Democratic Party mute on Black
The North Carolina Democratic Party's statement about Jim Black' sentencing yesterday:
That's right, nothing. One of the state's most powerful political leaders is on his way to federal prison for five years for corruption, and the party that once hailed him as a champion can't bring itself to utter a word.
It does bash Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole for her views on Iraq. Fair enough. That's in the job description for the Democrats.
But good government also should be important to North Carolina's majority political party. To the extent that it's questionable at the moment, thanks to Mr. Black and others, whether we have honest state goverrnment or not, the majority party should speak out. It should denounce Black's crimes, applaud the pursuit of justice that led to his downfall, and pledge to insist that its office holders and candidates follow high standards for ethical behavior.
We won't restore integrity in government in this state until everyone involved in the political process helps with the clean-up. You can't do that by stepping around the messes and pretending they aren't there.
Addendum:
State Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek issue this personal statement about Black last winter:
Dear Fellow Democrat:
Just like you, I am furious. And we should be. Someone we know has betrayed us and betrayed the public trust.
For almost a year, Jim Black has personally assured me and our fellow legislators that he's done nothing wrong. When the Speaker of the House looks you in the eye and tells you something, it's hard not to believe him.
In the past week, Jim Black pled guilty to acts that go beyond anything that any of us anticipated. As a citizen, I'm furious that he's betrayed the public trust. But I'm even more furious that he betrayed my trust and the trust of so many Democrats who knew him.
It is, therefore, with great sadness that I write you today. As bad as the earlier press reports about Jim Black were, his recent admission that he took personal bribes to influence legislation shocked us all. That's not why I'm in public service and that's not what democracy is all about.
Our Party believes in the power of government to do good things -- by creating opportunity, protecting freedom, and expanding the horizon of human achievement. Whenever an official undermines the public's trust in government, he makes our Party's mission all the more difficult. And Jim Black has done lasting damage to the public's perception of government.
I cannot and will not apologize for what Jim Black has done. But I will tell you that the Democratic Party remains the people's party. As Democrats, we will work hard to restore full confidence in state government. Last year's ethics reform law was a good start. But there is more that we must do.
With the leadership of Speaker Hackney, Senator Basnight, and Governor Easley, we will put this dark time behind us. Now is the time to focus our energies on moving North Carolina forward.
I believe in the power of average citizens to make a difference in our State and nation. I believe in our ability to create a city on a hill, leaving a legacy of prosperity and security for future generations.
In the past difficult week, I've taken great solace in the fact that thousands of Democratic elected officials and local Democratic Party leaders work every day to make North Carolina flourish. One man's betrayal of trust will not dissuade any of us from continuing this work.
Comments (16)
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Democratic Party mute on Black
The North Carolina Democratic Party's statement about Jim Black' sentencing yesterday:
That's right, nothing.* Doug
That's right Doug! I wouldn't open my mouth about one of my own going south in political corruption. However, the real outrage about Black was coming from a hot bunch of progressive democrats on the net long ago.
So do give credit to them for trying to expose one of their own.
Now back to real corruption! When do you expect Cheney and Bush will be impeach?
Posted on July 12, 2007 12:36 PM
I don't know, Connie. Do you think the Dems will go for Bush first, making Cheney president for a while? Or take out the veep first, if they can find him?
Posted on July 12, 2007 1:20 PM
Doug Clark's column about the News and Record firing 41 of their staff members in one day with no warning:
That's right, nothing.
Posted on July 12, 2007 5:42 PM
The layoffs were very regrettable. They weren't criminal.
Posted on July 12, 2007 5:48 PM
I don't know, Connie. Do you think the Dems will go for Bush first, making Cheney president for a while? Or take out the veep first, if they can find him? *Doug
Naw! It appears that former democrats are going after their Leader " Nancy" first. Go Cindy! I thought I saw the Veep on Foxx this morning complainting about Mr Rogers not wanting to go Iraq and be part of a beachboy surge! I am totaly convince now that Alien my space Lizards have taken control of United States politics.
Posted on July 12, 2007 7:05 PM
Doug:
It is pretty telling that the party has a whole web section devoted to "corruption" but no mention of Black. Clearly, the party is more interested in making political hay than in addressing serious and widespread corruption. The voters should keep this in mind in the next election.
Posted on July 13, 2007 12:18 AM
I hear the new Democrat motto, is Wine, Dine, and Pocket line. Of course thay have being do it for years. The feds got involved and the AG Office could not get it covered up. Seems the feds should look at the Weasel, he seems to be doing ok on real estate deals and using taxpayers funds to improve his holdings. Of course the republicans are doing the same thing, but you can read that in the papers.
Posted on July 13, 2007 5:01 AM
Mr Clark, how about a reason newspapers are going south? I think the newspaper is the best news going. I can take it with me,I can cut out articles and post them at the golf course. Yet most newspapers are dying a slow death. Why?
Posted on July 13, 2007 6:07 AM
Jack,
Thanks for reading newspapers! The problem is partly generational and partly the result of greater competition for ad dollars.
