Welcome to Raleigh!

Governor McCrory is learning that it’s easier to run for office than run an administration. And message discipline is easier in a campaign. Especially when the legislature is in town.   McCrory wants his message to be jobs. But he sidetracked himself last week by picking a fight over the value of college education.  …

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A Wayward Pleasure

Respect for higher education has fostered a long-time tradition of reverence for college professors. They’re honored and pampered. They get tenure and sabbaticals to study and think.   Then the other day, out of a clear blue sky, the professors’ placid world rocked – when Governor Pat McCrory announced the way he sees it state…

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Coming to America

Gary is taking a break from blogging. Our guest blogger is Tapster Joe Stewart.   I grew up in Raleigh, graduating from Athens Drive High School in 1982. The athletic conference (note singular) at the time was the Cap 8 and included (what seemed like) the remote outposts of Fuquay-Varina and Smithfield Selma.   I…

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The Sooner the Better

Speaker John Boehner probably never meant to end up being the face and voice of the Republican Party – but he’s the man in the room facing Obama so that’s how it is.   Last month, just before the House passed the Speaker’s bill to raise the debt ceiling until May, I asked an old…

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Nipples and College

While I was gone, Governor McCrory came out against college education and Republican legislators came out against women’s nipples. These are two (or three?) big reasons I’m not a Republican.   In fairness, the Governor took it back. He said he was for college education after he was against it. Kind of like John Kerry.…

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Surprise, Surprise

  Gary is taking a break from blogging. Our guest blog today is from a Tapster. Republicans won control of the NC General Assembly with a promise to create jobs and improve the state’s economy.   So, where is the proposed legislation to do that?   Of the 100 or so bills introduced in the…

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Sisters: Defend Yourselves

  Gary is taking a break from blogging. Our guest blogger is Joyce Fitzpatrick.   The war on women continues.   Cokie Roberts spoke Tuesday evening at the Kenan- Flagler School at UNC Chapel Hill about how inhospitable the Romney/Ryan ticket had been to women and immigrants. They responded in huge numbers to give President Obama…

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