At lunch last week with a group of knowledgeable media and political types, I asked this question: Has any state in the country ever had women simultaneously occupy its top three elected offices – governor and both U.S. Senate seats? Because North Carolina could this year: Governor Bev Perdue, Senator Kay Hagan and –…
Read MoreAn odd thing happened on the way to the post-racial era. Mrs. Shirley Sherrod a black Department of Agriculture employee in rural Georgia gave a speech to the NAACP, admitted twenty years ago she discriminated against a poor white farmer, explained how she’d realized she was wrong and turned around and helped the farmer –…
Read MoreThere was a nice little contrast this weekend under the category of News About Politicians’ Children. There was the nice, simple little wedding of Chelsea Clinton. (I can already see my conservative commentators’ blood pressure rising as they prepare to lace into the cost and glitz of the ceremony. Give the girl a…
Read MoreI’m beginning to suspect there’s something out of kilter between the true-blue liberals in Washington and their gung-ho cousins (and fellow Obama supporters) here in Raleigh who’re running state government. Up in Washington the true liberals are about to launch the political equivalent of a Holy War to end President Bush’s tax cuts so…
Read MoreOver the years I’ve watched Southern Politics and Irish Politics (in New York) and once even had a dose of Chicago politics but none of them were as byzantine as Italian Politics in Raleigh – for a week I’ve been trying to figure out if the Italians are surrendering or if they’re about to sneak…
Read MoreI expect Andrew Breitbart was telling the unvarnished truth when he told CNN he did not mean to smear Shirley Sherrod on his blog – that he meant to blast the NAACP because it had blasted the Tea Party and Mrs. Sherrod’s wounding was the political equivalent of what’s euphemistically called ‘collateral damage’ over in…
Read MoreSometimes a candidate comes along who is so compelling that, even though he’s running for office in another state, I am compelled to bring him to your attention. Please meet Basil Marceaux.com. of Tennessee. He could be the next Alvin Green.
Read MoreThe State Democratic Party convention is in Fayetteville this weekend. If you go, you can see how much politics has changed in a lifetime. State party conventions used to be a big deal. Huge crowds, lots of enthusiasm and a good chance to take a party’s temperature for the upcoming elections. The latter…
Read MoreSo let’s talk about what Raleigh’s buzzing about this week: Is there some kind of statutory deadline in the Mike Easley case this month – that is, tomorrow? Is something coming from the U.S. Attorney? Is this investigation ever going to end? Is George Holding holding on until President Obama’s second…
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