Open microphone betrays GOP strategy, opinions

House Republicans on Friday violated a key rule of politics: Never talk trash into an open microphone.

During a behind-closed-doors meeting of its caucus, GOP lawmakers discussed their strategy on various issues unaware that their remarks were being heard by members of the state press corps in the General Assembly press room.

Someone had left the microphones on.

Over the live feed, reporters heard House leaders warn members against asking about a redistricting provision in the $19.7 billion budget they were getting ready to approve.

If any questions come up, Majority Leader Paul Stam said, Rep. David Lewis should answer them. Lewis is a Harnett County Republican and the House Redistricting Committee's senior chairman.

"On one point, I only want David Lewis to talk," said Stam, an Apex Republican. "The talk about redistricting and this thing in the budget is extremely sensitive to the other people not in this room who are voting with us. No one but David talk. David can obfuscate more than anybody I know."

The "other people not in this room" is an apparent reference to the five Democrats voting with Republicans on the budget.

House Speaker Thom Tillis reminded members not to talk about "Democrats," but to refer to individuals by name.

"This is not about Democrats, because we have Democrats voting for this budget," the Mecklenburg County Republican said. "Please, do not go after the Democrats. If you want to go after an individual member for saying something stupid, gut punch them. These five Democrats are going after her [Gov. Bev Perdue]. We'll go after the governor when we have a veto override."

Tillis also told members that the House Rules Committee would take up a Senate bill that the N.C. Association of Educators is fighting. It would prevent NCAE members from having dues to the organization taken directly from their paychecks.

NCAE has sent mail to voters in the districts of five Democrats voting for the GOP-written budget.

"The NCAE has gone into all five districts with mailers hammering these Democrats," Tillis said. "We just want to give them a little taste of what's about to come. It's going to be in Rules, and they're going to be mad."

The news of Perdue filling an executive order to restore unemployment benefits broke while they House Republicans were still meeting.

Tillis suggested they respond by saying it's illegal or that she should fire her lawyers.

Stam went further.

"Either way, she's incompetent," he said. "We really need to crack on her for this. This is probably one of the worst things she's done."

Rep. Mark Hilton, a Catawba Republican, told members of his caucus that groups supporting a constitutional gay-marriage ban need a vote this year so they can organize their get-out-the-vote campaigns.

Hilton called the session "one of the most conservative, pro-family legislative sessions I've ever seen."

The amendment "is important to conservative groups," he said. "They need to be able to get their ground-game working to get out the vote for it to be on the November ballot." Tillis "assured us it would happen this year," he said.