The pressure on the state Senate’s lottery opponents was jacked up last week, which consisted of 5 Democrats and all 21 Republicans. However, Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight said last week that he wouldn’t pressure fellow “principled” Democrats like Charlie Albertson to change their position and help pass the lottery, according to The News & Observer:
Basnight said the lottery is one of those issues in which people hold deep-seated convictions.
“When you hear the voices of principle,” Basnight said, “you can’t go up against those.”
He cited Albertson, 73, a former U.S. Department of Agriculture official and country singer, who represents a conservative-leaning district in Lenoir, Sampson and Duplin counties.
“Charlie Albertson feels strongly that we shouldn’t have a lottery,” Basnight said. “I’m not one to tell Charlie: ‘Charlie, I’ve done everything you ever asked me to do. I’m a supporter of you and your beliefs and try to see that your community grows and has a rightful chance in the prosperity of this state and appointing you to the [committee] chair that you want to be and see that you remain there.’
“Carry all of that in, and let that weigh on Charlie — no, I’m not going to do that.”
However, it appears Basnight has no reservations about pushing a Republican on the issue:
Lottery supporters needed a single vote in the Senate and thought (Onslow County Republican Sen. Harry) Brown — one of the few Republicans open to a lottery — was their best shot.
Gov. Mike Easley and Senate leader Marc Basnight, Democrats both, urged him not to refuse a source for hundreds of millions of school dollars.
I guess those “voices of principle” only exist in your own party.
