Katy's Conservative Corner

Civitas' NC Conservative Leadership Conference

Your blogger spent all day Friday and most of the day Saturday attending one of the most informative events ever held in North Carolina.  

If you are a conservative and are not in Raleigh this weekend, you've missed a great event.  The Civitas Institute puts on the annual NC Conservative Leadership Conference  which brings top notch national experts to North Carolina for a thought provoking, often entertaining, and information-packed two days.

Saturday's luncheon, for example, featured the former Miss California USA, Carrie Prejean.  We also heard Friday, from terrorism expert, Robert Spencer, who has traveled worldwide researching the topic.

As she writes, your blogger is hearing from Wall Street Journal colunnist and Fox News contributor, John Fund discuss health care.  KCC notices especially how he appeals to the under-35 generation who aren't as aware of the great times we had under President Reagan and the bad times we had under Carter and Clinton.  

Civitas Chairman Art Pope is moderating the panel from the perspective of a business owner, with Donna Arduin as a fellow panelist.  Pope mentioned that he'd like to continue in the retailing business rather than be an expert in the health insurance business, which he has been forced to become today.

Your blogger has taken many photographs and will provide the complete rundown in a few days.  If you decided to skip it this year, be sure to make it a part of your plans in 2010.

Many thanks to Col. Francis X. DeLuca (USMCR) and his team for putting on such an excellent program. Thanks also to Jeff Mixon for keeping things rolling, and for being especially helpful to this blogger.  Mixon and wife Amanda are longtime friends.

Check out the Civitas Review's wrap up of the Dr. Jennifer Ruth's talk here.  They've got a great blog and we highly recommend them.

Despite the competition this group had with the many who went on bus trips to Washington for the 9/12 demonstrations, the Conference has an excellent turnout.

More coming from this great Civitas event, soon.

9/11 - What I Was Doing

Today, your blogger wondered what to write about, considering the significance of the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack.  Here is her story:

On September 11, 2001,  I was working in Morrisville at a company call eMerging Information Systems and yes, they did spell that way.  

About 10:30ish, I received a frantic call from my mother, in New Bern, telling me that a large aircraft, perhaps an Jetliner, had hit one of the large towers in the World Trade Center.  

Since all employees at our location worked in a bullpen atmosphere, without cubicles or offices, I stood up, broke the silence of whirring keybords and loudly announced, "an airplane has hit the World Trade Center!  

"My Mother is watching Fox News and says that an airplane has hit the World Trade  Center and one of the buildings is on fire," I added.

Immediately, all 200 of us quit what we were doing and went to the CNN and Fox News sites to see what was happening, but what they had posted was minimal.

About 20-30 minutes later, my mother called again, with more news, about the second tower.  By this time, no one could get through to any US news websites, so I went to check out what the BBC was saying.  

Like with most people, I got nothing done for the rest of the day.  I took a three-hour lunch at a nearby Golden Corral and watched the tragedy unfold on a tiny color TV set. Everyone there cried.

Upon returning to work, I sat at my desk in silence for the rest of the day. I put my head on my desk thinnking of  the fallen victims in the worst terrorist attack on American soil.  Four jetliners had crashed and over 3,000 people perished.   What an awful day for our nation.

I was forced to sit at work and do nothing, as I had no vacation days built up yet.  My boss wouldn't let me leave, though everyone else did.  Ironically, the company folded just a short time later.  

May God bless the victims, both living and dead.  There is a special place in heaven for those who suffer due to that senseless, horrible tragedy, caused by people who want to force us to be part of their religion or be slaves to it.

Thank you to every member of our armed services, our veterans, and to those who will serve us in the future.  Thank you for their families who support and love them.

Let us pray that we can prevent this type of tragedy from ever happening again. This day should be remembered in the same vein as is December 7, 1941.

-Katy Benningfield

NOTE: If you are reading this post via Facebook, please go to the actual blog to leave your comments, at http://www.katysconservativecorner.com

Support Lou Dobbs By Ron Woodard

Ron Woodard, Chairman of NC LISTEN, wrote the following to Katy's Conservative Corner:

Concerned Citizens and Immigration Reformers,

The pinheads are at it again and are attacking Lou Dobbs for speaking out against illegal immigration.  These pinheads are asking their supporters to contact CNN and accuse Dobbs of being a racist and supporting hate groups. 

I urge you to go to this  weblink and send a short but supporting statement for Lou Dobbs and his efforts to report "the whole story" and tell the truth in a non-bias manner: 

Regards,

Ron Woodard
Director
NC LISTEN

NC AFP's "Hands Off My Health Care" Hosts 1500

Though local TV stations may have only credited the rally with gathering 1000 people, local numbers guru David Burton counted at least 1500 people at Wednesday's Hand's Off My Health care Rally, in Raleigh's Kerr Scott Building.  

