North Carolina – Democrats
Landing in the Soup
You can tell when a politician lands in the soup – because he starts writing op-eds in the News and Observer – praising himself. What put Secretary Lanier Cansler in the op-ed writing business was a story on WRAL-TV about Cansler trying to cut medical care to a 20 month old infant on Medicaid.…
Read MoreSharp DSCC Elbows
This isn’t how Cal Cunningham wanted to reenter the Senate race. Joe (the Sledgehammer) Sinsheimer weighed in on Facebook: “While I think Cunningham is an attractive candidate, I really don’t like the idea of folks in Washington choosing our next Senator.” Nor does Elaine Marshall’s campaign. The Hill says: “This has left Marshall‘s…
Read MoreWhile Rome Burns
Over at the Federal Courthouse in Raleigh a Grand Jury’s investigating former Governor Easley for corruption. The newspaper reports just before he left office former State Treasurer Richard Moore handed a San Diego hedge fund $500 million in state pension money to invest – then a few weeks after he left office took a…
Read More‘Bailout Burr’
I talked to two seasoned and smart Democrats recently who think that – contrary to all the talk about 2010 being a Republican year – Richard Burr will be vulnerable. One, who watched Burr’s race in 2004, thinks he is a weak campaigner. That year, Burr did in fact campaign as far under the…
Read MoreRuffin Poole and $500 Million
I’ve never laid eyes on Joe Sinsheimer. Politically he and I walk on opposite sides of the street. But if you ever get the feeling North Carolina politics has turned into a swamp of no-bid contracts and corrupt politicians stop a moment and consider what Sinsheimer has single-handedly done with good old-fashioned hard work –…
Read MoreTime’s a’wastin’
Next year may be a Republican year, but politics is funny. Polls show Richard Burr getting little more than 40 percent of the vote against a generic Democratic opponent. One problem: No Democratic candidate has yet convinced the party he or she can beat Burr. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is making another run…
Read MoreBev’s Bump
Governor Perdue finally got some good poll news. Public Policy Polling says her approval rating climbed out of the 20s. She’s at 30 percent, with 49 percent disapproval. But why? One theory: It’s because of her fight to keep in prison the 27 inmates the (Republican majority) Supreme Court wants to set free.…
Read MorePayback Time for Nesbitt?
A wise reader – and veteran Raleigh observer – offers this perspective about Senator Martin Nesbitt: “As you’ll recall, Nesbitt was one of Liston Ramsey’s key lieutenants when Liston was overthrown by a coalition of impatient Dems and opportunistic Repubs. Nesbitt was really bitter about what happened, and it probably sidetracked his career for…
Read MoreA Painful Lesson
It sounded like The New Martin Nesbitt after Democrats picked him for majority leader: “I saw ’94 up close and personal. I saw how things can get out of control. There are very few things that I’m the most qualified for, but getting us through this election is one of them.” Anxious Democrats…
Read MoreA Three Ring Circus
Here’s another odd story about how the Department of Health and Human Services works. Early in the Easley Administration, when Lanier Cansler was Assistant Secretary, the department decided to ‘Reform Mental Health’ in order to save taxpayers money and provide better care. About the same time Assistant Secretary Cansler was handling bidding…
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