Archive for 2013
Civility or Civil War?
Don’t spike the ball too early, Democrats. The Tea Party may be a taste of what’s ahead for our party. Last weeks’ Armageddon – or maybe, “Armadebtaggon” – looks now like a disaster for the GOP. The episode turned Americans and many Republicans against the Cruz crusaders. But the Republican civil war may…
Read MoreJamie Kirk Hahn Foundation
A point of personal privilege. We lost a bright light when we lost Jamie Kirk Hahn six months ago. Now, the Jamie Kirk Hahn Foundation has been established to honor her life and continue the work she cared about. Hundreds of friends, colleagues, family members and even people who barely knew Jamie have made…
Read MoreBlindness
Back in the throes of winter the State Auditor audited the North Carolina Medicaid Department and reported it had the highest administrative costs of just about any state Medicaid Department around – which sure sounded right because, as just about everyone knows, North Carolina’s Medicaid program has been a bollixed mess for years. But…
Read MoreFear Itself
Old FDR was on to something in March 1933. Eighty years later, fear itself drives American politics – and maybe is driving us into serious economic troubles. Fear lies at the bottom of the mean streak in politics today. You see it in the Tea Party: “I’ve got mine; the hell with you.” You…
Read MoreGOP Debacle
For Republicans, the shutdown turned into a slapdown and the default into their fault. The GOP lost the debate, lost the battle for public opinion and put itself in a deep, deep hole for the 2014 elections. Governor McCrory’s DHHS debacle, $87,000 salaries and $230,000 bathrooms pale in significance. The issues in the shutdown-default…
Read MoreA Sign?
In the 2006 election voters gave Republicans the boot. In 2010 they turned around and gave Democrats the boot. Now, according to a new poll, 60% of voters would vote to remove all the politicians in Congress. Democrats and Republicans. A sign of sanity?
Read MoreCan the Potty Jokes
Spend $230,000 in taxpayers’ money fixing up the private bathrooms at the Executive Mansion? You could hear howls across the state when that news leaked. (Get it? “Leaked”?) OK, time out. No more potty humor. This has already been a headline-writer’s dream: “Flushed,” “in loo of,” “down the drain,” “taxpayers take bath.” Let’s deal…
Read MoreA Calm Explanation
There’s been a lot of screeching and howling coming out of Washington about who shut down the government. Respected economist Thomas Sowell lays out his opinion pretty calmly below: Who Shut Down the Government? By Thomas Sowell Even when it comes to something as basic, and apparently as simple and straightforward, as the…
Read MoreAnarchist Alert
The legislature’s gendarmes were searching in all the wrong places. General Assembly Police Chief Jeff Weaver revealed this week that his 18-officer department is collecting intel on “anarchists,” including Moral Monday protestors. The Chief and his sleuths are on alert for people who are “against government.” Here’s a clue, Inspector Clouseau: You’ll find…
Read MoreA Poker Game
A government shutdown’s turned out to be a peculiar sort of beast. First, before a shutdown, every politician – in both parties – declares the government shutting will be terrible. Awful. Armageddon. And every politician swears they want the government to stay open. Then the government shuts down. Next one group of…
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