When does keeping in touch with constituents turn into campaigning on the taxpayers' dime?
Republican congressional candidate Renee Ellmers says a mailer from U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge's office jumped way over that line.
"In every way these mailings resembled typical campaign ads, except they were paid for by taxpayers and not your campaign," said Ellmers, a Republican from Dunn who is challenging Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat.
The mailer states:
"The issues that matter most to North Carolinians are Bob Etheridge's priorities. Good jobs that stay in N.C. Reducing the deficit. Main Street over Wall Street. Congressman Bob Etheridge. Putting North Carolina's working families first."
Members of Congress can send certain types of mail without paying postage. This franking privilege allows members of Congress to use a signature instead of a stamp to send mail.
Etheridge also sent e-mail for constituents who don't want snail-mail messages.
Etheridge's mailer was approved by a bipartisan House panel that reviews franking pieces before they are sent out, said Don Owens, a spokesman for Etheridge's office.
"This is a routine mailer," Owens said. "We can't think of many members of Congress who would be criticized for keeping in touch with their constituents."
Ellmers says Etheridge's mailer does more than seek to inform constituents.
"How do you explain writing taxpayers that you are 'reducing the deficit' when you are wasting thousands of dollars of their money on political mailings to help you getre-elected?" she said.
N.C. leads in eLearning
As students head back to school, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton is urging state residents to take advantage of online courses.
Dalton, a Democrat, is chairman of the state's eLearning Commission. He said that North Carolina offers more online courses and degree programs than any other state.
"I'm proud to say that in North Carolina getting the best education is more convenient and more accessible than ever before," he said.
The state's eLearning Web portal allows users to find classes, register and identify financial aid resources. The online resources are available to North Carolinians of any age.
Comparing coffers
State Democrats have raised and spent more money than Republicans, who now have a big advantage in the amount of cash in the bank.
That's the finding of an analysis of second-quarter campaign finance reports by the N.C. FreeEnterprise Foundation, which provides political research to business interests.
The analysis shows that while Republicans have more money, Democrats appear to be raising more.
From January 2009 through June 2010, the N.C. Democratic Party reported raising $2 million and spending $2.2 million. Factoring in the $418,000 it had already, the party ended the second quarter of this year with $252,000, according to the analysis.
On the Republican side, the party began with a relatively small $13,000 in the bank in January 2009. It raised $1.1 million and spent $688,000, leaving the party with $383,000 in the bank.
Staff writer Benjamin Niolet
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