‘Let’s Forget the Whole Thing’
At first I thought it might be shock, or embarrassment, or not wanting to kick a fellow when he’s down: Democrats, led by Governor Easley, were silent as stones about Jim Black’s bribery conviction.
Then I asked a friend who knows legislators, ‘Why aren’t Democrats howling from the rooftops in outrage at Jim Black rather than shuffling their feet and saying lamely, Let’s put it all behind us.” He laughed and said something like, ‘Fool. Don’t you know Jim Black is cooperating with the prosecutors? No Democrat wants to get on his bad side right now.’
I guess he has a point. Suppose you were a Democratic legislator and knew something about, say, how the Democrats got two Republican Senators to take a walk on the key lottery vote. When you were asked about Black’s bribery conviction, Let’s forget about the whole thing, might be a pretty prudent answer.
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‘Let’s Forget the Whole Thing’
At first I thought it might be shock, or embarrassment, or not wanting to kick a fellow when he’s down: Democrats, led by Governor Easley, were silent as stones about Jim Black’s bribery conviction.
Then I asked a friend who knows legislators, ‘Why aren’t Democrats howling from the rooftops in outrage at Jim Black rather than shuffling their feet and saying lamely, Let’s put it all behind us.” He laughed and said something like, ‘Fool. Don’t you know Jim Black is cooperating with the prosecutors? No Democrat wants to get on his bad side right now.’
I guess he has a point. Suppose you were a Democratic legislator and knew something about, say, how the Democrats got two Republican Senators to take a walk on the key lottery vote. When you were asked about Black’s bribery conviction, Let’s forget about the whole thing, might be a pretty prudent answer.
Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles in our Forum.