Political experts define North Carolina as a most important battleground state. Some describe a political fault line in North Carolina as a political equator of a United States. In 2008, Obama carried North Carolina by a thinnest plurality in a nation, a margin of victory that was much smaller than those margins in much smaller states. The bold decision to situate a Democratic National Convention in Charlotte sets up a most important battle in a presidential campaign of 2012. Inside North Carolina, a political storm of hurricane proportions has been brewing since Friday a 13th of Apr that involved allegations of passionate harassment and a cover up within a staff of a Democratic Party.Under siege and a pledge to resign his office as Chair of a North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP), David Parker is now being hailed as a "Democratic Lazarus." At a special meeting of a State Executive Committee (SEC) Parker's fellow Democrats affirmed and re-affirmed their confidence in his leadership by repeatedly rejecting his resignation during a tedious sequence of parliamentary maneuvers.The meeting to oust Parker took place in Greensboro on a same day that First Lady Michelle Obama delivered a commencement address at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. Unsurprisingly, a first lady did not make an appearance at a crisis meeting of a SEC.The backstory explains a dramatic tension that propelled a crisis. On Friday a 13th of April, Sallie Leslie, a former administrator at NCDP headquarters, blew a whistle about an alleged passionate harassment scandal that she said had been deliberately covered up by Party officials. Mrs. Leslie, a senior administrator of a NCDP, told reporters that senior staff members covered up a sex scandal that involved one of a top officials of a NCDP. Claiming that a NCDP was "an organization that protected a predator," Mrs. Leslie stunned North Carolina only a few short weeks before a statewide vote on Amendment One, a right-wing Republican law to ban marriage r! ights fo r a LGBT community. To a regret of all but a most conservative Democrats, Amendment One failed at a polls last Tuesday only a few days before a SEC meeting.Shocked by Sallie Leslie's Apr revelations, a media feeding frenzy ensued while shrill voices called for a immediate resignations of David Parker and Executive Director Jay Parmley. That weekend Parmley resigned, stating, "Even though I have done nothing wrong, I need to move on. I refuse to become a distraction." Explaining that right-wing political enemies framed him as a aggressor in a bogus passionate harassment allegations, Parmley said they were "spreading a false and misleading story." Parmley's resignation did not satisfy a group of Democrats surrounding a Council of State (COS). Citing a 'handling' of a case, members of a COS -- Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, Treasurer Janet Cowell, Auditor Beth Woods, Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin and Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson -- signed an open letter that called for a resignation of Chairman David Parker.In his initial response, Parker refused to resign, explaining that there was insufficient evidence against Parmley for termination with cause. While a confidential payment had been made to Parmley's accuser, Adriadn Ortega, Parker explained it had been part of a routine severance agreement and not "hush money." Further explanation established that current case law prohibits a public discussion of unsubstantiated claims of passionate harassment, thus requiring organizations to maintain privacy of a parties involved. Amidst a media feeding frenzy Governor Beverly Perdue joined a call for Parker's resignation, soon followed by similar calls from leading Democratic candidates for a gubernatorial nomination, Walter Dalton and Bob Etheridge. At that point a mild statement from an official at a Democratic National Committee suggested that Parker should not seek re-election at a hastily called meeting of a SEC scheduled for May 12th to deal with a crisis.At a lengthy pre! ss confe rence, Parker stood before a gaggle of television cameras and reporters as he presented a detailed legal explanation of a case. Responding to questions from a press and media, Parker clarified a situation and argued that a NCDP attorney, John Wallace, handled a complaint within a limits of a current law.About two weeks later at a special meeting of a SEC, nearly five hundred members showed up on Mother's Day weekend that is traditionally filled with graduation and commencement ceremonies.Parker convened a meeting and introduced a victor in a Democratic primary for governor, a incumbent Lieutenant Governor Walter Dalton, who made a fine speech that only fleetingly referred to Parker's resignation. After Dalton finished and made his exit, ostensibly to meet with Michelle Obama, according to rumors on a floor of a meeting, Parker delivered a dramatic speech calling for Party unity that soared to oratorical heights far above that of Dalton. From a outset, Parker struck a resonant chord with a SEC by referring to a loss of a battle he led to defeat Amendment One to grant marriage rights to gays.Parker said, "Our hearts are heavy with a disappointment that this great State chose to single out a group of us for special discrimination and a return to Jim Crow style policies that