Free Republic

Republican presidential nominee John McCain and his vice-presidential running mate, Sarah Palin, will appear in Virginia Beach next Monday morning at the resort city's convention center. That afternoon, Palin will stump in Richmond. She'll be the headliner at a rally at the Arthur Ashe Center.

Many of the registration gains in North Carolina and elsewhere came during the nominating battle between Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. While resulting in a long and costly primary season, it also helped draw voters onto the Democratic rolls.

Marchers took to the street this week, calling for the state to make reparations for the 1898 Wilmington riots. About a dozen people marched to the courthouse in Durham on Sunday. It was one of 13 such marches held across the state leading up to the 65th annual conference of the state NAACP, which starts Thursday. The marchers are asking state legislators to make payments to the descendants of those harmed in an insurrection that led to the deaths of at least 14 black people and perhaps many more. The riots were brought to the forefront when the 1898 Wilmington...

(October 18, 2004) North Carolina poll: Bush 50%, Kerry 47% [Actual Result: 56% to 44% for Bush]

10/06/2008 Road to Victory Rally: Monday October 6th in Clearwater, FL Please join Governor Sarah Palin & Your Florida Ticket for a Road to Victory Rally in Clearwater, FL on Monday October 6th. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10/06/2008 Road to Victory Rally: Monday October 6th in Ft. Myers FL Please join Governor Sarah Palin for a Road to Victory Rally in Ft. Myers, FL on Monday October 6th. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10/07/2008 Road to Victory Rally: Tuesday October 7th in Jacksonville, FL Please join Governor Sarah Palin for a Road to Victory Rally in Jacksonville, FL on Tuesday October 7th. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10/07/2008 Road to Victory...

GOP To Celebrate McCain/Palin During Obama Visit This Sunday, while Barack Obama holds a rally in Asheville, local Republican Party activists will gather at the Asheville High School beginning at noon, to show their support for Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin as well as Republican candidates at the local, state, and federal levels. The group will then reconvene at the City-County Plaza for a 3:30 press conference, where candidates and local business owners will talk about why it is essential for Republicans to be elected at all levels of government in order to get our economy and our...

10/06/2008 Road to Victory Rally: Monday October 6th in Clearwater, FL Please join Governor Sarah Palin & Your Florida Ticket for a Road to Victory Rally in Clearwater, FL on Monday October 6th. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10/06/2008 Road to Victory Rally: Monday October 6th in Ft. Myers FL Please join Governor Sarah Palin for a Road to Victory Rally in Ft. Myers, FL on Monday October 6th. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10/07/2008 Road to Victory Rally: Tuesday October 7th in Jacksonville, FL Please join Governor Sarah Palin for a Road to Victory Rally in Jacksonville, FL on Tuesday October 7th. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10/07/2008 Road to Victory...

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is a friend to terrorists, the running mate of Republican John McCain said on Saturday in the latest sign the final month of the campaign is turning increasingly nasty. The comment by Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was dismissed by the Obama campaign as "gutter politics" and came shortly after the McCain campaign had already called the U.S. senator from Illinois a liar. With polls showing McCain trailing Obama in many battleground states, including several won by Republicans in the last presidential election in 2004, Palin told reporters she will be an attack dog...

A battle broke out for control of Wachovia on Friday as Wells Fargo signed a $15.1 billion agreement to buy the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank, while Citigroup and the federal regulators backing its earlier deal insisted that Citi's takeover bid go forward.

The A&T Register ncatregister.com Wednesday, April 16, 2008 Woman behind Duke lacrosse scandal speaks out Accuser talks to Aggies about being a student again after controversy surrounding trial faded Alexandria Harper Contributor It was called a scandal but made into mockery. The Duke lacrosse case hit radio and television stations by storm in 2007. Reporters from media outlets around the country scrambled to provide day to-day updates on Crystal Gail Mangum, the accuser, and three Duke Lacrosse players; Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans, the accused. Mangum, a former exotic dancer and escort, accused these men of sexual assault...

