Posts by Carter Wrenn
Orange Water
Unless you happen to subscribe to the Asheville Citizen Times, you probably missed this article by columnist John Boyle about North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman David Young: Citizens Times.com May 27, 2010 Time for David Young to do the right thing John Boyle COLUMNIST Really, David? I can’t believe how…
Read More15,833
Back in 2003 two enterprising ladies from the mountains (from the Hamlet of Sparta) went into the business of providing care to Medicaid patients. Seven years later a judge in the mountains put them out of business and sent them to jail for four years – because the two ladies had hoo-dooed Secretary Lanier Cansler’s…
Read MoreItalians and Suburbanites
These days we old-fashioned southerners in Raleigh are getting an education about Italians as the war between the Tedescos and Margiottas (who’ve taken over the School Board) and our local ‘Progressives’ (who’re livid at the Italians for ending busing) roars along. About the only person in town sounding reasonable these days is the News…
Read MoreOff the Hook
The Department of Health and Human Services has to be my favorite part of state government – it’s the perfect blend of bungling, chicanery and politics all built on a foundation of good intentions. Over the past year Secretary Lanier Cansler – who’s sort of a combination of Fagan and Houdini – has been…
Read MoreVoices, Rules and Tabloids
Back in the old days in political campaigns there were usually three ‘voices’ talking to voters. Today there’re more voices than anyone can count. For instance, back in 1984 when Jesse Helms ran against Jim Hunt the three ‘Voices’ voters heard were Helms,’ Hunt’s, and the press. Twenty-six years later we’re in the middle…
Read MoreThe Post New South Era
Thirty five years ago when our current Mayor Charles Meeker migrated from Washington to Raleigh our local “Progressive’ politicians – and the Mayor joined their camp – were laboring mightily to give birth to the ‘New South.’ A generation later the ‘Progressives’ had triumphed: The old fogey southern WASP’s had been routed and whatever…
Read MoreE-NC Authority
A while back President Obama’s administration was giving cell phones to people on welfare and, now, State Senator Doug Berger has sponsored a bill to have the “E-NC Authority” provide broadband Internet service to the same folks. It is unclear how hard-pressed welfare recipients will get computers. Senator Berger’s bill may be seen as…
Read MoreBernie Reeves
The first ‘reality moment’ in a political campaign last week belonged to Bob Etheridge; the second belonged to Bill Randall. Randall, who is locked in a tight runoff with Bernie Reeves, called his first press conference Tuesday and announced – as the cameras rolled – he thought the government and BP had conspired to…
Read MoreRenee Ellmers
Last week was a heckuva week. On Monday, Al Lytton – Renee Ellmers’ campaign manager – and I sat down, racking our brains to figure out how Renee could raise money over the Internet (to match the million odd dollars Bob Etheridge has sitting in his bank account from special interests), then out of…
Read MoreDoes He or Doesn’t He?
Here’s a mystery: Bill Randall says he has an MBA from National Louis University, but National Louis University says he doesn’t. Bernie Reeves’ friend, who runs a company that recruits and screens executives for businesses, contacted National Louis University (in Illinois) to verify Randall’s MBA degree. The college instructed him to contact the National Student…
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