North Carolina Open Thread: Madison Cawthorn's ugly past

NORTH CAROLINA OPEN THREAD for Sunday, February 28, 2021

302nd Weekly Edition

This is a weekly feature of North Carolina Blue. We hope this weekly platform gives readers interested in North Carolina politics a place to share their knowledge, insight and inspiration as we work on taking back our state from some of the most extreme Republicans in the nation. Please join us every week. You can also join the discussion in four other weekly State Open Threads.

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2/28/2021 1:00 PM

Please jump the fold, The floor is yours…

Madison Cawthorn built his career on falsehoods -- and is using his seat in Congress to push lies: report

Raw Story-Washington Post February 27, 2021

Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) was the focus of a hart-hitting investigation published by The Washington Post on Saturday.

"Madison Cawthorn was a 21-year-old freshman at a conservative Christian college when he spoke at chapel, testifying about his relationship with God. He talked emotionally about the day a car accident left him partially paralyzed and reliant on a wheelchair," The Post noted. "Cawthorn said a close friend had crashed the car in which he was a passenger and fled the scene, leaving him to die "in a fiery tomb." Cawthorn was 'declared dead,' he said in the 2017 speech at Patrick Henry College. He said he told doctors that he expected to recover and that he would 'be at the Naval Academy by Christmas.'"

"Key parts of Cawthorn's talk, however, were not true. The friend, Bradley Ledford, who has not previously spoken publicly about the chapel speech, said in an interview that Cawthorn's account was false and that he pulled Cawthorn from the wreckage. An accident report obtained by The Washington Post said Cawthorn was "incapacitated," not that he was declared dead. Cawthorn himself said in a lawsuit deposition, first reported by the news outlet AVL Watchdog, that he had been rejected by the Naval Academy before the crash," the newspaper noted. "Shortly after the speech, Cawthorn dropped out of the college after a single semester of mostly D's, he said in the deposition, which was taken as part of a court case regarding insurance. Later, more than 150 former students signed a letter accusing him of being a sexual predator, which Cawthorn has denied."

Cawthorn has denied the allegations; more than three dozen people told BuzzFeed News they are true.

Several women who are former college classmates of Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct against the representative, dating back to their days together at Patrick Henry College, according to a BuzzFeed News report.

The report describes incidences of Cawthorn inappropriately touching and kissing women at the small Virginia school, and taking them for “terrifying” rides alone in his car on the backroads around campus. The report also recounts Cawthorn verbally harassing many of his female classmates, calling them derogatory slurs, and asking sexual questions which embarrassed the Christian, conservative women.

Caitlin Coulter, a former classmate of Cawthorn’s, described to BuzzFeed a harrowing ride in Cawthorn’s Dodge Challenger, saying that he made “insinuations” and asked her about her purity ring, which Coulter interpreted as an attempt to talk about sex. Coulter told BuzzFeed she evaded his questioning until he snapped and barreled back to campus recklessly, with Coulter clinging to her seat for safety.

“It was really scary,” she told BuzzFeed. “And just I remember just being very happy to make it back home safely.”

BUDD AND CAWTHORN USE PROXY VOTE TO ATTEND CPAC 

BlueNC 2/27/2021

Budd introduced a bill last year that would withhold pay from any lawmaker that voted remotely or by proxy, saying at the time that “outsourcing the duty of a member of Congress is unconstitutional and wrong.” In July, Cawthorn, then a candidate for U.S. House, tweeted that Democrats who vote by proxy are “cowards for hiding and not showing up to work.” But on Thursday and Friday this week, Budd and Cawthorn had Rep. Patrick McHenry, another North Carolina Republican, vote on their behalf. Both Budd and Cawthorn used standard language in their letters to the House assigning someone as their proxy, which are required. They both wrote they were “unable to physically attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency.” https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article249561758.html

Biden admin to administer 3,000 daily vaccines in Greensboro

 WRAL February 26, 2021 

RALEIGH, N.C. — The White House announced Friday morning that it will include North Carolina in its federal pilot program of community vaccination centers. Starting March 10, a Greensboro site will receive about 3,000 vaccines per day.

The timing aligns with Gov. Roy Cooper's expansion of vaccine eligibility to frontline essential workers. Teachers, child care workers and school staff were made eligible earlier this week, while a far more sweeping group of workers ranging from grocery store clerks to elected officials can start getting their COVID-19 shots the day the clinic in Greensboro launches.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will support the site at the Four Seasons Town Centre. The three-story shopping mall in Greensboro will have options for the vaccines to be administered through a drive-thru in the parking lot or in person inside a space formerly occupied by Dillard’s department store.

“This federally supported vaccine center will help North Carolina get more shots in arms and assist us in reaching more underserved communities,” Cooper said in a statement.

The Democratic governor said appointments will be required, with more information on how to book them being released in the coming days. The 3,000 daily shots administered in Greensboro will come in addition to the state's weekly allocation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Neighbor legalizes pot

Virginia lawmakers vote to legalize marijuana in 2024

WRAL February 28, 2021

RICHMOND, VA. — Virginia lawmakers gave final approval Saturday to a bill that will legalize marijuana for adult recreational use, but not until 2024, when retail sales of the drug would also begin.

With a compromise bill clearing the House and Senate, Virginia becomes the first Southern state to vote to legalize marijuana, joining 15 other states and the District of Columbia. The legislation now goes to Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, who supports legalization.

The bill was a top priority for Democrats, who framed legalization as a necessary step to end the disparate treatment of people of color under current marijuana laws. But talks between Democrats in the House and Senate grew tense in recent days, and a compromise version of the massive bill did not emerge publicly until late Saturday afternoon.

“It’s been a lot of work to get here, but I would say that we’re on the path to an equitable law allowing responsible adults to use cannabis,” said Sen. Adam Ebbin, the chief sponsor of the Senate bill.

Several Democrats said they hoped Northam would send the legislation back to them with amendments, including speeding up the date for legalization.

Sunday brings warmest temps in more than 3 months, but more rain arrives Monday

WRAL February 28, 2021 7:07 a.m. EST

North Carolinians are being greeted by some pleasant and warm weather in the first weekend under the newly-eased COVID-19 restrictions.

Sunday could be the warmest day of the winter, the warmest day since Nov. 15, the last day we saw temperatures in the mid-70s. Winds out of the southwest will allow temperatures to rise to 69 by noon in Raleigh. Areas to the south and east like Fayetteville and Clinton could see temperatures reach 80!  

"This evening is going to be a mild one," said WRAL meteorologist Peta Sheerwood. "We'll see those temperatures range in the 60s as well as the 70s around 7 o'clock."

The warm front will help keep most of the rain to our north, creating a drier weekend than previously expected, with a 20 to 30% chance for a few passing showers on Sunday. RDU is now at 17.21 inches of rain for the winter, 0.02" short of the wettest winter on record from 1983-1984. Sheerwood said that breaking the record is not out of the question.

"We are going to see spotty showers throughout the morning," Sheerwood said. "It's not going to be widespread by any means."