Burr announces he’ll vote against Sotomayor

Burr announces he’ll vote against Sotomayor

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr will oppose Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination for the U.S. Supreme Court, saying that he admires her qualifications but that he fears she would impose her personal beliefs in setting legal precedent.
“My fear is that she has been unable to separate her personal belief system from that of the letter of the law,” Burr said in a prepared statement.

Sotomayor, who would be the first Hispanic member on the court, has been widely criticized by Republicans for a speech in which she said “a wise Latina” might sometimes make better decisions than a white male.

On Sotomayor, Hagan is a yea; Burr is a maybe

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan will support Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, but U.S. Sen. Richard Burr isn’t ready to commit.
Sotomayor spent last week answering questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee about her record. The committee will begin debate today on whether to recommend her. The full Senate, including Hagan and Burr, would then cast the final vote on her confirmation.

Shuler will not take on Burr

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler has shot down a U.S. Senate bid. Speaking at a groundbreaking in Asheville, the Waynesville Democrat said he would not run against U.S. Sen. Richard Burr in 2010, according to the Hendersonville Times-News:

“I am not running for Senate,” the second-term Democrat said after a groundbreaking ceremony for a new building at the Bent Creek Experimental Forest Station in Asheville. “I am not running for Senate. I am not running for Senate. I have said that a thousand times, and I don’t know why they keep coming up [with the idea]. Of course they keep coming up and running polls.”

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1561276.html

Burr, Hagan oppose tobacco bill

WASHINGTON — U.S. senators began debate Tuesday on legislation that would allow the Food and Drug Administration to regulate cigarettes, an idea that has the strong backing of public health advocates across the country.

Standing in their way were the two senators from North Carolina. Republican Richard Burr and Democrat Kay Hagan teamed up for the first significant issue in their short time together in the Senate, offering arguments to weaken the effects of a popular bill that, they fear, could decimate a historic industry in their state.

North Carolina is the nation’s top producer of tobacco, growing $686 million worth of leaf last year on 12,000 farms. The state’s tobacco manufacturers, from the behemoth R.J. Reynolds to boutique companies, put 10,000 people to work.

http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1534714.html

Abortion bill veto costs Obama nominee a vote

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr will oppose Kathleen Sebelius’ nomination.

The Winston-Salem Republican said Monday that he cannot support the Kansas governor’s nomination as secretary of Health and Human Services because of her recent veto of an abortion bill.

On Thursday, Sebelius vetoed a bill that would have amended Kansas law on late-term abortions, questioning whether it was constitutional and suggesting that it would lead to intimidation of doctors.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1503877.html

Senator Burr Launches New Website for Re-election

From Senator Richard Burr…

Brooke and I wanted to let you know that my campaign has a new website which I hope you will visit soon. Through this website you will be able to read recent news articles about what I am doing in the U.S. Senate, stay up-to-date with my campaign activities and learn about ways you can volunteer for my 2010 re-election effort.

The new site, www.burrforsenate.com, will be a great place for you to stay connected to me and my campaign. From my site you can link to my Facebook page and other social networking sites. Tell your friends about the new site so they can sign up to receive campaign e-mail updates such as this one. There is even a link where you can let me know if you are wiling to volunteer on my re-election campaign.

Check out my new site today. Just go to www.burrforsenate.com. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for your support.

Richard Burr

Who will challenge Burr?

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan could be called the $47 million woman — the amount spent by both sides in the Senate race in North Carolina last year.

As stunning as that figure may seem, some insiders expect the Senate race next year to be more expensive.

And that is why state Attorney General Roy Cooper is the subject of a high-intensity recruitment campaign by the national Democratic Party.

http://www.newsobserver.com/622/story/1462289.html

Burr key tobacco funds recipient

The N.C. senator, who backs a regulatory bill favored by the industry, is Congress’ No. 2 recipient of tobacco money.

By Lisa Zagaroli
lzagaroli@charlotteobserver.com

Posted: Sunday, Mar. 22, 2009

WASHINGTON lzagaroli@charlotteobserver.com

When Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., stepped forward last week to give his home-state tobacco industry a softer landing if it becomes regulated, he was helping a business that’s given him a boost as well.

Tobacco groups and employees have given $355,000 in campaign contributions to Burr since he first got elected to Congress in 1995, election records shows

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/local/story/614618.html

Shuler won’t run for Senate when Burr is up for re-election

Time better spent dealing with crisis in economy, he says
Published: March 10, 2009

RALEIGH – North Carolina U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler said yesterday that he will not run for Senate in 2010, declining a chance at a seat in the upper chamber as Democrats plot to expand their majority on Capitol Hill.
Shuler said he was flattered to have so many people ask him to challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr.

http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/mar/10/shuler-wont-run-for-senate-when-burr-is-up-for-re-/news-ncpolitics/

Sidenote: Translation, Democrats have nasty primaries…

Burr visiting Guantanamo with fellow GOP senators

Burr visiting Guantanamo with fellow GOP senators
The Associated Press
Published: Mon, Feb. 02, 2009 08:11AMModified Mon, Feb. 02, 2009 08:13AM

RALEIGH — North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr is visiting the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.
Burr is one of four Republican senators scheduled to travel to the military base in Cuba on Monday morning. The fact-finding mission is in response to President Barack Obama’s executive order to close the detention facility within one year.

Burr said he looks forward to visiting so he can get a first-hand assessment of the site to help him decide how to handle the detainees. He said he’s not convinced that it’s in the country’s best national security interest to move the prisoners to the United States.

Burr, along with Republican Sens. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, David Vitter of Louisiana and Pat Roberts of Kansas, plan to return by Monday evening.

http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/1390527.html