Dueling with a Reporter
2010-05-13 - by
While Democratic Senate Leader Martin Nesbit was dancing a two-step with reporter Mark Johnson, Governor Perdue was having her own duel with the News and Observer’s Andrew Curliss – and she wasn’t doing as well as Nesbit.
Curliss set about grilling the Governor on what she’s doing – and not doing – to clean up corruption and the Governor waxed elegant saying she’s going to make her appointees to state boards go to their meetings, remove anyone who gets indicted and have Ethics Forms to be filed electronically.
Then – from Perdue’s perspective – the interview turned nasty.
Because Curliss started asking about the reforms the Governor’s not passing.
For instance a donor can only give $8000 to Perdue’s campaign – but he can give an unlimited amount to the Democratic Party which, in turn, can give an unlimited amount to Perdue.
How did Perdue feel, Curliss asked, about closing that loophole?
That, Perdue replied, will have to wait for later.
What about, Curliss asked, Special Grand Juries? Did the Governor support setting up special Grand Juries to investigate corruption and did she support making it a crime to lie to an SBI agent, like it’s a crime to lie to an FBI agent?
Now back around the time that proposal – about the Special Grand Juries – was sitting on Perdue’s desk waiting for her approval one of her donors in Wilmington was being investigated by the District Attorney for making illegal corporate donations (and as a result, Perdue had to return $50,000 in donations).
Bottom line: The Governor decided setting up Special Grand Juries ought to wait until later too.
Finally, Curliss asked the Governor why she wasn’t going to make her appointees to State Boards and Commissions disclose how much money they raised for her.
Perdue looked at her two staffers.
“Didn’t we do that?” she asked.
No ma’am, one of the staffers said. We put it off to next year.
Perdue looked back at Curliss.
Well, she said, nothing is off the table.
Dueling with a Reporter
2010-05-13/
While Democratic Senate Leader Martin Nesbit was dancing a two-step with reporter Mark Johnson, Governor Perdue was having her own duel with the News and Observer’s Andrew Curliss – and she wasn’t doing as well as Nesbit.
Curliss set about grilling the Governor on what she’s doing – and not doing – to clean up corruption and the Governor waxed elegant saying she’s going to make her appointees to state boards go to their meetings, remove anyone who gets indicted and have Ethics Forms to be filed electronically.
Then – from Perdue’s perspective – the interview turned nasty.
Because Curliss started asking about the reforms the Governor’s not passing.
For instance a donor can only give $8000 to Perdue’s campaign – but he can give an unlimited amount to the Democratic Party which, in turn, can give an unlimited amount to Perdue.
How did Perdue feel, Curliss asked, about closing that loophole?
That, Perdue replied, will have to wait for later.
What about, Curliss asked, Special Grand Juries? Did the Governor support setting up special Grand Juries to investigate corruption and did she support making it a crime to lie to an SBI agent, like it’s a crime to lie to an FBI agent?
Now back around the time that proposal – about the Special Grand Juries – was sitting on Perdue’s desk waiting for her approval one of her donors in Wilmington was being investigated by the District Attorney for making illegal corporate donations (and as a result, Perdue had to return $50,000 in donations).
Bottom line: The Governor decided setting up Special Grand Juries ought to wait until later too.
Finally, Curliss asked the Governor why she wasn’t going to make her appointees to State Boards and Commissions disclose how much money they raised for her.
Perdue looked at her two staffers.
“Didn’t we do that?” she asked.
No ma’am, one of the staffers said. We put it off to next year.
Perdue looked back at Curliss.
Well, she said, nothing is off the table.