A number of readers have taken me to task over my contention ...that most poor people are impoverished by choice. To be clear, I don't mean that one day a person gets up and decides to live in poverty. I believe a person winds up poor because he or she chooses not to succeed. Truth is, staying above the poverty line is relatively simple. Basically, all that's required is to finish high school, wait until at least age 20 to get married and not have a child out of wedlock. Now how hard is that? Not very, which is why...

But the governor's race is an exception: Pat McCrory, the Republican mayor of Charlotte, now has a slight lead over Democratic Lieutenant Governor Bev Perdue. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state finds McCrory attracting 50% of the vote while Perdue earns 46%. This is the first time Rasmussen Reports has polled the governor’s race since mid-August, and it represents quite a reversal. In August, Perdue held a six-point advantage. She is currently serving her second term as lieutenant governor. McCrory has been Charlotte’s mayor since 1995.

RALEIGH (WTVD) -- A suspect was shot and killed during a robbery attempt near NC State Thursday night. Eyewitnesses say the owner of a local store opened fire as he was being held up around 9 p.m. Thursday The incident happened at Tienda Hispana Mi Barrio II on Western Boulevard near Clanton Street . Jose Jimenez, the owner's nephew, says his uncle shot a suspect who was trying to rob his store. Two other suspects fled the scene. According to the owner, he observed three Hispanic males enter the store. He said they appeared suspicious so he watched them closely....

WASHINGTON While dozens of their colleagues in both parties switched their votes from "no" on Monday to "yes" on Friday to help pass a $700 billion financial system rescue plan, local representatives remained unanimously opposed. Here's some of what members had to say after the 263-171 vote. U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake, R-Norfolk"I came to the conclusion that this bill is at its foundation fatally flawed. The bill pledges $700 billion of taxpayer dollars with no guarantee this will correct the underlying problem and stabilize the markets."Now that the vote is behind us, we all should agree that the next step is...

This one came across the desk this morning. It’s a portion of letter going out today(9/24/2008)from John Allison, President & CEO of BB&T, to every member of the US Congress. Key Points on “Rescue” Plan From A Healthy Bank’s Perspective

Road to Victory

10/07/2008 Road to Victory Rally: Tuesday October 7th in Greenville, NC Please join Governor Sarah Palin for a Road to Victory Rally in Greenville, NC on Tuesday October 7th.

Elon, N.C. — Nearly half of North Carolina residents blame the Republican Party for the nation's economic crisis, according to a poll released Friday. Elon University surveyed 477 people statewide this week and found that 47.7 percent felt the Republicans are more responsible for current economic problems, compared with 24.4 percent who blamed the Democrats. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.6 percentage points. By a 43-to-33 percent margin, respondents said Democrats have done a better job of managing the economy than Republicans. The margin between Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama GOP candidate John McCain...

GREENSBORO -- Vice presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will attend a fundraiser event on Oct. 16 in Greensboro, according to Joe Hauck at the New Breed Company in Greensboro. The event, which most likely won't be open to the public, will be held at the home of Louis DeJoy, president of Greensboro logistics copany New Breed, the News and Record reported. DeJoy is the state finance chair for the McCain/Palin ticket. Palin is also scheduled to make another swing through the Tarheel state leading up to Election Day in November. She will be attending a rally on the campus...

NEW YORK - Wells Fargo says it is acquiring Wachovia in an all-stock transaction worth about $15.1 billion, as Wachovia ends talks with rival suitor Citigroup.

Greensboro, N.C. — Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin will attend a rally in Greenville next week, a campaign official said late Wednesday. The Oct. 7 event at East Carolina University will be the first appearance in North Carolina by either Palin or Republican presidential candidate John McCain since the state's May primary. ... Doors to the Minges Coliseum are scheduled to open at 5 p.m. for the rally, but campaign officials didn't say when the event would start.

