In a different era, Robert Pittenger might have been president of the Flat Earth Society.  Today, he's announcing his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor.

State Senator Robert Pittenger (R-Mecklenburg) is one of North Carolina's most persistent deniers of the science of climate change, and a harsh critic of efforts to address global warming.  His declarations on the topic are consistently at odds with the consensus analysis of the international scientific community.

Dan Besse, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, today called for adoption of new rules to ensure that state-funded teen pregnancy prevention programs include comprehensive, medically accurate information.

"For state-funded teen pregnancy prevention programs to work, they must be complete and accurate," said Besse.  "We can't allow our tax money to finance misleading or inaccurate programs that put our young people's health at risk."

Dan Besse, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, today endorsed a call issued this week by 43 coastal scientists to reject new exceptions to North Carolina's ban on coastal seawalls and groins.

"We must protect our beaches and coastal islands by maintaining our ban on new seawalls and 'groins'," said Besse, a former chair of the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission and current Winston-Salem City Council Member.

The Progressive Democrats of North Carolina (PDNC) voted overwhelmingly at their annual meeting December 8 to endorse Dan Besse for Lieutenant Governor.  After reviewing candidates' responses to a 20-part written questionnaire and hearing from the candidates in a head-to-head forum, the PDNC membership selected Besse by 72%, with 28% voting for other candidates.  PDNC was organized in 2004 to work for economic, environmental, and social justice in North Carolina through the democratic process.  It has multiple county chapters and members around the state.  Three of the four announced Democratic candidates for Lieutnenant Governor participated in the PDNC's candidate forum on December 8 and sought the group's endorsement.  This endorsement takes on special significance as the first organizational endorsement in this contest following a direct comparison of the candidates, their positions, and their records.

"We have to stand up as Americans for the health of all our children," said Besse.  "President Bush's veto of health care for children whose families' can't afford private insurance was a profoundly immoral act. "  

Besse explained that the Bush veto, if not overturned, will undercut North Carolina's efforts to cover more of the over 250,000 children in our state with no regular health care coverage.