North Carolina – Democrats
Behind the Scenes at the Lottery Trial
Watching the lottery trial is like being invited to go behind the curtain and see how legislative politics really works in North Carolina. Democratic House Speaker Jim Black has said for months he came up with Kevin Geddings’ appointment to the Lottery Commission, more or less on his own. Now, we learn from the prosecutors…
Read MoreWhich Finger?
Governor Easley didn’t know about Kevin Geddings’ ties to lottery companies. He didn’t know his chief political aide orchestrated ads attacking three senators opposed to the lottery. But when he testified at the trial he did know how he felt about the press. “Easley spent less than 15 minutes in the courtroom, offering perfunctory testimony…
Read MoreParties and Good Times
The newspapers are reporting more good times in Governor Easley’s administration. Last summer the Governor’s folks at the Department of Transportation arranged a $30,000 ferry cruise with lobster, hors d’oeuvres and a band so they could enjoy seeing the tall ships. Now, two of the Governor’s appointees to the ABC Board have taken an excursion…
Read MoreGeddings’ Political Sin
A jury will decide whether former Lottery Commissioner Kevin Geddings violated a criminal law. But he clearly broke the first law of politics: Don’t surprise me. Geddings argues that he did not deceive anyone about his ties for Scientific Games. At the time he was appointed to the Lottery Commission, he argues, he was not…
Read MoreMcCorkle Again
The Governor just rewarded political advisor, Mac McCorkle (who’s pet line, especially when it comes to the lottery scandal, is ‘I don’t discuss my conversations with the Governor with the press’) with a new appointment. Governor Easley has named Mr. McCorkle Chairman of the North Carolina Progress Board, the state commission Governor Hunt founded to…
Read MoreBrad Miller, Sex and Vernon’s Ad
Gary, after all the trials and lottery scandals a little dose of sex and politics sounded interesting so when I read your blog (see below) about Vernon Robinson’s new ad about Brad Miller I looked at the copy on factcheck.org. Unfortunately, poor Vernon’s his own worst enemy. He has two legitimate points. Congressman Miller did…
Read MoreRobinson plays to the sex card
One of our readers wonders whether Vernon Robinson has gone too far this time – with an ad claiming Rep. Brad Miller voted to fund sex research but not body armor. Factcheck.org calls the ad “distasteful” and “misleading.” Click here to read its analysis and view the ad: http://www.factcheck.org/article442.html. The website says: “Robinson accuses…Miller of…
Read MoreWhere’s the Governor?
Not to long ago State Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Carmen Hooker-Odom claimed she was going to save taxpayers millions by hiring a new computer vender to process the state’s Medicare claims. Today the new vender is a year behind schedule, the system is not in place, the state is in a contract…
Read MorePolls
Gary, here’s some good news for your folks on the Democratic side of the aisle. Each month the Civitas Institute takes a poll; in August they asked voters who they would vote for in the elections for state legislature this fall – a Democrat or a Republican. Voters said: Republican: 36% Democrat: 40% Neither 7%…
Read MoreUnion Power
Unions have long been politically weak in North Carolina. But the state may see a new, more aggressive and more politically savvy union offensive in elections over the next three years. The Service Employees International Union – which The News & Observer called “the nation’s largest public employee union” – gave $100,000 to the House…
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