservative congress should suffice. Only a moron would vote Democrat after seeing what getting the gov't out the way and letting people keep more of their own money can actually do for everyone.
Progressives seem to be completely averse to facts and logic. Apparently, reality has a conservative bias.
~Anyone remember.....
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 10:18pm.
this?
References to it have been buried pretty deep, and the video taken down.
Found another one, lousy quality, but what he's saying is unmistakable.
I certainly do, Bru
Submitted by Blonde on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 11:56pm.
It's on my hit list of gaffes/goofs. It didn't occur to me that he might have been speaking "in vino veritas". Hmmmm.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
How did they know?
Submitted by Chris Norman on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 10:12pm.
I read the headline, but nothing in the story suggested that she said it while smiling or in a joking manner. She may well have been "joking", but it doesn't sound like a joke and there was no way that the headline writer knew that it was. She may have engaging in deliberate hyperbole to make a point, but, again, she didn't mitigate her outrageous statement with any disclaimer and, yet again, the writer of the headline didn't know that it was hyperbole - otherwise her later "clarification" would have been included in the original story. Like others have said, if she was a Republican, the media would have reported her statement at face value and sought out Democratic criticism of her immediately. The drumbeat of "outrage" would have continued for several days (or even weeks) until she was politically maimed for life.
I just love how a newspaper -
Submitted by Van Halen on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 10:12pm.
I just love how a newspaper - a &$^@( NEWSPAPER of all things - rushes to defend a statement by an elected official about suspending elections. Decades ago, the newspapers in this country changed their sense of purpose from being a watchdog on government to being a watchdog for (Liberal) government.
Chairman Maobama...
Submitted by bigdaddy on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 10:29pm.
...has declared a state of emergency and marshall law. The Senate and House are hereby suspended and the representatives have been taken into "protective custody" for their own safety. All citizens will surrender their firearms immediately to the local neighborhood organizers...
Just Joking, that could never happen, Right?
Until the morning after the election....
Submitted by drsamherman on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 12:31am.
...when they realize the Obamessiah has been kicked out of office along with his Democrat majority in the Senate.
It would be wonderful to see Harry Reid, Joe Biden and Chairman Zero in orange jumpsuits waiting for sentencing in a federal court.
Missed one.
Submitted by Clutch1956 on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 8:05am.
Eric "F&F" Holder needs to be right in there with them.
If (and that's a galactic
Submitted by MikeB on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:15am.
If (and that's a galactic sized if) we get a Republican Congress with 'nads larger than those of a fruitfly and a spine stiffer than jello, and they finish Rep. Issa's investigation into "Project Gunrunner", we could see Ear Leader and Eric Holder and some others being turned over to the Mexican government for prosecution.
If the Mexican government has any entrepreneureal sense, they could put video of Holder's and Obama's cells on pay-per-view and make a fortune.
Since we're joking...
Submitted by Franksam on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 12:10pm.
One thing that will never happen is the "surrender their firearms" part. Not in my neighborhood, anyway.
Democrats tried this before.
Submitted by motherbelt on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 10:43pm.
I believe the subject was the Iraq war.
The vote was to take place after the election (I think it was scheduled for January). They objected to people wanting to know how incumbents intended to vote on it, as if it should have no bearing on whether one would vote for him or her.
These people already think they have a manifest destiny to govern, and shouldn't be held accountable for their actions. What the hell is Perdue thinking, suggesting that they be given carte blanche, to do what THEY think is right for the economy, with no repercussions if they screw up?
PS: Some who is joking doesn't say I really hope that someone can agree with me on that.
Quite the Contrary
Submitted by HardRightTurn on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 10:53pm.
The only way to get things done is to have elections every year. That way we can exercise our right to voter's remorse more frequently, and get turnover and deadwood clearing done more quickly.
Think about it: Obama would be gone already, instead of having two more years of destruction he could do. Harry Reid could be gone this coming November instead of five years from now.
