◼ Liberal groups lay out blueprint for attack on state leaders - WRAL
A strategy memo circulated recently among liberal-leaning groups prescribes "crippling" legislative leaders and Gov. Pat McCrory with bad press and pressure tactics.
The memo, which was first reported by The Charlotte Observer, details communications strategy, political tactics and polling data that progressive groups can use to push the policy agenda in Raleigh, where Republicans control both the governor's mansion and the legislature.
According to documents included with the memo and interviews, the strategy outline was produced by Myers Research and Strategic Services for Project New America. It was originally provided to Progress North Carolina, a liberal nonprofit that has aggressively attacked McCrory during the 2012 campaign and his early term in office. Progress North Carolina shared the memo with Blueprint NC, a nonprofit that coordinates the activities of liberal-leaning nonprofits. In turn, Blueprint NC distributed it to its member organizations.
An electronic version of the memo appears to contain at least three separate documents. One is an email from outgoing Blueprint NC Communications Director Stephanie Bass describing the material and emphasizing that it is "CONFIDENTIAL to Blueprint, so please be careful – share with your boards and appropriate staff, but not the whole world."
..."The most effective way to mitigate the worst legislation is to weaken our opponents' ability to govern by crippling their leaders (McCrory, Tillis, Berger, etc...)" the memo reads, referring to the governor, House Speaker Thom Tillis and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger.
The memo goes on to describe a "potential two-year vision" during which the groups would "eviscerate the leadership and weaken their ability to govern."
...The memo indicates there are close ties between the liberal groups and the Democratic Party itself.
For example, a response to McCrory's State of the State address earlier this week delivered by Rep. Larry Hall, D-Durham, tracked closely with slides from the poll shared by the liberal groups.
Hall's prepared remarks included this sentence: "Cutting funding for public education is wrong because it hurts our children's ability to succeed and compete for the jobs of the future." A slide from the polling memo includes the phrase, "Cutting funding for public education is wrong because it hurts our children's ability to succeed and compete for the jobs of the future."
Hall could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.
