Renee Ellmers Auditioning for Act Two

Looks like primary races for lieutenant governor of North Carolina are going to be energetic. On the Democratic side, we have Cal Cunningham, Terry Van Duyn, Chaz Beasley, and several others facing off. And now on the Republican side, as of yesterday, we have a new prom queen, Renee Ellmers, entering the contest. She was last heard from when she was defeated in the Republican congressional primary in 2016 by Rep. George Holding. She had been elected to represent the 2nd Congressional District in 2010 and held the seat until redistricting shoved her into a match-up with George Holding.

So far, Ellmers will be up against former Mount Airy Mayor Deborah Cochran, but there's a basketball team's worth of Republican men who've been considering the office.

Even though she was elected with the Tea Party wave of 2010, Ellmers never earned the trust of many on the far right. Some outright hate her. The Daily Haymaker refers to her as a she-devil, about as welcome on the ballot as a case of cancer. No, really. For her part, Renee broadcasts on one of her Twitter accounts that she "Jesus,Trump, animals, gardening, beach, boating," which certainly sets my mind at ease that she's fully equipped to do the same job that the current occupant of the office, Dan Forest, has been doing.

Some ultra-conservative Republican man will for sure announce a run, now that Ellmer's in. You can bet on it.

"Renee Knows How To Do It"

Donald Trump made his first-ever endorsement in a Congressional Republican primary, and he chose Renee Ellmers in the NC-2.

Trump recorded a robocall for Ellmers: “I need her help in Washington so we can work together to defeat ISIS, secure our border, and bring back jobs and frankly, so many other things. And Renee knows how to do it. She gets it. And together, we will make America great again.”

Well, okay then.

Meanwhile, Ellmers is in the primary race of her short-ish political career, matched through redistricting with fellow incumbent Republican Congressman George Holding, who's being supported  by the Koch octopus and the Club for Growth. (Perennial candidate and creepy gynecologist Greg Brannon is also running in this primary.)

Since the Koch Bros. have pointedly refused to endorse Trump, perhaps Trump's endorsement of Ellmers is payback. Trump is into payback.

The North Carolina Tea Partiers, who have long despised Ellmers, are not taking the Trump endorsement well.

NC Filings for Congressional Seats

Filing for the redrawn U.S. Congressional seats in North Carolina opened the day after the March 15 primary, and there's a lot of action across the state, with likely primaries on both Democratic and Republican sides. Here are the latest updates (including the NC Supreme Court seat currently held by Bob Edmunds, whose skin the General Assembly has tried to spare by passing the "retention election" bill, currently in litigation. Apparently, the State Board of Elections is allowing contenders to file for Edmunds' seat on the Court, though the legality of the retention election still hasn't been settled).

2nd District (Renee Ellmers’ seat): Incumbent Republicans Renee Ellmers and George Holding, who will face off as a result of their districts being dramatically changed

3rd District (Walter Jones’ seat): Republican Phil Law

4th District (David Price’s seat): Incumbent Democrat David Price, Republicans Sue Googe and Teiji Kimball

5th District (Virginia Foxx’s seat): Republican Pattie Curran and Democrat Jim Roberts

7th District (David Rouzer’s seat): Democrat J. Wesley Casteen

8th District (Richard Hudson’s seat): Republican Tim D’Annunzio

9th District (Robert Pittenger’s seat): Republican Robert Pittenger, Republican Todd Johnson and Democrat Christian Cano

10th District (Patrick McHenry’s seat): Republican Patrick McHenry and Democrat Andy Millard

11th District (Mark Meadows’ seat): Democrat Tom Hill

12th District (Alma Adams' seat): Democrats Alma Adams, Tricia Cotham, Rodney Moore, and Malcolm Graham and Republican Leon Threatt

13th District (George Holding’s seat): Republican John Blust and Democrat Bruce Davis

N.C. Supreme Court: Incumbent Bob Edmunds and Sabra Faires (Sabra Faires is the chief plaintiff in the suit to void the retention election innovation)

LATE BREAKING NEWS
Dr. Greg Brannon, who just lost his primary bid against incumbent U.S. Senator Dick Burr and in 2014 lost his primary bid against eventual U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, has filed to run in the 2nd Congressional District. Headline: "Brannon Lowers Sights."

