Posts by Carter Wrenn
An Open Letter to Bill Randall
Dear Bill, At your debate with Bernie Reeves, when you were asked where you stood on tax reform and said, The Fair Tax, baby, and, second thing, get rid of the IRS. Not replace the IRS. Abolish it. That effective piece of political theatre evoked hurrahs and cheers – but it wasn’t…
Read MoreDueling with a Reporter
While Democratic Senate Leader Martin Nesbit was dancing a two-step with reporter Mark Johnson, Governor Perdue was having her own duel with the News and Observer’s Andrew Curliss – and she wasn’t doing as well as Nesbit. Curliss set about grilling the Governor on what she’s doing – and not doing – to clean…
Read MoreMartin Nesbit Floats Like a Butterfly
There is no political spectacle quite like watching a politician duke it out with a reporter; like when Charlotte Observer reporter Mark Johnson interviewed Senate Democrat Leader Martin Nesbit about cleaning up corruption in state government. Only Nesbit wasn’t punching. He was floating like a butterfly. Like Mohammed Ali. Johnson took the bull by…
Read MoreReverend Graham in the Parking Lot
Ms. Kathleen Parker doesn’t like Reverend Franklin Graham one bit and she let him have it with both barrels in her column Sunday saying she’s delighted Graham had to do his praying in the Pentagon parking lot – on National Prayer Day – while the respectable religious leaders were doing their praying inside. What…
Read MoreAnother Odd Bit of Political Logic
With a new budget looming the Governor is once again off in hot pursuit of billions from the Obama Administration and, since the President’s a fan of Charter Schools, North Carolina’s Charter School parents saw their opportunity and took it. They went to a recent State Education Board Meeting and suggested to Chairman Bill…
Read MoreBev Tackles Corruption
I meant to write this a couple of weeks ago when Governor Perdue issued her fourth proclamation to end corruption but got diverted. However, with the routines and rhythms of life returning to normal I’m picking up where I left off. Over at Democratic Headquarters, the Governor’s latest proclamation was greeted with pure joy.…
Read MoreObama Sets a Trap
About the only varmint on earth these days more unpopular than a Democratic Congressman is a Wall Street banker – so to save their political hides President Obama and the Democrats in Washington have gone banker hunting. Now, broadly speaking, Wall Street bankers have a simple theory of politics: Without regard to race, creed,…
Read MoreThe Star of UNC-TV
Politicians are nothing if not creative and what they’re most creative about is making themselves look good. With the ‘Great Recession’ roaring along some politicians in state government decided paying UNC-TV to run programs to tell voters what a great job they’re doing spending money was a first rate idea. You’d think the state’s…
Read MorePachyderms and Feuds
The other day there was a minor eruption in the press when a group of Republicans got mad at former Republican Co-Speaker of the House Richard Morgan for criticizing Governor Perdue and Cabinet Secretary Lanier Cansler for passing out no bid contracts. Now if that seems unusual it took the Governor (who laughed and told…
Read MoreLanding in an Odd Place
There’s a political war going on in the Republican Primary for State House down in Jacksonville. Martin Aragona, a former County Commissioner, is running as is Phil Shepard who, it turns out, is supported by the local leaders of the Perdue-Easley political machine (including a former Easley Highway Commissioner). At their first debate Aragona asked…
Read More