Rep. Dale Folwell (R-Forsyth) is well liked by both Republicans and Democrats in North Carolina and would be a difficult candidate to defeat in any election.

The big news from the Capitol press corps in Raleigh, Thursday, is that Winston-Salem state Rep. Dale Folwell, won’t run for re-election in 2012.

Laura Leslie of WRAL reported in a Twitter post that the 4-term Republican is double-bunked  in the new legislative maps with fellow GOP member, Larry Brown.  This means they are now in the same district.

Folwell added in a press conference that it “didn’t sway his decision”. Brown is running again, and if Folwell ran, they’d face each other in a primary. Folwell is popular, and your blogger believes that he could  defeat Brown, but was considering higher office anyway.

In fact, Folwell has been considering this action for months now.

He told this blogger he was running for a specific higher office (we won’t share which).

In the presser Thursday, Mark Binker reported that Rep. Folwell is considering running for State Auditor, State Treasurer, or Lt. Governor.

Your blogger suggests he will get in a state race, if and only if:

1.  He believes he can win.

2.  He has or can raise the money to win without putting him in tremendous personal debt.

Whatever race he chooses, this blogger would instantly support him over any other candidate she may have already been considering.  Dale Folwell has been an effective legislator, and has been able to work with both the front and rear of the house.  (In North Carolina, the minority party sits at the rear of the chamber).

We’ll have more on Rep. Folwell coming up soon.

Obama is making another visit to North Carolina next Wednesday

President Barack Obama is making yet another visit to North Carolina.  Next Wednesday he is coming to Fort Bragg in Fayetteville.

Sadly, this is the same man who must truly believe that ignorance is bliss.  The Foundry reported

He recently described France as America’s closest ally, and famously declared that he has traveled to no less than 57 states.

But it would be nice if the leader of the free world bothered to look at a map once in a while, or even paid a visit to the British Embassy in Washington, currently housing the Churchill bust that Mr. Obama unceremoniously threw out of the Oval Office soon after his inauguration.

WTVD reported on its noon news Thursday, that the President will speak with the Fort Bragg troops about “their sacrifices and achievements of those who served in the Iraq War.”

Obama was last in North Carolina in October, and we can expect to see many more times before the November elections.  Naturally, the local televisions will cover every second of his trip, from landing to departure and all of his speech.

Will his best friend in North Carolina, the embattled Governor Beverly Perdue, be by his side?

Lisa Jackson, Obama Administration EPA Chief

A reader wrote to KCC today, distressed that President Barack Obama‘s EPA chief is up to her old shenanigans:

Lisa Jackson doesn’t want to admit that her EPA policies are actually job killers and that it would raise costs on NC families and businesses. 

The Raleigh News and Observer reported

In a speech at Duke University, Jackson argued that EPA policies conservatives and Republicans in Washington are spreading disinformation in a bid to roll back this country’s environmental protections and to hobble the agency.

However, the paper concluded that Jackson’s speech at Duke is part of a broader counter-attack by regulators who are facing intense criticism from conservative critics during the nation’s worst economic downturn since World War II.

Jackson has been in trouble with the Obama administration before, for going too far in attacks on conservatives. In fact, she nearly had to step down from her high post.

Listen to her entire speech, in the  video below.

This Pizza Man has been sniffing too many fumes if he delivers to the Occupiers at the Washington Monument!

Today, your blogger received the following in her e-mail box from the SEIU, the Service Employees International Union,  under the cover of “People’s Pizza”.  Honestly, she thought it was a new pizza parlor in the neighborhood until she clicked on the link:

Dear friend,

Over the last two days, I’ve watched as thousands of people from all over the country have poured onto the national mall to set up what they’re calling The People’s Camp.

Unemployed workers, union members, community organizers, and activists have built a thriving community of the 99 percent in the shadow of the Washington Monument, right in front of the Capitol, where 1 percent won’t be able to ignore it.

Just a few minutes ago, those thousands of activists headed up to Congress to tell their representatives that they need to focus on creating jobs.

This is hungry work.

Call in and order a pizza for the folks here at the People’s Camp.  (link removed by KCC)

There are about to be 3000 really hungry people here back at camp, let’s thank them for their hard work.

Kendall Fells
OurDC

This is from the files of the formerly unbelievable. When we clicked on the link, it lead us to a page on the SEIU site.   After being beaten by an Occupy DC member and ignored by the DC police, KCC will believe anything now.

Red Hat is sucking money out of Wake County taxpayers, with approval of Republican leaders on the Wake County Commission

Once again, the Republican members of the Wake County Commission have failed the taxpayers of North Carolina’s capital county.   Red Hat, one of the Triangle region’s most successful companies, came hat-in-hand, to the public trough, asking for $650,000 and the GOP lead group, came through.  This is a group that the Wake County Republican party worked tirelessly to elect and we feel certain that they won’t be happy.

Republican Commissioners Paul Coble (running for Congress), Tony Gurley (running as “the conservative candidate” for Lt. Governor), Phil Matthews, and Joe Bryan all voted FOR this measure.  Liberals Betty Lou Ward and James West also joined in.

According to Board Clerk, Susan Banks, only Erv Portman  cast a vote against.  All conservatives should drop Commissioner Portman a note of thanks for standing alone to protect the taxpayers of Wake County.

Red Hat wants to leave its longtime home on North Carolina State University’s Centennial campus, and move to downtown Raleigh into the recently vacated Progress Energy building.  Progress Energy was recently acquired/merged with Duke Power and those employees have either lost their jobs or have been relocated.

In the name of “jobs”, Red Hat deemed that the “needed” this money to bring more jobs, not only to Wake County, but to lawmakers’ precious downtown, that has already received more than its fair share of public financing.

KCC understands that Red Hat, a successful manufacturer of the Linux computer operating system, would have been fine without the money.  We like to call this effort, the Red Hat Poverty Fund.

Former NC Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, quoted by the News and Observer in a North Carolina Lawyers Weekly article, said

politicians have become afraid to oppose the practice of luring companies with the promise of tax breaks.

It’s time to get companies off the public dole in the ole’ North State. However, it won’t be happening anytime soon. Both the State of North Carolina and the City of Raleigh are expected to vote to chip in to the Red Hat poverty fund. After all, no self-respecting politician wants to appear to oppose jobs, even in the face of principle!

Editor’s Note:  According to the News and Observer, Commissioner Paul Coble said it’s written into the policy of the county commission.  With a Republican Leadership, this policy MUST be changed!

House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor

Monday night, come meet House Majority Leader Eric Cantor as he helps raise funds for freshman sensation, Congresswoman Renee Ellmers.

Congresswoman Ellmers has stood firm for the beliefs for which she was elected and we need to thank her by helping her prepare for her upcoming campaign.

According to the Americans for Prosperity, Democrats are much more likely to donate money to their favorite causes than Republicans and conservatives.  However, for us to win in 2012, we conservatives must let go of more of our hard-earned money and share them with our favorite candidates and causes.

We must educate so that we can win!

The all important vote will be the Unaffiliateds.  After speaking with a number of them, it is clear that we need to educate them on the importance of voting with us in 2012.

Monday night, brings the perfect opportunity to help Rep. Ellmers.  She’ll be at Raleigh’s Angus Barn restaurant with Leader Cantor.  Come out and have a good time!  Full details are below.  Let’s show Rep. Ellmers how much she has meant to us.

Monday, November 21

VIP Reception: 5:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Cocktail Reception: 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

The Angus Barn

9401 Glenwood Avenue

Raleigh, NC

Contribution to Attend:

Host: $2,500  Co-Host: $1,000  Sponsor: $500

Individual: $150

Business Attire

Please RSVP to Sarah Hill Barrington: 919-757-1799 or  sarahhill@reneeforcongress.com

DENVER:   At 3:00 local time (5:00 EST), several members of Occupy Denver began hanging around the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown.  As a fellow blogger, Da Tech Guy, exclaimed, “they looked the part”.  One couple began hovering in a corner, behind a plant, while others tried to look like the fit in with the Blogcon crowd, in the small hotel lobby. At least one occupier was arrested.   That man was high and shoved a cop, according to fellow blogger, Kat McKinney of Houston.  Blogcon attendees converged on them and began to chat.  (See videos, below.)

Your blogger’s husband notified the Denver police this morning of the impending actions, and was told by that the police had had “a lot of trouble” with the local occupiers.

When the Denver Police began looking around, the couple hiding behind the plant headed for the elevator, not knowing, comically, that the elevator was going nowhere without a room key.  There are a number of videos just coming in and KCC will share them with you, as we get them.

Here we go:

Thanks to People’s Press Collective for these videos!

See Breitbart.tv here for more videos!  The Occupiers are slowly going away in every city and conservatives are waving goodbye to them!  Do what you can to help make it happen.

Thanks to Amanda Mixon, a longtime GOP activist, for stepping up to the Raleigh City Council last week to  speak against the Occupy Raleigh group as they sought to maintain their site in a Raleigh public park.  Citizens and businesses everywhere are tired of this as it hurts their property values and cuts down on their business.  Bravo Amanda!  Keep up the great work.

UPDATE 4:24 MST:  Here’s another You Tube video of the events of the day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpOd5tdfeQU

These Occupiers don't look so bad, but wait until nightfall! Their younger friends turn angry!

DENVER – Looks like the “Occupiers” are ready to act, again and this time, conservatives are ready.  We here in Denver at the Blogcon Conference, sponsored by FreedomWorks, expect them to hit us at about 5 p.m. local time (7 p.m. EST).

So far, it’s been an exciting day, with all levels of bloggers in the packed house, including the regular “Legion of Doom” gang, of which your blogger is a member.  The “Legion” is a tight-knit group of about 40 bloggers who see each other regularly at these events.

FreedomWorks, a supporter of economic freedom, is as unpopular with liberal groups as is the Americans for Prosperity.  Inspired by their counterparts in Washington, DC last weekend, they are have tweeted and blogged that they will be visiting the Blogcon hotel this afternoon.  As mentioned, at 5 p.m. MST (7 p.m. EST) we expect them to arrive.

Last weekend, this blogger was hit in the back by a 2×4 as she attempted to leave the Defending the American Dream Summit in Washington.  KCC was leaving the Washington Convention Center to meet a Supershuttle van.

Her rolling computer case was stuck in the door, and as she was trying to free it, she was hit in the back by an unknown person wearing dreadlocks and a striped knitted cap.  Police, who saw the entire thing, would not assist, nor would they take a report.  Sadly, no fellow attendees were around to help as KCC fell to the ground.  There was a lot of pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk, so the man quickly slipped away.

Police in Denver have been notified of the possible events today.

If the Occupiers do indeed visit as planned, KCC will have photos and videos for you.  Watch for them later!

Editor’s Note:  KCC is recovering from the attack last weekend and is thankful that board missed the back of her head.  Thanks be to God!

-Submitted by Congressman John Kline (R-Minn)

Honoring those who served - Happy Veterans Day

As we prepare to honor our veterans today, we remember the sacrifice of those true American heroes who have died and honor those who are still with us.

The tireless efforts of our nation’s servicemen and women and those who served before them have guaranteed generations of Americans the freedom and security we enjoy. While they deserve our gratitude every day, today’s holiday provides our nation an opportunity to come together to honor all veterans, those currently serving, and their families in our thoughts and prayers.

As a nation, we owe more than our gratitude to those brave men and women who have sacrificed so much to protect the freedom and liberty that we all cherish.

May God bless our veterans and their families today and every day, and may God continue to bless America.

Editor’s Notes:  Congressman Kline is a retired Colonel  in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) and was once stationed at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC  He closely worked with President Ronald Reagan. His son has followed him into the Marine Corps.

He is also the father of your blogger’s college suite mate,   Kathy Kline Danner,while both were students at Meredith College (in Raleigh), during the mid-to-late 1980s.    Danner, is now a Williamson County Commissioner and resides in Nashville, Tennessee.

Kathy Kline Danner, left, celebrates with her father, Rep. John Kline, center.

The Civitas Institute has posted the 2011 Statements of Economic Interest (SEIs) for North Carolina legislators on the website, Carolina Transparency.

The Statements of Economic Interest are one of the means by which the public can determine potential conflicts of interest between a legislator’s duty in the General Assembly and their personal financial interests.

The State Government Ethics Act requires the disclosure of financial and personal interests by state legislators and other covered persons.  All SEIs are public records and may be requested by the public.  The form provides a profile of each legislator’s financial interests including: sources of income, real estate owned in North Carolina, ownership of public and private companies, involvement in non-profits, investments, and liabilities. Income from Social Security, federal and military retirement, and capital gains are excluded.

The SEIs include information not just on each legislator, but data on family members residing in the household as well.

This is a resource that you can use to look up your legislators individually and notify the Civitas Institute of interesting things you might find. KCC thanks Civitas for all of their hard work in North Carolina.