North Carolina – Republicans
He Likes Ike!
Tea Party types must have gone into cardiac arrest last night when Governor McCrory said he’s “kind of an Eisenhower Republican.” Just not as ambitious. Ike built the Interstate highway system; Pat wants to “fix the lights” on the Interstate. And, like Ike, he’s afraid to confront the Joe McCarthys in his party. …
Read MoreNot So Fast
The Economist newspaper says North Carolina has bid “farewell to purple.” But an article in The New York Times Magazine gives Democrats reason for optimism. The Economist notes: “North Carolina has a Republican governor, a conservative majority on the state Supreme Court and Republicans controlling both legislative chambers.” Plus, Republicans have nine of our…
Read MoreA Poster Child for Ineptitude
Cautiously holding their fingers to the wind most politicians avoid controversies like the plague – but State Auditor Beth Wood, a farm girl who put herself through East Carolina University, has a trait that’s all but extinct in politics: Grit. Last year, after Wood audited the state’s new Medicaid Processing Computer System, she blistered…
Read MoreGOP ‘Compassion’
“We are being compassionate,” said state Rep. Mike Hager of Rutherfordton. “We have a mindset of pulling…government burden off these small businesses.” Well, that sums it up. Republican compassion is for businesses and corporations, not people. Remember: People aren’t corporations, my friend. First North Carolina Republicans slashed help for people who can’t find…
Read MoreListening to McCrory
After receiving a typically enthusiastic introduction from former Governor Jim Hunt Tuesday, Governor McCrory said, “Note to staff: Never have me speak after Jim Hunt again.” Here’s another note he should send them: Know my audience. McCrory was speaking at N.C. State’s Emerging Issues Form on manufacturing. He seemed to think he was…
Read MoreStupid Is As Stupid Does
Some Republicans seem determined to be “the stupid party,” in Bobby Jindal’s memorable phrase. Like U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx. The Sunday New York Times took a look at how some students today pay for college. The story focused on Steve Boedefeld, an Appalachian State University student who wants to avoid graduating with a…
Read MoreThe Only Casualty
War’s broken out in Raleigh. The Republican County Commissioners launched a blitzkrieg, hiring a lobbyist (for $25,000) to get the Republican legislature to redraw the districts of the Democratic School Board members – then the Democratic School Board struck back (to keep their districts) by spending four times as much ($100,000) to hire their…
Read MoreDiamond Jim Gardner
Jim Gardner almost changed political history twice – 20 years ago and 40 years ago. In 1972, he was the fair-haired boy of the North Carolina Republican Party. Six years earlier, he had unexpectedly defeated a long-time Democratic congressman from the East, Harold Cooley. How big an upset was it? Cooley was chairman of…
Read MoreTea Party
George Washington supposedly said the Founding Fathers created the Senate to cool House legislation just as a saucer cools hot tea. In North Carolina, it looks like the House and Art Pope are cooling the Senate’s hot tea. The House promised to take a long second look at the Senate’s boards and commissions…
Read MoreA Hasty Retreat
Pre-K foe Diana Lightfoot has hot-footed it out of the pre-K job. (See blog below.) Give the McCrory administration points here. There’s only one way to fix a disaster: fast. Now maybe Ms. Lightfoot can get to the bottom of these ultrasonic waves from China and North Korea. And here’s two words…
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