By Jimmy Ryals
The Daily Reflector

U.S. Senate candidate Jim Neal brought his “different kind of statewide campaign” to Greenville on Tuesday night.

Neal, a Greensboro Democrat, spoke to local Democrats at Sheppard Memorial Library. During an interview before his appearance, Neal said he’s eschewing consultant- and media-driven campaigning for a more direct appeal to voters.

“What we’re doing is trying to restore representative government,” Neal said. “I want to go out and listen to people.”

To that end, Neal said he’s touring the state to hear from voters directly. So far, he’s reached roughly 50 counties. His appearance Tuesday was his second in Pitt County since entering the race. Neal spoke at East Carolina University in January.

During that tour, Neal said, a sagging economy has surpassed the war in Iraq as the dominant issue in the campaign. He proposed launching a government purchase of subprime mortgage loans whose holders are in danger of foreclosure for nonpayment. Homeowners would then renegotiate their loans to get more manageable payments.

Modeled on a similar 1930s, Depression-era program, such an effort would stabilize the economy, Neal said.

“Nobody’s getting bailed out,” he said. “It’s not bailing out banks because they’ve already recorded the losses what it’s doing is providing stability to homeowners for their principal asset.”

While Neal described himself as a “fiscal conservative,” he said the federal government should fund more economic development efforts in rural areas.

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