Times-News: Hagan Vows to Fight for Change

The Times News
By Brie Handgraaf
Published May 9, 2008

North Carolina families are crying out for change, and that is what Kay Hagan said she would fight for when elected to the United States Senate at Friday’s Democratic Three Governors Dinner at Occasions on Front Street in Burlington.

Hagan said she would fight for the true interests of North Carolinians, unlike the Republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole.

“Simply put, let me tell you, Elizabeth Dole was just ranked the 93rd least effective senator in Washington,” Hagan said to the laughing crowd of local Democrats as she proudly stated that she was recently ranked as one of the 10 most effective state senators in North Carolina. “And Elizabeth Dole votes with President Bush 92 percent of the time. I will guarantee you are not representing the interests if you are voting straight-party like that with Bush all the time. That is not what North Carolinians want.”

Hagan went on to say she has stood up for residents and fought to keep a balanced budget while doing great things for North Carolina.

Hagan learned from her children, one of whom went to Duke University while another went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to end partisan bickering to get things accomplished.

“We get along great as a family,” she added.

She ended her speech by hoping Dole would click her ruby slippers and head back to Kansas with Bob.

Other speakers such as Alamance County Democratic party chair James “Hunt” Johnson and Jim Long, NC commissioner of insurance, spoke about Hagan’s commitment to locals.

Johnson encouraged the audience to become political action committees of one, using the example of Crystal Lee Sutton – whose courage and strength led to the union organization of mill workers and inspired the 1979 film Norma Rae with Sally Field.

Sutton praised Hagan for your determination and willingness to fight for the masses.
“It has been a long time waiting. We need to make sure the working poor are taken care of,” Sutton said. “She will put the pride back in the hip pocket of America.”

The banquet was an annual democratic celebration and commemoration for past governors Thomas Holt, W. Kerr Scott and Robert Scott, all from Alamance County.

http://www.thetimesnews.com/articles/hagan_13386___article.html/north_fight.html

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