- For answers on Congressional district case, news outlet turns to sources with Blueprint NC ties.
- ‘Watchdog’ Bob Hall is a partisan activist with long history of meddling in the NC elections process.
- Other sources also proffered progressive talking points on the issue.
When WRAL reported on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to throw out North Carolina’s congressional maps barely a month ahead of the 2016 Primary, the station’s “journalists” turned to their friends in three different organizations belonging to Blueprint NC (the “eviscerate”* group) for “expert” analysis.
Specifically, WRAL included quotes from three Blueprint NC groups’ leaders and also a founding member of another Blueprint NC group, who just happens to be the father of one of the candidates running for attorney general on the Democratic ticket.
The congressional maps in question were drawn after the 2000 census, approved by the U.S. Justice Department, approved by the North Carolina Supreme Court (twice), and used in the 2012 and 2014 elections.
Not surprisingly, WRAL gave Democracy NC’s executive director and liberal lobbyist Bob Hall first shot to spew his hyper-political, exaggerated, and bordering-on-extreme rhetoric. WRAL identified Hall as executive director of “good-government watchdog group Democracy North Carolina.” The mainstream media usually describes Hall and his group either as watchdogs or non-partisans, but the descriptions are ludicrous, knowing Hall’s history as a powerful elections lobbyist with extraordinarily close ties to North Carolina’s progressive elite and the Democrats in the legislature, and especially with his more than 20 years working with, and at times directing, the State Board of Elections (SBOE).
http://mappingtheleft.com/etl_person/bob-hall/
This is the same Bob Hall that Civitas wrote about extensively in 2012 and 2013 in a four-part series (see below for links to these articles). We continue to believe that Hall is someone who truly does have undue and hidden influence on elections in North Carolina. He has spent many years shaping our election legislation and policies into the nation’s most liberal and confusing collection of election laws and decisions. Hall was instrumental in the creation and implementation of same-day registration, early voting and its expansion, out-of-precinct voting, a law that allowed 16-year-olds to register to vote and public financing of campaigns, to name a few. We believe Hall’s influence at the State Board of Elections continues, even after Republican Gov. Pat McCrory appointed a new five-member board and that board hired a new director in 2013.
In 2012 Civitas used the public records law to request information to piece together how decisions were made and actions taken by the staff of the State Board of Elections. What we found, through more than 5,000 emails between Hall and the SBOE staff, was a decision process that was heavily influenced, and in some cases directed, by one lobbyist for special-interest groups – Bob Hall. These actions even included the drafting of taxpayer-funded materials and the planning of legislative lobbying and media campaigns. We also discovered that Hall controlled and directed the North Carolina Public Campaign Fund Program (NCPCF), the vehicle for public campaign financing in the Tar Heel State.
The WRAL description of Hall as a watchdog is more a blatant cover-up than a misnomer since our investigation revealed how lobbyist Hall was a behind-the-scenes driving force at the SBOE – even to mapping out partisan attacks on Republican legislators to the extent that it is hard to tell where the SBOE ends and Democracy NC begins.
In 2012 Hall led an attack on Republican legislators over a budget issue. In planning the lobbying campaign, Hall coordinated with elections board staff on tactics and information. Although the actual planning of the legislative campaign began in earnest in January 2012, the public campaign and coordination started in 2011, as seen in this AP article.
Hall laid out his game plan in 2012 for trying to get the legislature to spend the extra $660,000 to expand early voting even more, and the political strategy for attacking Republicans in the media in a memo attached to an email sent to then-SBOE Director Gary Bartlett. The very same day, SBOE Deputy Director Johnnie McLean responded via email directly to Hall saying: “We have reviewed your document and identified a few changes you may want to make.”
In his game plan memo Hall included a bullet point that read:
“We win even if we lose: Even if we don’t get the money this fight hits GOP where they are most vulnerable to public anger over appearing to suppress voting; it will help with the ID fight.”
In light of our discoveries, in 2013 Civitas submitted an official complaint and called for an investigation into Bob Hall and the SBOE staff. Recall that Hall is a registered lobbyist and head of a far-left activist organization. Yet our evidence showed that the SBOE staff in 2012 collaborated with him to use state resources, personnel and equipment to engage in partisan political activity in possible violation of general statutes prohibiting state employees from participating in partisan political activity on state time and using state resources. (Supporting documents here).
