Donald Trump’s rhetoric is increasingly disturbing. He’s clearly targeting Muslims as a way to garner support through fear. He runs the risk of both alienating other countries and fomenting violence against Muslims in this one.
More disturbing for those of us in North Carolina is Senator Richard Burr’s support and defense of Trump. Burr either agrees with Trump or he’s pandering. If he agrees with Trump, he’s not the reasonable conservative he’s portrayed himself to be. If he’s pandering, he’s putting his political aspirations ahead of the good of the country and the safety of our citizens.
Burr has always presented himself as a likable and pragmatic politician who keeps his head down and gets little done. He’s been the epitome of anonymous mediocrity: Don’t say anything, don’t do anything and maybe nobody will notice me and I’ll continue to get re-elected. Maybe, though, that silence hid a populist know-nothing who’s drawn to Trump’s divisive and xenophobic platform. How little we really know about Richard Burr.
Even scarier, maybe Burr has seen something in his polls that indicates a large number of North Carolinians are attracted to Trump’s message. In his quest for re-election, he’s betting that he can ride Trump’s coattails in the state and pandering to that audience is part of his path to victory. If that’s the case, then he really is prepared to put his political career ahead of the good of the country.
Burr has been mentioned as a potential vice-president pick for Trump. The Senator has done nothing to discourage the talk and by standing up for Trump, he’s encouraging speculation. Maybe he just likes the press for his re-election bid and will try to pivot away from Trump after Labor Day. Or maybe he sees eye-to-eye with a man who increasingly sounds and looks like a would-be dictator.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >
Thomas Mills, you are incorrect on both counts – Richard Burr neither fully agrees with Trump nor is pandering to Trump (and his followers), this instead is about getting on board with the party’s nominee and supporting the party’s pick.
Thanks. I also noted that many of the bills listed by Ebrun were not touted as passed. Co-sponsoring legislation that is unlikely pass, but will look good to swing voters is an old (and well used) tactic. I am not going to spend time looking up those items to confirm my reaction as I don’t think Burr is worth that much of my time.
All the bills cited that Senator Burr sponsored or co-sponsored were passed and signed into law by President Obama.
Wow, D.g., you’re such an old sage. Is there anything that you think you don’t know? LOL
Fortunately, D.g., the only thing your opinion reflects is your ego.
“Empty suit,” “idiot,” “nonentity,” “undistinguished Senator,” “toxic,” “Manhattan Mussolini,” “epitome of anonymous mediocrity.” That’s NC liberals’ ideas for a civil political debate based on important national issues?
Burr’s record: Chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. (Just another “nonentity,” “empty suit” responsibility?)
Sponsored two Child Care Acts signed into law, one co-sponsored with Democrat Senator Barbara Mikulski. (What an idiot, right?).
Co-Sponsored Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act with Democrat Senator Joe Manchin. (A couple of empty suits?).
Co-sponsored Poison Center Network Act with Democrat Senator Murray. (Just another “toxic” effort, right?).
Co-sponsored Veterans’ Educational Transition Act of 2013 with Senator Bernie Sanders and the Veterans’ Cost of Living Adjustment Act of 2013 with Senator Sanders and a similar Act in 2014 with Democrat Senator Begich.
(More anonymous mediocrity? Unless, of course, you’re a Veteran).
Not sure what any of this has to do with Manhattan (Burr is from Winston-Salem and graduated from Wake Forest) or Mussolini (he’s not even Italian). But Democrats don’t want a serious campaign based on the issues. Much more effective to guttersnipe.
Your post indicates enough English language skill that I would expect your reading comprehension to be higher. “Manhattan Mussolini” is clearly a reference to Trump and his alarming fascist tendencies.
