Archive for 2009
Does Anybody Care?
The capital press corps and several editorial writers have whacked Governor Perdue and the Democratic legislative leadership for not getting a budget done. But does anybody outside downtown Raleigh care? Obviously, other people in government care. Like local governments. And school officials who don’t know how many teachers to hire. But I…
Read MoreSenate Scramble
Elaine Marshall is telling people she’s in the 2010 U.S. Senate race. That should give Cal Cunningham and Kenneth Lewis pause. She has two big advantages: stature and gender. Women have won three of the last five races for governor or Senator in North Carolina: Dole, Hagan and Perdue versus Easley and Burr. …
Read MoreDear Mike and Mary
Please stop. Drop the grievance. Stop the bleeding. On just one day last week, NCSU’s chancellor said your grievance proceeding is taking up too much of the university’s time and attention, the Democratic Party coughed up $24,000 because of you and the NCSU band cancelled a trip to Ireland because of you. …
Read MoreBev Blows It Up
What do you do when your poll ratings are as bad as any governor’s in the country, somewhere down in Bush-Cheney territory? When you’ve been outfought and outfoxed by June Atkinson, for Pete’s sake? And when fellow Democrats are calling you a lame duck in your first year? Well, you could find something more…
Read MoreA Tall Tale
Alright. Follow this: The Governor rips into the House and Senate Democrats’ tax increase – saying she cannot abide their raising taxes on working people. Then (giving Mark and Tony and Joe another rap on the nose) she lets fly, again, saying they also cut education too much. Of course that didn’t sit too…
Read MoreOne Clever Liberal
Columnist Rick Horowitz may be the sharpest tongued liberal around. He probably doesnât mean much harm but sometimes when he writes he sounds like he has the disposition of a water moccasin. The other day in a column he called Dick Cheney âgreedyâ¦vainâ¦and scaredâ then panned Cheney for âdishing the dirt.â Now heâs aimed his…
Read MoreAn Education for Bev
Last week I blogged that Governor Perdue was doing a better job than her poll numbers suggest. But I’m starting to think she’s snake-bit. Her signature action, her big bold idea of appointing a state education CEO, got thrown out by a judge. Now Bill Harrison has graciously retreated from the battlefield. Predictably,…
Read MoreTax Gamble
The N&O’s banner headline today had to give Democrats heartburn: “The new plan: more taxes for all.” Democrats in the legislature have no choice. For all the Republican fulminating about waste, piers and crabpots, the only alternative to higher taxes is deep cuts in education and human services. Democrats just can’t do that. …
Read MorePolls and Seesaws
Polls are a lot like seesaws: They tilt up then gravity takes hold and the poor fellow who was rising finds himself dropping like a stone. Right now gravityâs pulling the Democrats down and the liberals over at Public Policy Polling are so concerned by this seismic shift theyâve turned their automatic polling machines…
Read MoreA Voice
For a long time the North Carolina Republican Party has needed its own ‘voice’ and at last it’s found one. Whether you opposed or supported Tom Fetzer during his campaign for State Chairman you have to give him credit: He’s not bashful about debating Governor Perdue and he has a gift for it. …
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