Even Republicans hate Patrick McHenry

Patrick McHenry is in trouble now- even Catawba Valley Republicans are after him from all over his district. A long list of his issues on the site:

• AGAINST John McCain for President
• Endangering Troops in Iraq
• $700 Rock Concert Tickets and $4000 meals from campaign funds
• Embarassed party with Xenophobic remarks through a (now hidden) press release
• Belittling Troops in Iraq
• Hiding Scandals on Wikipedia
• Partying with Lesbian Activists
• Selling his Attention to the Highest Bidder
• Defending rich CEOs responsible for the Subprime Lending Crisis
• Funding Underage Drinking
• Funding Voter Fraud with donated funds
• Inappropriate Staff Relationships

NCGOP: McHenry Xenophobia doesn't get you elected

From Republicans against Patrick McHenry

Surprise, Surprise: NCGOP leaders are beginning to speak out against some of Patrick McHenry’s Republican-branded Xenophobia, many calling his crude attack methods against Democrats (many of which have caused him some embarassing moments in the House)...

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Tommy Luckadoo lies on robo-call

Looks like McHenry can't help himself- I got a robo-call from Tommy Luckadoo claiming that Sigmon has no right to be using the audio clip that Ballenger made for him. His credentials? Being Ballenger's District Director.... 4 years ago. Luckadoo insinuated that Ballenger was senile or something like that, and apparently he's trying to become Ballenger's vessel.

Luckadoo, there are men much older than Ballenger who are NOT senile, and I personally find it offensive that you would attempt to discredit Cass Ballenger just to help that dick Patrick McHenry hold his ill-gotten seat. With you doing dirty things like stomping on signs in Hickory intersections and otherwise acting like a complete jackass, I don't even know why anyone talks to you.

Ballenger supports Sigmon: The Full Press Release

From Sigmon for Congress:

On Saturday May 3rd, former Congressman Cass Ballenger endorsed, in writing, my candidacy for North Carolina's 10th Congressional District. Shortly after notifying the media of that endorsement, Rep. Patrick McHenry sent out an e-mail stating in part:

"The Sigmon campaign has stooped to a new low, peddling the story of a purported endorsement by Congressman Cass Ballenger," and questioning the "legitimacy of the letter."

On Sunday afternoon, I personally spoke to Congressman Ballenger about his written endorsement in an effort to rectify this unjustified attack upon both his integrity and mine. Congressman Ballenger is a highly respected former congressman, veteran, and successful businessman. He reiterated his support of my candidacy, and in order to clear up any doubt, he recorded the following message to the voters of the 10th District (click here).

Congressman Ballenger also told me directly that he had already cast his vote for Mr. McHenry, but he made it clear to me that if he had been aware of the "disturbing information" about McHenry at the time he cast his vote, he would have voted differently.

Despite the fact that Ballenger recorded his message in person, the McHenry campaign continues to refuse to acknowledge that they have lost Ballenger's support.

To insult a former congressman, one of our District's elder statesmen, for political gain is absolutely reprehensible. Claiming that I falsified the endorsement is disgraceful and libelous. I see this attack as the desperate act of a desperate man. This is yet another example of McHenry's lack of maturity and judgment, and again shows why he should not be re-elected.

Transcript of the Recording

This is Congressman Cass Ballenger. I am calling to ask you for your support in electing Lance Sigmon.
Recently, I was made aware of some disturbing information concerning our current Congressman, who I previously supported. In this new light, I would ask you, the voters of the 10th District, to now join me in my support of Lance Sigmon, to be our Republican nominee for Congress.

Related Files

>> Hear Cass' Call to 10th District Voters (.WAV Format, 218kbs) >> See the full signed Endorsement >> See it on YouTube

Cass Ballenger endorses Lance Sigmon after seeing McHenry Photos

Looks like Patrick McHenry's losing some big name friends because of recent pictures posted online revealing him partying with known lesbian activists. Yesterday, former Congressman Cass Ballenger (the guy who served in the 10th BEFORE McHenry) came forward and provided an endorsement for Lance Sigmon after seeing photographs of McHenry, afraid that Democrats might gain the seat considering the plethora of weaknesses McHenry has at this point.



Of course, McHenry has already blasted out e-mails on his list calling Lance a liar, saying Ballenger voted for him- that's correct, but apparently after seeing these photos and getting all of the information about McHenry in the last month (The "two bit" scandal, endangering the troops in Iraq, the money from the PAC going to paying off voter fraud charges, and now these homosexual photos), he's angry he voted for him in the first place.

The hilarious part? Ballenger supported McHenry in 04. Guess he made the wrong decision.

"Pro-Family, Anti-Gay" McHenry parties with Lesbians

Crossposted from BrandonGreeson.com.

Patrick McHenry, our "traditional values conservative" congressman, has some explaining to do after the following photos have surfaced:

Why does Patrick have some explaining to do? The photos show McHenry partying with Jackie Sullens and her lesbian partner. According to the Gaston County Republican Women’s website, Sullens is the organization’s newsletter editor.

McHenry has been a starch and avid opponent of LGBT rights. Many rumors continue around the 10th District about McHenry being involved in gay groups and about him being gay himself - rumors that he refuses to respond to.

McHenry has been featured in our local media speaking out against my work to secure equal recognition for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. (Recall: A few years ago when I lead an effort to force a change of policy at the Catawba County Department of Social Services after a lesbian couple had been denied participation in the therapeutic foster care training program) McHenry spoke about the incident on the floor of the US House referring to "organized efforts" on the part of "homosexual activists."

More details are forthcoming surrounding these photos and other involvement McHenry has had with the LGBT community. Stay tuned to McHenryExposed.com and the network sites listed below for details.

To Pat McHenry:
There is no need from running from who you are. Feel free to contact me today and I’ll be happy to connect you with other LGBT leaders who can help you. Otherwise, you’re soon to make someone a very rich - after the truth comes out. You have a $1,000,000 check hanging over your head!

UPDATES START HERE: (updates are listed newest to oldest - scroll down to see older updates)

05/01/08 at 22:00 -
My colleague Mike Roger’s has posted better quality photos than the ones featured above. The photos above were edited prior to arriving to us at BrandonGreeson.com. Below is the photos featured on Mike’s website, courtesy of BlogActive.com.

