Issues
Boehner’s Forgotten Promise
The press – from CBS News to Human Events – has been singing House Speaker John Boehner’s praises as the conqueror of Barack Obama and Harry Reid – the Speaker they say ‘out-fought,’ ‘out-smarted’ and ‘out-negotiated’ the Democrats. (Whoever heard of out-negotiating a Democrat?) Meantime, oddly, not a word has been said about Speaker Boehner’s forgotten…
Read MoreEditorial Page Censors
It’s hard to understand a newspaper endorsing censorship. But that’s what the Greensboro News & Record did this weekend. An editorial Saturday endorsed a bill before the legislature that would block all political robocalls. The editorial thundered that, not only are the calls “annoying,” but – horror of horrors – “under constitutional free speech…
Read MoreWe Need a Few More…
Professor Cary Nelson, who looks more like a woodsman with his fulsome beard than the head of the American Association of University Professors, made a speech at Duke the other day and gave a dire warning American universities are in decline and in need of saving. What exactly is the universities’ problem? Not…
Read MoreDecisive Action…Washington Style
Nothing’s given and nothing’s certain but it sure looks like the government is not going to close down at midnight – instead, it looks like President Obama and the Democrats have won their fight with John Boehner and company. Congress is staring a $1.5 trillion deficit (and a $3.5 trillion budget) in the eye.…
Read MoreWolves and Sheep
We’re about to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the April morning in 1861 when a hot-head (some would say fool) in Charleston pulled the lanyard on a cannon and started what old southern maiden aunts used to delicately call ‘The Late Unpleasantness.’ A lot’s been said and written about why we ended up fighting…
Read MoreMore on Concealed Handguns…
After passing new laws making it legal to carry concealed handguns in bars and restaurants and holding a ‘how to get a concealed handgun permit class’ at the State Legislature it would seem by now House Speaker Thom Tillis and company would have passed enough new gun laws to rest for awhile – but not…
Read MoreFor President…
Good Lord! This is truly hair-curling. NBC News and the Wall Street Journal have taken a poll and real estate developer turned reality show star Donald Trump is in second place in the Republican Primary for President. It’s enough to shake your faith in democracy – almost a fifth of the Republican Primary…
Read MoreThe Great GOP Budget Gamble(s)
In Raleigh and Washington, Republican lawmakers are moving forward confident in the belief that – this time – the American people are really, really ready to really, really cut spending. They better hope so. Historically, we elect politicians who promise to cut taxes and cut spending. Then we revolt when we see the…
Read MoreWhat’s Running NC Politics…
Cynics laugh and say no good deed ever goes unpunished and I’m beginning to think they have a point: Last year for the first time since Reconstruction voters elected a Republican legislature, which looked like a near fatal political blow to Governor Perdue but now, instead, it looks like voters may have thrown the Governor…
Read MoreThe Elephant in the Corner
Decades ago I attended a meeting on redistricting over at State Republican headquarters and a bright, sharp young man whipped out a stack of maps of Congressional Districts and happily announced he had figured out a way to create three minority districts in North Carolina. Then he whipped out more maps of State House…
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