Raleigh
A Democrat Can Always Screw Up Worse
Two political consultants sat arguing at the next table. The Democrat said, It’s like the mystery of the dog that didn’t bark in the night, then the Republican said, The reason the dog didn’t bark is simple – because Thom Tillis didn’t do anything wrong, then the Democrat said, He fired two aides for unethical…
Read MoreRound 1: Dalton vs. McCrory
First the Republicans called Walter Dalton ‘Bev Perdue, Jr.’ Then the Democrats called Pat McCrory a skunk who as Mayor of Charlotte lobbied to get government money for a company that paid him $140,000. Then McCrory’s lawyers threatened to rain legal mayhem on the TV stations if they ran the Democrats’ slanderous ad, and…
Read MoreAs If By Magic
Awhile back, like incubi of old, mischievous Anony-mices descended on the News and Observer’s website and set up camp; giving themselves colorful names (the way wrestlers on TV do) like Tarheel Crusher, Yosephus and Agent Pierce (who describes himself as Agent Pierce, News Personality, Legendary Cyber Commando) they set about tormenting any hapless victim who…
Read MoreFact Checking the Fact Checkers
If a newspaper is going to be a ‘Fact Checker’ it ought to take the time to do the research to get its facts straight. A few days ago the News and Observer reported Paul Coble ‘has voted to issue’ millions of dollars in new Wake County bonds (debt) but added, But those bonds…
Read MoreHow Little Scandals Become Big Scandals
House Speaker Thom Tillis spent last week catching hand grenades – first his Chief-of-Staff landed on the front page of the newspaper for having an affair with a lobbyist then a second Tillis aide confessed to a peccadillo with another lobbyist; — both aides promptly resigned (at Tillis’ request) then the press asked Tillis the…
Read MoreDownright Seedy
There’s an outbreak of fornication on Jones Street. In the State House. In Speaker Thom Tillis’ office. Between lobbyists and Tillis’ aides. Yesterday after all the shenanigans landed in the newspapers Speaker Tillis disposed of two aides then, after “reviewing” 130 pages of emails and other records, announced they hadn’t lifted a finger to give…
Read MoreSex and the Speaker’s Office
I like the observations below because the TAPster who wrote them not only takes aim at everybody, but also dares to defend lobbyists: “The irony – and hypocrisy — of this sex scandal is these staffers work for Republican politicians who imposed their personal morals on the state’s citizens by ramming through the proposed…
Read MoreNot Serving Wine
It’s hard to tell who’s crazier: Andrew Young or John Edwards. Back in 1998 in Myrtle Beach Young hears Edwards make a speech and, as Young told it himself in court last week, fell in love. A few years later Rielle Hunter met Edwards in a New York bar and fell in love too.…
Read MoreMore to Come?
The N&O story today by Dan Kane and John Frank (“Second Tillis staffer admits to inappropriate relationship with a lobbyist”) had this eye-catching line: “After Thomas’ resignation, Tillis said he returned to his office on Sunday afternoon and questioned five of his 10 remaining staff members, who had been the subject of rumors related…
Read MoreBlame Newt Gingrich
A capital veteran says of the Charles Thomas/lobbyist scandal: “Sex between legislators, staffers and lobbyists isn’t anything new. Been going on for years. What’s new about this is a private investigator hired by an undisclosed client did the N&O’s investigation and the N&O printed the result. This is a spooky precedent.” Laura Leslie…
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