Thom Tillis' office door jam
Published July 27, 2013
Editorial, News and Observer, July 27, 2013.
If House Speaker Thom Tillis, running for the United States Senate, is going to try to make friends on the campaign trail he will have to get used to visiting everything from tobacco fields to chicken houses and pressing palms with gazillionaires and field workers. The speaker, after all, was a long-time business consultant from the Charlotte area before he went to the House so he’s still trying to learn to be a man of the people.
Or, as we in North Carolina put it, his aides are trying to showcase him as someone with “a lot of Rufus in him.” (Referring of course, to the best one-on-one campaigner of them all, Rufus Edmisten, former attorney general and secretary of state.)
But a recent development at the Legislative Building, which we’ve always thought of as the people’s house, is a little disconcerting.
It seems a group of Democrats recently went to the speaker’s personal office to deliver petitions opposing the now-law abortion bill restricting access to the procedure for women. The Democrats apparently took a picture of their action. That upset some Republicans.
So now the House has a new rule. Anyone who wants to enter a legislator’s office cannot do so without permission, except for some staffers.
Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln used to greet citizens in the White House. Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch used to walk up to people on the street, shake their hands and ask, “How’m I doin’?”
So we wonder. What are they afraid of? Do we need to get them security blankets? A little therapy? We know a guy uniquely qualified.
Rufus?
July 27, 2013 at 3:24 pm
dj anderson says:
I suppose the 'visit' was the sit in shown on YouTube--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUo_NvTpUsA
They refused to leave and were arrested.
This is the public face of the Democratic Party. Not the petition, but the let's-get-arrested to make the news Democrat that is not going to accept the transfer of power to the Republican party is how the party is presented today.
Weekly crowds on Halifax Mall, a hundred arrests in the legislature make for news camera poses to accompany world news of other protesting crowds in Brazil, Pakistan, Egypt, Tunisia. That's the current Democratic strategy.
Are Democrats going to overthrow the elected NC government? They did it at the turn of the last century in Wilmington when White Democrats with violence threw out the blacks in charge, the only coup de tat in US history.
This smiling as arrested, get-in-line on the left to be arrested bunch doesn't seem invested enough to make more than the news. They don't even get mugshots or fingerprints, nor go to jail, just ride to the magistrate or clerk's office to sign a piece of paper and go home, having earned their merit badge.
But Democrats are playing with fire, if only dazzling sparks at the moment, for by their editorials & trumpeted rhetoric of its media criers poor blacks and old people are going to be denied the vote in huge numbers by requiring ID & 'ending' early voting, while redistricting enables white conservatives to win elections even with fewer votes, and if that disenfranchisement weren't enough, little children are to be cheated out of quality education; teachers fired or abused; the rich are to pay less tax to get richer & the poor poor have to pay more; executions will take place; guns allowed everywhere, women blocked from wanted abortions, etc. etc. as NC is thrown into "decline" back into the dark ages.
Why, if those sitting in Tillis's office take all that to heart, I'm surprised they didn't fight to stay in the office, stop the legislature, and risk life & limb to do so. On the news, the one young man (Vincent?) seems not so versed on the talking points but very sincerely disturbed by the new government. The well meaning crowds could incite some individual to actual resistance, true violence, and a real arrest.
Democrats are willing to risk that, and some might hope for it, but once one's office is 'occupied' there is reason to restrict access. Whose fault is that?
For not liking having their offices occupied, and trying to prevent it, the Republicans are ridiculed in this blog with: "Do we need to get them security blankets? A little therapy?"
I'm not a republican, but perhaps it's these Democrats that need those things. They had it 100% their way for over a century and now can't accept the election results - which means change. They want it to be perfect again like it was in 2009.
As for Rufus, who from the days beside Senator Sam seemed destined to be at least Governor, but lost the ran to Republican Jim Martin. Timing is everything. He later fell from grace as Sec. of State, resigning for no reason after accusations of abusing the powers of his office. The Democrats found no abuse of office...well, maybe those license plates that allowed him no-ticket speeding?
In any case, as much as I like the guy, even his guitar playing, he is no longer 'the' party leader. Rufus can't stand up to Rev. Barber, can't shut up the ridiculing, mean natured barking chihuahua media mouthpieces that make the party look little and weak, but mostly, Rufus can't project the integrity or intellect of what NC Democratic Party as a whole needs -- an Adlai Stevenson with hair & common nickname. If only Democrats could find that one person with Rufus Edmisten's personality & Erskine Bowles' fiscal skills, and some of Jim Hunt's political savvy.
Who is that masked man? Someone shine the Batman spotlight! Send out an SOS (save our state) signal. Get Jimmy Olsen's watch to summon our Superman! Do something, but this current HULK theme of "Don't make me angry" has to go. Some innocent-hearted person, s well meaning soul, if slightly mentally ill person, constantly listening to the seemingly honest Chicken Littles is going to get mad, is going to actually do something, and all this will explode. Maybe not.
But the bottom line is that this crybaby mob of a party needs a leader.
PS Sorry for replies longer than the blogs. I'm about ready to give it up. Also, is anyone else having trouble with the CAPTCHA codes?
