Elizabeth Dole's absence from North Carolina has long been fodder for discussion among Democrats. We're prone to refer to her as a carpetbagger and talk about her 40+ year absence from the state, her voting history in Kansas, her run for president as a Kansan and her residence at the Watergate where she and husband Bob have lived since they were married in 1975. What we don't talk about is her long history of service in North Carolina because there is no history to speak of.
You would think that after a rushed residency period and her election to the U.S. Senate as a "North Carolinian" in 2002 that Dole would start spending a little more time in this state. Time she could use to get to know the people and our goals, dreams and hopes for the wonderful state we live in. Time she could use to gain understanding of the challenges and obstacles we face in North Carolina. If you honestly thought Dole was going to spend any substantive time here, you're wrong. Dead wrong.
Here's what folks in Salisbury, NC - Dole's alleged city of residence - had to say about Liddy:
According to Media General Services, there are years where Dole spent far less than one month in the state.
Documented Days Spent by Elizabeth Dole in North Carolina During Her First Term
2003 - 55
2004 - 34
2005 - 20
2006 - 13
2007 - 50
2008 (through Friday) - 97
-SOURCE: Senate Travel Records, Dole Campaign and Senate Office Press Releases, Senate Office Schedule, and North Carolina Newspaper Clips.
Dole is aware that she has been criticized for her many years in Washington and she gave her response in Rob Christensen's drooling love-fest for Liddy in today's News & Observer.
"I think people understand that you can't run the Red Cross from Salisbury," Dole said in an interview last week. "You can't run a Cabinet agency from Salisbury."
Sure, Liddy, we understand that you wanted a career that took you away from North Carolina, but now you want a career that should bring you back to North Carolina and until it came time to gear up for and run for reelection you couldn't be bothered to do your job for the people of this state.
Dole is no longer running the Red Cross. Dole no longer has a Cabinet position. Dole is supposed to be attending Banking Committee meetings and meetings of the Senate Armed Services Committee. She is supposed to be doing her job in Washington when she isn't in the state she represents. Apparently, though, Liddy Dole has a problem with that part of her job as well.
After reviewing many transcripts and watching hundreds of hours of video I can confirm that Dole has not participated in quite a few meetings - at last count 61 - of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. This is not a committee that meets every day and sometimes it doesn't meet more than once a month. I have heard it rumored by more than one person in Washington that Mrs. Dole does not often attend the meetings of her assigned committees.
Dole's campaign has claimed her assigned committees are important to North Carolina. If that's the case, why doesn't she bother to show up very often? If Mrs. Dole had worked a little harder on the banking committee do you think maybe she could have helped avert our current crisis? I guess we'll never know. What we do know is that Elizabeth Dole has certainly "worked hard" to earn her ineffectiveness rating.
North Carolina needs a senator in Washington who represents North Carolinians. Please help us send Kay Hagan to Washington.
