Well, the parole system is broken and according to the News and Observer all kinds of parolees have been running around unsupervised and literally killing people – so which political party is howling bloody murder and up in arms to solve the problem?

The Democrats.

Senate Leader Marc Basnight, it turns out, is about the only major elected official who’s lifted a finger to do anything.

After reading yesterday’s newspaper, I called a state legislator and asked, How did the Department of Crime Control get in this mess? He said, Well, the problem is that, basically, the people running the Department are all chosen for politics.

In other words, they get their jobs because of politics. They’re holding a political sinecure – not a real job. And it’s the politics that matter – not their performance. If the system’s broken, so what – it’s not their efficiency at keeping track of dangerous parolees that determines their continued employment; it’s their adroitness at politics.

Until, to their surprise, the News and Observer put them on the front page of the newspaper. Then they all started pointing fingers at their subordinates. So, where does the buck stop? Well, on the desk of our absentee-missing-in-action Governor Mike Easley.

Which leads to a troubling question – why are Democrats doing all the howling? Where are the Republicans? Why are they missing in action too?

We’re watching another government meltdown ultimately caused by the mistakes of a Democratic administration and legislature – so why aren’t Republican leaders holding them accountable – instead of talking about how building offshore drilling rigs are going to attract tourists?

As odd as it sounds when it comes to cleaning up the mess and getting dangerous parolees off the streets it’s not Republicans in the legislature who’re offering solutions – it’s Marc Basnight.

Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles.