National Republicans
Gary Hahn’s Bad Call on “Illegal Aliens”
NC State sports announcer Gary Hahn got suspended when he called migrants in El Paso “illegal aliens.” Some of my fellow Wolfpack fans jumped to his defense: “What’s wrong with that?” And, “They are illegal aliens.” Here’s what’s wrong. “Illegal aliens” is a dehumanizing term. No human being is “illegal.” They may do something illegal…
Read MoreZelensky and Trump
One is a man of profound moral courage. The other is an arrested adolescent of profound moral cowardice. One is a patriot. The other, a traitor. One proudly unfurled his country’s flag. The other dishonors his country’s flag. One stands for democracy, freedom and the rule of law. The other, for one-man authoritarianism. One stood…
Read MoreAnother Senate Whiff for NC Democrats
Once again, Lucy (North Carolina voters) pulled the football (a Senate seat) away from Charlie Brown (Democrats). In the 50 years since 1972 – when the two-party era began in North Carolina and Jesse Helms won the first of five Senate elections – there have been 18 Senate elections. Democrats have won four and lost…
Read MoreNational Relief, But NC Disappointment
The election left me feeling better about our country than I have for six years. But worse about North Carolina. 2022 showed that Americans are tired of the Trump Show, which has been running nonstop at full volume for seven and a half years since he rode down the golden escalator on June 16, 2015.…
Read MoreThe “Red Wave” Never Came Ashore
There was no “red tsunami,” no wave. Barely a ripple. Before the 2022 election, Republicans boasted they would deliver a 1994- or 2010-like shellacking to a Democratic President. Inflation was up. President Biden’s approval ratings were down. Voters were down on the economy and down about the direction of the country. But Biden had the…
Read MoreRecovering from Defeat
The day Al Qaeda murdered American soldiers outside Kabul airport young Congressman Madison Cawthorn tweeted a video showing him waving a letter to Kamala Harris; square-jawed, square-shouldered, voice indignant, mimicking Trump, Cawthorn demanded Harris defrock Biden by using the 25th Amendment – to prove his point he intoned (what he called) “eternal, weighty, and wise”…
Read MoreNo Sin in Losing
Boasting for months Trump said his Arizona audit – done by his allies in the state Senate – would prove he won Arizona. The audit backfired. Confirmed Trump lost. Did Trump admit he was wrong? No. He erupted, firing off scalding emails ripping the ‘fake news’ media, calling for audits in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Texas.…
Read MoreThe Senate Primary
83% of voters – in a poll – said Taliban is a terrorist group and said Trump shouldn’t have negotiated with Taliban. To elect Ted Budd, in an ad Trump says Budd’s always supported him – here’s a question Budd is bound to be asked: Do you think Taliban’s a terrorist group? Was Trump wrong…
Read MoreFingers of Blame
The Taliban is a terrorist group. Trump made a deal with Taliban to withdraw our soldiers from Afghanistan. It didn’t work out. Taliban took over. Trump roared it was Joe Biden’s fault. Biden, pointing fingers, shot back Trump signed the agreement with Taliban. It was Trump’s fault. Neither ever admitted he made a single mistake.…
Read MoreA Political Earthquake Rocks Biden and Trump
John Bolton and I both supported Reagan in 1976; four years later when Reagan’s campaign emerged from the New Hampshire primary dead-broke John told me: The Congressional Club needs to do an independent campaign for Reagan. Puzzled, I asked: What’s an independent campaign? Americans for Reagan spent millions to help elect Reagan. Last February as…
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