U.S. Supremes to North Carolina: "Deal With Your Own Mess"

The U.S. Supreme Court late yesterday declined to stay a lower court ruling about the illegal gerrymandering of congressional districts.

The New York Times offered the understatement of the day: "...North Carolina now faces a chaotic situation just when some voters have already begun sending in absentee ballots under the old congressional districting scheme."

Meanwhile, in Mugstomp on the Neuse, the NC General Assembly Republicans forced through their new redistricting plan and set the congressional primaries for June 7, with the new open filing period to run from March 16-25.

Apparently, when we all vote in the other primary on March 15, congressional primary races -- like Virginia Foxx's race against Pattie Curran on the Republican ballot -- will still be on the ballot in Watauga County and presumably elsewhere across the 5th District.

The State Board of Elections issued a statement last night about that: "State Elections Director Kim Strach, acknowledging the potential for voter confusion, urged people to vote for their preferred congressional candidate in both elections. “Vote the whole ballot and let us worry about what will count,” she said in a statement issued after the bill passed both chambers."

"Let us worry about what will count." Excuse me, Ms. Strach, but considering past and recent history at the SBOE, I think maybe there's enough worry to go around.

Renee Ellmers

Meanwhile, the political fallout from this mess is beginning to get interesting: Rep. George Holding, Republican, who has been drawn out of his 13th District, has already announced that he will now be challenging fellow incumbent Republican Renee Ellmers for her 2nd District seat. He might beat her, but from what we're hearing, Holding's about as unpopular with the Republican base as is Ellmers. And who knows how many of Ellmers' original primary challengers will re-file against her. Could be a crowded field, and with the "no run-off" provision, whoever gets the most votes, wins.

Mugstomp on the Neuse Goes Under Water

It has become surreal in Raleigh.

1. The General Assembly -- mainly the Republican Grandees in the NC Senate -- have redrawn congressional districts to maintain their 10-3 Republican dominance, while also conveniently punishing Democrat Alma Adams (by moving her 12th District completely out from under her) and delivering what looks like a career-ending blow to fellow Republican George Holding who is now double-bunked with Democratic Congressman David Price.

2. All this rush to redistrict what a three-judge panel said was unconstitutional gerrymandering may be rendered moot if Chief Justice John Roberts comes through with a Supreme Court stay of the three-judge panel's decision.

3. If Chief Justice Roberts issues a stay, then everything goes back to where we were last week: all primaries in all races on March 15. Otherwise, with no intercession from the Supremes, the Congressional primary will be yanked off the ballot for March 15 -- every other ballot item remaining in place -- and moved to June 7th.

4. No run-offs allowed. For the March 15 primary, and for all the races still on that ballot, top vote-getter wins even if he/she doesn't get to the magic 40 percent marker. (This could conceivably save Renee Ellmers' bacon. She's in a four-person primary race and will conceivably have some difficulty getting to 40 percent. The other likely beneficiary: Deborah Ross, who's in a four-way Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.)

5. Here's where it gets bizarre, according to what passed in the NC House late yesterday. Here I must quote directly from the N&O to get it straight:

In another twist, candidates who won a March 15 primary then could file to run for a congressional seat June 7. If they won in both primaries, they would have to withdraw from one, within a week after the June 7 results were certified.

That means, for example, a legislator who already had been renominated for a seat could run in a congressional primary, and continue to seek re-election as a legislator if he or she lost the latter vote.

I have questions. I hardly know where to start. I'm assuming that the word "candidates" in that first sentence refers to any candidates in any primary race. Certain moments from the early Byzantine Empire are flickering in my mind.

6. No. 5 creates another level of confusion and chaos unanticipated by any sane person outside the halls of the NC House. It potentially creates a campaign finance loophole through which you could drive a tank. Allowing candidates in other state primaries to also file to run for the U.S. Congress without foregoing their state races would open the door for using money raised for a state campaign in a Federal campaign, which is illegal. This will be litigated. It will not stand.

7. Any resemblance between the North Carolina General Assembly and The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight is not coincidental.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article61166027.html#storylink=cpy

The North Carolina Connection to the Downfall of Kevin McCarthy

McCarthy & Ellmers

At 8 a.m. yesterday morning, as Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy was approaching a noon nomination and probable election in the Republican House Caucus as the new Speaker of the House, he received an email from a conservative Chicago activist with the subject line, “Kevin, why not resign like Bob Livingston?”