Screenshot of the relevant pages

Raleigh, N.C. — Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory has edged ahead of Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue in the gubernatorial race with less than five weeks until the election, according to a new WRAL News poll. Polling firm Rasmussen Reports surveyed 700 likely voters statewide Tuesday and found that McCrory, the Republican candidate, holds a 50 to 46 percent lead over Perdue, the Democratic candidate. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The poll reverses the findings of a WRAL News poll taken in August, when Perdue held a 6-point lead. An Elon University poll...

Burr will vote yes, Dole no, on bailout Barbara Barrett, Staff Writer Comment on this story U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican, plans to support tonight's Senate vote on a bailout deal for the financial markets. In a statement on the Senate floor, Burr said he believes both the markets and small businesses need the stability that a rescue plan will offer, warning of an economic downturn rivaling the Great Depression if action isn't taken. Burr also blamed the crisis on "greedy behavior." "Much of what got us to this point was not only reckless behavior on Wall Street,...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- His sister's murder remains a mystery five months after her body was found on the banks of the Catawba River. Irina Yarmolenko, a 20-year-old UNC-Charlotte student, was killed in May. On Tuesday night, her brother met with students on campus to talk about the status of the case and their fears, because her killer still hasn't been caught. Pavel Yarmolenko stood at a college lectern with images of his murdered sister playing on the screen behind him. He is a devastated older brother. "I’m just kind of going on, thinking about it pretty much all the time,"...

Spurred by heavy registration in big urban counties -- particularly among young voters and black people -- North Carolina's voter rolls have swelled by more than 600,000 this year to a record 6 million. "Voter registration has eclipsed all records, no doubt about it," said state elections director Gary Bartlett. The apparent beneficiaries: Democrats. Analysts say the changes have helped Democrat Barack Obama make the state an unexpected presidential battleground. "Clearly, the advantage goes to Obama," said Ferrel Guillory, director of the Program on Public Life at UNC-Chapel Hill. Democrats have an overall edge in registration in this state: 2.7...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2008 – The Defense Department today announced replacement units scheduled to deploy next year to Iraq. About 26,000 troops from an Army corps headquarters, an Army division headquarters, a Marine expeditionary force headquarters, an Army fires brigade and six Army brigade combat teams are scheduled to rotate into Iraq between this winter and next summer, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. Units receiving deployment orders are: -- 1st Corps Headquarters, Fort Lewis, Wash.; -- 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas; -- 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; -- 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort...

September 30, 2008 Presidential Ballots State McCain Obama Other Undecided Nevada: McCain leads 49%-47% North Carolina: McCain leads: 49%-46% Virginia: McCain leads (49%-46%)

Ballot

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama suggested this weekend that the children of illegal immigrants should have an opportunity to attend public community colleges -- thereby interjecting himself into a contentious North Carolina issue. Obama said children who attended public schools should have the chance to continue to improve themselves rather than being consigned to the fringes of society. "For us to deny them access to community college, even though they've never lived in Mexico, at least as far as they can tell ... is to deny that this is how we've always built this country up," Obama said in an...

More good news! Public Policy Polling, a Democrat Pollster, revealed a poll today showing Obama +2 in North Carolina. But one quick look at the internals reveals a steady McCain lead, when real numbers are applied. What do I mean? The Party turnout in the 2004 election? Republicans 40% Democrats 39% (GOP +1%) The Party breakdown in this poll? Democrats 48% Republicans 34% (Democrats +14%) Breaking down the poll by 2004 turnout numbers, we get these corrected numbers: McCain: 48.4% Obama: 41.0% Others: 10.6% (McCain by 7.4%!) Even if the Dems have relatively expanded their party, and even by a...