We also submitted evidence that SBOE staff allowed Hall to produce and edit state documents in the form of the “non-partisan” voter guide that is mailed to every registered voting household in North Carolina. His level of participation in this activity exceeded that of the state employees actually tasked with producing the document and included suggesting edits to candidate statements and facilitating billing and payments from state government for vendors. (Supporting documents here).
As to the complaint and call for an investigation, Civitas never received a response from the Board of Elections.
It’s worth noting that WRAL has at the very least one explicit connection to Bob Hall’s work with the SBOE. In this May 2013 Civitas article, Guiding the NC Elections Board – to the Left, we discovered that Damon Circosta was in discussions with Gary Bartlett and Bob Hall about taking over the SBOE contract to print the voter guides. Circosta, who was at the time director of NC Voters for Clean Elections (also linked to Blueprint NC), is now executive director and vice president of A.J. Fletcher Foundation, which is funded and controlled by the Goodmon family, which owns WRAL-TV.
This email from Hall, Bob Phillips (see below) and Circosta even mentions getting Capital Broadcasting (WRAL) to air PSAs for a special edition of the voter guide. The idea for a special voter guide comes directly from Hall, Phillips and Circosta.
Other liberal activists quoted in the WRAL article were:
William Barber, president of the NC NAACP (Blueprint NC member), the bloviating mouthpiece and figurehead of the progressive protest movement in North Carolina. He is hardly a dispassionate observer: The NC NAACP is plaintiff in the redistricting case, and the ongoing cases against voter ID and VIVA, the election reform legislation passed in 2013.
Bob Phillips, director of Common Cause (Blueprint NC member), a helper to Bob Hall in the liberal proliferation of election law and processes, according to the emails received through our public information request.
Adam Stein, founding board member of the Center for Death Penalty Litigation, another Blueprint NC group. More than 98 percent of the group’s grant money comes from two extreme liberal political funders – the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and the Tides Foundation based in San Francisco. Stein actually likened the maps to apartheid – a reminder that using slanderous and bombastic rhetoric is a typical “demonize and destroy” tactic of the radical Left.
Josh Stein, (D-Wake), state senator, current candidate for attorney general, son of Adam Stein (above). WRAL gave Sen. Stein a chance to get his two cents into this article. He said that “a similar federal lawsuit is challenging the legislative maps drawn in 2011, and he hopes they are likewise found to be unconstitutional.” I shudder to think what will happen to the NC Department of Justice if Josh Stein is elected to head it as attorney general and NC voters find out too late that he throws around baseless and incendiary slurs the way his father has.
Bob Hall’s declaration in the 2012 memo that “we win even if we lose” is emblematic of the progressive Left’s strategic plan. The current redistricting debacle happening in a presidential election year is a great example of that plan. Maybe Hall’s game plan is best described by Chicago Mayor and former Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel when he said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”
So that’s who WRAL turns to for “news” – not objective experts, but major players in the progressive movement. Hall is a high-ranking foot soldier for North Carolina’s elite progressive/socialist club – the club organized and directed by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. He along with William Barber and the others mentioned here are used by the elite as attack dogs, not “watch dogs.” WRAL as well as other establishment news organization (the media elite) have a deep reservoir of liberal leaders who they can draw from to provide continuous “talking points” that will push the liberal agenda.
*Blueprint NC; the group that gained notoriety because of strategy memo distributed at one of its 2013 meetings that was subsequently leaked to the press. The memo described the game plan “progressive” groups, namely Blueprint NC member groups, should use to attack North Carolina’s Republican leaders. Blueprint NC was formed by the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation in 2006 to help “progressive” advocacy groups coordinate activities and messaging. Blueprint NC’s strategy memo recommendations:
- “Crippling their leaders ([Gov.] McCrory, [House Speaker] Tillis, [Senate President Pro Tem] Berger etc.).”
- “Eviscerate the leadership and weaken their ability to govern.”
- “Pressure McCrory at every public event.”
- “Private investigators and investigative reporting, especially in the executive
…” - “Organizers focus on year round voter registration….”
For more information on Bob Hall and his workings with the State Board of Elections use the following links
Guiding the Elections Board – to the Left
NC SBE – Who is really in charge and who do they work for?
