Betsy Muse's blog

A long list of Democrats have lined up to run as at-large candidates on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners. A few of the names are familiar, but most are newcomers to Mecklenburg County politics as candidates.

The following is a rundown of the candidates listed in the order in which they responded to my question on Amendment One. The only exception to this order is Pat Cotham. For many reasons, Pat is the one candidate I am choosing to endorse. I recommend close attention to all of the candidates near the top of the list, however, this is one of the most qualified slate of candidates I've seen in a long time and it is a shame we don't have more seats open.

Author's note: Thank you to Pam Spaulding from Pam's House Blend for helping spread the word about the LTE campaign tool. Cross-posted from Democratic Muse.

At no time in history has denying basic freedoms stood on the side of what is right and just. Amendment One will potentially deny loving and committed unmarried couples the freedom to protect their families through healthcare benefits, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. There are very few freedoms more basic than protecting those you love.

Hi folks, hopefully a few of you have some time in the next several hours to help me test a new feature at Democratic Muse. Once the email addresses for newspapers are added, registered users will be able to send letters to the editors of just about every newspaper in the state with just a few keystrokes and a few clicks. As of now, I've listed three of my email addresses so I can verify the emails are sent out individually.

How will it work? Basically it will allow any registered user to write a letter to the editor once and send it out to every paper they chose. Each email is sent individually by the system, so the editors do not see they are actually among a group receiving the email. If you want to send letters out statewide and want to modify them for different papers, that's fine. You may use the form as many times as you like.

The current splash of news about Sue Myrick's unnecessary advertising with her family firm is old news to those of us who read BlueNC.  I wrote about this back in 2008, but we had little luck getting The Charlotte Observer or News & Observer to pick up on the news.

To date we have not found a business address, website or phone number for Myrick-Gunter Advertising. I did find this listing on a website that wants the owners to claim the business, Myrick-Gunter Marketing, but the address listed is a residence in Charlotte. Several of these business listing sites give a listing for Myrick Gunter Marketing at that same address with the business not being claimed by the owner.

The beauty of the web gives me one more interesting tidbit. A person named Mia Alderman on LinkedIn claims to be the owner of Myrick Gunter Marketing. When checking that name in the phone directory her home address is the same as the business address given for Myrick Gunter Marketing. Also from the web - her maiden name is Myrick.

How does a marketing/advertising firm in this day and age survive with no phone number, no website and no business location? Maybe it exists for the sole purpose of funneling money from Sue Myrick's campaign to Sue Myrick's family through unnecessary media buys? What do you think?

The following is the post I wrote back in 2008

Poll results are in and the field is narrowed down for the races for Governor and Lt. Governor in North Carolina. While every name isn't included on the list, I included as many as I could and results were still fairly decisive.

Poll for Lt. Governor

Poll for Governor

You know that feeling. The one you get when you go to thank a list of people and just know you're going to leave someone important out. I got that feeling yesterday in the mad rush to promote candidates to run for Governor.  We only have a few weeks before filing begins so the race was on to recruit candidates, promote facebook pages and buy up urls. In the rush I forgot some very important people - women.

Someone threw out Janet Cowell's name and I think Elaine Marshall's name came up, so the rest of you are off the hook. For me, there is absolutely no excuse. I'm the daughter of a female politician for heaven's sake! Today, please allow me to right my wrong. The Democratic Party of North Carolina has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to strong women prepared and qualified to serve this state and its people.

Bold Progressives has jumped on the idea Brad Miller might consider a run for Governor if encouraged. They have already mailed out a link to their members in North Carolina and I'd like to promote it here.

Please go vote

This link will track visitors from BlueNC, so head on over and vote.

Brad Miller:

"My only two options are to run in a primary with David Price or not to run," Miller said. "I have talked to a lot of friends who have supported David and me. Some would support David. And some would support me. But none of them want to see a primary between us."

What is the customary period of mourning for this? Anyone know?

The family pet cat of a campaign manager for a Democratic Congressional candidate was killed, had the word "liberal" painted on its side and was left on the front porch for the campaign manager's four children to find.

Jacob Burris, who has served as Aden’s campaign manager since late October, arrived home with his family Sunday evening, and his four children discovered the gruesome scene as they exited the family vehicle to enter their home.

The family pet, an adult, mixed-breed Siamese cat, had one side of its head bashed in to the point the cat’s eyeball was barely hanging from its socket. The perpetrators scrawled “liberal” across the cat’s body and left it on the doorstep of Burris’ house.

The wealthiest white Republicans in Charlotte voted as a block Tuesday to elect a man for City Council in District One who says he was born Lord God King. They are doctors, lawyers, CEOs and trust fund babies.  They are the 1% and this is their leader.