NC: Newt pollution in the Triangle

I almost didn't want to waste the space for this one, but Newt Gingrich brought his special brand of hot air and bluster to the Triangle yesterday, speaking to the Wake County GOP. The former Speaker of the House has not formally declared his candidacy (or even set up an exploratory committee) for a seat in the 2012 GOP Clown Car, but he's talking up a good game (and collecting speaker's fees along the way, I'm sure). (WTVD):

"We need a president who would like to be president!" Gingrich said.

And you get the sense from Gingrich he believes he's the person.

More than 900 Wake County GOP members hung on his every word, offering standing ovations while he blasted President Barack Obama.

Locally Gingrich asserted North Carolina needed a new governor, a Republican governor.

He also said the Tar Heel State is valuable to the next Republican presidential nominee, which he may hope to become.

Um, no we don't, Newt. One of the prospective GOP candidates for governor, former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory (R), has presented himself in a pro-business, faux moderate mask. But make no mistake, he's anti-gay.

McCrory supports adding a ban on gay marriage to the state constitution, the pet idea of several evangelical Christian groups. Perdue, like most of the state's Democratic leadership, opposes the amendment, saying the state law against gay marriage makes an amendment unnecessary.

Back in 2005, then-Mayor McCrory showed his true colors in a craptastic, juvenile way. He wouldn't even write a letter of welcome to the 1,300 attendees of the HRC Carolinas dinner. Pat McCrory must have been afraid that he'd "catch teh gay" if he positively acknowledged they were spending gay dollars in his city.

The event marked the group's first trip to the area, but members say they did not receive the warm welcome they were looking for.

"You can welcome and embrace someone and you don't have to see eye to eye on all the issues," said HRC member Joni Madison. Charlotte lawyer Phil Wells says he requested a letter of welcome from the mayor's office - a common occurrence for convention attendees. Wells was hoping Mayor McCrory would write a couple welcoming sentiments. He was disappointed by the lack of response.

..."Here were a great number of people coming into this great city and spending money and wanting to see the best side of Charlotte, and all he had to do was say, 'Welcome to our great city and he missed that opportunity,'" Wells said.

..."I think he's pandering to what he thinks his constituents believe and it's shameful," Mitchell Gold said.  Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon says the mayor's office gets approximately 200 requests for welcoming letters every year. McCrory did not comment on the issue.