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Democrat Roy Cooper Declares Victory as Voters Dump GOP Gov. Pat McCrory – Race Too Close to Call

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Anti-LGBT Law HB2 Reportedly Cost State Billions

North Carolina first-term Republican Governor Pat McCrory appears to have lost his re-election bid over his anti-LGBT law HB2. Roy Cooper, the state’s Democratic attorney general who refused to defend HB2 in court, has declared victory, but the election has not been certified. Less than 4000 votes separate them.

Cooper is up about 4000 votes over McCrory. Recent polls were not in McCrory’s favor. 

The gubernatorial race in the Tar Heel State has been one of the most hotly contested of the election cycle, and it could be one with far-reaching impact.

Cooper and McCrory have sparred over several issues for the past few months, with Cooper slamming McCrory’s record on healthcare, economic issues, the environment, and of course, HB2.

HB2 voided LGBT nondiscrimination ordinances throughout the state. It attacks transgender citizens by revoking their right to use public restrooms based on gender identity. It also mandates that only state lawmakers can pass laws regulating employment discrimination, the use of public accommodations, and minimum wages – removing the right of self determination from every town and city across the state.

HB2

The full economic impact of HB2 is not yet known, but an estimate from the Williams Institute expects the state to lose almost $5 billion a year as long as HB2 is in effect. This does not include court costs for the legal battle surrounding the anti-LGBT bill which made international headlines.

As the state’s attorney general, it would generally be assumed it would be his job to defend the state’s actions when they are taken to court. But Cooper chose not to defend HB2, leaving McCrory to defend the law himself and seek outside legal help. This gives the state responsibility for paying lawyers instead of allowing Cooper to take their side in the suit.

McCrory didn’t take kindly to Cooper’s decision, and has continued to defend HB2 despite its growing unpopularity in the state. While neither campaign site even mentions the issue, it’s a deciding factor in the race.

A Public Policy report from May shows just 35% of the state in favor of the law.

NC Republicans are embarrassed by HB2, so much so that they tried to interfere when the Charlotte Observer hosted a forum about the issue which featured neither gubernatorial candidate. A letter to the NC Board of Elections the week of the forum called the discussion a campaign event, in spite of the forum featuring both people in favor of and people opposed to HB2.

Healthcare

North Carolina is one of 19 states that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Cooper not only slams the state on his website, he points to his past involvement in health care policy, including a lawsuit filed against Carolinas Healthcare System, the largest network in the state, for putting contract requirements in place to limit competition with other healthcare systems and push costs higher.

McCrory, on the other hand, privatized the state’s Medicaid system last year, contracting three companies to offer plans for people on Medicaid and allowing for 10 networks to work through regional plans. This handed a significant part of the state’s healthcare system to the free market.

Cooper’s position puts him at an advantage with issue voters, as Public Policy Polling showed that 72% of voters would back an expansion of Medicaid to cover the gap between the current program and the ACA.

Economy

One of McCory’s proudest talking points was that his economic plans have been good for the state. He has pointed to the state’s growing GDP and population as a sign that his economics have worked. Politifact rated his claim true, using only GDP as an economic indicator in April of 2016, before the economic impact of HB2 was entirely obvious.

However, according to NC Policy Watch, the GDP is not the only thing that matters. The labor market has not improved under McCrory and the state’s average weekly pay is about $80 less than the national average.

Cooper is against lowering only corporate taxes, and wants to focus on increasing income for people in the workforce. His campaign website says that under McCrory’s direction the state is “the butt of jokes for late night comedy” and calls this “self-sabotage.” 

Environment

Roy Cooper’s campaign focused heavily on environmental issues, touting his support for the Clean Smokestacks Act, which requires companies to cut down on emissions.

Meanwhile, McCrory attempted to create jobs by cutting back environmental regulations with HB74.

A defining difference between the two politicians came after a Duke Energy pipe malfunctioned, spilling thousands of tons of coal ash into the Dan River. McCrory attacked Cooper for fighting cleanup efforts, but there was no evidence of Cooper actually doing so. Cooper fired back by pointing out that a leading state scientist had already accused McCrory of lying to the public about the Duke Energy spill.

McCrory worked for Duke Energy for 29 years prior to his political career.

Voting Rights

Cooper’s campaign website highlights his plan to make voting more accessible to everyone. He opposes voter ID laws and wants to reinstate same-day registration.