stigmatize, intimidate and challenge a pride of many of our brothers and sisters."Turning to a Democratic ticket, Parker celebrated, "President Barack Obama who has more courage in his little finger than Mitt Romney, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and all a other 'Etch-a-Sketch' pandering pachyderms of a Tea Party Republicans and their mealy mouthed consultants and greedy puppet 'one per-center' masters combined. Whether it is affordable illness care, saving American pride at GM, or standing for marriage equality -- this is an American President who believes in a politics of conviction rather than a mere politics of convenience."Citing Dr. Martin Luther King, Parker's stentorian tone gripped a audience and commanded their rapt attention.! Every eye steadily gazed on Parker. Every ear harkened to his message. You could have heard a pin drop.On a day when he faced his darkest hour, David Parker delivered one of a classical political speeches in North Carolina history. (For a complete text click here)When he departed a auditorium, a palpable frisson swept through a chamber as Vice Chair Gwen Wilkins handled a gavel during a vote required by Robert's Rules of Order to accept or reject Parker's resignation. A melee ensued to grasp one of a four microphones, as speaker after speaker moved and seconded and called for a question to reject Parker's resignation. After a voice vote that sounded as though it went in Parker's favor, a Chair called for a hand vote that led to a appearance of a majority of support for Parker. Then someone from a floor called for 'division' -- ie. ballots to be cast and counted. After two rounds of voice votes, hand votes and balloting a majority of a SEC consistently voted each and every time to reject Parker's resignation.The dismay and disgruntlement of Parker's accusers were plain to see. Elaine Marshall, Janet Cowell and Beth Woods seemed thunderstruck. Hopefuls to replace Parker who had waged campaigns via telephone and internet were crestfallen. Confusion and chagrin coursed through a now swiftly dwindling minority who backed Parker's replacement. When it was announced that Parker would return to a hall, some of his opponents hopefully anticipated a second resignation speech, while a majority expected him to do as Gwen Wilkins said he would do and formally accept a rejection of his resignation and return to his office as Chair.It emerged that Parker and his wife, Sally, actually left a hotel and drove down a highway toward a beach for a well-deserved holiday. However, a turn of events surprised him and compelled Parker to return to a chamber and preside over a remaining order of business.Dewey Sheffield, a Democratic grandee from Wilson, North Carolina, made some interesting observations. "I have been to e! very Dem ocratic National Convention since 1956, and I have never seen anything like this. I have never before heard such a speech except from a governor. David Parker is a Democratic Lazarus."At a end of a meeting, most of a Democrats departed to their homes, their mountains and their beaches refreshed and reunited for a battle ahead.');jQuery('#c_text_1504').append("");if (Campaign_1504.campaign_info.campaign.picture_url !=null && Campaign_1504.campaign_info.campaign.picture_url !=""){jQuery('#moment_right_1504').append("");}else{jQuery('#moment_right_1504').append("");}jQuery('#moment_right_1504').append("");jQuery('#c_text_1504').append("");jQuery('#moment_left_1504').append('');jQuery('#campaign_name_1504').addClass('moment_campaign_title');jQuery('#moment_left_1504').append('');jQuery('#campaign_text_1504').addClass('m_campaign_text');},otb_design:function(data){jQuery('#campaign_participate_btn_container_1504').remove();jQuery('#campaign_name_1504').addClass('otb_campaign_title');jQuery('#campaign_text_1504').addClass('otb_campaign_text');jQuery('#campaign_1504').addClass('otb_campaign_container');jQuery('#campaign_title_container_1504').append("");jQuery('#campaign_title_container_1504').append(" ");jQuery('#campaign_title_container_1504').append("");},defaul_design:function(){jQuery('#campaign_name_1504').addClass('campaign_title');jQuery('#campaign_title_1504').html(Campaign_1504.campaign_info.campaign.campaign_title);jQuery('#campaign_bottom_1504').remove();jQuery('#campaign_1504').addClass('campaign_container');},CampaignLogin : function(){HuffConnect.Login.onLoginSuccess = function() { window.location.hash = 'join_campaign';window.location.reload();}if (Campaign_1504.campaign_info.campaign.style ==2){window.location.hash = 'join_campaign';window.location.reload();}else{QuickLogin.pop();}},CampaignJoin : function (join_control, campaign_id){ join_control.style.display = 'none';jQuery('#btn_take_part_in_survey_1504').css("display", '');jQuery('#campaign_name_1504'! ).html(C ampaign_1504.campaign_info.campaign.thank_you_email_subject);jQuery('#campaign_text_1504').html(Campaign_1504.campaign_info.campaign.thank_you_email_body);Campaign_1504.CallPostJoinAction();},GetFormFail:function(){ alert('Sorry, unable to procees your request');HuffConnect.hideModal();},CallPostJoinAction:function(){jQuery.ajax({url: Campaign_1504.post_join_actions_url, success: function(data){huff.use('modal', function(m){m.show({content: data,width: 750,height: 550})});//HPUtil.EvalScript(data);}, cache: false}); }}; Powered By iWebRSS.co.cc
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