North Carolina – Democrats
A Jim Hunt Legacy
There is a big story behind this small item in the paper this week: “North Carolina’s public schools have the largest number of National Board Certified teachers in the nation, according to a release by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.” Nationally, there are 97,291 teachers with National Board Certification. North Carolina has over…
Read MoreMemory Lane
A fan of Tricia Cotham – no doubt looking ahead to a potential Superintendent of Public Instruction primary with Rick Glazier – asks: “When was the last time a male candidate defeated a female in a Democratic primary in North Carolina?” To my recollection – and, as usual, doing no research whatsoever – I…
Read MoreThe Gov’s New Voice
A Tapster is mystified by Governor Perdue’s hiring of a new communications director, Jon Romano: “A governor who is struggling desperately to remain relevant and communicate clearly made another puzzling move this week. “Governor Bev Perdue hired a new communications expert who’s a former Bostonian politico whose only apparent ties to the state…
Read MoreA Lesson from New York
Up north in the land of the Yankees, about a decade ago New York hired Computer Services Corporation to process its Medicaid payments. But there was a hitch, according to the New York State Comptroller: The corporation’s computer system was “so inefficient and unable to detect deception” it’s allowed hundreds of millions in bogus payments.…
Read MorePerdue and Indians
It’s hard to tell whether Governor Perdue’s deal with the Indians proves you can sell a Democratic Governor just about anything by saying it’ll help education or whether it proves our Democratic Governor figures she can sell the rest of us just about anything by saying it’ll help education. Last Tuesday, the Governor announced…
Read MoreFeeling the Pinch
Last week Republicans were chortling over campaign-law indictments of Democrats. Now they’re complaining about a campaign-law probe of Pat McCrory’s 2008 campaign. Welcome to the NFL, and strap on your helmets. From now on, every campaign is going to be under scrutiny for potential violations – not just by the state, but also by…
Read MoreFaison Takes a Swing
Bill Faison is like a boxer who took a knockout swing, missed and left himself wide open for the counterpunch. The day after Monday’s indictments, Faison told Laura Leslie at WRAL-TV: “I think, ultimately, Gov. Perdue will do the right thing and decide not to run. I don’t believe you’ll ever see her file.” …
Read MoreWhat’s the Fallout?
Monday’s campaign-finance indictments gave everybody something. Republicans, of course, are chortling over the potential problems for Governor Perdue. Although, notably, Reps. David Lewis and Skip Stam sounded cautionary notes over how hard it can be to interpret campaign laws. As well they should, for some Republican will get tripped up. Count on it. …
Read MoreDark Deeds Indeed
It sounds like a Seal Team Six operation: “As North Carolina Republicans tell it, the Obama for America volunteers stole in under cover of night and stayed, undetected — noticed belatedly only because of election results across the state.” That’s the New York Times account – “Team Obama Gears Up for 2012” – of…
Read MoreLayoff Numbers Game
Here’s a TAPster’s interesting talk on the flap about how many job layoffs the legislature caused: “Sometimes it’s hard to tell who has better aim at their feet these days, the Democrats or the Republicans — and whether there’s anyone out there holding them accountable for their poor politics or obfuscating rhetoric. The latest…
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