The Shell Game of Corrupted Government Exposed
Paul Tine: The new Arthur Williams?
Publisher's note: Brant Clifton remembers the Arthur Williams fiasco in his "bare knuckles" Conservative online publication known as The Daily Haymaker.
A Democrat named Arthur Williams represented the Outer Banks-centered Sixth District in the North Carolina House from 2003-2011. During that time, he was a good Democrat - a good soldier for then Senate boss Marc Basnight and then-House speaker Jim Black. In the 2010 GOP wave, Williams was defeated by Republican Bill Cook. In 2012, Cook was encouraged to jump from the House to the Senate - opening up the District 6 seat,
In 2012, the Tea Party was in full-swing in the district. Tea Party leader Mattie Lawson was making a serious run at the District Six seat. Establishment Republicans in Raleigh - led by then-House speaker Thom Tillis - encouraged Williams, who the party had JUST spent tons of money to defeat, to change parties and run for the seat he just lost as a Republican.
Lawson escaped the primary and runoff fight against Williams. Sources on the ground in the Sixth District tell me that establishment GOP types flocked to the campaign of Democrat Paul Tine in November, helping him eke out a win over Lawson the Tea Partier.
Tine spent two years as a freshman member of the Democrat minority on Jones Street. That gave him plenty of time to shake down some decent campaign cash from lobbyists and enter the 2014 election cycle rematch with Lawson with a substantial cash advantage. Again, the NCGOP sat on its hands in this very winnable district and Tine escaped with a victory in a GOP wave year.
Now that the 2014 races are sufficiently behind us, we are getting word that Tine is leaving the Democrat caucus and registering as Unaffiliated. Drive-bys and establishment types are cheering this news - labeling Tine with terms like "moderate" and "conservative." But how accurate are those descriptions? Let's look back to his campaign web site from this time last year:
[...] Education, job creation, and infrastructure will be the focus of Tine's campaign, but campaign spokesperson Keith Mason, Jr. emphasized that the race would also be about protecting rural areas. "As Co-Chair and a founding member of the Democratic Rural Caucus, Representative Tine has been a leader in the fight on rural issues. From fighting vouchers and education cuts, to denouncing Medicaid cuts for rural healthcare centers, to promoting infrastructure projects, Eastern North Carolina has a strong advocate in Representative Tine." Mason said.[...]
"Fighting vouchers"' - aka school choice - and "education cuts"? "Denouncing Medicaid cuts"? He sounds like Kay Hagan. And this was JUST a year ago.
Tine may be acting out of concern over the district's demographics. It's only 45 percent Democrat and 82 percent white. Republicans Burr, Romney and McCrory all won the district handily in their most recent races.
This has happened before. Bert Jones won a seat in Rockingham County in 2010 as a conservative unaffiliated candidate. He caucused with the GOP - but had the conservative beliefs to justify it. He later switched his registration to Republican,and won reelection.
Has Tine had an ideological epiphany / conversion or awakening? Doesn't sound like it:
[...] Tine's defection will effectively give the GOP a 75-45 advantage, although Tine stresses he has not changed all his viewpoints just because he is changing parties.
"I've told them watch what they wish for in terms of working with me, because I'm still going to believe we need Medicaid expansion to help our rural hospitals. I still believe we need funding for transportation in eastern North Carolina. I still believe in public education very strongly," Tine said. [...]morgan1
Some may argue - justifiably - that Tine misled his voters by running as a Democrat in the election and then switching shortly afterward. It could be argued that he should take the Strom Thurmond route - resign your seat and then run for it in the special election with your new party registration. Let the voters ratify your decision.
It will be interesting to see if this guy gets any rewards - like a committee chairmanship - for making this move. That could evoke memories of Richard Morgan and Michael Decker from the 2002-2006 era. The Republicans don't NEED Tine to switch. They've already got a comfortable margin. He's not a dependable conservative - like Bert Jones. So, it's hard to see what benefit the Republican caucus gets from this move.
If there eventually is a switch to the GOP that will tell us all we need to know. The establishment has installed a legislator they can control and has effectively shut grassroots conservatives out of this seat.
Go Back
Publisher's note: Brant Clifton remembers the Arthur Williams fiasco in his "bare knuckles" Conservative online publication known as Paul Tine: Above photo by Stan Deatherage
In 2012, the Tea Party was in full-swing in the district. Tea Party leader Mattie Lawson was making a serious run at the District Six seat. Establishment Republicans in Raleigh - led by then-House speaker Thom Tillis - encouraged Williams, who the party had JUST spent tons of money to defeat, to change parties and run for the seat he just lost as a Republican.
Lawson escaped the primary and runoff fight against Williams. Sources on the ground in the Sixth District tell me that establishment GOP types flocked to the campaign of Democrat Paul Tine in November, helping him eke out a win over Lawson the Tea Partier.
Tine spent two years as a freshman member of the Democrat minority on Jones Street. That gave him plenty of time to shake down some decent campaign cash from lobbyists and enter the 2014 election cycle rematch with Lawson with a substantial cash advantage. Again, the NCGOP sat on its hands in this very winnable district and Tine escaped with a victory in a GOP wave year.
Now that the 2014 races are sufficiently behind us, we are getting word that Tine is leaving the Democrat caucus and registering as Unaffiliated. Drive-bys and establishment types are cheering this news - labeling Tine with terms like "moderate" and "conservative." But how accurate are those descriptions? Let's look back to his campaign web site from this time last year:
[...] Education, job creation, and infrastructure will be the focus of Tine's campaign, but campaign spokesperson Keith Mason, Jr. emphasized that the race would also be about protecting rural areas. "As Co-Chair and a founding member of the Democratic Rural Caucus, Representative Tine has been a leader in the fight on rural issues. From fighting vouchers and education cuts, to denouncing Medicaid cuts for rural healthcare centers, to promoting infrastructure projects, Eastern North Carolina has a strong advocate in Representative Tine." Mason said.[...]
"Fighting vouchers"' - aka school choice - and "education cuts"? "Denouncing Medicaid cuts"? He sounds like Kay Hagan. And this was JUST a year ago.
Tine may be acting out of concern over the district's demographics. It's only 45 percent Democrat and 82 percent white. Republicans Burr, Romney and McCrory all won the district handily in their most recent races.
This has happened before. Bert Jones won a seat in Rockingham County in 2010 as a conservative unaffiliated candidate. He caucused with the GOP - but had the conservative beliefs to justify it. He later switched his registration to Republican,and won reelection.
Has Tine had an ideological epiphany / conversion or awakening? Doesn't sound like it:
[...] Tine's defection will effectively give the GOP a 75-45 advantage, although Tine stresses he has not changed all his viewpoints just because he is changing parties.
"I've told them watch what they wish for in terms of working with me, because I'm still going to believe we need Medicaid expansion to help our rural hospitals. I still believe we need funding for transportation in eastern North Carolina. I still believe in public education very strongly," Tine said. [...]morgan1
Some may argue - justifiably - that Tine misled his voters by running as a Democrat in the election and then switching shortly afterward. It could be argued that he should take the Strom Thurmond route - resign your seat and then run for it in the special election with your new party registration. Let the voters ratify your decision.
It will be interesting to see if this guy gets any rewards - like a committee chairmanship - for making this move. That could evoke memories of Richard Morgan and Michael Decker from the 2002-2006 era. The Republicans don't NEED Tine to switch. They've already got a comfortable margin. He's not a dependable conservative - like Bert Jones. So, it's hard to see what benefit the Republican caucus gets from this move.
If there eventually is a switch to the GOP that will tell us all we need to know. The establishment has installed a legislator they can control and has effectively shut grassroots conservatives out of this seat.
Comments
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Jesse was an under appreciated political leviathan.
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I remember moving to Wake Forest rejoicing I got out of GA before Lester Maddox was their governor for a year. I turned on Channel 5 Raleigh and there was Jesse giving one of his editorial commentaries.
I thought, "OH my God, Lester has a first Cousin in NC!" I am also quick to say that you knew where Jesse stood and his office helped me save a man's life with an experimental drug for Hepatitis C they got shipped on UNC for his use as he was dying by the day. Jesse was a true "Compassionate Conservative" in my view . . . |
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Brant calls them as he sees them, and you're right about Brant - he is a Jesse Helm's Conservative - literally - worked for him as a young man.
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You appear to be confused over whether Tine is an Independent or a Republican. That convinces me that, like most Conservatives, you either are lock step in conformity or you can't be one of us. . .
Let me remind you of something important ~~~ any dissenting side on any divisive issue has solid points you need to consider. When NC was considered a Progressive State, we had just such ~~~ compromise in legislation to the wise balance from both side and the the ultimate benefit of the majority of taxpayers in this state. I fail to see much of anything Conservatives have "conserved" since coming to power. We now have a budget that is underfunded thanks to a new tax code favoring the rich and corps. We have lost major industries without replacing them under Republican rule. Indeed, the loss of Southeastern Seminary to Conservatives is, as Dr. Bill Friday posited, the most far-reaching change in NC in a century. We are a religious state by and large. If the largest number of citizens are Baptist. If the pastors are telling them naively that Conservatives are angels and Democrats are of the devil, then the separation of church and state has gone away. That was a prime principle of Baptists in this state for several hundred years and we did far better than when the lock step conformity now brings indoctrinated pastors from my Seminary at Wake Forest into pulpits all over this state and those surrounding it. There is a great difference between a wise conservative and one with an agenda of following the sheep in front to the slaughter. Our Governor is a bought politician of the Duke Energy / powerful corp folks. He is not wise nor caring to think for himself. Fracking is the prime example of what will destroy this state's beauty over pure greed for profits no matter how our water is destroyed . . . 
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My personal favorite Senator from NC is still Sam Erwin. He was far more balanced than Jesse or Tillis. When he led the Watergate hearings on Nixon, he had only the Constitution in his coat pocket for all to see. Had he been there when Congress took on the stupid of Bill Clinton, he would have laughed it off the floor ~~~ because it had everything to do with hate and nothing to do with the Constitution . . .