Democrats are continuing to hit the "stop the Tea Party" theme in an attempt to defeat Wake County school board candidates Heather Losurdo and Ron Margiotta.

As noted in today's article, a new mailer appearing in mail boxes Tuesday urges people to request an absentees ballot to stop the Tea Party. It's funded by the same group that paid for the mailers that came over the weekend accusing Margiotta and Losurdo of pushing the Tea Party agenda on Wake schools.

This new mailer says "you can stop the Tea Party without even leaving your couch." It also reads "with absentee balloting, there's no excuse to skip this election and let the Tea Party win."

A group headed by a Raleigh Democratic businessman prominent in the gay community has sent out a Wake County school board campaign mailer urging voters to "vote again Ron Margiotta and the Tea Party agenda."

The front of the mailer charges that board chairman "Ron Margiotta forced the Tea Party agenda on our schools" and says that "on October 11, we can fight back." The wording borders an image of an angry Margiotta standing next to a Raleigh police officer at one of the school board meetings that was disrupted by protesters.

"Wake County School Board Chairman Ron Margiotta is backed by Tea Party radicals with a right-wing agenda that is hurting our public schools," according to the inside of the flier. "This partisan, slash-and-burn agenda is draining resources from our schools  and ruining their reputation. The results of Margiotta's agenda have been devastating — our schools' accreditation is now at risk, and $80 million in federal school funding has been jeopardized."

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST

When State Board of Elections Chairman Larry Leake introduced a document outlining Democrats elections plans, he said the document might never be made public.

The document outlines a plan by the N.C. Democratic Party to coordinate get-out-the-vote and other efforts to push a full slate of Democrats.

The News & Observer has requested access to the document, which has been submitted to the board and, the newspaper argues, should be a public record.

Board member Bob Cordle, in his questions to former party official Scott Falmlen, noted that Republicans would want to see the document as much as newspapers.

Cordle told Falmlen that the Democratic Party would have to make a show of what information needed to be kept secret.

"You're going to have to show us what's proprietary and what's considered to be proprietary," Cordle said.

The former executive director of the N.C. Democratic Party said the party did not have a separate account for funneling money to former Gov. Mike Easley.

Scott Falmlen said he was in the best position to know what went on with campaign finance between the party and Easley's campaign.

Two big donors have earlier testified to the State Board of Elections that they gave large checks to the party that they expected to be passed along to Easley. Board members have made reference to a special "Governor's Fund" within the party.

Falmlen said the term was a code applied to contributions so the party would know how much money Easley's campaign had raised for the party.

"It was not a bank account. It was a source code," Falmlen said.

The State Board of Elections is looking at the N.C. Democratic Party's coordinated campaign plan for the 2000 election.

Former executive director of the party, Scott Falmlen, agreed to show the plan, which would normally be kept a closely-held secret.

Board chairman Larry Leake said the board intended to keep portions of the plan secret and to prevent the document from becoming public.
The plan presumably would spell out the Democrat's plans to get out the vote and push the Democratic ticket.

For the purposes of the State Board of Elections hearing, Falmlen offerred to produce the plan to help show that the party did not agree to funnel illegal campaign contributions for former Gov. Mike Easley.

The get-out-the-vote effort would include mailers, robocalls and election day-poll workers and door knockers.

Above: Falmlen reviews the N.C. Democratic Party's plan to win the 2000 elections. Staff photo by Shawn Rocco.

Testimony from Scott Falmlen in Florida led to a statement that he had made "purposeful misstatements."