Author Archive

This post was written live, as it happened. 

7:21 p.m.  Hello and Welcome to the Wake County Republican Party’s Precinct meeting.  We are at Dorton Arena this evening in West Raleigh, at the state fairgrounds.  This is the first time that the Wake County party has help the precinct meetings all in one place and the strategy has worked out beautifully.  KCC commends county chairman Susan Bryant and her entire team.

7:25 pm  Susan Bryant has welcomed Pat McCrory, Republican candidate for Governor to the stage.  He is standing alongside Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison.

It’s like a pep rally in here.  Don’t Get Fooled Again, by The Who is playing loudly and people are dancing in the aisles and clapping along.

7:36  p.m. McCrory said “we’ve already accomplished half the battle in scaring Gov Beverly Perdue out of the race.  But that’s only half the battle.”

“We won’t get fooled again, as we will get rid of the (former NC Governor) Mike Easley culture of corruption”, Pat McCrory added.

McCrory says that Democrats want to “raise the taxes at the worst time…when new graduates of our colleges cannot find jobs and are having to move back home with mom and dad….instead we need to grow our economy and a pro-growth policy,” he opined.

“We are gonna make sure that every bill that Beverly Perdue vetoed will pass, especially photo voter ID…we have to have a photo ID to get into the Governor’s mansion.  We have to have an idea to buy Sudafed.  We need an ID to vote, too”.

Second, McCrory will join the lawsuit of the states against Obamacare.

Third, McCrory will change the policy against offshore drilling.  ”We will search for oil and natural gas, both onshore and off.”

7:33 p.m.  Education is “very near and dear” to his heart.  He wants to change the way we help our children.  McCrory said he got his teaching degree at Catawba College in 1978 and he wants to contine teaching, this time the entire state.

McCrory does not believe that every child needs to go to a 4-year college or university.  He believes in “two equal paths to success”.  He believes also in a vocational path, where a child can learn to use their hands as a skill so they can innovate.

“The liberal elite tries to force us into only one path, but we need a system of productivity.”  Otherwise “people end up on welfare or in prison.”

We need to emphasize more in technology.  We need to engage these learning tools to help kids with basic skills, he added.

7:40 p.m.  The Culture of Government in North Carolina

McCrory noted that little has changed at the NC Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) since he got his first driver’s license in Jamestown, in 1973.

“We need to change this thinking.  We need to change this culture as we have some great state employees right here in Wake County”.

7:43 p.m.  The State

“No state is as great as ours”, said Pat McCrory.  ”We have fertile soil and lots of industries.  We need less government interference and allow these businesses and industries so they can expand.  Government regulations are also hurting our manufacturing and agriculture sectors.”

“With our great work ethic and our great universities, there is no reason why this state should not lead the nation out of the recession.”

“We must get out and do the hard work.  We have to LEGALLY register people and then take them to the polls on election day.    The other side is doing it.  We don’t want to be outworked.”

He then concluded his speech to the tune of “Won’t get fooled again” by The Who.

Convention Business

8:04 p.m Chairman Susan  Bryant is talking with the audience about the procedures about the county, district, state, and national conventions this year.

Chairman Bryant has announced that Wake County has more registered Republicans than our friends in Mecklenburg County.   The audience went crazy.  It doesn’t matter to this blogger.   KCC just wants everyone taking five people to the polls on election day.

8:08  p.m.  Chairman Bryant announced that over 1300 people PRE-registered to come tonight and many more registered at the door.  She asked the groups to break into House Districts and find our precinct.

9:00  p.m. After signing up for the Wake County convention and paying the fee, this blogger’s precinct business has concluded.  It was great seeing so many friends and candidates.   Thank you to the entire Wake GOP team, and to everyone who came out tonight.

This concludes our live blogging session, this evening.

Texas Governor and former Presidental Candidate, Rick Perry (R), stopped by bloggers row Thursday at CPAC.  In the short video that follows, you can see that chaos that we bloggers often operate under.  When “someone” comes in, a huge crowd immediately forms and the video cameras start to roll.

2012 Bloggers Row Sign, Security is Tight Here

It’s day one of CPAC and since credentialed blogger space is at such a premimum here on bloggers row, KCC has been here since 6:oo a.m.  This is certainly against your blogger’s biological clock, as we often need to stay up late to cover stories, and spend time with family, and watch late night TV.  (Red Eye is one of our favs.)

Since 8:45 a.m. is drawing near, bloggers are drifting in, and its great to see old friends.

There has been a change in administrations this year, with Bill Keene having gone over to the NRA and Al Cardenas stepping up to run the Conservative Political Action Conference, sponsored by The American Conservative Union.

The balcony just outside the bloggers lounge, overlooking the Marshall ballroom, is no longer for seating.  Rather, it is reserved for “stand up media”, i.e. television cameras and the like.

Your blogger did over hear one of them saying “Oh I’m not a blogger, I’m a member of the REAL media.”  Yes, he is a member of the liberal mainstream media, but he certainly didn’t mind helping himself to our continental breakfast, which was not available to “real” media.

More on the way.

