North Carolina – Republicans
Reshuffling
This headline should strike fear in us: “State government reorganizes, seeking more efficiency.” Pardon my cynicism, but I’ve seen this movie before. Every administration in Washington and every state capital promises to reinvent, reorganize and rethink government. Now, Rob Christensen reports in the N&O that North Carolina is scrambling the bureaucratic eggs again. This…
Read MoreIncompetence Rewarded
Just as the N.C. Department of Agriculture gets new responsibilities, we find out it bungled its current duties. Lynn Bonner reports in the N&O: “The state Agriculture Department failed to fine propane plants, dispensing sites and other facilities that mishandled the highly flammable gas, putting the public at risk and costing public schools…
Read MoreJobbed
Governor Perdue has been taking heat from Republicans for allegedly breaking the law by releasing federal job numbers. Which raises two questions: Since when did Republicans get so concerned about protecting federal-government information? Was it since the numbers were good for the Governor?
Read MoreBerger’s Bullying
It didn’t take Republican legislative leaders long to learn the high-handed ways that they used to complain about when Marc Basnight and Tony Rand were running the Senate. Witness Senator Berger’s threat to wreak vengeance on six cities that appealed the legislature’s curbs on involuntary annexations. There’s just something about being in power, especially…
Read MorePerdue’s Prospects
Governor Perdue had to hate reading the N&O this morning. First there’s a front-page story regurgitating her flight problems, with a boost from Democratic scold Joe Sinsheimer. Then Dome quotes a professor from his perch at UVA opining about her tough path to reelection. This is why Democrats are wringing their hands about…
Read MoreNewt vs. Newt
A Republican friend says there is only one person who can beat Newt Gingrich now: Newt Gingrich. And he’s perfectly capable of it. Tom Fetzer’s decision to lead Newt’s campaign in North Carolina shows how unhappy conservatives are with one-time frontrunner Mitt Romney. Mitt’s just too moderate. And for some Republicans, too Mormon.…
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 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…
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