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Note to Democrats: Don’t Support Voter ID

By biglu January 23, 2013

Gary is taking a break from blogging.  Today’s pinch-hitter is Thomas Mills.     Pat McCrory and some of his Republican allies are now saying they are ready to compromise on voter ID. Compromise with whom? With super-majorities in the state house and senate, Republicans can pass whatever bill they want without any Democratic support.…

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The New Normal?

By Carter Wrenn January 23, 2013

Last month up in the hallowed halls of Congress, Speaker John Boehner slipped on a banana peel – deciding it was time to flex his muscles he stripped four Republican Congressmen of their blue-chip committee assignments – which, in Washington, is the same as the army stripping off a general’s epaulets in public.   Back then, watching,…

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Jim Hunt’s Pope

By Gary Pearce January 22, 2013

Gary’s taking a break from blogging. Pinch-hitting today is a TAPster with a long memory:   Re your blog posting about Art Pope (“The Budget Pope”): A lot of people either aren’t old enough to remember, or simply don’t know, that another wealthy Raleigh businessman was indispensable to Jim Hunt in that role.    John…

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Afghanistan

By Carter Wrenn January 22, 2013

President Obama stepped to the podium in the White House at a press conference – with Afgnanistani President Karzai beside him – and said he’s bringing 66,000 American soldiers home from Afghanistan sooner rather than later (which sounded fine). Then he added, Because the Afghan Army is now ready to whip the Taliban all by…

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Republican Tax-Raisers

By Gary Pearce January 21, 2013

This headline is off-message: “NC Republicans want tax hikes on food, services” (WRAL).   At a time when Washington Republicans are cementing reputations as anti-tax hardliners, how did Raleigh Republicans get plunged into this morass?   The answer: a member of their caucus, Senator Bob Rucho, dragged them to the cliff. Question: Will Governor McCrory,…

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The Search for the Cure

By Carter Wrenn January 18, 2013

To cure gun violence the Vice President met with the NRA, which told him the cure was fixing our broken culture – like violent video games; next the Vice President met with the video game industry which told him ‘Independent scientific research showed no connection between video games and real-life violence,’ then another group told…

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Eric for Chair

By Gary Pearce January 18, 2013

I avoid political events. Been there, done that. But last night I dragged myself out in the rain and cold to hear Eric Mansfield, who’s running for Democratic Party chair.   I don’t pretend to understand internal party politics. But here’s my opinion: A party with Mansfield as chair will be a party to be…

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Tax Gamble

By Gary Pearce January 17, 2013

North Carolina Republicans are stepping out on a political high-wire.   Surely, most people love the idea of not paying personal or corporate income taxes.   But then you start looking at the details. Every business would pay a receipts tax. Everybody would pay (and businesses bill and pay) a tax on services – medical…

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Patience

By Gary Pearce January 16, 2013

Sometimes the hardest and smartest thing to do – in politics as in life – is just to watch and wait.   Some patience now will pay off in the long run for North Carolina Democrats.   Governor McCrory already stumbled by giving his new Cabinet big pay raises. Dick and Jane at home get…

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