Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
Bush and Spying
When I first heard about President Bush ‘wire taping’ calls (from U.S. citizens to overseas) I thought that sounded pretty bad – that the President shouldn’t just have the power to go out and wiretap calls made by American citizens anytime he wants to. Then I thought about the pictures on the Internet of hooded…
My Big-Bang Government Theory
Ever wonder why the MBA presidency of George Bush seems so incompetent when it comes to managing government? I’ve got a theory. But first, let’s review the evidence: • “Heckuva job, Brownie” of FEMA and Katrina fame; • The lack of armor for American troops in Iraq; • The mess in the Medicare drug benefit…
Who Will Speak for the Democrats?
Wednesday’s New York Times has a front-page story about the problem I’ve blogged about: national Democrats’ ineptitude at challenging governmentally inept but politically skilled Republicans. In the article, numerous Democrats concede the party has missed a golden opportunity while Bush & Co. fumbled and stumbled the past few months. And they blame the party’s current…
A Wanna-Be Governor’s Priorities
Bill Graham, the Republican John Edwards wanna-be, says he will spend $40,000 a week on TV ads opposing the 2.7-cent state gas tax increase. I wonder if he will run ads attacking ExxonMobil for making $36 billion in profits last year – by raising the price of gas a bit more than 2.7 cents a…
Super Bowl MVPs
My choice: the refs. Maybe Seattle didn’t get jobbed. And as an N.C. State grad, I’m glad to see Bill Cowher win. But I hate to see the Super Bowl decided by the zebras’ close calls.
The Race Card, 2006 Version
No matter what school bond issue faces Wake County voters this year, here is an issue I promise will come: illegal immigration. You can see the Republican pollsters salivating right now. Advance word is that one of the key issues President Bush will address in his State of the Union speech will be illegal immigration.,…
Digging Deeper
The N&O reported today that the downtown Raleigh Convention Center keeps getting more expensive. And the city-subsidized hotel keeps getting uglier. The political hole is getting as deep as the construction hole.
SSOTU
Big-time political bloggers refer to the State of the Union speech as SOTU. I call Tuesday night’s performance SSOTU: Sorry State of the Union. Not just President Bush, but also the Democrats in Washington. I’ve got three words for Bush’s performance: boring and small-bore. It’s striking to see how far the once-“bold” Bush has fallen…
A Dangerous Chase for Ratings
When I heard about ABC anchorman Bob Woodruff being injured in Iraq, I thought first about his wife and four children. Then I thought about TV ratings. The unpleasant truth is that Woodruff was sitting in that vehicle because ABC is desperately chasing evening-news ratings. We all laugh when TV talking heads stand outside in…