05/01/08 at 21:50 -
It has come to our attention that because of the media attention from this article, the Gaston County Republican Women’s website is experiencing loading issues. We have this PDF copy of the page linked in the article above. [See PDF here]

You can read more about this story on the following websites: (this list will be updated as we learn of other sources)

• BlogActive - Mike Rogers
• PatGoByeBye - DramaQueen
• Scrutiny Hooligans - DramaQueen

McHenry lies in recent flyer

Click to see the full information- what won't McHenry lie about to get elected? Ironically, Sigmon proved all of these points in a recent 10th District debate- but you won't hear McHenry talk about that in expensive glossy mailers!

College Republicans endorse Lance Sigmon, snuff McHenry

From Sigmon for Congress

The North Carolina Federation of College Republicans (NCFCR) today publicly endorsed Lance Sigmon in the 10th District Republican Congressional primary race.

In the closely contested 2004 primary, College Republicans assisted Patrick McHenry in securing a slim victory over his opponents. However, as stated in the endorsement by the NCFCR, "As great as our disappointment in the Congressman [McHenry] is, our excitement about Lt. Col. Sigmon is significantly greater. He has nobly and bravely served this great nation in the Air Force. He represents the Conservative ideals we the heads of the NCFCR have sought in our public servants."

The Full Letter

We, the current and past Chairmen of the North Carolina Federation of College Republicans (NCFCR) hereby endorse Lt. Col. Lance Sigmon in his bid for US Congress. As the foot soldiers of the conservative grassroots movement, we stress that honor and integrity make the Republican Party great. Although our organization's policy is to avoid favoritism and endorsements in Republican primary races, we, as current and past leaders, understand that it is crucial to speak out now in favor of Lt. Col. Sigmon.

Many College Republicans have had prior disputes with Lt. Col. Sigmon's opponent in the past, but those experiences are in no way the reason for our endorsement. Rather than focus on past events, it is more important to focus on current issues. Lt. Col. Sigmon's opponent's recent actions in Iraq have disrespected our troops. He even went so far as to endanger their lives in his video post. These outrageous actions are simply unbecoming of a public servant, and we feel as though the Congressman has violated the public's trust in him.

As great as our disappointment in the Congressman is, our excitement about Lt. Col. Sigmon is significantly greater. He has nobly and bravely served this great nation in the Air Force. He represents the Conservative ideals we the heads of the NCFCR have sought in our public servants.

Any conservative who looks at Lt. Col. Sigmon's issue positions would be proud to have this honorable gentleman serving in Congress and representing North Carolina and the 10th Congressional District. In fact, in the crucial area of National Security, we feel that Lt. Col. Sigmon represents a major step up from his opponent, having served in the armed forces himself.

We, the Chairmen current and past of the NCFCR represent the future of this state and this nation. As we ask ourselves which candidate will best represent the future of the 10th District of North Carolina, our answer is clearly Lt. Col. Lance Sigmon.

Samuel Tasher and Tyson Grinstead
Chairman, NCFCR and Immediate Past Chair, NCFCR

McHenry pays for Voter Fraud

From Sigmon for Congress

Congressional candidate Lance Sigmon of Newton struck back against Congressman Patrick McHenry's latest smear campaign today by publicly highlighting the congressman's involvement in subsidizing voter fraud.

The highly respected Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call reported on April 16 that Rep. McHenry paid $20,000 for the legal defense of former campaign field director Michael Aaron Lay on voter fraud charges.

The criminal charges stemmed from the 2004 NC Republican primary, during which Lay, then a 23 year-old college student, lived with McHenry in Cherryville and voted in the 10th District even though his legal residence was in Tennessee.

In the article, Roll Call exposed FEC report details showing multiple financial gifts to Lay, the convicted former McHenry political operative.

"McHenry's sweetheart gift of $20,000 to Lay's legal defense fund shows that his respect for the law and the voters is shamelessly lacking," stated Sigmon.

"I find it hard to believe that McHenry's contributors ever intended their money to be spent on the legal defense of Mr. Lay, a person who ended up pleading guilty to voter fraud charges," Sigmon continued, "The right to vote in America is sacred, and by paying for the defense with funds raised through his political machine, McHenry was condoning those illegal votes."

"I think the people of the 10th District are tired of having a representative who is constantly involved in some type of ethical or legal dilemma," said Sigmon. "McHenry's continued questionable activities do not reflect the values expected by the hard-working, honest people he represents, and I believe this is yet another example of why he has become a liability to our district."

Patrick McHenry taints debate, Sigmon still victorious

It appears that Patrick McHenry is willing to do anything and everything to keep his position, even when it requires he blatantly cheat. In a recent 10th District Debate, Patrick McHenry held no tricks back as he attempted to cheat his opponent out of a real debate- from specifically having a a supporter of his campaign time the debate to ensuring that his supporters openly ridiculed Sigmon's supporters, one even giving the middle finger to a member of Sigmon's team. The Sigmon for Congress team nor the McHenry for Congress team were available for comments.

In an attempt to "stack" the room and otherwise control the debate, Patrick McHenry of the 10th District of North Carolina today attempted to fill the entire 10th District (NC) debate with his supporters, ordering them to specifically violate parliamentary rules and to jeer at his opponent in what could only be called a childish attempt to gain political points. Supporters screamed, jeered, yelled at McHenry's opponent during his speech, and did virtually everything in their power to support incumbent McHenry- even after being openly warned by the debate moderator. Part of this team included Brett Keeter, who was arrested for a DWI and still paid during his probation by the McHenry team, and Laurie Moody, who has been known to work for the Congressman's campaign, illegal according to FEC laws.

In the debate between Sigmon and McHenry, Lance Sigmon stood firm and explained his points well, points very similar between the two candidates. However, the real "meat" of the discussion came in the format of McHenry's attempt to turn the tables on his recent issues with his own Iraq tapes, blaming Sigmon and "the Democrats" including Nancy Pelosi for persecuting him. While not providing any evidence to this effect, McHenry, nearly red-faced, used direct lines from Sigmon's campaign as he attempted to blame his opponent for his recent troubles on Capitol Hill. These troubles, including being openly ridiculed nationwide by many news and television organizations, has stemmed as the result of many recent McHenry statements.

These attempts were eventually calmed as the staffers of the debate threatened to throw out McHenry's supporters, who reportedly would not become silent as they screamed at McHenry's opponent when McHenry was unable to answer Sigmon's questions. The Sigmon for Congress supporters, in comparison, were not threatened and were relatively calm and silent during the debate, despite the unfair situations surrounding the debate itself.

