Posts by Gary Pearce
The Republican Culture of Corruption
Nothing has exposed the rot at the root of the Republican tree in Washington more than the case of Michael Scanlon. Scanlon is the Tom Delay protégé who is now charged with criminal conspiracy related to his ties to GOP superlobbyist Jack Abramoff. According to The New York Times: Mr. Scanlon is in legal trouble…
Read MoreThe Shrinking of the President
Here’s how you can tell just how much George Bush’s political star has fallen. Keep an eye on the political cartoons. Notice how small the drawings of Bush have become. They get tinier and tinier. Now, he barely occupies an itty-bitty corner of the cartoonists’ panel. I first noticed this phenomenon during Jimmy Carter’s administration.…
Read MoreThe Real Mystery of “Plamegate”
There is one thing that has mystified me about this whole matter of the White House allegedly unmasking the covert CIA operative. No, not who done it. Or why. Or which reporter got the leak first. Have you seen a picture of the agent? Her name is Valerie Plame. Now, get this picture in focus:…
Read MoreThere Is an Iraq Exit Deadline
The Iraq War debate made Democrats and Republicans in Congress act more like Sunnis and Shiites last week. The battle is over whether Congress should set a deadline for the withdrawal of American troops. Republicans say this amounts to a “cut and run” strategy. But don’t worry, if you’re against the war. Thanks to all…
Read MoreFilling the Debate Vacuum in Raleigh
My dictionary defines “vacuous” as “empty, stupid, senseless.” By that definition, Raleigh’s city elections this year were pretty vacuous. And politics abhors a vacuum. Events in the month since the election make me think we’re about to get a real debate for the next two years – and into the next election. One debate will…
Read MoreThe Virtues of Blogging
The News & Observer ran a front-page article Tuesday on John Edwards’ statement that “I was wrong” to vote for the Iraq war. Edwards announced the switch in an op-ed article that ran in the Washington Post Sunday. But alert bloggers knew what Edwards was going to say more than a month ago. His wife…
Read MoreThe Politics of Indictments
It is striking how much of todayâs political conversation â in Raleigh and in Washington â is centered on indictments and criminal investigations. Witness: · Nationally, Democrats hope the stench of corruption around the White House and Tom Delay will help them retake Congress next year. · In the state, Republicans have been warning darkly…
Read MoreThe War and 2006
Having (apparently) escaped indictment, Karl Rove reportedly has returned to full action in the White House. Among other chores, he is said to be recruiting Republican candidates for 2006. Two speeches by U.S. Senators frame the dilemma that will dominate next year’s elections – for Rove and for Democrats. First, John McCain spoke out about…
Read MoreWhat a Difference a Year Makes
One year ago today, Democrats were down. John Kerry and John Edwards had lost. Erskine Bowles had lost. George Bush was riding high. Karl Rove was hailed as “the architect.” That was a political lifetime ago. Tuesday’s elections in Virginia, New Jersey and California have Democrats high-fiving. Democrats won governor’s races in Virginia and New…
Read MoreWarner’s a Winner
My nominee for biggest winner of the week: Mark Warner of Virginia. No, he wasn’t running. But his lieutenant governor – an anti-death penalty Democrat – was. And he won. So Warner now moves to the top of the 2008 White House speculation list. He’s smart, articulate, rich and has a proven record in business…
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