An illegal Mexican immigrant living in Hope Mills has been charged with sex crimes involving a teenage girl. Erick Cisneros-Zavala, 25, of the 4800 block of South Main Street, was arrested Friday at a home he shared with a relative, according to a news release from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office. Bail was set at $15,000, according to the release. He was charged with statutory rape, statutory sex offense against a child and taking indecent liberties with a child. Investigators said the offenses occurred Thursday with a 14-year-old girl. Debbie Tanna, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office, said Cisneros-Zavala was...

GREENSBORO - Let me start off by saying this: I am not the stereotypical gun enthusiast. I don't wax eloquent about the Second Amendment or the National Rifle Association. I don't think Democrats are out to steal my guns. I don't fear a zombie attack (the only reason that I can think of that even remotely explains why a private citizen would need to own an AK-47 or an M16). Actually, I don't even own a gun, which is typically considered an enthusiast necessity. Even so, I have gone shooting several times with my father and had expressed an interest...

Call it the birth of Citichovia. In another day of Wall Street’s epic saga, news came today that Citigroup will acquire Wachovia’s banking operations for $2.1 billion in stock and will assume another $53 billion in Wachovia debt. Which leaves Wachovia customers scratching their heads, as Washington Mutual customers were last week. But there’s a big difference between the Wachovia and WaMu dealings — time.

Wachovia Bank, a major institution, has seen its stock plummet and its continued viability called into question, as the nation's financial crisis muddles forward. [Update: shortly after publication of this article, Citigroup agreed to purchase Wachovia's banking operations in a deal facilitated by the FDIC.] Largely ignored in this crisis is the key role played by Herbert and Marion Sandler, founders of Golden West Financial (GDW), one of the largest savings and loans in the nation. Wachovia purchased GDW for $24 billion dollars in 2006. This was one of the worst merger and acquisition deals of all time for the...

Congressional Quarterly has downgraded John McCain's chances here. The Washington-based news service had previously listed North Carolina as "Republican Favored" but now ranks the state as the more competitive "Leans Republican." Staffer Greg Giroux writes that Democrat Barack Obama still has an uphill climb in North Carolina and Indiana based on past elections: "Still, it would take quite a leap for Obama to switch those two states from Republican red to Democratic blue on those Election Night electoral vote maps. While [George] Bush won Virginia by an 8 percentage-point margin, he carried North Carolina by 12 points -- even though...

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that that Wachovia (NYSE: WB) is in advanced talks to sell itself to Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC). According to sources familiar with the situation, Citigroup (NYSE: C) was also involved in talks with Wachovia, but by late Sunday night, the likely bidder was narrowed to just Wells Fargo.

(Article: May 23, 2005) In an attempt to make itself more attractive to Hispanic consumers, Wachovia Bank is offering some new services, including Spanish language bank statements and a different way to transfer funds to Latin America. A foreign remittance card that can be used at ATM machines across Latin America is one of the services in the bank's "Cuenta con Todo" or "account with everything" package of services. They are, for the most part, the same services offered to other customers, but with the addition of bank statements and information offered in Spanish, a spokeswoman for the bank...

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Sen. John McCain hasn't campaigned in North Carolina since the primary election. But some people used Sen. Barack Obama's Saturday rally as a chance to show their support for the Republican nominee. Their numbers didn't compare with those who turned out to support Obama, but the Republicans' enthusiasm for McCain was just as strong. No official date has been set for McCain to visit the Tar Heel State, but he did recently increase the number of paid campaign staff in North Carolina from about 20 to about 30. That's an effort to defend a state that hasn't...

Wachovia Corp. is reportedly in preliminary talks with suitors including Banco Santander SA, Wells Fargo & Co. and Citigroup Inc., and the bank's shares slid lower in late trading on concerns it may take another big mortgage-related write-down. A sale to either Banco Santander, Wells Fargo, or Citigroup would make Wachovia the latest victim of the ongoing credit crisis, as the bank has succumbed to the triple threat of falling real estate prices, overaggressive lending and panic in the credit markets.