Patrick McHenry has been known to employ unethical tactics. His Campaign Manager, Dee Stewart, is currently under FBI investigation for voter fraud (including in one of McHenry's previous elections), and continues to work for the McHenry campaign to this day. The McHenry for Congress team has repeatedly been caught in the past stealing opponent signs, lying to voters, calling voters and threatening them, and a variety of other methods to ensure their victory. Naturally, when asked about these discrepancies and issues, Patrick McHenry refuses to respond, often blaming his own issues on Nancy Pelosi and "the democrats".

It is clear that Congressman Patrick McHenry will do anything- from paying off timers to violating parliamentary rules- to avoid answering questions and apologizing to voters for endangering human lives and calling a security guard a "two bit" approximately three weeks ago. What won't McHenry do?

Patrick McHenry used PAC funds for gay lover's lawsuit

Looks like the Dem.s are up to something- apparently Patrick McHenry paid Michael Aaron Lay cash from his PAC "More Conservatives" to defend himself in the lawsuit where Lay committed voter fraid- in McHenry's election. Michael Aaron Lay lived with McHenry and worked for him during a previous election.

http://bluenc.com/mchenrys-pac-paid-for-lays-defense
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/53_121/money_matters/23041-1.html

Lance Sigmon: There when you need him

I think it's time we all asked an important question: when the proverbial crap hits the fan, can you contact your Congressman?

No, I mean really. Your Congressman has his position to serve you- he legislates (theoretically) for your benefit, provides you services, and is supposed to act as something of a liaison between you and your government. Patrick McHenry, in a way, is supposed to be your connection to the Feds.

So, let me ask you this: Have you ever been able to call Patrick McHenry? And I mean the man, not his staffers. Has Patrick McHenry ever done something for you that didn't become heavily publicized or show-offy? Did he ever do something that didn't bolster his political career?

Lance Sigmon, candidate for US Congress against McHenry, is beginning to show an accessibility that's frankly amazing. When I call the Sigmon for Congress headquarters with a question, I don't talk to some sort of mouthpiece or crony- if Lance Sigmon is in the office, I get to talk to Lance Sigmon. I get to pick his brain. If I want to challenge one of his beliefs, I get to do so- and he always has a reason behind his beliefs. He wants to discuss the issues, and he has plenty of reasons why he does what he does.

Just as an example, if I ask Lance Sigmon what he thinks about the war, he not only shows experience from his military service, but he's willing to level with me. I know when a politician just chants Republican Position Papers at me- Lance Sigmon isn't like that. He explains what he's seen, what he knows, what he likes and doesn't like. He tells me what he plans to do, and he guarantees me he'll fight for my interests in the process. I can openly ask him any question I like and he'll answer with just as much fervor- and he'll answer honestly.

Can Patrick McHenry do that? No, of course not. Patrick McHenry is virtually inaccessible. I can't ask McHenry a question- it's always filtered through his staffers or otherwise monitored by other people. Sometimes, my e-mails get "lost". Sometimes, calls get hung up. Sometimes, Patrick McHenry avoids staying at a party convention so no-one has the opportunity to ask him any questions after he speaks.

Has anyone ever seen Patrick McHenry outside of a podium? Of course not. He's secretive and he hides from his people. Patrick McHenry hides away in an undisclosed location where he stays "in the district", only attending random political functions. Patrick McHenry doesn't buy his own groceries, he doesn't shop at the mall like everyone else, he doesn't even go and relax at normal county functions like many of us do- that is, unless he's speaking.

Lance Sigmon is there. Lance is a normal citizen, one that doesn't act like he's too good to go shopping at a grocery store. While Patrick McHenry hides away in his "undisclosed location", Lance Sigmon goes to the small little barber shops, the cafes, the many places that Patrick McHenry would never dare tread. Lance Sigmon travels to every district personally- instead of sending cronies with signs and pamphlets.

So let me ask you this: Which is more available- the sitting Congressman with his cronies and insane amounts of office budget money, or the man who currently is looking for your vote in Congress? The answer? Lance Sigmon. Try it for yourself- e-mail him, give him a call, visit his website. I promise you that you'll get more answers in a minute than you would in a year with Patrick McHenry.

http://sigmonforcongress.com/

Ways to make Patrick McHenry seem important

From Jesus' General

Dear Rep. McHenry,

It surprises me that so few people understand just how important you are. After all, you are a Congressman. That's important. You're also the go-to-guy for strapping, young, Republican lads who need a bed for the night. That's important. You've been tied to a multiple-murder investigation involving homosexual prostitutes and organized crime figures. That's important too. So why don't people see you that way?

I know it's not your fault. You've tried very hard to publicize your importance. In just the last few weeks alone, you bragged to an audience at a Republican dinner that you had berated a security guard in Iraq. And then there's that video you put up on your website--the one in which you proved your importance my broadcasting all the secret operational military information you had.

But, unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be working. If anything, it's backfired. Your own local newspapers are calling for your head.

We need to turn that around. Below, you'll find my suggestions for other ways to make yourself seem important:

Ways to make Patrick McHenry seem important

* Get on Fox and announce the exact location of Dick Cheney's undisclosed location.
* Go to NYC, do the Pope, and put it on YouTube.
* Do a public demonstration on how to build a dirty bomb with easily obtainable materials.
* Call Barack Obama, "boy."
* Take 20 items to the "nine items or less" check out stand. If anyone complains, tell them you can have them "gitmo'd."
* Bitch slap Geraldo and say "I'm getting away with it, just like Fox."
* Take Sen. Lieberman's place at the podium the next time a torturer is honored.
* Stand up in the middle of a floor debate and announce that you're so respected in conservative circles, you often put your "little, but important, congressman" inside Lindsey Graham's mouth without fear of being bitten.

I hope my suggestions help.

Heterosexually yours,

Gen. JC Christian, patriot

Do-it-yourself stupidity is new trend in campaigns

When the history of political news and the 2008 campaign is written, U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry of Cherryville may deserve a footnote.

The 10th District Republican has been much in the news lately for his reference to a “two-bit security guard” who denied him access to a gym inside Baghdad’s Green Zone. McHenry was there on a photo opportunity so he would look concerned enough about our troops to get re-elected.

Contrary to that mission, however, McHenry may have hurt his prospects for renomination with his own reporting about the trip.

In a campaign where press coverage is down, McHenry may be helping to establish a new trend: candidates who commit political suicide using their own medium of communication without newspapers or network television news playing any part.

The founding father of the Keystone politicians’ camp is, of course, Virginia’s former Republican Sen. George Allen. (For young people, the Keystone Cops were a hilariously incompetent police force from the silent-movies era.) Allen destroyed his 2006 candidacy for re-election and a good chance to be the 2008 Republican presidential nominee with a disparaging remark about an Indian American that was captured on video.

McHenry’s denigration of the security guard appeared in the same kind of venue — a Republican Lincoln County dinner. Apparently, he felt comfortable among friends, as Allen did, in making his arrogant and caustic remark. The problem with this kind of event, however, is that people who aren’t friends often attend and videotape them. McHenry’s opponent, Lance Sigmon, had someone there who video-recorded the speech. It went up on youtube.com.

As if that weren’t bad enough, McHenry added to his woes by then uploading, onto his own congressional Web site, a video from the Green Zone of himself trying to look brave and patriotic. In his best Christiane Amanpour war-correspondent impersonation, he notes how rocket fire one day hit here and there.

I have a personal interest to reveal. My nephew is in the Green Zone. He’s in the National Guard, and it is he whom the bad guys are trying to get. I take personal offense that this chickenhawk congressman is putting information on his Web site that helps these bad guys calibrate and direct their fire onto my nephew — or any other American’s nephew or niece.

Politicians have been stepping on their own toes since the first one took office somewhere, probably in Iraq many millennia ago. In our history, it has fallen to the press to pick up the news of those missteps and to carry it to the public. But this year, political reporting is way down — not in volume, because the presidential race dominates the cable news. It is down in real coverage. On campaign trips, fewer reporters are accompanying both the presidential and lesser-office candidates. There is less coverage in local newspapers of local races, and TV has not come close to picking up that slack. Races for Congress have never gotten the kind of thorough coverage they deserve. Now we know less about our incumbents because the financially troubled newspaper industry is closing and shrinking Washington bureaus.

For incumbents like McHenry and Allen, therefore, there should be less concern that the so-called “fourth estate” will bring about their demise. But that doesn’t stop them from screwing up all on their own.

When a candidate like McHenry says something as stupid as he did and gets taped, the subterranean medium that has become so influential in the past several years — the blogosphere — eats him alive. Then, when he adds to his trouble by so naively posting, on his own Web site, a video that threatens operational security for our soldiers, he just gives his opponents more to work with. That second offense — along with the Pentagon’s telling McHenry that he violated the rules — just plays into Sigmon’s efforts to draw a distinction between his military service and McHenry’s lack of it.

And we here in the big, bad liberal press conspiracy had nothing to do with it. If Patrick McHenry loses his job, the only voice he can blame is his own.

McHenry under Fire; Surrogates Offer Lame Excuses

From VetVoice

Republican primary challenger Lance Sigmon ratcheted up the pressure on embattled Congressman Patrick McHenry on Friday for McHenry's role in violating operational security while in Iraq--a serious mistake that clearly put American troops at unnecessary risk. Feeling the heat--while remaining conspicuously silent himself--McHenry has trotted out two defenders who've provided the media with weak (and factually useless) excuses for his actions while in the Green Zone.

From the AP, in Saturday newspapers across North Carolina:

A video of a Baghdad rocket attack posted online by a Republican congressman might have aided insurgents whose subsequent attack killed two soldiers, his primary opponent alleged Friday while demanding an investigation.

"It is imperative for the people of this nation, and especially those serving in the military, to know if a U.S. congressman exploited an attack on our military to impress voters back home," said Lance Sigmon, who served as a lawyer in the Air Force for 21 years.

Sigmon is challenging incumbent GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry in the state's May 6 primary election. McHenry, of Cherryville, is the youngest member of Congress and an outspoken conservative who is perhaps known best for his bulldog efforts to tweak the Democratic leadership in the House.

Sigmon explained his stance during a Friday press conference:

"The video provided valuable intelligence to our enemy, such as location of the strikes, effectiveness of the weapons and the type of military assets that were hit," Sigmon said.

After Sigmon and others complained, McHenry pulled the video from his Web site, although it could still be found on other Web sites until Friday afternoon. A Pentagon spokesman has said the video may have violated military protocol by offering insurgents a better understanding of the effectiveness of their attack.

Two days later, a pair of soldiers died and 17 other troops were injured in a similar rocket attack in the Green Zone.

"I can't say that it (the video) contributed to their deaths," Sigmon said, but on Friday he demanded a congressional investigation to "determine the extent to which this promotional video aided our enemies in Iraq."

The twist on today's story is that McHenry offered up two surrogates in advance of Friday's press conference--including a Democratic Congressman--to provide the media with a weak defense for his actions. Or maybe a better word would be "lame."

A member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, who was in Iraq with McHenry, said he doesn't think the video was used by insurgents to target the Green Zone.

"If someone is saying that a video helped target a specific area is beyond my comprehension as a former artillery man, " said R. Nicholas Palarino, a member of the House's chief investigatory body. "I was in the dining hall during the April 6 attack," he said.

Later that day, he said, Iraq security forces took him and others to the area where the rocket was launched and showed them the device used to launch the rocket.

"It's a metal stand and they set the rocket on it and light a fuse," he said. "There's nothing to aim with."

Palarino has served more than 20 years in the armed services as an artilleryman and helicopter pilot. He said insurgents generally fire these rockets hoping they land somewhere near or in the Green Zone, "but have no way to aim the rockets."

I spent a few years in the military--including ground combat in two theaters--and I have no idea what this guy is talking about. This idea that there's nothing to aim with is ridiculous. Anything can be aimed. Some aiming mechanisms are more effective than others, but anything can be aimed. For instance, I don't have a specialized aiming mechanism, but I still manage to hit the toilet nine out of ten times. If you fire the same type of rocket from the same type of launcher from the same location in the same direction, you probably have a pretty good shot at hitting close to where you hit last time.

But Palarino's comments weren't nearly as outrageous as Democratic--yes, Democratic--Congressman Jim Marshall's assertions in support of McHenry:

U.S. Rep Jim Marshall, D-Macon, Ga., led McHenry's delegation to Iraq.

He said it's "utterly implausible for this to happen. What's the likelihood that insurgents would see this video? Virtually nil. These guys are sort of crude thugs using weaponry that is crude."

There are so many things wrong in those four sentences that's it's hard to know where to begin. First of all, it's not "utterly implausible." What Marshall is showing here is that he has absolutely no understanding of Iraq or of the insurgency that is taking place there. Unlike in America--where virtually no one speaks Arabic--many Iraqis do speak English. And not only do they speak excellent English, but they follow Western media patterns and events. This is why they've been able to capitalize so successfully on internet videos of their relatively sophisticated attacks on Americans.

