From the Southern Political Report:
North Carolina: Shuler for Senator?
Second-termer Heath Shuler (D-NC) has again signaled that he’s out of step with his national party, but in step with the folks back home in kinda/sorta conservative North Carolina. After joining ten other Dixie lawmakers in voting against President Obama’s stimulus package, Shuler — in remarks to an economic forum in Raleigh — criticized Democratic congressional leaders for failing the test of bipartisanship in crafting the stimulus package. On February 9, Shuler, who is a whip for the conservative Blue Dog Coalition, joined the group in a visit to the White House where they discussed the economy with President Obama. In a statement Shuler released after the meeting, he said, “”We must be mindful that our long-term economic health depends on reducing the national debt and balancing the budget.” He praised Obama as “committed to realistically addressing our long-term fiscal health.” Shuler, elected to Congress from the 11th District (Asheville, etc.) in 2006, is a potential Democratic challenger to US Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) next year.