Low-energy Richard

by | Oct 13, 2016 | 2016 Elections, NC Politics, NCGOP, US Senate | 9 comments

Don’t let him fool you: Richard Burr did defend Donald Trump’s boast that “I grab them by the pussy.” Echoing the Trumpkin line, our distinguished Senator claimed, “we hear comments like this from professional athletes frequently,” (wrong), thus excusing Mr. Trump’s proud claim to be an assaulter. It was incredibly cowardly.

But what else would you expect? Richard Burr always takes the path of least resistance. His political career has been unimaginative, boilerplate, and low-energy. And that record should be out in the open.

I wrote at the beginning of this cycle that Burr’s reputation for seriousness is undeserved. Over the course of his career, Burr has voted more conservatively than almost any Senator. He even voted to destroy the world economy by failing to raise the debt ceiling. Despite the fact that his state contains some of the largest banks on Earth. The business community must have been thrilled with those votes.

And his quiet radicalism extends across almost all the issues. Burr contradicted the wishes of 8 in 10 voters by opposing background checks for terrorists and the homicidally mentally ill. When the opportunity came to protect countless acres of federal lands, he put the oil industry first. NC voters have conflicted views on abortion; Burr votes against Choice at every opportunity. And his well publicized health proposals would unravel three generations of the Medicare promise.

Of course those proposals went nowhere, because he puts little effort into legislating. There’s no signature achievement on his record despite collecting a salary for two decades. I can even think of bills that Elizabeth Dole passed. Not so Burr. So in return for almost $200,000 per year, we have gotten a somnambulant vote for reaction and no bills. If his lawnmower clients had been offered that deal, this great “retailer” would have gone out of business.

In less than a month we can give him that fate.

9 Comments

  1. Ebrun

    Latest Monmouth poll in NC: Burr up by six, McCrory up by one. Seems the turning point in both these state races was the debates. While no doubt they were not widely watched, the word quickly spread about the sub par performances of both Cooper and Ross. Even liberal pundits were unusually silent.

  2. Ebrun

    Latest NC poll– Burr up by 8. RCP polling average–Burr up by 2.8. No poll tracked by Real Clear Politics has shown Ross with a lead. And latest NC poll shows McCrory’s polling ahead of Cooper, Hillary, Trump and Ross.

  3. Troy

    It’s already started. On my television there have been an entire new crop of attack ads from the right. Almost on cue with Thomas’ last article.

    The shit storm has begun.

  4. A D Reed

    Burr is truly the emptiest suit on the rack. He has never legislated anything, nor represented anyone except his little circle of connected Republicans; his intellect is that of a third-generation C student who arrives as a legacy and leaves with a parchment degree, lots of friends, and no education.

    Richard Burr: empirical proof of the Peter Principle.

  5. Bubba

    Burr claims Trump was “just boasting” and didn’t really DO the things he boasted about. Hmm. Does anyone else remember how Burr rushed from a meeting of the Senate Finance Committee in which he learned of the impending meltdown, phoning his wife to “Get all our money out!”? He later BOASTED of this shameful behavior.

    For Burr to try to tar and feather Deborah Ross for coddling sexual predators, while simultaneously defending Donald Trump’s sexual advances is the ultimate in hypocrisy. For him to invoke the memory of his preacher daddy to justify forgiving Donald Trump is just as absurd. He sure didn’t use anything his preacher daddy taught him when he, to this day, neglected to say ONE WORD about the Charleston church massacre in which ministers were murdered. (Apparently NRA money was too precious to Burr to act otherwise.)

  6. Troy

    Forgive me here Disgusted, but I’m not sure that is accurate. He hasn’t forgotten who he represents; he never actually intended to represent the majority of people who voted for him to begin with. The irony of his time in office which is his attempted “re-form” on Social Security is, that is the primary source of income for most of the people that voted for</i) him. He wants to cut or reduce it and they vote for him.

    He should be a televangelist.

    • Troy

      He’s atypical. If you say it enough times, it’s got to be true. No matter how absurd, stupid, ridiculous, callous, or moronic it is; keep on saying it.

      With regard to last night, the one that got me was, he still thinks deleted e-mails are the real travesty of this election. Yes, with everything going on in the world, it’s the e-mails. It’s “The Clinton Mutiny” and he’s Captain Queeg. Maybe we should just cut to the chase and nickname him “Old Green Stain” for his relentless pursuit of his own financial security.

  7. Mike Leonard

    Didn’t McCrory also call Trump a ‘role model’? Shame on him and Burr for backing a disgusting pervert and predator.

  8. Maurice

    Burr has pushed to privatize Medicare by transforming it into a “premium support system” with competitive bidding, the Morning Consult’s article reports.

    Burr’s plan called for “gradually raising the retirement age to 67 and allowing seniors to use their Medicare benefits toward choosing new health plans with private insurers.”

    Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article100489837.html#storylink=cpy

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