You’d think Governor Perdue had enough problems with Republicans. But two of the biggest obstacles in her first year have been Democrats – Council of State members. This is nothing new. All Governors get to where they want to call a constitutional convention to abolish the Council of State. The conflict is inherent…
Read MoreMy friend down in Columbia, Chris Neely, is a captain in the ‘Swamp Fox’ Field Artillery of the South Carolina National Guard. And he just got called up. My first thought – other than the obvious concern about danger – when he told me he’s going to be spending the next year in…
Read MoreAs the N&O noted this morning, excerpts from the book Game Change have tarnished Elizabeth Edwards’ halo. People have been reluctant to criticize Elizabeth. She lost a son. She is battling cancer. And she suffered the public humiliation of her husband’s infidelity. But she long had a reputation for being startlingly harsh with people,…
Read MoreThe new revelations about John Edwards’ 2008 campaign – from the book Game Change by John Heilemann & Mark Halperin – raise this question: Didn’t he learn anything in his Senate race? When Edwards ran in 1998 – and I was one of his strategists – we struggled with how to handle the firestorm…
Read MoreIt’s hard to get your arms around but Bev Perdue has surpassed Hunt when it comes to taking stands on both sides of issues. Our Governor’s taken firm stands on both sides of spending cuts. Tax increases. Offshore drilling. Negative political ads. And now – oddly enough – adultery. It seems our State Highway…
Read MoreIs everybody in state government crooked? No, they’re not. But the average person might think so when – in one skinny issue of the paper – they see ABC boards investigated, the ex-DMV director accused of wiretapping and the State Highway Patrol questioned about missing records and sexual misconduct. Does this ever end?…
Read MoreDemocrats need to stop wringing their hands and worrying about November. And start fighting back on health care. Here’s the message: This year – over the opposition of every single Republican in Congress – we did something that Americans have needed for 50 years. When the health-care bill passes, every American will be…
Read MoreThere is a natural rhythm that usually governs politics. And it suggests that 2010 will be a Republican year. But not so fast. Arthur Schlesinger Jr. wrote The Cycles of American History about those political rhythms. In recent years – as both parties have migrated to their political extremes – the cycle…
Read MoreAs the health-care battle resumes in Washington, some history may be just what the doctor ordered. Most people believe this battle traces back to Bill and Hillary Clinton’s failed effort to reform health care in 1993-1994. Actually, it goes back to 1991 – and a now-forgotten special election for the U.S. Senate in…
Read MoreRecent Articles
No, Trump’s blitzkrieg hasn’t left Democrats hapless, hopeless and rudderless. Here’s one example of the immense…
Read More
It’s a kind of mystery – will hitting Canada and Mexico with tariffs land us in…
Read More
Waffle House shows Trump lied – and broke his biggest promise. He promised, “when I win,…
Read More