Briefly Political
compiled by Q-Notes staff
Politics and election updates
P.OL I T ICS
Clinton appoints N.C. director,
opens campaign offices
STATEWIDE — Democratic Presidential
hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has
appointed Averell“Ace” Smith to
serve as her campaigns North
Carolina State Director.
According to Clinton staff,
Smith led the campaign to vic
tories in the California and
Texas primaries.
“We are going to wage an
aggressive, grassroots campaign
and work hard for every vote
across North Carolina,” Smith ,
said.
According to The California
Majority Report, Smith is the
president of SCN Public
Relations,“a Democratic politi
cal consulting firm specializing
in public relations, strategy,
research, debate preparation and
campaign management for
political campaigns, non-profits
and corporations nationwide.”
In April, the Clinton cam
paign also opened several
North Carolina campaign offices, including
locations in Eayetteville, Greensboro,
Wilmington and Winston-Salem. The offices
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will be used as organizing hubs for cam
paign staff and volunteers. •
Candidates on the Carolina stump
CHARLOTTE — Sens. Hillary Rodham
Clinton and Barack Obama are campaigning
across the state. On Mar. 19 Obama stopped in
Fayetteville, home to Fort Bragg, and the
Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, Obama’s
remarks focused mainly on the nations pro
longed presence in
Iraq and other Middle
Eastern nations.
“In order to end
this war responsibly, I
will immediately
begin to remove our
troops from Iraq,”
Obama said. “We can
responsibly remove 1
to 2 combat brigades
each month. If we
start with the number
of brigades we have
in Iraq today, we can
remove all of them 16
months.”
Later in the same
week, former
President Bill Clinton
stopped in Charlotte
on behalf of his wife.
Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton.
Obama also made an appearance at a cam
paign rally in Greensboro, N.C., on March 26.
A day afterward, Clinton visited Fayetteville,
Raleigh and Winston-Salem. That Friday, for-
. mer President Bill Clinton campaigned for his
wife in Greensboro, High Point, Kannapolis,
Salisbury and Hickory.
The tight delegate count between the two
candidates is expected to bring increased
campaign investment in North Carolina,
prior to its May 6 primary. This increased
investment includes radio and television
advertising. Historically, North Carolina’s
primary has received little attention due to
its late date.
Blogger calls out Kay Hagan
DURHAM — Nationally respected blog
ger and North Carolinian Pam Spaulding
regarding LGBT-inclusive legislation and
equality issues during a BlueNC.com “live
blog” with the senator.
The prolific blogger claims Hagan
responded with vague answers and that her
campaign staff ignored follow up questions
and clarification attempts from her and other
community members.
“Neal’s campaign has been open and
responsive to folks around the state, and to the
progressive online community at BlueNC.
Questions on policy and even tough ones
about campaign tactics have been responded
to promptly, publicly, and in detail,” Spaulding
wrote. “I wish that the Hagan campaign had
that same level of respect for members of the
BlueNC and LGBT
fsaais Hou^ Blend
...almyi ttraimn’
Barack Obama spoke at
Greensboro, N.C.’s War Memorial
Auditorium on Mar. 26.
Blogger Pam Spaulding slammed U.S. Senate
candidate Kay Hagan after she refused to
answer direct questions on LGBT issues.
called out U.S. Senate candidate N.C. state
Sen. Kay Hagan on her blog,
PamsHouseBlend.com, and DailyKos.com
on Apr; 9. Hagan will face openly gay busi
nessman Jim Neal in the state’s May 6 pri
mary. The winner will face incumbent
Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole in
November.
Spaulding had asked direct questions
communities.
Spaulding
believes Hagan’s
non-responsive
attitude will not
“bode well for an
improvement in
constituent servic
es if Sen. Hagan is
elected senator, as
constituent services
has been one of the
hallmark weaknesses
of Elizabeth Dole.”
For Q-Notes’ Mar. 8 issue, Hagan’s
spokesperson Colleen Flanagan also provided
vague responses to questions on LGBT issues.
As with Spaulding’s attempts at clarification,
Q-Notes’ follow-up questions were ignored by
Hagan’s staff. I
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APRIL 19.2008 • Q-NOTES 19