What Led Self-professed Conservative Walter Jones to Endorse Self-professed Liberal Arthur Williams? | Eastern North Carolina Now

   Publisher's note: The publication of this material within this article was made possible by the sleuthing work of one of our satellite researcher's, Esther Graham. I have been in possession of this information for a couple of days, but was asked to hold it fast for a period time, which I have until now - the information embargo has been lifted.

   I was going to write this story anyway: not because I want the success of one candidate over the other - even though I intuitively knew that I must break with my long standing tradition of never endorsing one Republican over another to lend my strong endorsement for Tea Party favored Mattie Lawson over the Democrat Arthur Williams here in the Republican primary runoff - but because there is foul stench forming heavy in this eastern North Carolina that must be vented. I pray these few good words do lend just a spritz of fresh air to assuage a small part of this foul aroma wafting from Beaufort County back to Raleigh, and possibly all about this 3rd Congressional District in North Carolina, and moreover, I also pray that you (our readership) now listen to others, think for yourselves, and find whatever whiff of fresh air that is still yet breathable, and get thyself in gear to do what will be right.

   Furthermore, for the sake of complete fairness, if any or all of the mentioned parties in this post feel that this information is misrepresented, BCN will afford them equal space to refute all allegations. This represents our ongoing commitment to fairness whereby we may all arrive at what is true, so we can all do what is right to rid the air of this most unsuitable political stench.

   Political chameleons appear to have a long shelf-life in long-Democrat-controlled eastern North Carolina. This truth still does not improve the foul political stench that has long existed in these parts. - Wyatt Sanderman Day

Arthur Williams has close friends that are no longer with us

   Let's be totally clear about this one issue - Ed Warren is dead. But long before Ed succumbed to the inevitable, as we all are called to know, he was a long time North Carolina Senator, representing Pitt and Beaufort Counties, with Democrat party hack, and hopeful, Arthur Williams stumping right alongside him: helping Ed raise money, rally the voters, keep the party faithful happy, and in-line with Ed's ambitions.

   This system worked quite well; they were a great team - Ed was unbeatable and Arthur was to be the ascending Democrat in one local seat or another, after Ed retired, and Ed did one day retire. For whatever Democrat party reasons - maybe it was redistricting - Arthur was not handed the Democrat nomination in Ed Warren's old NC Senate District, but NC House, District 3 (Beaufort County, part of Pitt) instead, and it was working perfectly, until Republican Bill Cook started campaigning full time to take the seat away from the Democrat / Beaufort County Committee of 100 designee.

   Bill Cook employed Tea party enthusiasm, grass-roots mojo, hard work, and no promises to big donors - possibly because there were none, won big against the well connected incumbent. The end result, Arthur would have to find another "venue" to use his big money to bring his small liberal ideas to a voting public.
Speaker of the NC House Thom Tillis speaks to the delegation of North Carolina Commissioners in Raleigh for the NCACC County Assembly Day: Above.     photo by Stan Deatherage

Arthur Williams has close friends in Raleigh

   Sadly, what we are discovering in Raleigh is that the Republicans now in charge crave big donor money, not big ideas. Arthur, who is well adept at raising private money for the public's promises, obviously fits perfectly into that mold.

   What we have found in this election cycle is that there has been a crushing rush by the leaders in Raleigh to try to pick our representatives here Downeast, by designating our candidates for us, rather than letting us decide. Recently in Beaufort County, candidates for nomination: Arthur Williams, NC House, District 6, and Realtor Jerry Evans, NC Senate, District 1, both life-long liberal Democrats, boasted that they were receiving support from caucus "central planning against the conservative Republicans. In NC Senate, District 3, incumbent Norman Sanderson was out of favor with "leadership," so they elected to entice huge Democrat Governor Beverly Perdue supporter Randy Ramsey to switch sides to defeat Norman Sanderson. Fortunately, all of these "well connected" Democrats lost in these Republican primary's, but with just one problem - Arthur narrowly lost in a three-way race, and called for a runoff.

   Incredibly, even though conservative Republican political neophyte Mattie Lawson won the primary, "Leadership" in Raleigh feel that Democrat Arthur Williams would be better suited to bring Republican ideals to Raleigh to represent we Conservatives here Downeast. Remarkable set of logic skills by the "Leadership;" however, I'm not buying in. Are You?

   Remarkably, the Speaker of the Republican controlled NC House, and leader of the Republican House Caucus, Thom Tillis, felt that he should elicit the support of former 5 term Democrat NC Senator turned Republican Congressman Walter Jones for his endorsement of the Democrat Arthur Williams to enhance his chances against the Conservative Republican, Mattie Lawson.

   Do you see a pattern that has developed here?

   As I mentioned in the Publisher's note, there are comments discussed by others that leads one to firmly believe that there is a politically unholy three-way that has developed between the Speaker, the Congressman, and the aspiring Democrat for the Republican nomination. Here below is what I have been sent, by Esther Graham, between Johnathon Brooks, campaign manager for Congressman Walter Jones, and Todd Bennett, GOP activist from Walter Jones's hometown of Farmville, NC:

   The setup: Todd Bennett - The following is a report of a conversation between Johnathon Brooks, Campaign Manager for US Representative Walter Jones' and myself this afternoon about the Congressman's endorsement of Arthur Williams.

    Bennett: "I had called Mr. Brooks and left a message about 'a rumored endorsement of Arthur Williams for HD6 from Congressman Walter Jones,' and requested a return call."

    Brooks: "The way this happened was Rep. Jones was approached by Speaker Tillis to look into getting behind Arthur Williams."

    Bennett: "I had called Mr. Brooks and left a message about 'a rumored endorsement of Arthur Williams for HD6 from Congressman Walter Jones,' and requested a return call."

    Brooks: "The way this happened was Rep. Jones was approached by Speaker Tillis to look into getting behind Arthur Williams."

    Bennett: "I then said, 'So Speaker Tillis was involved?'"

    Brooks: "Yes, that's how it started."

    Bennett: "I have received a couple of phone calls over the past two weeks from an eastern NCGOP group leader and activist who claimed he was calling me on behalf of the state GOP, not an elected official, and that they wanted me to approach Ms Hult to ask her to drop this thing, to tone down the Facebook traffic discussing 'Flyer Gate' and to try and stop the emails going to party officials' (paraphrased). ("Something I was not aware of as I had not yet received any emails related to the flyer flap.")

   "And finally, 'We must unite the party and that if it was not dropped it could cost the Republican Party in the next election . . . hurting Pat McCrory and even Romney (paraphrased).'"

    Bennett: "Personally I do not agree with that reasoning, the suggested political harm, nor appreciate the appeal to emotion and ignorance. Should it be the case that GOP candidates suffer losses as a result of the flyer uproar don't look to those who authored or handed it out. The upset was self-imposed and a result of the NCGOP and Caucuses' unfounded imposition and meddling in local state elections."

    "Then, instead of addressing the flyer civilly or with answers, the `transparent and accountable' NCGOP leadership effectively responded 'Shut up or we'll sue.'"

    Johnathon Brooks, Campaign Mngr for US Rep Walter Jones C 252 916-4369

    Todd Bennett, GOP activist (252)341-3663     marsbennett@hotmail.com


    Jones endorsement story below:

    Todd Bennett - After speaking with Congressman Walter Jones' Manager Johnathon Brooks learned that Jones endorsed Art Williams (H6) because:

    1) House Speaker Thom Tillis (R) asked him to.

    2) Mattie Lawson endorsed Jones' opponent Frank Palumbo.

    3) Jones has been friends with him for 30 years.

    NCGOP leadership is trying to convince folks who were approached at convention and others that we must have 'unity' or else we won't hold the NCGA and McCrory won't be elected - and the blame would lie with them.
Walter Jones, Jr. speaking to a group of folks at a rally for Pat McCrory at Ashley Woolard's residence, Summer, 2011: Above.     photo by Stan Deatherage

Arthur Williams has close friends in Washington, DC

   It does appear, from the Todd Bennett correspondence, that Arthur and Congressman Walter Jones are long-time friends (which stretches back to the days when both were Democrat politicians / activists. But that is not all that the two have in common. Understandably, there appears that both have many other mutual political interests and similarities.

   Chief among them is that both men got their start in the Democrat party by riding the political coattails of others: Arthur Williams coasting in the aforementioned Ed Warren's political wake, and Walter Jones, Jr. drafting behind his father, Congressman Walter Jones, Sr. Remarkably, both men joined the Republican party after suffering devastating political defeats: Democrat Arthur Williams being crushed by relatively unknown Bill Cook in 2010, and Walter Jones losing in the race for his father's own seat, North Carolina's 1st Congressional District in 1992, to Eva B. Clayton. Both men summarily joined the Republican Party, even though both had already been elected multiple times before as Democrats, to run as conservative Republicans in the very next 2-year election cycle.

   Understanding the conversion as an evolution of political character is slightly understandable; however, can we not all recognize that it is most difficult for a "Zebra to change their stripes." Even though Walter actually signed Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America," 1994, to only serve for a prescribed number of terms in the United States House of Representatives, which he has long ago exceeded, he broke with that ratified commitment, and continues as the 3rd District Representative today, currently seeking reelection to his 10th straight term.

   Walter Jones's breaking his word with the American People on this clear issue of self-imposed term limits for congressmen makes one wonder just how many other defections, in the principles should guide conservative politicians, has Walter made. Clearly, Walter Jones is no longer that Conservative that he so mightily espoused in those heady days of the 1990's. Maybe, he never was.

   The Nation Taxpayer Association recently ranked 3rd District Congressman Walter Jones 239th most conservative congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives, which puts 42% of the nation's congressmen at a higher level of conservatism than Walter in terms of most conservative, and Walter narrowly beating out NC Democrat Congressmen: Mike McIntyre (Democrat, 7th Congressional District) at 243rd, Heath Shuler (Democrat, 11th Congressional District) at 258th, Larry Kissell (Democrat, 8th Congressional District) at 269th. In the realm of Conservative politics, practice makes perfect, but after Walter's 9 consecutive terms as a "Contract with America" signer, Congressman Jones appears to be going in the wrong direction. Now he is endorsing a Democrat to defeat Tea Party Republican.

   And while this may seem quite normal to the money people of eastern North Carolina, who only support politicians that have a political pedigree for representing their values at the most opportune time, I assure that real Conservative politicians look askance at this kind of behavior: political principles and endorsements on sale to the highest bidder. This is no way to govern this Republic.

   In the real world, where our forefathers have perished defending our United States Constitution, which ensures that we will remain a vital republic, with a full functioning representative government, we don't take kindly to outsiders, or this local well aforementioned congressman picking our state house representative in this Republican primary.

   I pray that you will stand with people like me, who cannot abide this foul political stench, and rethink your allegiance to the transformational Walter Jones's call for you to support the Democrat in this NC House, District 6, primary runoff against the Republican Mattie Lawson. Real Conservatives, such as myself, stopped relying on Walter's words some time ago. Maybe you should consider this path to principled political growth as well.