Sponsored by the North Carolina Chapter of Americans for Prosperity, and lead by State Chairman,  Dallas Woodhouse, people came out to show the media, their members of Congress, and anyone else who would listen, that they don't want the United States government taking over their health care.

"Anything that government gets it's hands on, it screws up, I sure don't want them messing with my health care", one attendee told your blogger, before running off to join the rallying his message.  

In a rousing talk before President Obama's speech, which was shown live to the group, Woodhouse (left) urged all participants to send in pre-printed petitions to show their lack of support for Obama's health care plan.  Then, he urged everyone to contact their member of Congress and both U.S. Senators to tell them to oppose any legislation that imposes greater government control over health care.

Your blogger took a few photos of the crowd.  She was especially pleased to see so many fellow activists with the Wake County Republican Party.  

NOTE:  Your blogger is active with AFP, both statewide, and nationally.  She's looking forward to seeing her fellow North Carolinians at the Defending the American Dream Summit in Washington, DC on October 2nd and 3rd.  More information is available at their website.  Register before Sept 15 to get the discount!  

Marshall - Running For US Senate But NOT Without Fault

She's in.  NC Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (left, photo by Capital Broadcasting), that is.  

Apparently, Marshall is looking  to repeat the success in 2008, when virtual unknown,  Kay Hagan ran against household name, Elizabeth Dole. 

As we all know, Hagan was bought and paid for by the unions and other liberal special interest groups. She rode the Obama swell onto the beach known as the United States Senate.

 Marshall, became Secretary of State by defeating former race car driver, Richard Petty in 1996.  Petty looked as if he was going to coast into victory lane that year, until a mishap on his local highway caused a huge public relations stir and gave the Marshall the checkered flag.

Your blogger has known Marshall as a "nice lady" who is also a fellow of the  North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership.  However she is not without fault.  

In 2003, KCC was working on a contract technical writer position at Progress Energy in downtown Raleigh.  This was prior to the time the company consolidated their downtown operations into one building so your blogger's office was  in the same building as a former NC State Employees Credit Union.  

One day, when leaving the office for lunch, KCC observed a large set-up of lights and cameras, and became intrigued.  

It turned out that Marshall making a self-promoting "public" service announcement.  In the ad, Marshall is seen slamming the bank vault shut, as she makes her point.  Your blogger, being naturally curious, watched it all from outside the large windows.  

The ad was designed to seemingly warn consumers about a real scam, but the underlying idea was to use a loophole in the law to allow the politician to be in the ad, thus giving her more name ID for her upcoming re-election.  The ad began appearing statewide a short time later.

Most politicians on the Council of State have done this "Name ID" free type of advertising, but Elaine Marshall should have been above it.  Why?

As a member of the Spring class of 1992, your blogger learned that one of the main purposes of the NC Institute for Political Leadership was to teach those interested in politics how to run clean campaigns, and how NOT to cut corners just because everyone else does. Elaine Marshall also went through this program, and sadly, now sits on their Board of Directors!  In short, Secretary Marshall should have known better!

Meanwhile, to get her shot at Republican US Senator Richard Burr (above left, photo by Katy Benningfield, KTCreations), Marshall must contend with other potential rivals.  According to the Raleigh News and Observer's Under the Dome blog, she must get past Durham's Kenneth Lewis, and perhaps even former Lt. Governor Dennis Wicker.

Editor's NOTE:  Your blogger proudly endorses North Carolina's Senior Senator, Richard Burr, in his re-election bid in 2010.  She hopes you will vote for him, too, and help the GOP take back Congress and send Obama a message, loud and clear.  People like Elaine Marshall can run, but can't  hide when the election is over.  (Okay, really bad pun.)

New Look Inside the NCGOP

Your blogger doesn't get to spend as much time as NC Republican Party headquarters as she'd like, but Tuesday evening, she had a very pleasant experience with the staff. 

After a great chat  with uber receptionist, Wanda Shivers, KCC noticed all the new faces at State Headquarters.  She's not able to reveal what all these people do, but let's just say our Democrat foes will soon find out.

Chairman Tom Fetzer has been traveling around the state, viciously raising money for our cause.  It seems that one day he's in the Western counties, and the next, he's already gone East.  Your blogger couldn't keep his schedule, even if she wanted to. 

For those who are saying that Fetzer's election is "more of the same", will have a pleasant surprise coming their way.

Meanwhile, former foe, Chad Adams is also keeping a hectic schedule.  He's been active with "Keep Your Hands Off My Health Care Tour" across North Carolina. 

The tour will urge grassroots activists to speak out on behalf of patients and against a government takeover. Please check their schedule at  www.afpnc.org