Lobbyist Bob Hall and Gary Bartlett Planned Attack on Republican Legislature
Elections Bureaucrats Ran Amok
Z Smith Reynolds operatives are some of the MOST EVIL people in NC! Ditto Bob Hall, the Steins, Bob Phillips, ‘rev’ Barber..we will NOT allow these evil people to control.
Wow! Is it Is it the position of Civitas Institute the Democratic process of allowing citizens to choose their political representatives in fair and free elections are liberal politics? Why is the implementation of same-day registration, expanding early voting hours, transferring the vote of a citizen who shows up out-of-precinct, allowing 16-year-olds to register to vote and public financing of campaigns bad ideas or patrician?
Why should politicians get to pick their voters? Why is Civitas Institute wanting to suppress voter participation and spend taxpayer money defending laws written to return NC to the Jim Crow era of voter suppression especially that of people of color and students?
Why should only the very rich have a political voice? What Civitas Institutes lobby for is an authoritarian Plutocracy like some banana republic.
Because 16 year olds are just about as smart as you ,Lonnie.Thats why they shouldn’t vote.
Larry
I need to point out, registering 16 year old during high school civic classes, who would be eligible to vote at age18 in the next general election was a great idea before conservatives chose to suppress their participation by changing the law. Why would you not want to encourage young citizens to participate in the election process?
Lonnie, Why in the world would we want to register 16 year olds when by the time they can vote, they’ve moved? Maybe you are hoping they go to school out of state so they can be registered in two places??? Suppress their participation? Really – how is that? They have every opportunity (maybe more) than any other person to register and vote. It is very easy to register and vote. Your rantings possibly indicate, an ulterior motive?
Svetlana
Clearly those fearing high school students being encouraged in civics class to become active in the political process are not acting in the interest of the general public. The vast majority of the students taking civics were 17 at the time of the class and ready to turning 18 by the general election. The authoritarians now working to control the Republican Party fear representative government working for the common good or in the interest of wage earning citizens.
Why do you not want young people voting?Because they have been taught by old 60’s hippies in all our colleges that Socialism is great.A lot of these kids get out in the real world and learn that Capitalism made us the richest country in history.Then Democrats found out they could win a lot of elections taking money from people that earned it and giving it to people that would not work with gun to their head.A lot of kids get older and realize if they do work hard and get ahead the Democrats will take a big part of it.Some don’t ever realize this,and think the world owes them a living.See Lonnie Webster.
Larry
What part of Socaism do you dislike? Roads? Public Schools? Bridges ? Fire Departments? Ports? FEMA? FDA ? CDC? VA? Coast Guard? Health Inspectors?
Lonnie,what do any of those things have to do with Socialism(spelled correctly.)Best I remember we had all those things when we were Capitalists.That was before the Everything is free party ran up an unpayable debt of 19 Trillion.Tell the truth Lonnie,you don’t have a clue how many millions are in a trillion.My Dad was in the Coast Guard and is flipping in his grave at the thought of Socialists coming up with Coast Guard.The way it looks to me,you Socialists won’t need a Coast Guard because you are all for letting anybody into this country.You don’t need a Coast Guard or border Patrol.
Larry
Now that we have established you actually agree with socialist programs that are in the interest of the common good. What we need are political leadership acting in the interest of the common good and not in their own personal interest or as agents for individuals or corporations.
Lonnie,you are pathetic,who but you thinks fire departments,Coast Guard,bridges,schools,ports,are Socialist programs.
Larry
Socialism is “We the People”.
What kind of right wing propaganda have you bought?
What would your definition be? Remember the highest standards of living in the world as well as the societies that have the most personal freedom are Democratic Socialist.
For once in your pathetic life,stick to the point.Was the fire Dept.a Socialist program or not.Where do you get socialist is “We the people”?Is that some of Karl Mark’s writings.I hope these questions are simple enough for you to answer,but I very much doubt it.As broke as we are we still have the highest standards of living in the world.Of course if everything free was to win the election,we would be 100 trillion in debt instead of 19.Why don’t you go to one of those democratic Socialist countries if they are such a heaven.You are just like a Muslim,you aren’t happy until everybody agrees with your point of view.If you want to know about how everything is free works do some research on Argentina and see how the second largest economy in the world in 1902 became a basket case just like us.
Larry
This is from the Washington Post.
