Joe (the Sledgehammer) Sinsheimer may be the most powerful person in Raleigh today.

On Monday, he files another campaign-finance complaint with the State Board of Elections. On Tuesday, it’s the lead story in The News & Observer.

Last year, Sinsheimer had the guts to take on Jim Black when no one else would. For his trouble, Joe got trashed by the Democratic establishment. Democrats suggested darkly that Joe was being paid by Black’s enemies.

Then Joe turned out to be right: Black was a crook.

This legislative session, Joe raised questions about the finances of Reps. Thomas Wright and Mary McAllister, as well as the Legislative Black Caucus. For that, he got called racist.

Now Joe is on the track of some smelly contributions from some smelly industries, namely strip-club owners and video-poker operators.

Here is what I know about Joe: He’s honest. He’s not beholden to anybody. And he’s a hell of a good political researcher. He knows how to get information, and he gets it right.

Stronger ethics laws are great. But what North Carolina really needs to clean up politics may just be more Sledgehammers.

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