North Carolina – Democrats
McCrory’s troubles
There are few sure things in politics. So it’s no sure thing that Governor McCrory will lose reelection. But it is a sure thing he’s in what Poppy Bush would call deep doo-doo. Carter pretty well summed up what the new fundraising numbers mean: “You very seldom see a challenger outraising an incumbent when it’s…
Read MoreSauce for the Goose
Right there in the middle of the page on the News and Observer’s website was an article with the Governor ripping into the newspapers for suing him for violating the ‘public records’ law – and right next to it was a second article about the Republican Party suing Roy Cooper for violating the same law.…
Read More‘She’s better than Bill!’
That was the enthusiastic assessment of one wise old Democrat after Hillary Clinton’s fundraiser in Raleigh last week. Another attendee, who never has stars in her eyes and has been skeptical, was won over by Clinton’s message and presence. Which raises two questions: First, will she run better in North Carolina than Bill? Second, will…
Read MoreSentiment and Respect
Senator Tom Apodaca who’s gregarious and jovial and hard-nosed told the reporters, “The House went a little crazy with its budget” – then they asked about the Governor and he said, “The Governor doesn’t play much of a role in anything.” He probably didn’t mean it unkindly – it probably read a lot meaner in…
Read MoreOld-Fashioned
Four separate reports – two done for the State Medicaid Department, one done for federal Medicare, and one by the non-profit Community Care of North Carolina filed with State Medicaid – all said CCNC saved taxpayers millions of dollars by reducing Medicaid costs. So what did the Old Bull Mooses in the Senate do? They…
Read MoreTwo Takes on Taking Pat
Roy Cooper can go two ways against Governor McCrory in 2016: call him “wrong” or call him “weak.” “Wrong” says McCrory hurt the economy, hurt the schools, hurt health care and hurt the environment. It blames him for taking the state in the wrong direction, including on social issues. But Cooper might look negative and…
Read MoreWake Commissioners Split
Democrats may have 7-0 control of the Wake County Commissioners, but they are far from unanimous on school funding. In fact, they are engaged in a classic political debate: Do you move fast when you’re in control, at the risk of losing the next election? Or do you play a long game, moving slower now…
Read MoreA Quagmire
The Senate Bull Mooses have locked horns with the Opossum Drop Caucus over in the State House;—for years the Bull Mooses have hollered Medicaid spending was out of control and soaring but that turned out not to be so – that the Bull Mooses were simply spinning a yarn to accommodate their friends the MCOs…
Read MoreDangerous Places to Stand
There are patches of ground that are innately dangerous: Edges of cliffs. Rivers of ice. Railroad tracks. No man’s land. After the State House passed its budget at 1am in the morning, eight hours later up popped an ad on Facebook lambasting Chief House Budget Writer Nelson Dollar for raising spending a billion dollars. Those…
Read MoreA Dust Up
It’s unusual to see a dust up in front of the TV cameras on NC Spin but when Brad Crone said Medicaid spending has been stable for three years the usually soft-spoken John Hood shot back, Brad’s incorrect. Crone leaned back, told Hood he needed to look at the audit reports that showed Medicaid spending…
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