General
The Terror of Winning…
Bev Perdue and Phil Berger are beginning to sound a bit like a couple whose marriage is on the rocks – she says she’s “disgusted” with him and he’s hunkered down like a harassed husband grumbling she’s done nothing but say, “Do it my way – that’s the only way that I’ll accept.” What…
Read MoreA Reese Hart Story
Back in the 1970s, the AP had a legislative reporter in Raleigh named Reese Hart. In those days, AP, UPI and all the major newspapers generated a flood of stories about daily legislative developments. The N&O, where I worked, had a couple of pages every day devoted to the minutiae of bill introductions, committee meetings…
Read MoreThe Obama Poll Bump
Dick Morris was quick to dismiss the AP poll showing President Obama’s approval rating at 60 percent. The sample was “too Democratic,” he said. Indeed. Well, if Dick’s squawking, Republicans must be squirming. Especially given the pitiful weakness of their presidential field so far. Now, I’ve cautioned Democrats about a post-bin Laden “bump”…
Read MoreWrong Turn
Once again Republicans in the legislature have focused on an issue that apparently is more urgent than creating jobs and balancing the budget: They’ve gone into the road-designing business. Bruce Siceloff reports in the N&O that “the Senate is scheduled to vote today on a proposal to rip out part of an Asheville road,…
Read MoreA Quirk of History
I’m fascinated by odd coincidences in history – like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both dying on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the Declaration of Independence. What are the odds? What are the odds that a terrorist named Osama would be killed in a military operation ordered by a President named…
Read MoreWarning: Non-PC Jokes Ahead
Last week, I received a couple of definitely non-politically correct Osama jokes from TAPsters. I wasn’t sure whether to post them, especially given all the angst about killing Osama, the raucous celebrations, releasing the death photos, etc., etc. Then I decided: What does this blog stand for if it’s not for offending some people?…
Read More18,000 Teachers
For two years Governor Perdue’s been face to face battling an enemy (let’s name her enemy ‘Problems’ – meaning she’s been fighting with faceless abstractions like deficits, unemployment and recessions rather than flesh and blood people) and she’s been losing at every turn. But now she’s face to face with a new enemy: Republicans. And…
Read MoreThe Gang of Five
Governor Perdue says you can “take it to the bank” that the five Democrats who voted for the House budget will be with her in a veto fight. She should be right. And this will be a test of her political muscle. I ask myself: What would Jim Hunt do? Back in the…
Read MoreNot Set in Stone…
Last election President Obama’s Job Approval Rating defined how people voted – if you thought Obama was doing just fine (or sort of fine) you voted Democratic, if you didn’t think he was doing so fine you voted Republican (unless you were an independent or Democrat who’d voted for Obama in 2008 – then, most…
Read MoreSacred Cows
“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” – George Orwell, Animal Farm Legislative leaders said everything would be on the table for budget cuts. But a Democratic TAPster sent these “quick, back-of-the-envelope numbers” on how deeply the House budget cut agencies headed by Republicans: Department of Labor cut…
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