As far as his comment that the insurgents are "crude thugs using weaponry that is crude," I'd just like to ask him about those purported Iranian-manufactured explosively-formed penetrators (EFPs) that caused so many American deaths last year. Because the same Shi'ite militants firing rockets into the Green Zone are the same guys who were using the advanced EFPs for which we had no defense.

As a Congressman, Marshall's ignorant underestimation of the situation is nearly as dangerous as McHenry's OPSEC violation. This gross misjudgment is Bush-like in its assumption that we're fighting mindless primitives--and it's a huge part of why we now find ourselves stuck in Iraq with over 36,000 dead and wounded troops in five years. And just when you think he's done, Marshall tops it off with the ultimate good ol' boy excuse for his little buddy:

"I think that if Congressman McHenry thought at all there was any chance that a video he put on his Web site could be used to attack our soldiers, he would not do that," Marshall said.

Because, see, that's exactly the problem. McHenry didn't think there was any chance the video could be used "to attack our soldiers." That's because McHenry has never served in combat, because he has no common sense, because he didn't listen to his military escorts, and because he's generally too arrogant to be concerned with such details. Rather than a defense, Marshall's last remark is more of a damning indictment of his chickenhawk friend. He's essentially saying that McHenry posted it only because he had absolutely no idea what was going on.

It's no surprise then, that, aside from the two men above, the military and veterans' communities are nearly unanimous in their contempt for McHenry's boastful conduct both during his visit to Iraq and afterward. As a 21-year Air Force veteran, Lance Sigmon's stance is closely aligned with that of Iraq veterans, the Pentagon, as well as that of his potential Democratic opponent, Navy veteran Daniel Johnson. To illustrate that further, however, here's what I'm talking about:

Speaking on behalf of VoteVets, I gave a statement to the AP for their piece on McHenry.

Brandon Friedman, a former Army officer who served in Afghanistan and Iraq and is now vice chairman of veterans advocacy group VoteVets.org, called McHenry's actions a "stupid move" and seconded Sigmon's call for an investigation.

"What he did was careless and it could have very well gotten people injured or killed," Friedman said. "Anybody who has ever been in a combat zone - either inside the military or outside the military - knows that you don't violate operational security. You don't do anything that could potentially help the enemy."

Similarly, officials at the Pentagon have backed up this rationale a number of times since this story first broke. For example, on April 8, McClatchy reported:

The Pentagon told a North Carolina lawmaker Tuesday that he couldn't re-air a video he'd shot in Baghdad after accusations surfaced that he breached operational security in detailing enemy rocket attacks.

The same piece went on to cite a Pentagon spokesman who highlighted McHenry's transgression of describing the results of the rocket attack on camera:

"We do not as a matter of policy discuss attacks in a way that would provide the enemy any better understanding of the effectiveness of their attacks," said Lt. Col. Todd Vician.

Which is exactly what McHenry did. Similar word came from Iraq, too:

A spokesman for the Multi-National Forces in Iraq said that he didn't know what the rules were for congressmen, but the military is not allowed to talk about battle damage.

Then, in the Charlotte Observer today, the Pentagon weighed in once more on the side of Iraq veterans, Sigmon, and Johnson.

"We do not as a matter of policy discuss attacks in a way that would provide the enemy with any better understanding of their effectiveness," said Lt. Col. Mark Ballesteros.

Again, the statement by Ballesteros further reinforces another one issued on Friday by a spokesman for U.S. forces in Iraq:

Standard procedure is that media are told not to photograph or video damage or rocket locations when they arrive, said Maj. Brad Leighton, press desk officer of the Multi-national Force in Iraq. Revealing the exact locations and damage of attacks can aid the enemy in determining where to aim future attacks, he added. Leighton couldn't comment specifically on McHenry's trip or if the congressman had been briefed on the policy.

Leighton said rocket attacks are common in the Green Zone, often daily, but declined to provide a specific number over any period of time.

The reason Major Leighton "declined" is because he's in a combat zone and he's not as irresponsible as Patrick McHenry.

I think it's very clear now that McHenry's view on the matter--and that of his surrogates--is running contrary to that of veterans and the Pentagon itself. Rather than continuing with these inept arguments about why the video didn't hurt American troops, or why he meant no harm, McHenry could save himself a lot of trouble by simply coming out and apologizing the troops and their families.

Investigation formally demanded for McHenry's PR stunt

From WRAL

A video of a Baghdad rocket attack posted online by a Republican congressman might have aided insurgents whose subsequent attack killed two soldiers, his primary opponent alleged Friday while demanding an investigation.

"It is imperative for the people of this nation, and especially those serving in the military, to know if a U.S. congressman exploited an attack on our military to impress voters back home," said Lance Sigmon, who served as a lawyer in the Air Force for 21 years.

Sigmon is challenging incumbent GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry in the state's May 6 primary election. McHenry, of Cherryville, is the youngest member of Congress and an outspoken conservative who is perhaps known best for his bulldog efforts to tweak the Democratic leadership in the House.

McHenry spokesman Wes Climer dismissed Sigmon's efforts as "yet another absurd political gimmick from the man who is desperate for attention."

"It is disgusting that he would exploit the loss of two American heroes to advance his political smear campaign," Climer said.

The flap stems from a March 29 Republican Party dinner in Lincoln County, where McHenry told the crowd he was turned away from a gym during a visit with other members of Congress to Iraq's Green Zone. He said he was stopped by a "two-bit security guard" because he didn't have the right credentials to get inside.

Sigmon was in the audience. Offended by his comments, he later posted a video of McHenry's speech on his campaign Web site. McHenry responded by posting a video on his official Web site of a rocket attack in the Green Zone, and his narration included a description of the attack's success.

"The video provided valuable intelligence to our enemy, such as location of the strikes, effectiveness of the weapons and the type of military assets that were hit," Sigmon said.

After Sigmon and others complained, McHenry pulled the video from his Web site, although it could still be found on other Web sites until Friday afternoon. A Pentagon spokesman has said the video may have violated military protocol by offering insurgents a better understanding of the effectiveness of their attack.

Two days later, a pair of soldiers died and 17 other troops were injured in a similar rocket attack in the Green Zone.

"I can't say that it (the video) contributed to their deaths," Sigmon said, but on Friday he demanded a congressional investigation to "determine the extent to which this promotional video aided our enemies in Iraq."

Brandon Friedman, a former Army officer who served in Afghanistan and Iraq and is now vice chairman of veterans advocacy group VoteVets.org, called McHenry's actions a "stupid move" and seconded Sigmon's call for an investigation.

