North Carolina – Republicans
Primary for Perdue?
With her right hand, Governor Perdue has to deal with the Republican legislature and a Republican challenger next year. Now she may have to put her left hand to work. The buzz on the left – what Howard Dean memorably dubbed “the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party” – is that Senators Dan Blue…
Read MoreTrial Lawyers
To my chagrin I haven’t written a syllable in weeks but at least the reason makes a curious story; – for a month I’ve been camped out with a tribe of trial lawyers, trying to explain the foibles of politicians in general and Republican politicians in particular. I’d like to say how I came…
Read MoreThe Voters’ View
A focus group this week brought into clear focus the opportunities and challenges facing North Carolina Democrats and Republicans. A couple of participants said they’re feeling more optimistic about the direction of the state. Why? “For the first time in a hundred years, we have a legislature that understands where the revenue comes…
Read MorePower Plays
These aren’t lofty matters of principle. They’re raw, partisan power politics. In Wisconsin and New Jersey, the battles are between Republican governors and public employee unions. In North Carolina, the battles are over voter IDs and – soon – redistricting. Even Democrats who don’t like public employee unions see unions – and…
Read MoreA Healthy Debate
Set aside the predictable posturing and apocalyptic doom-saying from both sides. North Carolina’s budget debate is a debate we need. Governor Perdue’s proposed budget is a classic North Carolina Democratic progressive budget. It’s a balance of program cuts, higher revenues and protection for education. It’s essentially the same approach that Democratic governors and legislators…
Read MoreOur Hero
Legislative Democrats need to extend a laurel and hearty handshake to Republican Rep. Mike Stone of Sanford. Less than a month into the session, he has dragged his party into controversy over secrecy, special interests and pay-to-play – the very sins the GOP inveighed against in last year’s campaign. And I warned them. …
Read MoreBev Wins Round 1
Strong speech. Smart strategy. And Governor Perdue won her televised faceoff with Senator Berger. Today, Republicans should be asking: Did we misunderestimate her? She is criticized for not saying how she’ll pay for it all. But that’s good sequencing: The headline today is her cutting business taxes – as the N&O said,…
Read MoreEthics Questions for WTVD
Steve Daniels of WTVD last week broke the story about the FBI’s “political corruption probe” of Governor Bev Perdue some 15 years ago. But Daniels left out an interesting angle: his own. Daniels interviewed Frank Perry, whom he identified as a former FBI agent. But Daniels didn’t tell us that Perry is “director…
Read MoreEarth to Tillis
Mr. Speaker, didn’t you guys learn anything from the Democratic scandals of the last decade? Lesson 1: Don’t stiff-arm Andy Curliss and the N&O. Ask Mike Easley how that worked out. Lesson 2: Don’t have a closed-door “policy committee” meeting at the Legislative Building to hear from special-interest lobbyists. Lesson 3: Especially when you’re…
Read MoreJob Killers
Yesterday I gave Republican legislators credit for a fast start. Today I wonder whether they picked the right fight to start with. Republicans say they were elected to cut spending. But Democrats denounced “the Republican job killing plan.” That’s “job killing” as in Obama’s “job killing health care reform.” Democrats already are getting into the…
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