North Carolina – Democrats
A Well Kept Secret
If the Ethics Commission has ever found anyone guilty of an ethics violation it’s one of the best kept secrets in North Carolina. But, nonetheless, now the Commission says it’s going to investigate two lobbyists who had affairs with two members of House Speaker Thom Tillis’ staff to find out what “things of value” the…
Read MoreKeeping It Simple
Walter Dalton beat Bill Faison like a drum in the Democratic primary. But Dalton could learn something from Faison’s ability to boil down an issue – and an attack – to its essence. Or, as one old Southern politician said, “he gets the hay down where the goats can reach it.” Example is Faison’s tweet…
Read MoreScandal – or Stupidity?
Was the N&O’s front-page story on “lettergate” overblown? The story referred repeatedly to “false letters.” What was false? Apparently, this sentence: “Funds are needed in this budget cycle” for two highway projects. Members of Governor Perdue’s staff inserted that line. Jim Trogdon of DOT, whose signature was added to the letters electronically, didn’t…
Read MoreFollowing the Flock
Political reporters are like flocks of birds. One bird flies to a wire, and every bird flies to the same wire. One national political reporter writes a story about Obama’s problems in North Carolina, and every national political reporter writes the same story. The latest story to cause the Obama campaign heartburn came from…
Read MoreNo
For a year Phil Berger the Leader of the State Senate’s been looking the Governor in the eye and telling her, ‘No,’ and now as if wrestling a Governor isn’t enough trouble for one man he’s told the State House ‘No’ too. Governor Perdue and the Democrats have been pummeling House Speaker Thom Tillis…
Read MoreBlue Dems
Maybe there was energy, electricity and excitement in the air at N.C. Democrats’ Jefferson-Jackson this weekend. But, judging from outside, the optimism seemed a bit forced. (I’m happy to say I wasn’t there.) Also on the outside, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of enthusiasm among Democrats right now about the fall election.…
Read MoreThe Differences Between Republicans and Democrats
Over in the State Senate the Republicans and Democrats are going at it hammer and tongs, fighting it out over their education platforms. The Democrats say, Spend more money. Now. And Republicans say, No – let’s require third graders to read. The Democrats say, Failing third graders who can’t read is terrible…
Read MoreSticking to Their Guns
Last year, the State Legislature passed a bill to charge people riding state ferries tolls but, then, after the legislature left town the Governor thumbed her nose at the legislators and said, Well, you can pass it but darned if I’ll collect it. So the tolls were a dead issue. Until the legislature reconvened.…
Read MoreDueling Messages
The contrast between Walter Dalton’s and Pat McCrory’s messages to the NFIB this week alarmed one Democratic political veteran. Rob Christensen wrote in the N&O that the two “painted sharply different portraits of North Carolina on Tuesday, with the Democrat saying the state was emerging from difficult times and the Republican saying the state…
Read MoreNot a Starr
A friend of George Holding (and a Democrat) took issue with yesterday’s blog. He wrote: “Here is the reason I don’t think George will be the next Starr: “Bill Clinton was a flawed man but was fundamentally a good president with lots of allies and a good overall record. “John Edwards is…
Read More