"What he did was careless and it could have very well gotten people injured or killed," Friedman said. "Anybody who has ever been in a combat zone - either inside the military or outside the military - knows that you don't violate operational security. You don't do anything that could potentially help the enemy."

But Nicholas Palarino, a staff member with the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform who was with McHenry in Iraq, said he doubts the video helped insurgents.

Palarino said that after the first attack, he was with Iraqi forces as they inspected the rocket launchers - which he described as nothing more than metal stands. He said the rockets fell haphazardly in the Green Zone and other areas of Baghdad.

"I didn't see any aiming mechanism or directional mechanism or anything like that," said Palarino, who served 20 years in the military. "To make the connection that two soldiers died because McHenry had some film, it's just hard for me to make the connection."

Sigmon for Congress 2008 "Two Bit" McHenry TV Ad

The television commercial from the Sigmon for Congress campaign regarding Patrick McHenry's "Two Bit" comment, as well as his Iraq PR stunt which may have resulted in the deaths of two soldiers in Iraq, one a full Colonel.

McHenry's Voting Record, or why Mark Foley was a "good Conservative" too

It seems that Patrick McHenry, the man who has now been publicly shamed for his actions regarding the troops in Iraq (Belittling a Security Guard by calling him a "Two Bit" as well as potentially being responsible for the deaths of two soldiers thanks to a horrible PR stunt by McHenry himself) wants us to believe that he's a "Good Conservative". Using his Astroturfing (pretending you're "grassroots" or otherwise pretending to be a "concerned citizen") blogs, Patrick McHenry has been attempting to rouse the little support he has by convincing him that he's a "Good Conservative", even going so far as to say that it speaks for his Integrity.

With that definition, Mark Foley, known pedophile and liar, was a "Good Conservative" too.

Let's look at McHenry's track record. Patrick McHenry has long since been the poster boy for following what he's been told, adhering to the latest GOP talking points like a dog follows a treat, obediently barking out the Republican standpoint of the week. Patrick McHenry has been known as the "Republican Mikey"- that is, much like Mikey from the old Life Cereal commercial, he'll "eat" anything and spit it out for the Republican party.

But let's not get confused- Patrick McHenry is a horrible Congressman. Voting record aside, Patrick McHenry has done many things that have embarassed the 10th District to the point of making it the laughing stock of the entire United States. With his flamboyant disregard for the law (and refusal to respond to allegations he violated it with the Iraq video), his disregard for his district except for the month before voting starts, and his employment of criminals, Patrick McHenry defines a corrupt Congressman.

The facts are clear. Patrick McHenry, in what could only be described as a freudian slip, called a Security Guard in Iraq a "two bit" for preventing him to enter a Gym, and later ignored the press and halfheartedly apologized (and got angry that he was recorded saying it). Later, in what could be called one of the dumbest PR stunts in history, Patrick McHenry placed a video on the web that provided the enemy targeting information, which, two days later, contributed to the deaths of two soldiers in Iraq, one of which a full Colonel who planned to soon retire to be with his Grandchildren. Thanks to Congressman McHenry, that Colonel will never see his Grandchildren again.

I encourage you to look beyond Patrick McHenry's voting record- that is his shield to hide his other flaws. Anyone in the House can vote straight Republican- the test of true character from a Congressman is his ability to behave both on camera and off camera, and Patrick McHenry has demonstrated he cannot do that.

Mark Foley was a "Good Republican" too. He voted staunchly Conservative, and was a fighter for Republican values. However, Mark Foley was also a pedophile, a man who sent sexual messages to teenage pages, and who appropriately stepped down from his position, admitting his error.

Patrick McHenry refuses to do this. Patrick McHenry is hiding in Washington, refusing to answer questions about his misdeeds, and he,much like Mark Foley (whom he openly supported (and blamed the Democrats on, without proof or reason)). He wants to keep his position, and he doesn't care how much he embarrasses the 10th District.

Patrick McHenry is being challenged by both a Republican, Lance Sigmon, and Democrats Steve Ivester and Daniel Johnson- so no matter your party, you have another choice. Choose anything but Patrick McHenry.

McHenry video episode should be investigated

Hickory Daily Record Tuesday, April 15, 2008 by Ed Readling

God surely does answer prayers in mysterious ways.

For us, the answer is a chance to get rid of Patrick McHenry as our representative in Congress. He’s always been a minor-league politician with a major-league ego, always interested in promoting himself at everyone else’s expense. But now he has gone way too far and the whole country knows it, even without the help of most local newspapers.

McHenry went to Iraq on Easter weekend to pump up his never-picked-up-a-weapon resume in his election run against three decorated service veterans. While in the Green Zone, he had a run-in with a soldier he described in a speech as a “two-bit security guard,” then went outside and made a video during an insurgent attack.

He couldn’t make himself apologize (other than “poor choice of words”), so he puts his own video on his congressional Web site to boost his image.

Within two days after posting his video, in which he pointed over his shoulder and described the effects of an insurgent attack, two U.S. soldiers were killed and 17 others wounded in a separate attack on the same area. One of the soldiers was Col. Stephen K. Scott, 54, of Huntsville, Ala., who was killed on a treadmill in the gym McHenry described in his video, the same gym the “two-bit” guard kept the congressman from entering. According to his obituary, Col. Hunt was planning to retire this summer to play with his grandkids.

Was McHenry’s ego the reason Col. Scott will never again see his grandchildren? Because he couldn’t bring himself to apologize in a “proper forum,” did he bungle his public relations response into placing a bullseye on our troops for the insurgents? Because he violated basic operational security rules, did McHenry become, in effect, a forward ground observer for Al Qaida? I don’t need to know these answers to know that he has got to go!

I want to see a full-blown congressional investigation into these matters with McHenry, and I want the inquiry fully aired in public so people can see his true character. If it’s possible, I want to see him censured, prosecuted and expelled from the House of Representatives.

Our district can be no worse off than it is now, with him being the target of thousands of Internet writers calling him every despicable name under the sun.

In the meantime, I recommend that voters in the 10th Congressional District support Lance Sigmon in the Republican Primary May 6. I know Lance, and he would never bring shame upon us as McHenry has.

VetVoice: NC Media piling on McHenry's "Macaca" moment

by: Brandon Friedman, Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 14:19:05 PM EDT

After being chastised by the media and the Pentagon last week for endangering American lives in the Green Zone, it's still not over for Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC). Following a damaging editorial in the Greensboro News & Record on Friday, another major North Carolina newspaper has now chimed in.

Writing for the Winston-Salem Journal, columnist Paul O'Connor said on Sunday that McHenry may have had his "macaca" moment]:

In a campaign where press coverage is down, McHenry may be helping to establish a new trend: candidates who commit political suicide using their own medium of communication without newspapers or network television news playing any part.

