• The Democratic Super PAC Patriot Majority USA unveils an ad attacking GOP Senate candidate Thom Tillis for opposing Obamacare without actually naming the Affordable Care Act — which incumbent Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan voted for.
http://youtu.be/Vxi-CIzU4nA
• Note to potential candidates and campaign watchers: The snow and ice storm has closed the State Board of Elections for the time being. Candidate filing will resume when the weather allows.
• The past week’s votes extending the federal debt ceiling until 2014 could have some impact on this year’s election cycle. Kay Hagan supported the increase and rejected an attempt by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to require 60 votes for passage. (Republican Sen. Richard Burr voted with Cruz both times.) On the House side, all GOP incumbents seeking re-election voted against the final measure extending the debt ceiling without restrictions. The only Tar Heel State Republican voting for a “clean” debt extension was retiring Rep. Howard Coble of the 6th District.
• Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-5th, has a primary challenger: Philip Doyle, a real estate agent from Forsyth County who presumably will claim that Foxx isn’t conservative enough.
• First fact check of Clay Aiken’s congressional campaign! Politifact rates the claim Democrat Aiken made in his campaign-launching video, stating that incumbent Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-2nd District voted “21 times” to shut down the federal government, “half true.”
