Cash Michaels is going into full attack mode on Wake County school board chairman Ron Margiotta and fellow Republican-backed school board candidate Heather Losurdo.

In an article in the latest issue of The Carolinian, Michaels accuses the GOP-backed school board candidates of ignoring and antagonizing Wake's African-American community. He in particular targets Margiotta and Losurdo.

Michaels brings up the "here comes the animals out of the cages" remark and adds that Margiotta's "tactics have rubbed even fellow Republicans close to him the wrong way at times." He cites this 2009 letter (pg. 5) in Margiotta's campaign finance records filed by Phyllis Bryson when she resigned as Margiotta's campaign treasurer.

Steven Nelson, chairman of Wake County GOP Men's Club, is defending the husband of Wake County school board candidate Heather Losurdo amid questions about his guilty plea for hiring illegal immigrants.

In the September issue of the club's newsletter e-mailed this week, Nelson complained that the "left" had targeted Losurdo by not telling the full story about her husband's case. He said he wanted to give more details because "the truth will destroy their ability to use this smear."

Heather Losurdo said she didn't know ahead of time that Nelson would be mentioning her husband's case. But she said her husband was a victim of corrupt business practices who was caught in a difficult situation.

Progress North Carolina, a liberal advocacy group, is going after Wake County school board candidate Heather Losurdo.

Progress NC Action has launched this website in which they call Losurdo "the queen of extreme" for various remarks she's posted on Facebook. The group accuses Losurdo's remarks of showing she has "extremist ideas," "anti-public school views" and "hate speech."

One remark they highlight is a Facebook post from Losurdo in which she  uses the acronym "LMAO!!!," for "laughing my a-- off," in response to a 2010 post by her husband, Craig Losurdo: "The skunk has replaced the Eagle as the new symbol of the American Presidency. It is half black, half white, and everything it does stinks!"

CLARIFICATION

The website was created by Progress NC Action, the group formed by the parent organization to allow it to be involved in political races.