The founding father of the Keystone politicians' camp is, of course, Virginia's former Republican Sen. George Allen. (For young people, the Keystone Cops were a hilariously incompetent police force from the silent-movies era.) Allen destroyed his 2006 candidacy for re-election and a good chance to be the 2008 Republican presidential nominee with a disparaging remark about an Indian American that was captured on video.

McHenry's denigration of the security guard appeared in the same kind of venue -- a Republican Lincoln County dinner. Apparently, he felt comfortable among friends, as Allen did, in making his arrogant and caustic remark. The problem with this kind of event, however, is that people who aren't friends often attend and videotape them. McHenry's opponent, Lance Sigmon, had someone there who video-recorded the speech. It went up on youtube.com.

As if that weren't bad enough, McHenry added to his woes by then uploading, onto his own congressional Web site, a video from the Green Zone of himself trying to look brave and patriotic. In his best Christiane Amanpour war-correspondent impersonation, he notes how rocket fire one day hit here and there.

O'Connor goes on to conclude:

When a candidate like McHenry says something as stupid as he did and gets taped, the subterranean medium that has become so influential in the past several years -- the blogosphere -- eats him alive. Then, when he adds to his trouble by so naively posting, on his own Web site, a video that threatens operational security for our soldiers, he just gives his opponents more to work with. That second offense -- along with the Pentagon's telling McHenry that he violated the rules -- just plays into Sigmon's efforts to draw a distinction between his military service and McHenry's lack of it.

And we here in the big, bad liberal press conspiracy had nothing to do with it. If Patrick McHenry loses his job, the only voice he can blame is his own.

For Patrick McHenry, this just isn't going away. On the same day that O'Connor's piece appeared in the Sunday paper, McHenry's primary opponent--Lance Sigmon--posted a YouTube video wherein he launched a vicious attack on the incumbent during a public appearance last week.

I don't know whether this will indeed be a macaca moment for McHenry, though do I know that the chances are excellent. One only has to look at the number of noticeably silent Republicans--both in Congress and locally in North Carolina--to recognize that McHenry has no support from within in the Party. Not one has come out to publicly defend him or his record. Even local TV news stations have highlighted the lack of support McHenry has gotten in his own community.

This brewing storm in North Carolina's 10th District over McHenry's recent exploits makes it all the more stupefying that he's yet to issue an apology for posting his Green Zone video. Instead, his office has chosen to remain silent--probably thinking hoping that this will just fade away.

Good luck with that.

Lance Sigmon tears Patrick McHenry apart

Winston-Salem Journal: McHenry uses "DIY Stupidity"

Do-it-yourself stupidity is new trend in campaigns

The Winston Salem Journal, April 13th

RALEIGH — When the history of political news and the 2008 campaign is written, U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry of Cherryville may deserve a footnote.

The 10th District Republican has been much in the news lately for his reference to a “two-bit security guard” who denied him access to a gym inside Baghdad’s Green Zone. McHenry was there on a photo opportunity so he would look concerned enough about our troops to get re-elected.

Contrary to that mission, however, McHenry may have hurt his prospects for renomination with his own reporting about the trip.

In a campaign where press coverage is down, McHenry may be helping to establish a new trend: candidates who commit political suicide using their own medium of communication without newspapers or network television news playing any part.

The founding father of the Keystone politicians’ camp is, of course, Virginia’s former Republican Sen. George Allen. (For young people, the Keystone Cops were a hilariously incompetent police force from the silent-movies era.) Allen destroyed his 2006 candidacy for re-election and a good chance to be the 2008 Republican presidential nominee with a disparaging remark about an Indian American that was captured on video.

McHenry’s denigration of the security guard appeared in the same kind of venue — a Republican Lincoln County dinner. Apparently, he felt comfortable among friends, as Allen did, in making his arrogant and caustic remark. The problem with this kind of event, however, is that people who aren’t friends often attend and videotape them. McHenry’s opponent, Lance Sigmon, had someone there who video-recorded the speech. It went up on youtube.com.

As if that weren’t bad enough, McHenry added to his woes by then uploading, onto his own congressional Web site, a video from the Green Zone of himself trying to look brave and patriotic. In his best Christiane Amanpour war-correspondent impersonation, he notes how rocket fire one day hit here and there.

I have a personal interest to reveal. My nephew is in the Green Zone. He’s in the National Guard, and it is he whom the bad guys are trying to get. I take personal offense that this chickenhawk congressman is putting information on his Web site that helps these bad guys calibrate and direct their fire onto my nephew — or any other American’s nephew or niece.

Politicians have been stepping on their own toes since the first one took office somewhere, probably in Iraq many millennia ago. In our history, it has fallen to the press to pick up the news of those missteps and to carry it to the public. But this year, political reporting is way down — not in volume, because the presidential race dominates the cable news. It is down in real coverage. On campaign trips, fewer reporters are accompanying both the presidential and lesser-office candidates. There is less coverage in local newspapers of local races, and TV has not come close to picking up that slack. Races for Congress have never gotten the kind of thorough coverage they deserve. Now we know less about our incumbents because the financially troubled newspaper industry is closing and shrinking Washington bureaus.

For incumbents like McHenry and Allen, therefore, there should be less concern that the so-called “fourth estate” will bring about their demise. But that doesn’t stop them from screwing up all on their own.

When a candidate like McHenry says something as stupid as he did and gets taped, the subterranean medium that has become so influential in the past several years — the blogosphere — eats him alive. Then, when he adds to his trouble by so naively posting, on his own Web site, a video that threatens operational security for our soldiers, he just gives his opponents more to work with. That second offense — along with the Pentagon’s telling McHenry that he violated the rules — just plays into Sigmon’s efforts to draw a distinction between his military service and McHenry’s lack of it.

And we here in the big, bad liberal press conspiracy had nothing to do with it. If Patrick McHenry loses his job, the only voice he can blame is his own.

Patrick McHenry's (R-NC) video may have resulted in 3 Deaths

Patrick McHenry's OPSEC violating video, which he posted on his website as a publicity stunt from the Green Zone in Iraq, may have possibly caused three Iraq deaths on Sunday, including a full Colonel, Stephen Scott, and two other American soldiers. The video contained information on the success and damage of missiles shot on Easter Sunday.

