Democratic campaign consultant Joe Sinsheimer was one of the first people to call for Jim Black’s outster from power. The founder of the “Jim Black Must Go” web site still has plenty of harsh words for fellow Democrats:
I think this is all about the speaker’s need for power. I mean anybody that would have stayed in office over the last 18 months and taken the beating he’s taken from the press corps is a man that’s obsessed with being in the public eye and remaining in power. And I think there’s some kind of sick psychological component to this because he should have stepped down. And — you know what — his colleagues last April should have thrown him out of office.
Just today, in today’s paper, we have the majority leader — the new elected majority leader, the one that we’re supposed to hope is going to clean things up — Hugh Holliman — saying he doesn’t think Jim Black should go to prison, that Jim Black’s never done anything wrong, never done anything for personal gain. They are in denial over there.
It starts in the governor’s office and it goes to Lt. Gov. Perdue and State Treasurer Richard Moore. It’s time for elected officials inside the Democratic Party and the leadership of this state to face up to … we have a corruption problem on Jones Street.
Now people realize why I’ve been so outspoken. I knew the speaker was involved in unethical behavior. Im shocked like everybody else that it was criminal behavior. But — you know — I’d like an apology from state chairman Jerry Meek, State Democratic Party Chairman. he accused me of character assassination over a year ago when I put up my web site. And I think what we’ve actually seen is character suicide. And I think Jerry Meek owes the people of North Carolina an apology.
And I hope that — more importantly — the governor steps up and puts forth some new and real ethics proposals. I’m not just talking about lobbyist registration, which is an important step forward, but we have to break up the pay-for-play system. It’s still going on today.