This comment string to Ebrun was like a big chunk of cheddar, or a crust of bread over-larded with peanut butter to a rat. Could he stay silent while one of his icons was pilloried repeatedly? The stench of that cheddar was overwhelming, and soon he rushed webward, keyboard in hand! The fact is, Burr is indefensible, but for some reason Ebrun has chosen as his task to hold the line here on this somewhat small but entertaining (and for me reinforcing) blog. Some of the things you mentioned in retort to the “nonentity” label are laughable. Senate Intelligence Committee SOUNDS like an oxymoron, although the stakes for their continued inactivity are way too high for jokes. Not to denigrate Child Care action, which is nice, but one of the bills he signed (with Mikulsky) harkens back to the real reason why child care was dangerous to begin with: Republicans have worked hard since the mid-1970’s to make it harder and harder for middle class Americans to afford living with just one income, driving both parents out into the work world and away from their children. The best child care has always been in the home, when you can afford it. You mention the reinstatement of market rates for student loan payers, a defeat of democratic principles cemented DIRECTLY by Joe Manchin, nobody’s idea of a robust democrat, jumping party lines to vote with the republicons on discontinuing the low fixed rate payers were receiving. Naturally, Moderate rightist Obama signed it into law, because he pretends to be a democrat, or at least, somewhat of a populist, once in a while but not all the time. To a large degree, pushing through minor bills like these, or naming post offices or roads, while the big issues of transportation, clean energy, fair not free trade, health care (like every single other advanced nation) as opposed to profiting from the sick, jobs, gun safety and a dozen or more additional very serious issues is the very definition of a do-nothing senator who is an indistinguishable part of a do-nothing congress.
I guess when the people’s choice B. Obama was elected, angry white men determined to punish the electorate decided to stymie any attempt to make this country better, thinking it might put a chill in the hearts of anyone who might vote for a minority or woman candidate in the future. The reality however, is that 8 years have been lost, and historians 25 years from now will certainly place Obama in the Winners column for accomplishing as much as he did with such a strong headwind. Unlike that idiot GWB, who started with every advantage, including a high IQ, and ended up a dried up alcoholic husk of a man. And that was BEFORE they made him Puppet-In-Chief.
“Moderate rightist Obama?” Geez, I am sure glad you clarified that for us.
An empty suit like Burr would mesh perfectly with the enormous ego of the Manhattan Mussolini.
Senator Burr,
I am horrified that you seem to support “…a tale told by an idiot signifying nothing.”
Pithy and made me smile! Thanks.
I’m not.
Please proceed Senator.
Well, Burr has one quality that should please Trump: he’s essentially a nonentity–something one would think was hard to achieve in the US Senate, but Burr has managed it. “The man who wasn’t there” would probably be ideal for VP in Trump’s estimation.
Burr said that Trump “talked about a pause. He didn’t talk about a ban…There’s a big difference in that, ”the News Observer reports. Burr’s statement’s clearly have the theme of defending Trump who Burr has supported.
Sen. Richard Burr is a consistent proponent of gun violence – allowing terrorists and insane people to have easy access to guns. His position on human rights ranks at the bottom of Congress, as does his position on human rights, civil rights, and individual freedom. His record on women’s issues is also poor. His record on the environment is dismal. He opposes any form of campaign finance reform and supports the same financial institutions who caused the financial collapse of the United States in 2008.
The Koch Brothers like him and give him plenty of money. Organizations like the John Birch Society enjoy his support. He is toxic to education, and he doesn’t support the rank and file worker. He prefers dirty energy to clean energy. He does not support retired people or the elderly.
An undistinguished Senator with a record of making life difficult for blacks, minorities, poor people, elderly, veterans and working folks, Burr made headlines for signing the letter to the leaders of Iran seeking to stop progress on the reduction of Iran’s nuclear arsenal. He has opposed veterans benefits citing budget concerns but has favored putting our men and women in harm’s way whenever he had the chance.
Supporting Donald Trump? Is that worse than committing treason by signing the Iran letter? Raising the nuclear stakes and handing control of nuclear war to an unstable, ignorant buffoon with a massive ego might be the worst thing Burr has done. Only time will tell.
A good catalog of the Senator’s shortcomings. And don’t forget Burr’s judicial obstruction (Lynch, Garland, Timmons-Goodson). #DoYourJob
The list makes me cringe and cry at the same time. I don’t expect to agree with any elected official much of the time, but with Burr I can’t find a single point of agreement.