To more fully comprehend the Left, one must read “Leftism As Psychopathy” by John Ray, M.A., Ph.D. Caution, it might scare you a little bit.
http://jonjayray.tripod.com/psycho.html
Maybe we should have votes of "no confidence"
Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 12:01am.
I'm not sure how we'd dissolve the government, and replace it....elections are expensive.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Are you serious?
Submitted by richb313 on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 8:06am.
Apparently you think a Parlimentary style govt. is good. They can call elections at any time. The founders did not want this because they knew they had to insulate the elected representative from the passions of the moment. Also the Senate was designed to be the ultimate check because they would be chosen, not elected, by the States and provide a counter balance.
This is also why all fiscal matters are supposed to start in the House, represents the people, instead of the Senate as this provides a check against Senate Rule by Fiat. If you would take just a few hours to read some of the Federalist papers then you would have a better understanding at how the Constitution was designed and what issues concerned the founders. Sadly thier concerns are being realized today because people have been led to believe we live in a democracy instaed of a Constituional Republic.
There is one thing that I
Submitted by Scuba Dude on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:24am.
There is one thing that I would like to lift from the British Parliament, Question Time!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_O4wfEasMU
Can you imagine President Downgrade being subjected to questioning by Ryan, Issa, DeMint and others? He would run from the room crying.
Well, all the great places for the left did it.
Submitted by Tjexcite on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 10:53pm.
Cuba, China, North Korea, Iran, Myanmar, USSR. They did away with elections too and the freedom of the government to remove gridlock by decree flourished. The freedom of the people left as well with the last election there too.
Double post
Submitted by Tjexcite on Tue, 09/27/2011 - 11:01pm.
60 years of darkness will follow if the left wins 2012 becaue then it will not be a joke it will be rule of law.
It only became a joke when
Submitted by LAM SON 719 on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 12:47am.
It only became a joke when the liberal whore was called on it.
I figured this would be
Submitted by amyshulk on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 1:11am.
I figured this would be floated at some point, since the D's screamed about Pres. Bush *possibly* calling off elections and becoming a dictator so Jer, I guess I don't sound so paranoid now, huh?
Ronald Reagan
Yes amy, there were a few Dem nutjobs who engaged in
Submitted by Jer on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 3:23am.
a spate of absurd hand-wringing about Bush suspending the Constitution in 2008, just as there were some Repubs who claimed Clinton would grab everybody's gun, declare martial law, and bolt the doors to the WH in 2000. And it's too bad the bulk of NB archives were expunged, because the talk of an Obama dictatorship started revving up on various threads at this website virtually the day after he was sworn into office.
Governor Perdue's ludicrous quip about skipping the upcoming Congressional elections doesn't even warrant thirty seconds of serious discussion.
Jer
"Ludicrous quip"?
Submitted by UpNorth on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:45am.
Got it Jer. When a liberal suggests suspending the constitution, it's merely a "ludicrous quip". What's next on the ludicrous hit parade, a suggestion that there might be a fire in the Capital Building? No, never mind, that was tried before, right? Not here, in another socialist state.
Good...
Submitted by Jer on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 6:04pm.
Because it reminds me of some of the patently outlandish remarks by Rush who will later say "it's just a joke folks"...and generally [not always] that is indeed an appropriate explanation. And hasn't Rush asked why would the Governor want the elections suspended when the Republicans already control the House? His point is well-taken. If Perdue were serious, malicious, and nefarious--and intent on subverting the Constitution in a manner to best serve the interests of the Democratic party, she would have called only for the suspension of the Senatorial elections. Furthermore, it would be highly unlikely she would be publicizing such bizarre and breathtaking political intrigue at this stage. Advance notice of that type of Constitutional coup would, I should think, not be particularly conducive to ensuring ultimate success.
Jer
Rush is not a politician with power elected to represent ....
