Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
A Line in the Sand
The Iraq battle lines are drawn in the presidential race. Republicans made clear in their debate this weekend that they want to keep troops in Iraq. Democrats are just as clear that they want troops out. So the American people will get to make a clear decision on the war next year. That should be…
Will John Edwards Smile or Frown?
John Edwards’ campaign is either finding its groove or spinning out of control. The New York Times reported this week: “In a slow but striking power shift, advisers who champion the political power of the Web have eclipsed the coterie of advisers who have long dominated Mr. Edwards’s inner circle, both reflecting and intensifying his…
An Idea Whose Time Will Not Come
You’ve got to admire John Kane’s chutzpah. But not his political judgment. Kane, the developer of Raleigh’s North Hills, wants $75 million in public money so he can build parking decks for his North Hills East project. What is he thinking? It’s not going to happen. Especially not in an election year. Mayor Meeker immediately…
Hillary’s Makeover
It’s a baby-boomer politician’s worst nightmare: The New York Times gets holds of personal letters you wrote to a close friend back when you were a self-absorbed college student trying on different personas and personalities. It happened to Hillary Clinton Sunday. This came right after the national media dissected the political and fashion significance of…
Playing the Outside Game
North Carolina’s Realtors spent $700,000 on a media campaign against the “home tax.” The campaign failed. Why? The Realtors had a good idea: Mobilize public opinion to change legislative votes. But they didn’t go far enough. Carter is the master of this strategy. He did it for Farmers for Fairness (hog farmers) in the ‘90s.…
A Portrait of America from the Morning Newspaper
Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez – according to the press this morning – mislead to the Senate yesterday. (Even one Republican Senator, Arlen Specter, asked Gonzalez, incredulously, “Do you expect me to believe that?”) The House of Representatives – according to the press – is about to bring contempt charges against President Bush for illegally hiding…
Beat This?
When I read The News and Observer headline – “Tax Enriches Cellular Carriers” –I had to ask, ‘How does a tax enrich anyone but the government?’ The answer turned out to be simple. The government collects a tax on your phone bill then pays the money to telephone companies (in theory for providing phone service…
Big Business a Big Target
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama got the most attention after this week’s Democratic debate. But John Edwards had the most pointed message. And it’s why he remains a big threat to the Big Two. The first two questions he got, almost the first words out of Edwards’ mouth were “big insurance companies, big pharmaceutical companies…
Lawyer Strikes Gold
An enterprising Wilmington attorney read how the Attorney General of New Jersey won a settlement from Sears for overcharging customers for wheel alignments and promptly brought his own class action lawsuit against Sears (The News and Observer, 7-23-07). And Sears promptly settled. The lawyer received $950,000 in fees. And Sears consumers received $2,402. (Not each,…