Columbus Day this year might be more than a celebration of a European's discovery of the Americas. It could also be the day when the Augusta area's gasoline supplies return to normal. Power was restored Friday to the last of the 16 undamaged oil refineries that were knocked out of commission by Hurricane Ike, which swept through the Gulf Coast two weeks ago. But the shortage of gasoline to this area, and other pockets of the Southeast, will persist for a few more weeks, said Michael Fields, the executive director of the South Carolina Petroleum Marketers Association. According to the...

Is there a doctor in the house?

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- BB&T Corp. (BBT) Chairman and Chief Executive John A. Allison voiced strong reservations about the government's plan to help the mortgage market. In a letter to Congress dated Tuesday, Allison didn't oppose government action outright. But he suggested changes to Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr.'s proposal to inject $700 billion in fusion to liquefy mortgage assets.

Much-needed fuel appears to be on the way to the western Carolinas, including Charlotte, even as honking rush-hour commuters idled in lines and occasionally fought at stations that weren't out of gas. At least one man was charged with pulling a gun during a dispute at a gas pump, police say. Witnesses told Taylorsville police that Todd Lackey pointed a .45-caliber handgun at another driver after they pulled up to a pump at the same time and started arguing. Lackey fled, but witnesses got his license plate number and police later charged him with assault by pointing a gun. Earlier...

<p>Chairman and Chief Executive John A. Allison voiced strong reservations about the government's plan to help the mortgage market.</p> <p>In a letter to Congress dated Tuesday, Allison didn't oppose government action outright. But he suggested changes to Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr.'s proposal to inject $700 billion in fusion to liquefy mortgage assets.</p>

Barack Obama has a two-point advantage over John McCain in the traditionally Republican state of North Carolina. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the Tar Heel State shows Obama attracting 49% of the vote while McCain earns 47%. A week ago, McCain held a three-point edge. This is the first time in eight Rasmussen Reports polls that Obama has held any kind of a lead in North Carolina, though the candidates were tied once as well.

Hundreds of cars lined streets this morning as motorists in the Charlotte metro region tried to cope with an ever-worsening gasoline shortage situation. Some motorists waited up to five hours, and fights were reported as people accused other customers of cutting in line. Some gas stations that opened this morning with what they thought were ample supplies ran out within a few hours. Police were called out several times to break up fights among angry customers. North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley announced late Wednesday night that he had ordered tanker trucks from Tennessee, Wilmington and South Carolina to deliver gas...

FUQUAY-VARINA - A Holly Springs teen picking up his girlfriend from Fuquay-Varina High School Tuesday afternoon was arrested after school officials noticed a shotgun and a rifle in his pickup, Fuquay-Varina police said. Joseph Pascal Aprea, 18, of 109 Malmedy Drive in Holly Springs was charged with two felony counts of possession of a weapon on school grounds, according to arrest warrants. Aprea was driving through the carpool lane to pick up his girlfriend after school when an assistant principal noticed a shotgun hanging from a gunrack on the inside of his truck cab's rear window, Capt. Bob Adams of...

Officials in the Asheville area say they don't expect fuel to begin flowing normally again for at least another week and are urging drivers to conserve gasoline. Buncombe County said Tuesday there is enough gas in the area to keep police cars and fire trucks fueled, and officials promised the shortage won't affect 911 service. But all non-emergency county staff have been asked to work an alternate schedule or from home. And officials say area residents should consolidate their trips to conserve fuel and consider avoiding trips that aren't necessary. Hurricane Ike closed oil refineries along the Gulf Coast. Analysts...

ROCKWELL — A Depot Street couple discovered Sunday that someone did more than just disagree with their choice for president. Someone spray-painted a racial slur on the Barack Obama campaign sign in their front yard. Sharon Osetek, who is black, and her husband, Alan Osetek, who is white, were leaving their Depot Street home Sunday morning when they discovered someone had spray-painted the word "n-----" on the Obama sign in front of their house. The sign is blue with the names Obama and Biden printed in white. The sign is outlined in white and a lighter shade of blue. Someone...