Sheriffs endorse Johnson for 10th district

All the Democratic sheriffs in the 10th Congressional District’s - which has 11 counties - have endorsed Daniel Johnson for the Democratic Party nomination for the seat, according to Johnson’s campaign.

Sheriffs Alan Cloninger, Jack Conner, Tim Daugherty, Raymond Hamrick and John McDevitt - of Gaston, Rutherford, Lincoln, Cleve-land and Burke counties respectively - have all agreed to back Johnson, a Hickory attorney.

Johnson faces Hickory engineer Steve Ivester in next week’s Democratic primary.

NAACP decries GOP ad
The North Carolina NAACP wants a controversial television ad to stop.

The civil rights group said it “is exploring direct action options” if the North Carolina Republican Party goes ahead with plans to run what NAACP leaders call “race-baiting, half-truth ad.”

The ad features a small segment of a sermon delivered by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who is presidential candidate Barack Obama’s former pastor. The most prominent part of the portion contained in the ad shows Wright saying, “No, no, no. Not God bless America - God damn America.” (The ad, which began running last week statewide, bleeps the word “damn.”)

A voice-over then is heard saying, “For 20 years, Barack Obama sat in his pew listening to his pastor. Now Richard Moore and Bev Perdue endorse Barack Obama. They should know better. He’s just too extreme for North Carolina.”

The 30-second ad finishes with Linda Daves, the N.C. GOP chairwoman, stating the party’s opposition to gubernatorial candidates Beverly Perdue and Richard Moore.

NAACP State President William Barber said the ad is over the top.

“We must put a stop to this kind of media-driven election distortion that is an obvious attempt to divide the state and the nation,” he said in a release. “Through the use of sound-bites taken out of context, the snippet messages play on false fears.”

Barber said the ad was filled with “subliminal racial innuendoes” which are similar in nature to those that started the Wilmington race riots in 1898.

“We will not permit this to happen again,” Barber said.

Jim Martin backs Michael Van Buren
Calling him “the best qualified candidate,” former North Carolina Gov. James Martin has endorsed Statesville resident Michael Van Buren for the newly created district attorney position for Iredell and Alexander counties.

Van Buren, who serves as an assistant district attorney in Rowan County, said he was “delighted.”

“His endorsement and belief in me gives me great satisfaction that he feels I am the only one with a plan for successful change,” Van Buren said in a release.

Posted on 05/01/08 at 07:45 AM
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