Watching Fred Smith zing Pat McCrory in the governor’s campaign is getting to be entertaining.

At a debate last Saturday, railing against illegal immigration, GOP frontrunner McCrory said the federal government should build a $150 million prison in Charlotte to lock the rascals up. Then he added that there are so many illegal immigrants in Charlotte’s jail, they don’t have enough cells for the real criminals. Smith shot back:

“Pat, if you don’t have a place to put criminals in Mecklenburg County, it’s because you used money to build a new basketball arena.”

McCrory said that was a low blow. Then dug the hole deeper, adding the hotel-motel taxes that paid for the new basketball arena, by law, had to be used for tourism related expenses.

Imagine the next debate.

Smith says: ‘Pat, you’re saying it’s not your fault Charlotte built a basketball arena. When it needs a jail. You say it’s the laws fault. So, tell me, did you oppose that law?’

If McCrory’s answer is anything but, ‘Yes. And here’s how and when,’ Charlotte’s basketball arena may turn out to be the next hot issue in the Republican primary for governor.

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