Few young people read newspapers. They get news through electronic media, largely the Internet. My younger son explains why: He doesn't want to pay for news, and he doesn't have to online.
With greater competition for ad revenue, newspapers' share has declined. Declining revenue (relatively speaking) leaves less resources for news gathering and presentation. Smaller papers, less content. Less appeal to customers. We're in a vicious cycle.
That's just my opinion.
Posted on July 13, 2007 8:32 AM
We're in a vicious cycle.
That's just my opinion.* Doug
No! Not a opinion! It is true that you guys are caught between a rock and a hard place for the sales. There is a great deal of truth about the mainstream media not appealing to the public, but real story is simply that the high tech revolution is killing the Horse just like when the Automobile first appear on the scene.
If I was in the mainstream media business, I would be knocking myself out trying to fiqure out how to overcome this impossible problem in the future.
Posted on July 13, 2007 10:51 AM
Not impossible. We are figuring out new ways to provide news and features, plus advertising platforms, to customers. One difficulty with that is our customer base is split between print and electronic. Finding the right balance in allocating our resources is tricky.
Posted on July 13, 2007 11:13 AM
Has the News-Record management stepped back for a minute to consider that your shrinking circulation is due to readers finally becoming disenchanted with the bias that exists in news stories, not to mention your editorials? This bias is shown in headlines for news stories, news that isn't covered, and the placement of stories in the newspaper. Editorials are fair game for political bias, but not what is supposed to be news. I believe that a newspaper that wasn't so politically biased could enjoy a good circulation in this county. Your newspaper's political bias does not distinguish you, as it is pretty much the same as most other MSM's. People have options as to how they spend their money. Spending a couple hundred $$ on the News-Record doesn't work for many people, when they get agitated every time they look at it.
Oh, and when did the Democrat Party start calling itself the Democratic Party? As I recall, it was always the Democrat Party.
Posted on July 13, 2007 12:04 PM
I don't know how long the Democratic Party has called itself that rather than Democrat Party, but it's been a long time. For example, I know that in 1972 the Watergate burglars broke into the headquarters of the National Democratic Party.
On the other point, whew! Don't try to get me in trouble here.
I'm glad you recognize the difference between news and editorial. Editorial pages have a point of view, a term we prefer to "bias." Anyway, most editorial pages do have a point of view. What's important is that they provide space for other points of view as well. Our point of view is liberal, but we still run columns from plenty of conservatives.
As far as the news side, I think there are actually very few stories with an obvious bias. In the big world of MSN, there's certainly a tilt to the left. Surveys show pretty consistently that most reporters are liberal. Because all of them are human, you may occasionally see some of that bias filter into news coverage. But professional reporters present the facts, and I think our reporters do a good job.
Posted on July 13, 2007 12:24 PM
Dave, finally responding to your comment:
I looked at the "corruption" file at the N.C. Democratic Party Web site and you're right. Not only not mention of Black, but no mention of the other high-ranking North Carolina Democrats -- former Ag Secretary Meg Phipps and former Congressman Frank Ballance -- who have gone to prison.
In fairness, they don't mention Mike Decker, either. But that's risky because it's hard to say whether Decker was a Republican or a Democrat when he actually committed his crimes. I don't think either party wants to claim him at this point.
Posted on July 13, 2007 4:46 PM
I don't know how long the Democratic Party has called itself that rather than Democrat Party, but it's been a long time.*Doug
Since Thomas Jefferson form the Democrat-Republican Party in 1792 after the States approve the Consitution of the United States. As you are well aware, the present Democrat party left Mr Jefferson political principles long ago. However, the present Democrat party honors him with a Jackson-Jefferson Dinner annually. Most of those present Democrats who attend the dinner think it was name for the Rev Jesse Jackson and Hillary Husband William " Jefferson" Clinton who I believe is running for President again?
As to the Republican party part by Jefferson, It broke off from Mr Jefferson party somewhere after Andrew Jackson was elected president. It emerge in 1856 as the log cabin Republicans and appears to be still maintaining that image with the present sexual crossdressers in the Republican party with it's present sexual scandals. Frankly, the republican crossdressers were tried of the Wig party wearing dull wigs and decided to ungrade their political image.
For example, I know that in 1972 the Watergate burglars broke into the headquarters of the National Democratic Party.*Doug
Not the present inform political generation! Most political activists think that the present North Carolina Republican Senator Dole is being held hostage by her husband Bob at the Watergate Complex since the Senator never visits her home state.
Posted on July 13, 2007 4:57 PM
Stormy, you are 100% right. This paper has become a poster carrier for the far left. Most of the lte to the editor comes from the internet. You will never see a letter on anything bad that happens in NC.The Weasel has made his self serveral good land deals,not one peek from this paper. Illegls drunk driving,rarely make the paper. Same with drug bust.They endorsed every tax raise, and never complain about wasted tax funds.If a republican had screwed up I40 (21 million shot to hell) this would have been headlines for months. When the Weasel boys do it, no big deal. I could go on forever.I guess if they have a choice of selling papers and being the Weasel lap dog, they will take their doggie treat.
Posted on July 15, 2007 6:58 AM