Patrick McHenry's (R-NC) video may have resulted in 3 Deaths

What Geraldo Rivera and Patrick McHenry have in common: Stupid

It seems like Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC) has had the worst week in his entire life. McHenry has been in trouble not once, but twice- for both belittling a security guard in Iraq and endangering Baghdad Green Zone troops with a publicity stunt video. In this article, BlueNC's Thoreau explains why and how Patrick McHenry endangered troops.

What Geraldo Rivera and Patrick McHenry have in common: Stupid

WLOS Video on McHenry

Patrick McHenry is clearly losing the little support he had in the 10th District. By insulting the troops in such a way, it has become clear that Patrick McHenry is no more than a man who uses anything he can for political power- even if it means capitalizing on the loss of human life.

Patrick McHenry endangers troops, violates OPSEC with video

Apparently, Congressman Patrick McHenry cannot keep himself from hurting troops- be it belittling them, endangering them, or just right out ignoring them. Despite his recent attempts to hide the fact that he referred to a security guard in the green zone in Iraq as a "two bit" because he would not let McHenry into a gym in the early morning, McHenry has now done something that makes that "Two bit" comment look worth... well, about "two bits". In a recent attempt to calm the storm regarding his ugly remarks, Patrick McHenry distributed a video to his constituents via his website- a video of him after the attacks in the Green Zone.

The problem? This video has not only now endangered American troops in the Green zone, it's violated OPSEC, and McHenry is in biiiig trouble. I wish I was joking.

The story starts with Lance Sigmon, McHenry's primary challenger, who released a telling video of Patrick McHenry belittling a security guard in a speech at a Lincoln Day Dinner with the GOP. In the speech, because the security guard would not allow McHenry to go into a gym in Baghdad in the morning without proper clearance, McHenry pitched a fit and got angry with both the guard and his supervisor. Great.

Then came the ever-famous McHenry spin. McHenry first denied he ever said it, then claimed it was a "Foreign National"- and as most of you know, I personally find that even worse. He continued to hide away from controversy, the only official statement made by his campaign coming from a radio interview on Sirius or some other satellite radio channel- a service that most in his district do not have.

McHenry then tried to look patriotic by promoting a video which he provided to his constituents and viewers on his website. The video shows McHenry right after the blast in front of an unnamed structure, describing the events of the blast- including some key information about not only what in the Green Zone was hit, but explaining his current position as smoke rose behind him.

The problem? The video violates OPSEC, and McHenry's attempt at making himself look like he was in danger has now officially put real American lives in danger- and certainly some "Foreign Nationals" too. As written about in VetVoice, a Veteran's blog, Patrick McHenry's little ego trip has effectively put lives in danger and violated a rule that McHenry should know full well about.

The irony? Patrick McHenry has previously bashed ABC news and other groups for giving out key information online... just as he just did. In fact, he was quoted as saying the following:

In a carefully worded request, seven House GOP lawmakers led by Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., asked the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to "look into the releasing of sensitive information and its impact on the security of our nation, the performance of our government agencies, and the viability of our diplomatic relationships overseas."

Well, McHenry, looks like you'll be eating crow tonight. Not only have you called a guard serving you (and inevitably protecting your life, which would be gone except for his ability to stand up to your pompous ass) a "two bit", but you have now endangered American lives in Baghdad because you grasp so tightly to your seat in Congress. I wonder how many American lives are going to die because of you, Mr. McHenry. Will you be the one to deliver the news?

Patrick McHenry charges to meet with his own constituents

From Pat Go Bye-Bye:

Got $9200? You'll be part of Congressman Patrick McHenry's "Congressional Circle." Your benefits include "Private Washington, DC retreat" with Pat, including "meals and a reception." And what else????

It also gets you a"two complimentary tickets to all campaign events" and the "Annual McHenry Christmas Party," "free subscription" to an exciting campaign newsletter called the McHenry Campaign Insider (a fiction writer wouldn't make this stuff up), a commemorative pin," and (not last and not least) a semiannual conference call "update."

And supposedly campaign contributions don't buy access.

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Brett Keeter, representing you as DC Drunkard

From Pat go Bye-Bye and BlueNC:

Today, I made the trip to the Gaston County Court House to observe the conclusion to Mr. Keeter's DWI arrest. One funny bit, one defendant blew a .21 on the breathalyzer while driving a lawn mower, lol! While waiting on attorneys in other court rooms to appear in lowly traffic court, the judge announced an early break. I went to powder my nose, and went back to court to wait on the end of the break, and court was in session!?!?!? As I walked in I heard Brett Keeter and my ears perked up. The attorney went over the charges, and stated that Brett had completed assessment, rehab, and some community service. The attorney also stated that he had letters from an officer of a MADD chapter, Gaston Co. Sheriff Cloninger and someone he's working with at UNCC. I didn't catch the name or position of the person at UNCC. The judge remarked that you know who your friends are when you get a letter from them. The judge gave Brett 30 days suspended jail sentence, 1 year unsupervised probation and told to surrender his license. The fine was $25 + court costs. After this matter was concluded the judge told the district attorney he could complete the break that had been shortened, earlier.

A couple things that seemed a bit odd to me. One the shortened break, not that I'm a conspiracy theorist, but interrupting a break in court seems like an odd thing to do. As a jury member, a break has never been cut short, but that is the extent of my court time (knock on wood). I was looking at the post on Keeter's initial arrest, and he had a Gaston Co. attorney, Craig Collins. It seems to me that I heard the judge mention Collins as Keeter's current attorney, but I'm not totally sure about that. Why is this significant? Why doesn't a Gaston Co. attorney know how to pronounce the Gaston Co. Sheriff's name?? When Keeter's attorney mentioned the Sheriff's letter, he said his last name wrong. I know how the Sheriff pronounces it, because I was giving out name tags at the county convention and I had to ask him his name. Doh! :)

And that concludes my first attempt at court reporting. Enjoy.
MissM aka Jane

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Hilarious new Anti-Patrick McHenry website: notpatrick2008.tk

Parodying Patrick McHenry's previous work attacking both Hillary Clinton and John McCain, some Anti-Patrick McHenry people have been working hard on a new website, notpatrick2008.tk, which uses the exact same design that Patrick used to lie about Hillary Clinton in her last senate race election. Hah!

NotPatrick2008.tk

Patrick McHenry calls security guard in Iraq a "two bit"

The video speaks for itself. Even though some of McHenry's cronies claim that the security guard was foreign (which makes it even worse, according to some NC-based bloggers), Patrick McHenry has constantly lied about his statement, even telling some callers who do not have internet that he "never said" the "two bit" comment, trying to intentionally confuse his older and less techno-savvy constituents.

Video: