Behind the Curtain
June 6, 2011 - by
Speaker Thom Tillis slipped up and left a microphone on during a ‘behind closed doors’ Republican Caucus, so every word he said was beamed straight into the press room at the General Assembly where reporters listened agog to the leaders in the legislature making high-level policy.
Policy #1 – On redistricting, House Republican Leader Skip Stam told legislators, no one was to speak except Representative David Lewis. Because, Stam added, David was the best “obfuscator” he knew.
Policy #2 – Speaker Tillis instructed his fellow Republicans not to attack ‘Democrats’ collectively – but then added if some individual Democrat said something stupid it was just fine with him to ‘gut punch em’ and ‘hit em in the jaw’ – figuratively.
Policy #3 – Speaker Tillis also announced he is going to pass a bill the North Carolina Association of Educators opposes. Why? To improve the schools? No. As punishment. Because the NCAE sent out mailings attacking legislators.
Policy #4 – Representative Mark Hilton announced he wants to pass a Constitutional Amendment banning gay marriage. It’s hard to argue with that but Hilton didn’t stop there. He went on to explain his reasons – which had nothing to do with morality. Legislators, Hilton said, need to pass the amendment to help conservative groups “get their ground game working” in November to turn out conservative voters.
It all took me back thirty-five years ago at the Republican National Convention in Kansas City – after Ronald Reagan lost the nomination to Gerald Ford a reporter asked what he thought of conventions and Reagan quipped, ‘Watching backstage politics is like looking at civilization with its pants down.’
Behind the Curtain
June 6, 2011/
Speaker Thom Tillis slipped up and left a microphone on during a ‘behind closed doors’ Republican Caucus, so every word he said was beamed straight into the press room at the General Assembly where reporters listened agog to the leaders in the legislature making high-level policy.
Policy #1 – On redistricting, House Republican Leader Skip Stam told legislators, no one was to speak except Representative David Lewis. Because, Stam added, David was the best “obfuscator” he knew.
Policy #2 – Speaker Tillis instructed his fellow Republicans not to attack ‘Democrats’ collectively – but then added if some individual Democrat said something stupid it was just fine with him to ‘gut punch em’ and ‘hit em in the jaw’ – figuratively.
Policy #3 – Speaker Tillis also announced he is going to pass a bill the North Carolina Association of Educators opposes. Why? To improve the schools? No. As punishment. Because the NCAE sent out mailings attacking legislators.
Policy #4 – Representative Mark Hilton announced he wants to pass a Constitutional Amendment banning gay marriage. It’s hard to argue with that but Hilton didn’t stop there. He went on to explain his reasons – which had nothing to do with morality. Legislators, Hilton said, need to pass the amendment to help conservative groups “get their ground game working” in November to turn out conservative voters.
It all took me back thirty-five years ago at the Republican National Convention in Kansas City – after Ronald Reagan lost the nomination to Gerald Ford a reporter asked what he thought of conventions and Reagan quipped, ‘Watching backstage politics is like looking at civilization with its pants down.’