McCrory has ink on his face after his administration’s voter ID laws were found by a court to be racially discriminatory. The Supreme Court split 4-4 on the issue, which let stand the lower court’s ruling and stopped the practice of requiring the type of ID that was needed from NC voters.  

These issues led to an apparent Cooper victory. Polls in the race have been tight for months, but Cooper had been the favorite for the last month of the race.

 

Images:
Pat McCrory via Wikimedia
Roy Cooper via Facebook

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‘Won’t Stop Him’: Judge Threatens Trump With Jail for Gag Order Breach

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April 30, 2024

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New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan found Donald Trump in criminal contempt of court for nine violations of his gag order, and served up a threat of time behind bars if he continues down that path. Some legal experts say Merchan’s punishment could have been broader or stronger, while others called it a “smart move.”

Justice Merchan fined Trump $1000 per violation, the maximum allowed under New York law, and warned the ex-president he could face time in jail if he continues to violate the order.

“Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment,” Justice Merchan wrote.

Merchan also gave Trump until 2:15 PM to remove the nine social media and campaign website posts that violated his gag order.

READ MORE: ‘Let’s Get a Warrant for Her Backyard’: Noem ‘Done Politically’ Right Wing Pundits Say

“Trump will see Justice Merchan’s $9,000 fine for violating the gag order as a reasonable cost for the ability to continue attacking the judge, court and rule of law. It won’t stop him,” warned Bloomberg Opinion executive editor Tim O’Brien, who is the author of a 2005 book on Trump.

Calling the opinion “well-reasoned” and “balanced,” professor of law Ryan Goodman, a former Special Counsel for the U.S. Dept. of Defense, made a point of noting its historic nature:

Professor of law and former FBI General Counsel Andrew Weissmann lamented Justice Merchan’s missed opportunity.

“Judge missed an opportunity to impose a monitor over his social media posts and to suggest the penalty will be considered at end of trial.”

But national security attorney Brad Moss praised the punishment in Merchan’s contempt finding.

“Smart move by Merchan. This is the first criminal contempt finding. It’s a warning to Trump that the games won’t be tolerated. If he does it again, and Merchan does have to cross the rubicon and jail him, it strengthens Merchan’s argument on appeal.”

READ MORE: Peter Navarro’s Latest Attempt to Get Out of Jail Smacked Down by SCOTUS
 

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‘Let’s Get a Warrant for Her Backyard’: Noem ‘Done Politically’ Right Wing Pundits Say

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17 hours ago

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April 29, 2024

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South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem‘s bragging about dragging her 14-month old puppy into a gravel pit and shooting her to death because she “hated” the dog is likely the end of her political career, right-wing pundits are now saying.

On Friday when The Guardian broke the news in a preview of Noem’s upcoming book, outrage on the left was immediate, but outrage on the right trickled in, then increased. Even with Noem doubling down, declaring her killing of the puppy (and a goat that same day, same way) happened 20 years ago, people on the right are expressing anger.

A Democratic pollster says 81% of Americans oppose Noem killing her puppy, The Guardian later reported.

“After learning about Gov. Noem’s actions, only 14% consider her to be a good choice for vice president on the Republican ticket. By a 2:1 margin, even Republicans say the governor would not be a good choice (42% vs. 21%),” the pollster, New River Strategies, stated.

READ MORE: Hunter Biden Plans Lawsuit Against Fox News Amid ‘Conspiracy of Disinformation’

Noem’s book, “No Going Back,” to be released May 7, has a number one ranking at Amazon. Publisher Center Street, a Hachette Book Group imprint, also publishes other right-wing politicians including Ben Carson, Newt Gingrich, and Vivek Ramaswamy. Endorsing the book are other right-wingers, including Donald Trump, Fox News’ Rachel Campos-Duffy, athlete and anti-trans activist Riley Gaines, and anti-LGBTQ extremist group creator Chaya Raichik of Libs of TikTok.

On Monday, as Mediaite reported, two Fox News pundits had had it.

Jason Chaffetz, a former GOP Congressman, said, “she just destroyed her political career. I don’t think there’s anybody on any side of the aisle, any human being that thinks it’s acceptable to go to a gravel pit and shoot a dog in the face and kill it when it’s 14 months old. That’s. I mean, that’s just hideous. So she’s done politically, and I’m a friend of hers. I served with her, but politically, there’s no recovering from this.”

Fox News media analyst Joe Concha said, “as a dog owner my whole life,” the story of Noem shooting her dog “absolutely makes my blood boil.”

RELATED: Noem Defends Shooting Her 14-Month Old Puppy to Death, Brags She Has Media ‘Gasping’

“How utterly heartless do you have to be to shoot a 14-month-old dog in the face? Because look, if it wasn’t doing its job on the farm, or is attacking chicken or people, okay, you’re a public figure, or at least you have a platform in some way, shape, or form. Even if you’re a private citizen, you very easily could have posted somewhere, ‘I’m putting my dog up for adoption because maybe it’s not working out here on the ranch,’ and I can guarantee you many people would have raised their hand to take that dog in,” Concha said, adding, “she just destroyed any chance she had of being Donald Trump’s vice president, if she had any chance at all. There’s no going back from this.”

Right wing talk show host Megyn Kelly said Trump is “too smart” to “pick somebody who’s managed to do the impossible and unite Democrats and Republicans alike in their anger for this woman who shot her puppy in the face.”

At the right wing National Review, Jeffrey Blehar writes: “Let’s Get a Warrant for Kristi Noem’s Backyard.”

“I guess I just don’t like people who boast about shooting puppies,” Blehar adds on social media. “And goats. And horses. And who knows what else, until cops have done an aerial scan of the property and gotten a backhoe out to excavate the suspicious piles of dirt.”

 

 

 

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Far Right Media Outlet Retracts ‘False’ Story About Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels

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18 hours ago

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April 29, 2024

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A far-right pro-Trump streaming media outlet has retracted what it now states was a “false” story alleging former Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen and adult film star Stormy Daniels had a sexual relationship for years and engaged in an “extortion” conspiracy plot against the ex-president.

The statement and apology from One America News Network (OAN) comes just one day before the New York criminal trial of Donald Trump is set to begin its third week. Cohen is one of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s top witnesses in the case. Defense attorneys are expected to try to attack Cohen’s credibility.

“OAN today has retracted its March 27 article entitled ‘Whistleblower: Avenatti Alleged Cohen­ Daniels Affair Since 2006, Pre-2016 Trump Extortion Plan,’ and is taking it down from all sites and removing it from all social media. This retraction is part of a settlement reached with Michael Cohen. Mr. Avenatti has denied making the allegations. OAN apologizes to Mr. Cohen for any harm the publication may have caused him,” a statement on OAN’s website reads.

It then states in all-caps: “NO PERSON SHOULD RELY ON THE MARCH 27 ARTICLE OR THE ALLEGATIONS CONTAINED THEREIN.”

READ MORE: Hunter Biden Plans Lawsuit Against Fox News Amid ‘Conspiracy of Disinformation’

“The article, quoting a source, falsely claimed that Mr. Cohen and Ms. Daniels ‘were having an affair since 2006’ and that, according to a source, ‘the whole hush money scheme was cooked up by [Mr. Cohen] to extort the Trump Organization before the 2016 election.’ These statements were false. OAN regrets their publication.”

The New York Times reports there are “no monetary damages,” and adds one of Cohen’s attorneys, “Justin Nelson, had represented Dominion Voting Systems in a suit against Fox News that cost that network $787.5 million to settle. Mr. Nelson worked with Mr. Cohen’s longtime lawyer, Danya Perry, in what was a remarkably quick about-face by OAN.”

Danya Perry, also one of Cohen’s attorneys in this case, declared the settlement was “a total vindication for Mr. Cohen — and a warning: Mr. Cohen is telling the truth, and there will be legal consequences for those who lie about him.”

“Mr. Trump has repeatedly attacked Mr. Cohen,” The Times adds, “despite a gag order issued by the judge overseeing the case, Juan M. Merchan, barring him from attacking witnesses and others. Justice Merchan is currently weighing whether Mr. Trump is in contempt of the gag order as a result of that invective.”

READ MORE: Noem Doubles Down With ‘Legal Cover’ For Shooting Her Puppy to Death

“In particular, Mr. Trump has attacked Mr. Cohen’s credibility, which will also be how Mr. Trump’s lawyers approach his former fixer during trial. The story by OAN, which has been a consistent booster of Mr. Trump’s political agenda, bolstered that strategy.”

Cohen called it, “The first apology in a long line of lies about me by media outlets.”

Professor of law, MSNBC legal analyst, and former FBI General Counsel Andrew Weissmann called the settlement a “big win” for the attorneys and Cohen.

 

 

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