North Carolina – Democrats
A Shock: The Mayor Says No
Mayor Meeker just stood City government on its head. For six years, he’s been on a spending spree, giving taxpayer subsidies to all types of corporations – hotels, restaurants and supermarkets. Now, suddenly, he’s stopped. Or, at least, he’s finally found one corporation he doesn’t want to subsidize. The Mayor and his bosom-buddy-allies on the…
Read MoreRichard Moore Strikes Back
Richard Moore’s reaction to his Forbes hit was fast and aggressive. Beverly Perdue’s campaign needs to wake up. This was much like the Hillary-Obama exchange over David Geffen: an early look at which campaign is on its game and which isn’t. Coverage of the Forbes article clearly hurt Moore, the State Treasurer and would-be Governor.…
Read MoreMeeker’s Case of Myopia
Well, Mayor Meeker cracked the whip, twisted a few arms and the City Council snapped back into line and voted for his roundabouts. It even voted to spend twice as much as he asked for. “It’s a new day,” Meeker proclaimed, “for Hillsborough Street.” But just a few blocks away it’s not a new day.…
Read MoreImpeach Richard Moore
The Democratsâ new poster boy for the pay-to-play scandals is State Treasurer Richard Moore. In a scalding exposé Forbes Magazine tells how Moore, who solely controls the stateâs $73 billion retirement fund, is bankrolling his campaign for Governor. Here’s a copy of the Forbes article. Mooreâs version of pay-to-play works like this: In effect he…
Read MoreMoney Chase in the Governor’s Race
Richard Moore is about to become the new “pay to play” poster boy in Raleigh’s campaign-finance scandal. And he was fingered by no less than Forbes magazine, the capitalist tool. Moore – who is North Carolina’s State Treasurer and a 2008 gubernatorial candidate – has raised over $700,000 from investment firms that handle the state’s…
Read MoreThe Fall of Jim Black
Jim Black crossed the line – and fell off a cliff. Like too many politicians, Black didn’t see that some old political plays are out of bounds today. North Carolina politics has long been built on friends helping friends, as Rob Christensen pointed out in The News & Observer. But the rules have changed. Some…
Read MoreMysterious Mike
Why does Mike Easley do it? Why – with all his communications skills – does he work so hard at not communicating? As Governor, he commands a big microphone. But Mike won’t use the mike. Two recent examples: He spoke out publicly against the Duke lacrosse DA. But it turns out he spoke out last…
Read MoreOver Answering, Indeed!
It may be a coincidence and not the vaunted Clinton PR machine at work, but since Hillary announced there have been two attacks on John Edwards (see Gary’s post below: The Orange County White House.) and one on Barack Obama in the media. The attack on Edwards went like this: How can he build a…
Read MoreThe Curious Affair of the House Historian
It seemed peculiar: After former Speaker Jim Black had the State House pay one of his political appointees $80,000 to write a ‘history’ of the State House, he refused to make it public. Compared to the other House scandals – Lottery Commissioner Kevin Geddings’ trial, allegations of bribes, illegal lobbying – the ‘curious affair of…
Read MoreThe Orange County White House
Re John and Elizabeth Edwards’ new home: The only thing they’re guilty of is over-answering. In situations like this, the less said, the better. Remember the first rule of getting out of a hole: Put down the shovel. It’s his money, he earned it and he can spend it like he wants. Click Here to…
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