North Carolina – Republicans

This week’s headlines tell a tale of the priorities and problems of North Carolina’s top three Republicans.   Governor McCrory, like all new governors, is focused on getting his cronies into state jobs and frustrated that he can’t fire current state employees fast enough. (A TAPster noted that McCrory’s off-with-their-heads story came out on State…

A TAPster notes that the House’s gun bill allows concealed weapons at sporting events, adding: “I wouldn’t want to be a ref.”   Anyone who has been at a game and witnessed the raw anger that can erupt gets the point.   How would you like to be the ref who makes an unpopular call…

Governor McCrory went to Texas to push for off-shore drilling, but where does he stand on deep-sixing renewable energy?   His old boss at Duke Energy opposes the bill. So do some legislative Republicans. But McCrory, the jobs and energy governor, is silent.   Does he agree with the argument made by Republican Rep. Mike…

Raleigh Republicans’ once-united front is fraying. There was Rep. Larry Pittman’s non-apology apology to Speaker Tillis (“I’m not sorry I said it; I’m sorry I got caught.”) One wit noted that it read like a hostage letter. Was he waterboarded?   Then there’s renewable energy. Some Republicans chafed at the pressure behind the bill to…

Is this what Governor McCrory means by government serving its customers? It’s certainly as blatant a statement of pay-to-play as has ever been made.   Sweepstakes operator William George of Rock Hill, S.C., who gave $4,000 to McCrory’s campaign, told AP: “We didn’t give them money because we liked them. We just knew they were…

Within just a few days last week, the Perdue campaign-fund serial wrapped up, Sweepstakesgate ramped up and Governor McCrory cleaned house at the Board of Elections.   Grab a big bag of popcorn and settle in. This will take a while.   Especially since a majority of the previous board called for an investigation. And especially…