Carter is a Republican. Gary is a Democrat.

They met in 1984, during the epic U.S. Senate battle between Jesse Helms and Jim Hunt. Carter worked for Helms and Gary, for Hunt.

Years later, they became friends. They even worked together on some nonpolitical clients.

They enjoy talking about politics. So they started this blog in 2005.

They’re still talking. And they invite you to join the conversation.

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Carter Wrenn

Gary Pearce 2024

Gary Pearce

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Charles B. Aycock? Really?

By Gary Pearce December 15, 2014

Democrats in Washington are squabbling about torture, a $1.1 trillion budget bill and regulations on Wall Street and big banks. Democrats in North Carolina are squabbling about – I kid you not – Charles Brantley Aycock.   Specifically, the squabble is in part over whether the wife of a descendant of North Carolina’s governor from…

Cross of Gold

By Carter Wrenn December 15, 2014

A little known prairie lawyer got up and gave a speech at the Democratic Convention in 1896 and the next day was nominated for President.   Last weekend, a conservative posted a link to this speech on Twitter with a one word comment: Wow.   It’s Elizabeth Warren’s talking about Citigroup and it’s as close…

Infighting

By Gary Pearce December 12, 2014

The months right after an election are, as James Carville once said, “when you stop screwing your enemies and start screwing your friends.”   That’s true of winners and losers. The winners fight over the best jobs and nicest offices. The losers fight over who’s to blame. And they jockey for positions in the next…

Fire in the Eyes

By Gary Pearce December 11, 2014

I dropped in on a wise old Democrat who has been through the political wars, winning more than he lost. I found him undaunted by 2014 and fired up for 2016.   He chided me for chiding Senator Hagan for chiding President Obama over the November results: “You were too tough on her. The President…

Debating Incentives

By Gary Pearce December 10, 2014

Ben Bradlee of the Washington Post used to say: “I come in every day with an empty bucket, and somebody fills it up.” Some days I come in with an empty blog, but TAPsters (readers, commentators and contributors) fill it up. Here’s a guest blog that’s timely in light of Senator-elect Andy Wells’ letter to…

A Gift that Keeps on Giving

By Carter Wrenn December 10, 2014

The Taliban’s on a tear and ISIS is selling women as slaves and it looks like Limited Wars have turned out to be a gift that keeps on giving and we’re about to fight one more.   ISIS has reconquered half of Irag but to whip ‘em we’re not sending in the Marines or the…

The Seed of Wickedness?

By Carter Wrenn December 9, 2014

  Generally speaking it looks folks see the riots in Missouri two ways – Jim Martin who serves on the local School Board gave an example in the newspaper of one way: After the riots he explained to his fellow School Board members they were watching a ‘classic disconnect between how officialdom and people in…

Duke Who?

By Gary Pearce December 9, 2014

When 60 Minutes came calling, Governor McCrory was quick to dump, and dump on, his old employer Duke Energy.   When Leslie Stahl asked about Duke’s record on coal ash, McCrory squinted real serious-like and said, “Actually, there’s been no record regarding coal ash disposal.” Stahl: “They haven’t done anything?” McCrory: “Very little, very little.…

What’s the Difference?

By Carter Wrenn December 8, 2014

  Obama and the Republican Leaders in Congress are eyeball to eyeball over immigration with the President saying he’s done a fine noble deed to bring five million people out of the shadows and with Republicans saying Obama’s fine noble deed is just an unconstitutional power grab.   They’re having a fine row but the…

Political Shots Fired

By Gary Pearce April 28, 2026

The political sniping began even as chaos still reigned at the White House Correspondents Dinner. My…

Obama 48-Trump 39

By Gary Pearce April 26, 2026

A new nationwide poll shows that, if they could run against each other in 2028, Barack…

“Conservative Successes”?

By Gary Pearce April 23, 2026

Senator Phil Berger was out of touch with voters in his district – and suffered the…