The pre-Thanksgiving flap over a Republican judge’s comments about redistricting is a classic case of a politician committing a sin by speaking the truth. The truth is that the 2008 and 2010 elections are critical to the long-term political future of North Carolina. Whichever party controls redistricting – in the legislature and in the courts…
Read MoreUp in Washington, back when Judge Mukasey stuck his head in the sand ostrich-like and declared he didn’t know anything about water-boarding, you can bet every Senator in the hearing room knew (translated from political-speak into English) what he meant was, You boys know I wouldn’t be sitting here if I disagreed with President Bush…
Read MoreElection victories always carry the seeds of defeat. Because winners too often can’t help but overreach. Look at George Bush after 2004, Newt Gingrich after 1994, Bill Clinton after 1992. Go all the way back to FDR trying to pack the Supreme Court after his historic landslide in 1934. Mayor Charles Meeker’s new City Council…
Read MoreWhen campaigns prep for debates, they have to decide which audience is most important: the inside media/politico audience or the voters. Hillary Clinton faced that choice this week. Thursday’s debate was crucial for her. She was bleeding, and the sharks (or piranhas) were circling. She chose to play to the media. Her team figured she…
Read MoreA long-time friend of Governor Mike Easley once told me that – whatever else you say about him – Easley is a master of messaging. Senator Dole learned that this week. Easley dropped a well-timed bomb on Dole. He hit her on the Navy’s planned Outlying Landing Field with this quote: “It is time for…
Read MoreFred Smith’s clumsy play for the home-school crowd may be good Republican primary politics. But it’s Exhibit A for why Democrats will hold onto the Governor’s Office in 2008. In the three gubernatorial elections Republicans have won, their candidates ran as public-school champions: Jim Holshouser in 1972 and Jim Martin in 1984 and 1988. Since…
Read MoreBill Graham, the trial lawyer running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, has a loose grasp of North Carolina political history. Of course, why would a good trial lawyer let the facts keep him from scaring the GOP jury with the Hillary Clinton bogeywoman? Graham wrote in recent fundraising letter: “Mark my words. Hillary Clinton is…
Read MoreDemocrats asked the Attorney-General-hopeful-to-be Michael Mukasey a simple question: Do you think water-boarding is legal? That’s relevant. Timely. And important in the war on terrorism. And Mukasey wouldn’t give a straight answer. He wants to be in charge of enforcing America’s laws. But if you want to know his view on an issue more controversial…
Read MoreYou can call it the Land Transfer Tax. You can call it the Home Tax. Or you can just call it a dead duck. When an idea gets overwhelmingly rejected in 16 counties, as the home-sale tax did last Tuesday, its time clearly has not come. And won’t anytime soon. Realtors and Homebuilders spent $800,000…
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