Wednesday night setup at CPAC

Wednesday night setup at CPAC

Watch all the CPAC proceedings from the Marriott Ballroom at the Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, below:

This post will stay at the top of this blog throughout the conference.  Find out more and get the conference schedule, here.

It’s the eve  of CPAC and much is happening.  Old friends are reconnecting and new friendships are being made.  There is also a sinister side at this year’s event.

Lately it seems, when conservatives come to town, the cockroaches venture out of the dark and come after the candy.  Our liberal friends at Occupy DC and their union thug counterparts are planning activities to disrupt the largest conservative political gathering.

According to multiple sources, the Occupiers are scheduled to pitch tents on the lawn of the CPAC Hotel, the Marriott Wardman Park.  Your blogger even saw ads requesting donations of tents.

Members of the  AFL-CIO have registered for the conference and have booked at least 30 rooms in the hotel.

At the November 2011 Defending the American Dream Conference, sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, Occupiers stormed the hotel and convention center, injuring this blogger.

These people aren’t simply our opposition, they take hatred to an entirely new level.  They don’t know what they stand for and they resent anyone with a job who works hard to take care of themselves and their family.

Many of these Occupiers live at home with their parents, sort of a “slacker” generation.   They hate capitalism, the very system that brought them the prosperity they grew up enjoying.  Yet they’d rather live in a disease infested tent, and drop out of society.

They are planning “creative activities” to disrupt the conference on Friday and Saturday, Smart Girl Politics Action, a conservative women’s organization, has warned its members to stay safe:

The SGPA leadership team, members, and many of our bloggers will be attending the event. We would urge those of you attending to be alert, and to take every precaution in keeping yourself safe.The SGPA leadership team, members, and many of our bloggers will be attending the event. We would urge those of you attending to be alert, and to take every precaution in keeping yourself safe.

.

Wednesday evening, your blogger spotted an Occupier using one of the public computers in the lobby of the Wardman Park Hotel. She was easy to pick out. She wasn’t dressed neatly, wore a “Che” hat, and had black and white colors on, while the rest of us cheerily sport our red, white, and blue.  In short, we are the happy ones and they are the ones with an ax to grind.

More information is available here. KCC promises to bring you news on this situation as it develops. Let the Occupiers try to come after us. We’ll meet them head on with video cameras in hand, ready for uploading! Bring it on! I may not be able to carry a gun in the District, but I do have my cane and KCC wouldn’t mind using it in self-defense.

The AFL-CIO is calling this event "The Shady Bunch"

It’s time to hit the road, er, the air.  As of Wednesday, Katy’s Conservative Corner will be coming to you via CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, on bloggers row.  We’ll bring you what’s really going on, behind the scenes.  Our credentials gives us…and you an all access pass to the fun behind the scenes.

We will see once Presidential candidates, most especially Rick Santorium, along with Mitt and Newt.  Also, we hope to see a large contingent from North Carolina there, and if anyone wishes to write for KCC while they are there, please contact KCC immediately.  We’d love to see your posts!

Ron Paul usually brings a large contingent of college students on buses from around the country.  Americans for Prosperity, Freedomworks, Smart Girl Politics, American Majority, will be just a few of the groups involved.  One of the most fun things outside of the bloggers row, are the exhibits.  There are usually two full rooms of exhibitors ready to take your business cards and enter you in a drawing!  Plus, the giveaways!

Another exciting parts of CPAC, is seeing just who actually shows up, celebrity-wise.  Sometimes, you just never know.  Last year, Saturday Night Live player, Victoria Jackson was chatting up one of the blogger’s sitting behind us. We had a Sarah Palin lookalike.  However, we have the real thing this year, so no impersonators needed.

And since KCC cannot cover it all, we’ll shout out some links to other great, on-site blogs.  Again, if you are interested in writing for KCC during the convention, please tweet me at http://www.twitter.com/katys

The list of speakers at CPAC just keeps growing.  Please keep checking the website for the lastest and most official updates.  Most events from the ballroom will be streamed live and your blogger will be providing you with information on how to catch it all.

This is going to a busy travel year, with many events on the calendar for conservatives, plus the Democratic National Convention, the Republican National Convention, which KCC will cover.

In state, there is still a few more days to sign up to attend the Battleground NC: Conservative Leadership Conference Conference.  Katy’s Conservative Corner is a sponsor and blogger at that event and we are very excited to be a part of it.  To find out more about that event, run by the Civitas Institute, check their website and tell them that Katy sent you.  This event is in EARLY March, so sign up now before you are left out!

Here are a few updates from around North Carolina:

Uber Liberal NC Representative Jennifer Weiss (D-Wake) to retire: Your blogger’s day is made. KCC lived in her district  nearly all the years Weiss “served” and wrote her many letters. Weiss never once listened to a different idea, or one that didn’t come from her socialist playbook. Read Laura Leslie‘s report.

According to Leslie,

This year’s Republican redistricting maps drew her into a GOP-leaning district with a Republican incumbent, Rep. Tom Murry.

NC House Majority Leader, Rep. Paul Stam, wants you to know what the Marriage Amendment will do. It’s on the same ballot as the May primaries and he offers five points for readers to consider.  KCC notes that our liberal friends have been getting most of the mainstream press on this (what’s new?).

Stam argues in part:

Legally Recognizing Only Heterosexual Marriage Isn’t Discrimination Against Homosexuals Wanting To Marry.  Marriage between a man and a woman has existed in virtually every known society. It has served the purpose of channeling procreative sexual activity into an institution which will provide a stable environment for children produced from the sexual union of the partners in marriage.

In a true loss for our state and nation, Congresswoman Sue Myrick (R-NC, 9) will not be running for re-election for her seat in Congress.  Myrick, a former Charlotte Mayor, understands the terrorists threats more than any other member of Congress.  She has organized workshops and worked with a variety of groups in Washington, Charlotte, and Raleigh, to educate and to promote understanding of what the terror threat is, and founded the Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus.

Katy’s Conservative Corner wishes Mrs. Myrick our very best and we thank her for her 9 terms serving North Carolina’s ninth district.

Finally, Pat McCrory, likely Republican nominee for Governor, is finishing off his fundraising push after his big announcement week.    He needs any support you can provide.  To donate to McCrory for Governor, please click here and follow the directions.

Libraries Should Do a Better Job of Policing Pornography.

According to MSNBC, The American Civil Liberties Union is at it again.  This time they are trying to force libraries that receive public funding to offer online access to pornography.  Read about a particular case here.

Your blogger, who is not shy of creating controversy, had an experience with just such an issue, some years ago.  Here is KCC’s story:

About 15 or 20 years or so ago, I had to cut off my home phone line as a sacrifice to the “dot com bomb” and me losing my job.  Instead of me being able to using my computer at home, I went to the public library two or three times a week to check my email.

Hayes speaks to the NC GOP State Convention last summer, photo copyright KTCreations

After the Democratic National Committee urged any candidates considering entering the North Carolina Gubanatorial primary to strike hard against Pat McCrory, the North Carolina Republican Party is fighting back.

In an earlier post, your blogger reported that McCrory has been largely untouched thanks to the constant negative attention on Governor Beverly Perdue.  He was far ahead in the polls, due to her unpopularity.  Last week, she pulled out of the race, leaving a vacuum both in Raleigh and in Washington.

Robin Hayes, chairman of the NCGOP, had this to say:

“The last few days have been interesting to observe. After Perdue’s announcement, we have watched the Democratic establishment race to find a replacement.

“Out of all of the names being floated publicly, have any voiced opposition to the corruption and scandals that have plagued the recent leaders of Democratic Party? With one possible exception, the answer is “no.”

“This means that we can expect whoever their nominee is to be a card-carrying member of the same Democratic Machine that brought North Carolina Governor Perdue, Mike Easley, and Jim Black.

“Whoever emerges from their primary will have some very simple questions to answer:

1.)  As a member of the North Carolina Democratic Machine, do they condemn the past scandals and failed leadership that have plagued both the state and their party?

2.)  Do they want to raise the sales tax by 15% or more on everyone in North Carolina?

If they refuse to condemn the scandals that have plagued their party’s brass, how can we count on them to be any different? If their only solution to problems is to simply raise taxes, it shows that they have no regard for families in our state.

“The time is now to restore faith in the Executive Branch. North Carolina needs a Governor that they can trust, not someone propped up by the same Democratic Machine that created the mess that we have worked hard to clean up.”

More Could Join the Democratic Primary for NC Governor

In an article posted on Politico Tuesday morning, author David Catanese, weighed in on the North Carolina gubanatorial race.  Catanese argueed that the Democratic National Committee is urging the primary candidates to “define Pat McCrory“. Since the focus is now off Governor Beverly Perdue, the DNC argues, they need to focus on uncovering Pat McCrory’s “negatives”.

…but as pollster Fred Yang writes …, McCrory, … has so far benefited from little scrutiny because of Perdue’s consistent problems.

As far back as mid-2011, Rep. Bill Faison (D-Orange) began began publicly toying with the idea of entering the governor’s race.  He knew Governor Perdue had made serious flubs during her term and turned the public against her.  Her numbers were falling faster than a heavy rain.

Faison recently announced, and is currently advertising on cable television.  His main problem is name recognition, though his team hopes that staying on TV can change that. Tuesday, he spent the day campaigning in your blogger’s home area, eastern North Carolina.

Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton has also officially entered the race.  Others said to be considering the race are former Second District Congressman Bobby Ethridge, and former Clinton Chief-of-Staff, Erskine Bowles, the favorite of the DC crowd.

Top NC Democrats passing on the race include 11th District Congressman Heath Shuler, and Charlotte mayor Anthony Foxx.

McCrory will have his hands full with either of the two announced candidates.  He had such a lead over Governor Beverly Perdue that all North Carolina Republicans are disappointed that they won’t have her  ”to kick around anymore”.

Katy’s Conservative Corner endorsed Pat McCrory in a  post on Monday.   Tuesday afternoon in Greensboro, he officially entered the race in Guilford County, his home area.