Governor McCrory isn’t one of those politicians who lusts after power; he’s more like a genial movie star or an actor who walks onto the stage, speaks his lines, listens to the applause then moves on to the next act.

The Bull Mooses in the State Senate do lust for power. They bulldoze the Governor. And the House. And don’t allow pesky critters like facts get in their way – they bulldoze them too.

Over in the House new Speaker Tim Moore appeared to be cut from a different bolt of cloth: Quiet, deliberate and courteous he didn’t relish applause and respected facts.

For awhile it even looked like he might be one of those rare politicians immune to the temptations of power – until a buried gem hidden in the House Budget popped up and unless an unknown stranger put $5 million for Tim Moore’s hometown in the budget it appears there’s been a fall from grace.

When the newspapers caught scent of the $5 million a reporter called the Speaker’s office and was given a curt, No Comment. He got the same answer from the Kings Mountain City Manager. And when he cornered one of the chief budget-writers, Rep. Charles McGrady, McGrady shrugged and said sheepishly, “That’s sort of how the system works.”

Then the Speaker’s press secretary made just about the worst error possible: She came out breathing fire and firing with both barrels, ripping into Raleigh politics and saying if there was one politician in Raleigh who was above that sort of thing it was Tim Moore – but by then it was too late to patch the hole by gilding the lily. It only made things worse.

It would have been wiser to simply confess to an attack of clay feet.