Foxx challenger addresses Dems
Statesville Record & Landmark
May 16, 2010
By Jim McNally
With its current configuration, the terms "Democratic Convention" and "5th Congressional District" may seem incongruent.
Only 44 districts in the nation — out of 435 — were more supportive of Republican presidential candidates in the last two elections than North Carolina's 5th District.
And the seat's current occupant, Virginia Foxx, has captured 58.3 percent of the votes cast in the last three elections against three different Democrats.
Those less-than-encouraging facts notwithstanding, the 5th District Democrats held their convention Saturday in the auditorium of Mitchell Community College's Continuing Education Center in Statesville.
Watauga County farmer, carpenter and radio personality Billy Kennedy will be facing Foxx in this fall's general election and was the keynote speaker at Saturday's convention.
Kennedy said Foxx can be counted among other Republican politicians who, he said, are largely responsible for the economic crisis that has dominated the news for the past two and a half years and then have come to blame the Democrats for their efforts to try to bring an end to it.
Quoting an unnamed source, Kennedy said, "They ran our economy into a ditch and then complained about the size of the two trucks we're using to get it out."
Kennedy spoke about the need for those who are able to help others who are less fortunate.
"There is a value in taking care of others," he said.
He also said there are a number of benefits — including living longer and healthier lives — in societies that tend to treat their members with equality.
"But my opponent, unfortunately, still likes to use divisiveness to try to get re-elected," Kennedy added.
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