Submitted by Tom Blumer on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 7:30pm.
an entire state .... and he says when he's joking and when he isn't.
As far as I can tell, we haven't heard a peep out of Bev.
The rest of your "reasoning" isn't even worthy of a response, b/c it's based on not knowing what Rush said. Please go to his site and figure it out.
Tom, Tom, Tom....
Submitted by USMC8411 on Thu, 09/29/2011 - 1:53am.
Rush WAS the titular head of the republican party. The democrats and the drive-by media deemed him so and in May 2009, he resigned and appointed Powell to that Czar-ship!
Let's remember our secret squirrel Limbaugh tactic... Media Tweak of the Day. He says he is tweaking the media, and damn sure... they bend themselves forward over it! Otherwise, listeners know his sarcasm when we hear it.
Bev wasn't joking. Bev wasn't tweaking. Bev wasn't sarcastic. And the audience reaction to her comment proves it. As Maha Rushie said today, democrats are desperate. They need to "float" the idea of suspending elections under the guise of giving them "more time" or "another chance" to unscrew what they screwed up. Unfortunately, some "Americans" will fall for it!
That is why our right to vote, which is in that pesky little Constitution of ours, is greater than Bev and her un-American, anti-Constitutional, blatherings.
Worthy of Discussion
Submitted by Chris Norman on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:54am.
Maybe her "ludicrous" quip doesn't "deserve" discussion (I disagree), but the Raleigh N&O's damage control spin on it in the headline most certainly does.
Words matter...
Submitted by ontheright on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:12am.
...your attempt at deception is noteworthy - "...NB archives were expunged..." - and you know this how? You have an NB IT admin on speed dial? Or, you are selectively privy to NB data protection, backup and access policies and procedures? Or, you're just tainting the conversation with assumptions and half-truths? Which is it?
oTr
ontheright,
Submitted by Agnostic on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:25am.
a great deal of the archives were lost during an update to the site. I think Jer may be exaggerating about the timing of statements of Obama trying to get around elections because outside of a couple of jokes I don't remember any serious talk about such things until the run up to the 2010 elections.
Ag
Submitted by ontheright on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 1:12pm.
I understand - and remember myself - that data was lost. But to say that archives were expunged is to imply that the data loss was a deliberate act; and in the context the words were used, it leads the reader to believe the act was not only deliberate, but probably malicious as well - very misleading, at best.
otr,
Submitted by Agnostic on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 1:25pm.
Remember lawyers only recognize the implications in words that they designate as useful.
I may be gererous but I don't find it a deliberate attempt to denigrate the reputation of Newsbusters by Jer
Really?
Submitted by Tom Blumer on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:27am.
Governor Perdue's ludicrous quip about skipping the upcoming Congressional elections doesn't even warrant thirty seconds of serious discussion.
At the very least, it warrants plenty of discussion in North Carolina, whose chief executive has, seriously or not (the default assumption should be "seriously" -- in a luncheon speech at a Rotary Club, in front of a group of community leaders) floated the idea of suspending a portion of the Constitution.
Why? Because the NC Gov's oath of office includes the US Constitution:
Spare us, Jer.
Governor Perdue's ludicrous
Submitted by Scuba Dude on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:43am.
Governor Perdue's ludicrous quip about skipping the upcoming Congressional elections doesn't even warrant thirty seconds of serious discussion
Spoken like a true liberal.
Yes, let us ignore the Democrat calling for the suspension of part of the Constitution.
But of course heaven forbid if a Republican uttered those words because then we would see you posting with faux outrage and indignation on the evil Republican taking away your rights.
jer
Submitted by amyshulk on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 5:57pm.
I actually think the outlier remarks end up moderating what happens IRL.
Like The Population Bomb, it outlines what COULD happen, and allows us to guard against it.
That's why the left HATED Beck. He connected dots and said what COULD happen, unless we guard against it. Too bad he got igged by the PTB's, huh?
