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Dangerous Business

By Gary Pearce May 16, 2011

We now have clear evidence that political blogging is hazardous to the health of the body politic.   Under the Dome led this morning with my blog speculating that the legislature would be in session until December.   It was a joke. I was being facetious. (Well, partly facetious. I was serious about legislators being…

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The Terror of Winning…

By Carter Wrenn May 16, 2011

Bev Perdue and Phil Berger are beginning to sound a bit like a couple whose marriage is on the rocks – she says she’s “disgusted” with him and he’s hunkered down like a harassed husband grumbling she’s done nothing but say, “Do it my way – that’s the only way that I’ll accept.”   What…

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A Reese Hart Story

By Gary Pearce May 13, 2011

Back in the 1970s, the AP had a legislative reporter in Raleigh named Reese Hart. In those days, AP, UPI and all the major newspapers generated a flood of stories about daily legislative developments. The N&O, where I worked, had a couple of pages every day devoted to the minutiae of bill introductions, committee meetings…

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The Obama Poll Bump

By Gary Pearce May 12, 2011

Dick Morris was quick to dismiss the AP poll showing President Obama’s approval rating at 60 percent. The sample was “too Democratic,” he said. Indeed.   Well, if Dick’s squawking, Republicans must be squirming. Especially given the pitiful weakness of their presidential field so far.   Now, I’ve cautioned Democrats about a post-bin Laden “bump”…

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Off Track Again

By Gary Pearce May 11, 2011

First it was protecting us against Shariah law. Then it was protecting our right to carry guns to parks and workplaces. Then it was designing roads. Now it’s dictating medical procedures to women and their doctors.     Republicans in the legislature are determined to do everything – but address North Carolina’s economic problems.   And…

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Wrong Turn

By Gary Pearce May 10, 2011

Once again Republicans in the legislature have focused on an issue that apparently is more urgent than creating jobs and balancing the budget: They’ve gone into the road-designing business.   Bruce Siceloff reports in the N&O that “the Senate is scheduled to vote today on a proposal to rip out part of an Asheville road,…

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A Quirk of History

By Gary Pearce May 9, 2011

I’m fascinated by odd coincidences in history – like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both dying on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence.   What are the odds?   What are the odds that a terrorist named Osama would be killed in a military operation ordered by a President named…

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Warning: Non-PC Jokes Ahead

By Gary Pearce May 9, 2011

Last week, I received a couple of definitely non-politically correct Osama jokes from TAPsters. I wasn’t sure whether to post them, especially given all the angst about killing Osama, the raucous celebrations, releasing the death photos, etc., etc.   Then I decided: What does this blog stand for if it’s not for offending some people?…

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The Osama Story and Photo

By Gary Pearce May 6, 2011

President Obama probably wishes his PR team worked as smoothly as the SEAL team that killed Osama and the intelligence team that found him.   The White House fuzzed up the triumph by rushing to put out information that later proved to be wrong.   Here’s a guess about why that happened: The White House…

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