Jack Betts writes that Republicans in the legislature are about to “blow it.”Mark Binker writes that – despite promises of bipartisan cooperation – “the state’s chief executive and top lawmakers are at loggerheads.” Is anybody surprised? Of course they had to promise to get along. No politician wants to be the first to…
Read MoreRepublican House Leader Skip Stam, according to the newspaper, has introduced a new law limiting how much corporations with state contracts can give to politicians who grant the contracts. Surely a step in the right direction. But, that said, while Representative Stam’s limiting donations to the Democratic Governor and folks in the Executive Branch…
Read MoreDemocrats are speculating that Congressman Brad Miller won’t run again in 2012. He’s raised only about $30,000 this cycle – less than most any Democratic incumbent. And he has told friends he expects that – just as he drew himself a good district when he chaired the state Senate redistricting committee – the Republicans…
Read MoreSometimes you have to rise above principle. That’s what Rep. Leo Daughtry and several Republican House members did this week when they voted to weaken the tort reform bill. Normally, tort reform is an article of faith for Republicans. It’s not only in their platforms, it’s in their genetic code. But that…
Read MoreIt’s baseball season, and all across our land fans are enjoying hits, runs – and errors. So it is in politics in North Carolina. Herewith, our Top 3 of the week. Number 1, of course, has to be the pileup of errors by Governor Perdue and her staff over her whereabouts when the…
Read MoreOn the off-chance Republicans don’t nominate Donald Trump and hand him reelection, President Obama needs a better story. Not a better story about where he was born or how he grew up. A story line that explains the times we live in and where he thinks we should go. All great Presidents develop…
Read MoreFor years auto insurers have locked horns with Insurance Commissioners over raising car insurance premiums, but, now, Republican legislators are about to solve their problem – by getting the Insurance Commission out of the auto-insurers hair – a move the Commissioner says is dead certain sure to bring higher car insurance premiums. The newspaper,…
Read MoreGovernor Perdue & Staff are wrapped up in an unnecessary kerfluffle over where she was Saturday when deadly tornados struck North Carolina. It turns out she was in Kentucky, maybe – or maybe not – at a horse race. Which led one TAPster to look past the political flap to the economic possibilities of…
Read MoreA TAPster calls attention to a bill before the General Assembly titled “Upgrade Security Services-Government Complex” and observes: “It calls for x-ray machines and metal detectors for state buildings downtown. It calls for EMTs on staff. This is all sounds really good. But it allows up to 1 million dollars to cover the walkway…
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