So I think this DOES warrant discussion - to do otherwise is to stick your head in the sand and assume the "elites" have it right and govern from a love and respect for their fellows.
Ronald Reagan
After reading through this thread, I seem to have---
Submitted by matthewdean on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 8:49pm.
missed the post by matthewdean wherein he not only replied to Jer (because he replies to every Jer post), but also misrepresented, as he does every single time, what Jer had to say.
What a slacker that MD guy is. :o)
MD
~Better get movin'
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 8:57pm.
You gotta reputation to maintain.
I must admit to becoming a bit concerned...
Submitted by Jer on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:22pm.
and was planning to wait maybe one more hour and then shoot you a courtesy PM pointing out the visual discomfort due to the absence of the predictable Dean response to each of my comments. Oddly enough, the disturbance to the thread symmetry bothered me more than the customary insults. ;-)
Jer
The asymptotic imbalance disturbed me, also, Jer---
Submitted by matthewdean on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:54pm.
until I realized it was just lightheadedness caused by the tautness of the skin stretching across my joyful countenance (that's a huge grin to the denizens of Rio Lindo) as a result of numerous posters thumping on you after your "quip" regarding the Democratic Governor.
Unsure if I owe an h/t (again) to jon t. for 'Rio Lindo'. :o)
MD
quip?
Submitted by kata on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 6:03pm.
Has your opinion changed since you've listened to the audio?
A Better Idea
Submitted by chazski on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:27am.
I have a better idea. If suspending elections for two years would be good, wouldn't suspending them for four years be even better and for six years even better yet? Heck, wouldn't suspending them permanently be best of all? Then they would never have to worry about elections ever again.
The governor seems to have forgotten that silliness about the just powers of government deriving from the consent of the governed. Isn't it the height of irony that a Democrat suggests the suspension of democracy? I think that's an apt, poignant and altogether fitting epitaph for the Democrat party.
I'm still for the idea of
Submitted by dscott on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 3:09am.
I'm still for the idea of doing away with voting altogether because Obama clearly demonstrated that democracy is over rated. You can't be a representative IF you lie to get elected only to do the exact opposite of what you campaigned upon.
Just randomly select people for one term and then a lifetime ban on government service thereafter. NO politcal parties could exist under that system and there would be TRUE representation since once your term is over, YOU go to live by the Laws YOU made. Then and only then would it be "service" and not a self serving ego trip telling people what to do. A Republic need not have voting to choose the representatives, IF those who serve actually do represent the People.
I've thought the same way for
Submitted by MikeB on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:30am.
I've thought the same way for a while now, especially about the House of Representatives. In order for it to work there would have to be some preparatory work. First, Civics and Macro-economics would have to be required in High School. Second, age eighteen gives you provisional citizenship. To get full citizenship with voting rights, you would have to pass the same citizenship exam that resident aliens applying for citizenship have to pass. Passing that test assures that you have a working knowlege of the Constitution. Those who now have voting rights are put in a data base and a name from each congressional district is chosen. That would be the new congressman from that district. The People's House would now be made up of a cross-section of America: doctors, lawyers, engineers, welders, ditch-diggers, equipment operators, housewives, etc. One two-year term, and you are sent home without a lifetime pension. From the time a person is selected to be a Representative, neither they, nor any member of their family, including aunts, uncles, neices, nephews, and grandparents may work for any lobbying firm from time of selection to a period of 20 years after the person's term is up.
Once congress is made up of vocations other than a preponderance of lawyers, and made up of people who will be subject to the laws they pass, a lot of the bovine natural fertilizer would cease.
What say you?
MikeB and DScott,
Submitted by Agnostic on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:50am.
it sounds like you two have been reading too many political essays from the Greeks especially Aristotle -
Without virtue, participation in government was to be valued on the basis of expedience. Virtue, something the modern politician seems to disregard as a passe value, being limited in human experience and expedience the necessary result of that limitation in order to govern.
