Senator-wannabe Mark Harris needs some questions, scrutiny | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: Brant Clifton casts a keen, again, toward Republican U.S. Senate candidates in his "bare knuckles" Conservative online publication known as The Daily Haymaker.

    A LOT of my Tea Party friends from the Charlotte area are just cooing over the potential US Senate candidacy of Baptist pastor Mark Harris. (I don't know much about Harris. I DO know that he was quite active in promoting the marriage amendment to the North Carolina constitution - a measure I supported and voted for.)

    Democrat congressman Mike McIntyre (NC-07) supported Amendment One. His voting record has been less than stellar, from a conservative POV.

    There have been media reports about a Draft Harris effort, and the hiring of staff for said effort. There are also reports that Atlanta-based GOP consultant Tom Perdue - longtime chief strategist to former congressman and NCGOP chairman Robin Hayes - is advising the draft effort. Besides his work with Hayes, Perdue is best know for his work with former US Senators Paul Coverdell (R-GA) and Bill Frist (R-TN) - not exactly conservative stars. One of Perdue's most recent clients, Georgia senator Saxby Chambliss (R), is retiring from the upper chamber in DC. Chambliss was basically chased away from reelection by the Tea Party after he poo-pooed the GOP's position on taxes.

    Harris is a pastor by trade - a noble profession, without a doubt.. He's best known in political circles for his fight against gay rights. Wanna guess what the Democrats will be talking about in a Hagan-Harris general election matchup? Far-left stalwart People For The American Way offers up a few hints.

    I've had my toe dipped in the political waters for about a quarter-century now - as a journalist, activist, and campaign strategist. I've seen an awful lot. One of the oldest tricks in the book is to inject a stalking-horse into a race who will strongly appeal to folks who will absolutely NOT vote for you.

    It's pretty clear that NCGOP establishment standard-bearer Thom Tillis has a problem with Tea Party / grassroots voters. His only confirmed primary opponent, Cary physician Greg Brannon, appears to have strong support among Tea Partiers. How great would it be - from Team Tillis's POV - to divide Speaker Thom's rock-ribbed opposition into TWO political camps?

    I am hearing a lot of talk about what a great conservative Harris is. As a faithful church-goer, I've heard my share of preachers. Many appear / sound to be somewhat left of their average parishioner. Being a preacher does not necessarily translate to political conservatism.

    Bill Barber is a preacher. He's got a lot of preachers among his rabble at the legislative building. Mike Huckabee is an ordained Baptist minister who was an ardent opponent of the death penalty while governor of Arkansas. He supported protectionism and other socialist-leaning economic ideas while running for president.

    Beyond the whole Amendment One / gay marriage thing - WHAT does Mark Harris stand for? What will he stand and fight for?

    Conservatives need to study this guy HARD before jumping on his bandwagon. Our country is being pulled apart by radical politicians bent on eroding / abolishing our Second Amendment rights, bleeding us dry with outrageous taxes, trashing the sanctity of American citizenship, destroying our health care system and putting us ALL on the government dole.

    The reverend Harris needs to talk to us about some of THOSE issues. THOSE are things he can address - and likely will be addressing - in the US Senate.

    We are glad to offer a forum for him to discuss his views on these and other pressing issues facing our country. Kay Hagan is a huge, horrendous mistake. She needs to be retired post-haste. We don't need to do it with someone 10 percent BETTER than Hagan who happens to have an R next to his name. We need someone committed to the concepts of freedom and limited government. We need someone to talk the limited government talk, then go up to DC and actually walk the limited government walk.