Executive Dilemma

Aside from death-penalty cases, it’s the toughest decision governors make.   And that’s so regardless of whether they are Republican or Democrat, named Holshouser, Hunt, Martin or Perdue.   The dilemma: A gubernatorial appointee is accused of an ethical – or even criminal – violation.   Immediately, the media demands that heads roll. Political opponents…

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Fraud and Politics

Governor Perdue waltzed over to Rex Hospital the other day and held a good old-fashioned photo-op (to boost her once again sagging poll numbers) and standing right there in front of the operating room in front of the cameras she morphed into Jesse Helms – announcing that one way or the other, come heck or…

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Race to the Bottom

Several months ago, Governor Perdue summoned North Carolina business executives to an emergency phone call. The subject was a mystery. But when the Governor calls, you answer.   Instead of a big economic announcement, the CEOs listened patiently as the Governor proclaimed that the state was putting in its bid for “Race to the Top”…

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Bev’s Bad Break

A wise old Democrat told me recently that Bev Perdue’s biggest problem is: “She’s broken too many promises.”   The recession and the budget crater are mostly to blame. She’s had to disappoint her friends in education, health care, aging services and mental health.   But her promise to run an ethical administration doesn’t cost…

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Sanctimony or Self-Interest?

Having just admitted (below) one mistake I will risk committing another – except this time I am going to say the following is 100% conjecture. It’s all theory. No facts.   The other day I was having lunch with a group of friends and the flap on the Wake County School Board came up and…

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Mea Culpa

This will come as no surprise to my wife, children or friends but I have made a mistake – the other day I wrote a blog and said State Representative David Lewis voted for Richard Morgan and Jim Black on the final vote for Speaker in 2003. That was dead on 100% wrong. Representative Lewis…

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Wingnuts

Extremism in the defense of liberty may or may not be a vice, but it’s a good way to lose elections. And it may be how Republicans blow their chance at a game-changer in November.   Judging from their hysterical reaction, the stories about threats and violence have touched a raw nerve among Republicans.  …

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Protesting Politics

In Washington, Republicans vow to fight on against health-care reform.   In WakeCounty, school-diversity supporters vow to fight on against the new board’s reassignment plans.   In Washington, reform opponents marched on the Capitol, and some spit on congressmen and called them not-nice names.   In WakeCounty, diversity supporters protested, demonstrated and even got arrested.…

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The Traits of Anony-mices

A while back two meandering tribes of ‘anony-mices’ – as Ms. Joan Troy once called them – set up camp over on the Talking About Politics Forum and, for the past year, these diminutive creatures have made war on one another and just about anyone else they lay eyes on – which brings us to…

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Revisiting 1994

Fred Heineman’s death takes us back to the Republican tidal year of 1994, when a titanic health-care battle led to a Democratic debacle so huge Heineman temporarily unseated David Price.   The big difference this year: Obama succeeded where the Clintons failed.   It takes three ingredients to make an electoral revolution: (1) One side…

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