We hear that Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker will propose changing city government to give mayors more authority. He wants Raleigh to abandon its long-time “strong city manager” government and replace it with a “strong mayor” system. Sounds great. Many Meeker supporters will like it. But beware the Law of Unintended Consequences. We might get Strong…
Read MoreWith the exception of John Edwards in 1998, Democrats have lost every U.S. Senate race in North Carolina since 1986. That’s one win, five losses. Not very encouraging. But the climate may be changing. Especially if you pay attention to Public Policy Polling of Raleigh, which I do. You should pay them a visit: http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/.…
Read MoreNorth Carolina has a new “Ethics Commission” to clean up the corruption in Raleigh. But guess who appointed its members? The same people who’ve been in charge all along. Governor Easley, who according to the press just enjoyed a $650,000 windfall by buying beach property from political appointees, picked four members of the Commission. Speaker…
Read MoreYears ago, when I was young enough to be drafted, I supported an idea called “Vietnamization” which is all but forgotten today. Vietnamization was President Nixon’s plan, at the end of the Vietnam War, to make the South Vietnamese responsible for defending their own country – so we could pull out. (And I wouldn’t get…
Read MoreIn politics as in football, speed kills – the other guy. Today we see a dramatic example of how fast modern presidential campaigns have to move. Word is that four BIG states – California, Florida, Illinois and New Jersey – may shift their presidential primaries to early next February. That means the race may not…
Read MorePollster John McLaughlin – who’s a smart guy for a Republican – has an interesting theory about the 2008 presidential race. He calls it Bush-Clinton fatigue. After 20 years of Bush-Clinton-Bush; John thinks, Americans need a break. If true, that is Hillary Clinton’s biggest obstacle to the White House. And a boost for Edwards, Obama…
Read MoreBeaten in Iraq and beaten at the polls, President Bush looked beaten in his speech last night. His Iraq policy is such a disaster – eight Republican Senators, including Virginia’s John Warner, have cut and run – that he was forced to talk about domestic issues. And his tepid speech served up tepid ideas. I’m…
Read MoreIn the past the Mayor has pretty much had his own way on the City Council. It voted to fund his hotels, spend more on his convention center and to let him use tax-money to buy Dix Hill. But recently the Council voted down his push for English-style roundabouts on Hillsborough Street, and, now, on…
Read MoreOur generals, like the good soldiers they are, are loyally fighting the war in Iraq with the weapons the politicians are giving them. But if those weapons are not sufficient, or, conversely, if sending 21,000 more men to Baghdad is a fool’s errand, their loyalty should not prevent them from saying so. According to Bob…
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