“But of the 16 candidates running for president, only one pays his interns: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), at $10.10 an hour.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/presidential-candidates-ignore-the-costs-of-unpaid-internships/2015/12/03/07436850-99d6-11e5-94f0-9eeaff906ef3_story.html
He is on tv every day talking about business paying 15 dollars an hour.He doesn’t pay it so he needs to put up or shut up.
Larry
Why should politicians get to pick their voters? Why is Civitas Institute wanting to suppress voter participation and spend taxpayer money defending laws written to return NC to the Jim Crow era of voter suppression especially that of people of color and students?
Go to New Hampshire article and come back and write some incoherent crap about Jim Crow.Most black people aren’t as hung up on Jim Crow as you are.Why is it you white Socialists are scared to death that a person of color would have to show an I.D.?i know it’s because you want to steal elections,but I would like to see what you will say.I know what your answer will be.Jim Crow and denial of poor people to vote.Why don’t we put a picture on their welfare cards and they can use that.Gosh,there I go being racist again.
Larry
There are pictures on State issued student ID cards but the conservatives want to suppress student voting rights and unnecessarily create lines and increase time needed to vote so Republican deny that form of ID. Authortiarianism has no place in a free society.
Why no mention of the crooks in New Hampshire.Are you waiting on the Huff post’s of the world to come up with something that says I can’t believe my lying eyes on that video.
Larry
I know nothing of New Hampshire laws or politics. I do know in NC, wealthy, political powerful, extremist with help from ALEC have rigged the political system with gerrymandering and repressive Jim Crow era voting laws, intended to suppress the voting rights of minorities, students and working voters. Unnecessary obstacles designed to make voting harder and more time consuming. This attack on basic constitutional voting rights by unethical, plutocrats wanting government to serve their personal agenda rather than the common good or the interest of the general public. The court will eventually rule in favor of voters but at huge cost, as unethical plutocrats have highjacked NC politics, wasting taxpayer money defending recently passed unconstitutional laws attacking voting rights.
We are back on Plutocrats and Jim Crow.I know something about laws in any state.Those little brain dead college students should be in prison with their Professors and people like you that poison their minds with that somebody else owes me a living crap.Makes you wonder how many elections have been stolen around the country.
Larry
Authoritarians are always wanting to jail, torture or oppress those who dare to think or resist the arrogance of those wanting to dictate with wealth as their right to political power.
Who was it that said if there was a link to show these crooks trying to steal an election they should go to jail.That would be Lonnie Webster.Now that I show him what the little crooks did he changes his tune.Liberals have the ethics of an alley cat.
Larry
You have not posted a link to support your claim. Remember conservatives have recently been indited of fraud for editing videos of Planned Parenthood in Texas.
You can indite a ham sandwich.I saw those videos and anybody with a brain knows those sickos were selling baby body parts.If the crooked Attorney General ever brings this to court that whole bunch will be in prison.I know that will never happen until we get a conservative President.That you would even bring this up shows you are a POS with no morals.i know you are an idiot but not so stupid that you don’t know where the video is showing Bernie’s little crooks telling the investigators how to vote in New Hampshire when they don’t live there.The link is right beside one you have been on 50 times.Maybe I’am wrong,maybe you are that stupid.
Larry
I know how to post a link and I know how to do a google search.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/26/us/2-abortion-foes-behind-planned-parenthood-videos-are-indicted.html?_r=0
Larry
Authoritarians are always wanting to use their wealthy to bully thinking citizens into conceding political power. When they refuse to be bullied, Authoritarians try to use new laws created to silence opposition, remember the over one thousand protesters arrested protesting NC GOP actions to turn NC back to a shameful era of
Jim Crow? The NC GOP acting as agents of ALEC and wealthy conservative individuals passed laws designed to oppress the voice of those who dare to think or resist these arrogance authoritarian oligarchs. Suppression of public voices for justice and the common good seem to be a major mission of Civitas Institute.
Too bad you too dumb to look at a video with some of your little vote stealers.
Larry
Liberals are not the ones gerrymandering voting districts or suppressing voting rights the courts are ruling unconstitutional.
Liberal Democrats had a strangle hold on this state for over 100 years.Are you telling me they never used gerrymandering.If you are telling me that your are clueless or telling a lie.
Larry
No, I’m telling you gerrymandering is a recipe for corruption regardless of who engages in rigging the political process.
Something we agree on.