Bob Livingston, O my brethren, was the replacement Speaker chosen by the Republican caucus back when a sex scandal drove Newt Gingrich out of the House in 1998. Livingston was promptly scuttled by his own sex scandal. That's when the Republicans of that day found Denny Hastert hiding in a back room and elevated him to the speakership, because everybody said that Denny had never had sex with anyone (little did they know!).

Anyhoo, according to Huffington Post, the "why don't you resign" email yesterday morning amounted to a threat of being outed publicly for an alleged romantic, extra-marital affair with North Carolina Congresswoman Renee Ellmers. Ellmers, as a matter of fact, was also a recipient of that 8 a.m. poison email. Apparently, if you're anybody in DeeCee, or hang out at the Capitol Lounge or the Tune Inn on Capitol Hill, you've known about the McCarthy-Ellmers rumor for months!

Following that 8 a.m. threatening email, McCarthy was then treated to a very public letter written by NC 3rd Dist. Congressman Walter Jones, which contained its own potent threat. Though the letter was addressed to the Republican Conference Chair, who would be running the caucus meeting at noon, it got wide distribution and without any doubt got into the hands of Kevin McCarthy.

Jones wrote, "With all the voter distrust of Washington felt around the country, I am asking that any candidate for Speaker of the House, majority leader, and majority whip withdraw himself from the leadership election if there are any misdeeds he has committed since joining Congress that will embarrass himself, the Republican Conference and the House of Representatives if they become public."

What did Walter Jones know and when did he know it?

Oh, okay, Jones has denied that he was writing about Kevin McCarthy specifically, if you want to believe it. And McCarthy has denied that Ellmers or Jones had anything whatsoever to do with his decision, if you want to believe that.

Renee Ellmers Has Herself a Primary Opponent

Uh-Oh. There's a Disturbance in the Farce*

*Hattip: EH & GN

Last Friday, Renee Ellmers fired back at her conservative critics in a blog post on her official U.S. House website. Ellmers has been in trouble with the cray-cray crowd over her opposition to the Ban All Abortions After 20 Weeks bill that was supposed to have been passed on Jan. 22, to coincide with the Washington March for Life. Ellmers' opposition seems to have killed the bill at the last minute, and conservatives are pissed. Like, extremely.

So Ellmers took them on: "I am appalled by the abhorrent and childish behaviors from some of the leaders of the outside groups." We suppose she was referring to Tami Fitzgerald, head of the NC Values Coalition, among other paint-strippers on the right like tea-blogger Brant Clifton, who has made biting Ellmers' ankles a personal project practically since she was first elected.

Near the end of her blog post, Ellmers returned to the Tami Fitzgeralds and the Brant Cliftons of this world: "It’s unimaginable to me why some outside parties would seek to target strong, pro-life conservative women and men who are serving in Congress."

Yeah. Go figure.

Renee Ellmers, Your Door Prize Is Almost Ready!

Jim Duncan

Hattip: Roll Call

PITTSBORO, N.C. -- Rep. Renee Ellmers, the North Carolina Republican who led the charge to pull the House GOP’s 20-week abortion ban bill this week, could have a bruising primary from the conservative wing of her party in 2016.

Jim Duncan, the chairman of the Chatham County Republican Party, is mulling a bid against Ellmers, according to multiple GOP sources in the Tar Heel State.

Duncan could not immediately be reached for comment. But GOP operatives say Duncan was looking at a primary challenge against Ellmers before this week. Operatives say Thursday’s events — in which a group of anti-abortion protesters in Washington, D.C., for the March for Life demonstrated outside her Longworth office — could push Duncan toward entering a primary race.

Ellmers already started the 2016 cycle with a couple cracks in her hold on the seat.

In 2014, local activists were angry over her support for giving undocumented immigrants earned legal work status, and she received a primary challenge. She defeated Frank Roche, a radio host whom Republicans called a weak and underfunded challenger, with 58 percent of the vote.

