Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
When North Carolina’s legislature debated whether to start a lottery 20 years ago, one argument overcame concerns about gambling and corruption: All the money would go to public schools. The result was the Education Lottery. Back then, Republicans opposed the lottery – period. They pilloried then-Lt. Governor Bev Perdue for casting the tie-breaking vote to…
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In days long past the news media boasted it was ‘unbiased.’ It wasn’t. But to their credit when a politician they liked spun a lie most reporters called him out. Back then, at the same time, over in Great Britain newspapers didn’t pretend they were unbiased. They took sides. And made no bones about it.…
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Ron DeSantis started out saying, Here’s me. Here’s Trump. Here’s the difference. But saying ‘I’m Trump-lite’ flopped. Trump-lite didn’t top the real Trump. It’s an old story: A candidate looks good, sounds good, has a good record, but stumbles. DeSantis stumbled, replaced his campaign manager, jiggered his strategy, but the pieces still haven’t come together.…
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I started a Twitter war over tomato sandwiches, and I got my all-time record reaction. Last I looked, I had over 32,000 views, plus lots of likes, dislikes, retweets and comments pro and con. It started when a Republican legislator tweeted that Wednesday would be “Tomato Sandwich Day” at the General Assembly. I responded, “Much…
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A legislator once told me how he traded political favors for campaign contributions: He said, It’s legal but you have to walk a line. He explained when someone asked him to vote for a bill he couldn’t say, ‘Sure, I will, if you’ll contribute to my campaign in return.’ That was a ‘quid pro quo.’…
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The Republican Party used to stand for a strong national defense. North Carolina’s two Republican Senators, Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, boast of their support for the state’s military personnel and veterans. But neither Tillis nor Budd, nor any Republican Senator, has the backbone to stand up to Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama (pictured), a…
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Jack Smith’s lawsuit against Trump goes like this: 1) States counted votes, certified the winner; 2) Picked Presidential Electors; 3) Biden won the Electoral College; 4) On January 6 Trump tried to throw out Biden’s Electors so he could stay in power – that broke the law. Trump’s defense goes this way: 1) Biden didn’t…
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Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson foretold Donald Trump 50 years ago when he wrote this about Richard Nixon: “(Nixon) represents that dark, venal and incurably violent side of the American character…. He speaks for the Werewolf in us; the bully, the predatory shyster who turns into something unspeakable, full of claws and bleeding string-warts…
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Twenty years ago, Republicans opposed the North Carolina Education Lottery on “moral” grounds. Now they can’t break ground fast enough on casinos across the state. Campaign donations are flowing like free drinks on a casino floor. Lobbyists are hitting the jackpot. It’s not just Republicans. Some Democrats say casinos are good for North Carolina. I’m…
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