From The Hotline Latest Edition for Thursday, May 1,2008

NORTH CAROLINA (5/6 PRIMARY)

Bet They'll Double Check Next Time

Thu. May 1, 2008


"The head of a group that provided bad information about registering to vote apologized" 4/30, "saying it was using robocalls to boost voter turnout among unmarried women." AG Roy Cooper said 4/30 that Women's Voive, Women Vote "broke the state law governing automated phone calls. No charges have been filed, but Cooper's office is seeking more information from the group."

Women's Voices, Women Vote pres. Page Gardner: "Calls were our sincere attempt to encourage voter registration for those not registered for the general election. We apologize for any confusion our calls may have caused."

The traditional registration period already ended, but "people can go to early voting locations statewide through" 5/3 "and both register to vote and cast a ballot at the same day." Gardner said this week the group began mailing voter registration applications to more than 275K state residents. Group officials worked 4/30 "to stop mail trucks carrying the applications" (AP, 5/1). "Watchdog group Democracy North Carolina said the calls were being made to African-American neighborhoods" (Schrader, Gannett, 4/30).

Wright Now, Bad Timing

"African-American and white voters in next week's primary states agreed on one thing" 4/30: "Barack Obama's preacher had hurt" Obama "at a crucial time. In a day of interviews with NC and IN voters of all races and ages, truck driver Larry Sharpe "was the only one to raise the Wright issue without prodding." They "found it far less interesting than the candidates' positions of health care, gasoline prices and other kitchen table issues."

Sharpe: "Absolutely it hurts. What more can he do?" IN Obama supporter June Biven: "Everybody I've talked to has said it was terrible of him to start this with the May primary coming up. I think it will blow over. It might hurt a little but, but I do think he is the only one who can really change Washington" (Babington, AP, 5/1).

Does This Mean Edwards Was Mothra?

Author Allan Gurganus writes in a New York Times op-ed, "As a kid I loved horror movies starring not one but two familiar monsters, 'King Kong vs. Godzilla.'" But now the 2 standing Dem titans "come lumbering" to NC's primary. "No wonder" GOPers "lurk indoors." They're hoping Hillary Clinton and Obama "will prove self canceling. I'm terrified they're right."

"Couldn't one of these left-leaning giants retreat to a cave till our next election cycle? Why, at a time so dire, do they both seem focused solely on their own images, not our bleeding nation?" "Our primary comes very late: we'd rather agree than decide" (5/1).

Promises, Promises

Both Dems "have said they would set up a system to stabilize funding for VA health care to prevent budget shortfalls." Both "promise more VA workers to cut through bureaucracy and trim backlogs. They promise to boost efforts to treat mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder and to prevent homelessness among veterans." Both "say they would open VA health to all veterans." Clinton and Obama "say they would increase the number of claims workers and improve training to speed the delivery of benefits and ensure better decisions about who gets them" (Price, Raleigh News & Observer, 5/1).