Republicans say Duncan, a retired businessman who ran a computer disaster recovery company, is a more serious candidate than Roche. Duncan has better ties to the conservative base in the district, both because of his role as chairman of the Chatham County Republican Party and as a co-founder of the Coalition for American Principles, a group that seeks to elect Republicans in the Raleigh-Durham area.

How Extreme Is the New Anti-Abortion Bill in the U.S. House?

So extreme that even NC Rep. Renee Ellmers opposes it. Ellmers, in fact, is credited with leading a revolt of Republican women against the bill. Without the votes to pass it, the Republican leadership in the U.S. House pulled the bill last night. (Oh, it'll come back eventually, my brethren. Republicans love their rituals.)

The vote was supposed to happen today to coincide with the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. It was all show, of course, since any of the far right's anti-abortion legislation has zero chance of becoming law until Rick Santorum sits in the Oval Office.

But ... Ellmers? Reportedly, she was upset over the rape provisions in the bill, and she rallied other Republican women to her side. (No mention of Virginia Foxx in any of the reporting, but you know she's not going to buck the Catholic hierarchy, let alone the bulls in Congress.)

The bill was creatively named the "Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act." (Oh Republicans!) It would ban abortions after 20 weeks, even in cases of rape, unless the mother filed a police report.

The fury against Ellmers by Tea Partiers, and others determined to legislate women into becoming involuntary breeders, has already erupted. (Which is precisely why you won't see Virginia Foxx taking a public stance on the bullshit being shoveled by her male colleagues.)

UPDATE: ELLMERS GIVES UP
Raleigh News&Observer is reporting that Ellmers couldn't take the heat from the pro-lifers. So much for that profile in courage!

Renee Ellmers: "Could You Dumb It Down For Me?"

Renee Ellmers got quoted saying stupid things about women, and her office lashed back that "a liberal woman reporter" had taken her comments out of context. The comments in question?

“Men do tend to talk about things on a much higher level. You know, one of the things that has always been one of my frustrations and I speak about this all the time – many of my male colleagues, when they go to the House floor, you know, they’ve got some pie chart or graph behind them and they’re talking about trillions of dollars and, you know, how the debt is awful and, you know, we all agree with that.

“But by starting off that discussion that way, we’ve already turned people away. Because it’s like ‘that doesn’t affect my life, I don’t understand how that affects my life.’ ”

From there, Ellmers said Republicans need to be “engaging individuals on their level,” adding that GOP men should “bring it down to a woman’s level.”

The reputed "liberal woman reporter" was Ashe Schow, writing in the conservative Washington Examiner. Schow has worked for Heritage Action, the 501(c)(4) arm of the Heritage Foundation, which scarcely qualifies her as a "liberal" anything. According to her "faculty bio" at the Leadership Institute, she "has a background in drafting political donation messaging for conservative-leaning PACs."

Ellmers

You can read for yourself Schow's original article. Rather than taking Ellmers out of context, she got the context exactly right. Ellmers, along with other Congressional Republican women, were explaining how conservative women were going to disprove the Democratic charge that the Republican Party has been conducting a "war on women."

We've got to improve our "messaging," the conservative Congresswomen said, and then they let Ellmers speak into that microphone, which only proved that their messaging still needs work and that Renee Ellmers, in particular, is not ready for prime time.

When Good People Get Fed Up

Clay Aiken is announcing today that he is indeed running for Congress in the 2nd Congressional District of North Carolina. Incumbent Republican Renee Ellmers' campaign immediately began playing the only gay card they could think of: Aiken, sez Ellmers' flack, represents "San Francisco values."

Please!

I believe that the young man who rose out of a bad domestic situation, who became a teacher of special needs students in public school, who started a foundation to help kids with disabilities -- I believe he represents North Carolina values far more than does Renee Ellmers.

A young man who had an amazing talent and who got rich because of it.

He's pictured this morning in the N&O with "consultant" Betsy Conti and "advisor" Gary Pearce, so he's also smart enough to surround himself with some smart, experienced people with deep North Carolina political knowledge.

Aiken has a primary in May with a couple of other contenders, but one of his primary opponents has already announced that he's dropping out and will endorse Aiken.

Clay told the N&O that Ellmers' flailing attacks on him suggested that she was nervous. Yeah. Call it "flop sweat."

Renee Ellmers Tempts Cosmic Irony

Surely you know about cosmic irony: "A type of irony in which Fate, the Universe, God, or whichever omnipotent force you choose, makes it their sole purpose to mess with your life. They like to screw you over and watch the mayhem while laughing at your misfortune." Like if Rush Limbaugh were suddenly diagnosed with sickle cell anemia.

So the obliviously arrogant Renee Ellmers tempts cosmic irony by going on the radio and sneering at possible Democratic challenger, Clay Aiken, as someone who couldn't even come in first in American Idol, not to mention Celebrity Apprentice, so how the hell would he ever ascend to the Olympic heights of occupying a seat in Congress?

How indeed?

Can't you just write those headlines: "Gay American Idol Runner-Up Beats Ellmers Decisively." You invited it, Renee!

Female Impersonators

Sen. Burr as Judge of Character

Sen. Dick Burr, who practically had to vault over the wheel-chair-confined former Senator Bob Dole in order to vote against ratification of a U.N. treaty that would give greater protections to the disabled world-wide (see below), is now riding his moral high horse in lecturing us that former Senator Jesse Helms, that tired old bigot and poisonous excuse for a human being, deserves to have a federal courthouse named for him.

This is Congresswoman Renee Ellmers' bright idea. Bless her heart.

Jesse Helms, who was no federalist by any stretch of the imagination. Jesse Helms, who routinely blocked the nominations of federal judges if he didn't approve of their race or their pedigree. Jesse Helms, who said more hateful things in his long, intolerant life than both my dogs have fleas. That Jesse Helms.

Renee Ellmers: Tea Party Republicans Collectively Became "A Monster"

Renee Ellmers, who beat Bob Etheridge in the 2010 Tea Party uprising to represent the 2nd District of NC, apparently spills the beans about her fellow Tea Party freshmen in a new book, depicting the Republican Conference under Speaker John Boehner as something approaching the Freedonia of Duck Soup, or the student council of Beverly Hills High.

Renee Ellmers Tries To Spin the Republican Mess

Now with subtitles, so you'll know what she's REALLY saying. Hattip: ProgressNC

Renee Ellmers Will Vote Against Gay Marriage Amendment

Apparently, a few dozen jaws dropped at Campbell University School of Law last Thursday when Tea Party conservative Renee Ellmers (NC-2) said in answer to a question that she would be voting AGAINST the anti-gay marriage amendment on May 8th.

Whaaa?

"Under the Dome" confirmed that Ellmers had indeed said that she thought the Republican-written amendment was "too broadly drawn."

Maybe this means that Gov. Beverly Perdue can take a stand too? The Guv has been rather noticeably MIA on the issue.

The Tea Party, if it actually believes what it preaches, ought to be deeply, deeply opposed to the discriminatory nature of this Republican/religious attempt to rewrite the state's foundational document. But until Ellmers spoke up at Campbell University, we had not noticed any Tea Partiers taking a stand for other people's freedoms.

Tuesday Smorgasbord

Do they even believe it themselves?

1. Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (Republican, NC-2) sez that when Bob Etheridge sent out mailers to constituents, it was a shocking waste of tax-payer money. When she does the exact same thing, it's God's holy will.

2. Appalachian State University is a Commie palace because it hosted two "green" lectures last February.

3. Former state Democratic Party Executive Director Andrew Whalen sez that what we really really need are more Blue Dogs in Congress, peeing all over the rugs.

4. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) admitted that she had simply made up her assertion that half the people who applied to work at a nuclear facility in the state had failed drug tests, yet said she will still push to drug test the unemployed.

5. Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) said that while his businesses made $6.3 million last year, after you “pay 500 employees, you pay rent, you pay equipment, and food,” his profits were “a mere fraction of that” — “by the time I feed my family, I have maybe $400,000 left over.”

Hump Day Smorasbord

Whaaa? Another Republican senator in the NC General Assembly, Southport's Bill Rabon, publicly queasy about mucking up the NC Constitution with a ban on gay marriage?

A new "Fire Renee Ellmers" Facebook page. Dyspepsia, thy name is Tea Party.

Heath Shuler's got that Blue Dog shuffle down pat.

It's official: NC GOP will use queerfear to try for a voter stampede in Nov. 2012. What fine human beings we have serving us in public office!