If someone wants to govern - that person is the last person that should govern.
It certainly makes the whole
Submitted by dscott on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:26pm.
It certainly makes the whole seasteading idea look better and better. Set up your own country with a bunch of people who are disgusted with the abuses of Democracy and try an alternative approach to governance that shackles the baser effects of power. The founding fathers had the right idea but the means do look like they are fatally flawed. As far as I am concerned the experiment has failed. Obama is the proof. Governance by 50% plus 1 telling the rest what to do with one group thieving from another is not my idea of Equality or Justice. Any popularity contest can be rigged with enough payoffs and that's what we have here.
We need to find the right balance of power and the right means to wield that power without it being corrupted and if corrupted an orderly means to pry that power out of their hands without the barrel of a gun. Until then, power comes from the barrel of a gun.
dscott,
Submitted by Agnostic on Thu, 09/29/2011 - 8:57am.
I would tend to agree with your conclusions but not necessarily your reasoning. The 50%+1 idea is Democracy and the founding fathers were adamant about the dangers of Democracy and created a Representative style of government with checks and balances. There were failures in their design as evidenced by the government we have had since the Democrat takeover of Congress under Roosevelt that has never really been relinquished (in theory - not fact) because Republicans have never held a large enough majority in Congress to make lasting and substantial changes even if you wanted to believe that was their goal. Under W they were close enough to effect a greater change but were side tracked with 9/11 and the ME, specifically Iraq (not a judgment on the response to those situations except FEMA was wrong, IMO) - once again, if you wanted to give benefit of doubt that they wanted to make substantial changes.
The most glaring problem established by the founding fathers was the election process. A natural mistake because no one has a crystal ball to realize that at some point more people are going to vote then just those engaged in the process. Actually some saw it and warned against it, like Franklyn, but there was little actually done because this would have been a restriction on liberty.
The change of Senatorial appointments is also worth noting if for no other reason than it was a check against Democracy by removing one house of Congress from popular vote.
Up to now, the power in America has been granted to the government due to the complacency of the masses and not the barrel of a gun though I will have to admit that the threat of the gun barrel is understood.
I would expand that to every
Submitted by dscott on Thu, 09/29/2011 - 1:23am.
I would expand that to every office right down to the town councils, even the President's office. Of course this would need to be phased in over a period of election cycles to give everyone the confidence that "real" people can govern better than the professional politician. There is a mindset to overcome, the politicians have many people believing that we can't do without them and somehow a dictatorship would result.
Yes, you will get a number of liberals as office holders since 20% of the population self indentifies as liberal, but on the other hand over 40% self identify as conservative so their 20% statistical occurance in office will be tempered. The point is such a system will be far more representive than the one we have now. If the whole of the country were liberal, then any selection will produce a proportionate representation as to the make up of the country.
Someone wrote an oped about
Submitted by amyshulk on Thu, 09/29/2011 - 2:15am.
Someone wrote an oped about how the stock market used to be run/managed by everyday folks, and there were little to no wild swings, then we got it into our collective heads that they should be replaced by people with degrees, and the rest is history.
Pres. Obama perfectly illustrates what happens when you put these elites in positions of power - the power goes to their heads and the result is NOT good.
Before we could start drafting people though, we'd have to massively simplify all the lawyers language that has mucked up the system, or they'd spend all their time on the learning curve as oppsoed to legislating/fixing things.
So basically we have a classic Catch-22 - we need competent "everymen/women" to reduce gov't., but 1st we have to reduce gov't!!!
Ronald Reagan
Apparently someone agrees and
Submitted by dscott on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 3:20am.
Apparently someone agrees and said so publicly:
http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/magazine/94940/peter-orszag-democrac...
Peter Orszag: "To solve the serious problems facing our country, we need to minimize the harm from legislative inertia by relying more on automatic policies and depoliticized commissions for certain policy decisions. In other words, radical as it sounds, we need to counter the gridlock of our political institutions by making them a bit less democratic."
Go ahead and call me a conspiracy theorist but I'm thinking liberals are ginning themselves up for a coup de tat. In typical lib style, the balloon has been floated and now they are waiting to see the reaction...
So this now makes 3 who said something similar, Chris Matthews, Gov. Perdue and now Peter Orszag. Will the MSM start chiming in?
Clean your guns, check your ammo and do some target practice...
Was planning a trip to the
Submitted by MikeB on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:40am.
Was planning a trip to the range this morning before I read NB. I've got a Remington model 700 in 30-06 for ranges out to 800 meters, and an SKS (looking for an AK) for closer work.
The Guv was not joking, and only said so when her trial baloon went down in flames. Before they could suspend elections, they would need to disarm the populace, hence "Fast and Furious". Yeah, all those guns, sold by FFLs going across the border and being used by Mexican drug cartels, we need to ban firearms for public safety, for the children, as a public health policy.
The Guv well knows that when the ballot box is denied to the citizens, the only recourse left is the cartridge box. If the cartridge box is confiscated, you get a worker's paradise like the old Soviet Union, or Nazi Germany, or Cuba, North Korea, Red China, etc.
Governor Perdue's non-Constitutional Moment
Submitted by hoodad500 on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 3:46am.
Forrest Gump was proven absolutely correct by our governor yesterday.
purdue
Submitted by D'saredumbpeople on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 7:54am.
she looks like she should be in purdue chicken ads.....
a stupid bird...nothing more
scary thing the people voting for her...
~Their alternative
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:59am.
was a pathetic RINO from a city that most of the rest of the state is jealous of. Perdue was elected in '08, so she was drafting off Obama, as well. The state legislature went Repub to an unprecedented degree in '10, so she knows her time is limited.
Is this the beginning of the end
Submitted by Clutch1956 on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 8:12am.
of Perdue's political career? One can only hope so, she certainly handed a political opponent an enormous club to beat her with! (Metaphorical club, not a physical one, for the dimwits on the left that don't understand the difference.) The fewer DemonRATs in positions of power, the better!
Here is "jbfranks" email address.
Submitted by compman on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 8:42am.
I suggest you all write to him. I know I did:
jfrank@newsobserver.com
I left Ohio because of Betty Sutton-
Submitted by JIMMY1660 on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:19am.
came to North Carolina and now i find The Lady Gov is a wacko as well.
Gov. Perdue, your statements are that of a Radical Liberal-saying one thing, telling all,"that's not what I meant" all the time really meaning every word.
No vote for you.
Good morning Jimmy
Submitted by cocodrie on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:29am.
You can run but you can't hide. They're everywhere, they're everywhere. We have Mary Liesalot for a senator here.
Jesus Loves You so much He died for you
This is what a marigolds-only diet will do to you, folks.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:31am.
Sure, your skin will be a nice bright yellow, but in the end it's not worth it.
Burgawk!
it was no joke
Submitted by Free Stinker on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:42am.
They were testing public sentiment to see if the serfs outweigh the citizens.
/// Sarah Palin Fan since July 11, 2007 /// خال
Elections Shmections...
Submitted by Meredith1966 on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:43am.
Could be that this is simply Gov. Perdue's own paranoia manifesting itself, in the sense that she's seen what's happened to Democrats in elections since 2008. Not all elections, of course, but several high-profile races that earth-shakingly went to Republicans--think Scott Brown in Massachussetts winning Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, the guy in New York (can't recall his name right now) winning the Weiner seat, one that had been held by Democrats since the early 1920s, and the 2010 mid-terms where Democrats in general were spanked. Perhaps she sees that 2012 is going to be disastrous for Democrats and simply voiced out loud what she and perhaps others on the Dem side have been thinking since the Scott Brown earthquake, that the only way to avoid it is to get people thinking that it would be in the nation's best interest to forego the elections until the current 'crisis' passes. It's a bit of a grassy knoll conspiracy theory, I'll admit, but is she really goofy enough to think people are going to buy that she was joking? And, even if she was, what politician in their right mind would say that out loud and not expect to have to defend such a statement?
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." - Thomas Jefferson
Perdue hates that we have
Submitted by packman on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 9:49am.
a Constitution, just like 0bama hates that we have a....Congress and a Supreme Court. Ahh, these would-be kings and queens, life would be so much easier for them if that snarky democracy thing wasn't in their way.
"...Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want bread..." ~Thomas Jefferson
Mr. ebt
Submitted by RD King on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 10:27am.
was joking now the head of the state of N Carolina is joking. Well I don't see too many regular folks aka Americans out here in life laughing much these days. Is all the destruction the osamaone has and is illegally doing a joke? Will America wake up in 2012 with all this crap gone and back to a normal America? These illegal and moonbat people are dangerous plan and simple.
So let's make it worse
Submitted by CobraMan on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 12:44pm.
"Gov. Perdue was obviously using hyperbole to highlight what we can all agree is a serious problem: Washington politicians who focus on their own election instead of what’s best for the people they serve."
So let's make it worse by suspending elections altogether, which would remove the incentive for members of Congress to pay heed to their own constituents. It figures that a Democrat would suggest the "suspension" of the only means the public has for "punishing" a politician: the ballot box!
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
There is no way I will just
Submitted by jessieH on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 12:50pm.
There is no way I will just stand by & let them suspend elections for anybody! Congress & Senate, both are full of treasonous Socialists. With the exception of the recently elected servants, the rest must go. Pelosi, Reid, Waxman, Boxer, Waters, Lee, all are guilty of treason. Biden is a court jester, Obama is a communist. As long as Obama's records are sealed, no one should vote for him. There are too many unanswered questions.
Certifiable
Submitted by ItchyZ on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 1:54pm.
She's proven to be just a Pelosi-style barking lunatic liberal. Exquisite lunacy!!
"joke"?
Submitted by Dufresne on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 1:56pm.
First, this was not a "joke" as has already been pointed out. Second, not ONE mention of this story on MSNBC or Daily KOS. Surprised?
"joke"?
Submitted by Dufresne on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 1:57pm.
double post - removed
audio located
Submitted by kata on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 2:05pm.
they have an audio clip now. It's going to be harder to walk this one back.
Anyone notice the NYT
Submitted by dscott on Thu, 09/29/2011 - 1:13am.
Anyone notice the NYT article? As Scorn for Vote Grows, Protests Surge Around Globe http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/28/world/as-scorn-for-vote-grows-protests...
The entire tone of the article was against the Western style Republican governance and capitalism spouting the liberal line - income inequality with the implied reason the success of capitalism as though it were a product of it. They gingerly step around the issue of cronism and corrupt politicians who abuse the political system - like Barack Obama and his friends here in the US and focus on others. We call this Projection, accusing others of doing exactly what you yourself do or want to do. If the NYT had any guts, it would call out Obama on Solyndra and LightSquared.
Hey NYT, it is precisely politicians under the guise of government choosing winners and losers via subsidies and grants who destroy the credibility of the political system. When you chose one type of industry over another or one company over another no matter what the rationalization, government becomes the decider on who wins and on the flipside who loses. Government direction of an economy IS corruption, it can't be otherwise.
Yeap, liberals are laying the ground work to rationalize why a dictatorship is necessary. November 2012 can't come soon enough! Let's just hope there is a country remaining to vote out this group of self serving agenda seeking malfeasance Democrats who insist on spending what we don't have on their friends.
Well, the Raleigh Newspaper
Submitted by jessieH on Thu, 09/29/2011 - 9:56am.
Well, the Raleigh Newspaper is lying through their teeth. This was no joke. The liberal left are running scared. Suspending the elections is the only way they can stay in office.