Dems strive to halt Burr's drive

The N.C. Democratic Party hosted a conference call Thursday in a last-minute effort to highlight what it says are the shortcomings of Republican senatorial candidate Richard Burr.

The party sought to highlight Burr's record on issues such as breast cancer, jobs, the tobacco buyout and health care in hopes of stalling the momentum he has built during the last few weeks against Democrat Erskine Bowles.

In a poll of 621 likely voters released Monday by Survey USA, 47 percent of respondents said they would vote for Burr as opposed to 45 percent for Bowles with a 4 percent margin of error.

The poll, shows a statistical tie. But less than a month ago, Burr was down 10 points, and Democrats are trying to whittle down his lead.

Mary Barker, a volunteer with the National Breast Cancer Coalition , discussed Burr's record on supporting disease-related programs.

Burr was a co-sponsor of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act, which called for Medicaid coverage for low-income, uninsured and underinsured women battling breast or cervical cancer.

But Barker said Burr has voted against key bills that would aid research and study, "and yet he has the audacity to run an ad saying he supports women with breast cancer. He is trying to get votes totally and completely through emotion."

Delmas Parker, 5th District chairman for the N.C. Democratic Party, spoke on Burr's record of supporting his district.

He said Burr consistently votes with his party instead of keeping campaign promises, and he added that jobs have left Ashe County.

Pender Sharp, a tobacco farmer from Wilson County, criticized Burr for his role in the tobacco buyout.

He said the only thing Burr has ever done for the buyout is to tout the fact that he would vote for one.

"That's not leadership," he said.

Sharp also accused Burr of standing up for large tobacco companies. Burr did not support Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy's proposal to give the Food and Drug Administration authority over tobacco products with a buyout, he said, because it wouldn't provide advantages to corporations.

"I find it ironic that Senator Kennedy protected my interest more than Burr," Sharp said.

Thelma Lennon of Raleigh, former president of the N.C. AARP, presented Burr's record on prescription drugs and drug imports.

She said that under Burr's leadership, the cost of prescription drugs has increased while insurance has decreased. "I know people who don't eat because they need to pay for prescription drugs," she said.

Lennon said Bowles provides a huge contrast to Burr.

"There is no reason that Americans should have to pay up to 70 percent more than people in other countries," Lennon said. "Vote for Mr. Bowles, who has a plan and puts people first."

But Doug Heye, spokesman of the Richard Burr campaign, said most of the statements relayed during the conference call were false. "It says a lot that they couldn't come up with one cohesive theme," Heye said.

"The Bowles campaign are going negative, and they are going negative because they don't have support of female voters."

And he denied that Burr has any relationship with RJ Reynolds.

"They will throw anything out regardless of factual relevance because they are trying to scare people into voting for Bowles," he said. "The only theme present during the conference call was that Democrats do not like Richard Burr."

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.