Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
When I read in the newspaper that the House Republican Leadership had given four Congressmen the boot, kicking them off their committees, for not loyally voting with the leadership I thought, Those guys must have been voting with the Democrats – but then I read one of the four Congressmen was Walter Jones the most…
Read MoreA veteran Raleigh observer says “Governor-elect Pat McCrory is off to a surprisingly rough start.” Here’s the TAPster’s critique: “He’s a seasoned politician but acts like an amateur (or a Wake school board member). Here are three examples of conflict where he should’ve known better: “The N&O busted him for not quitting…
Read MoreUp in Washington, right after Obama won reelection, House Speaker John Boehner held a press conference to announce he’d seen the light and was ready to compromise and accept more tax revenues (which translated from political speak into plain English means higher taxes). Next the House Republicans set off in hot pursuit of…
Read MoreAs their time in office winds down, Governors and Presidents often come down with LLS – Legacy-Leaving Syndrome. Symptoms include a sudden fever to leave on a high note, a thirst to do something big and memorable. Side effects include a tendency to overreach (see Haley Barbour and Bill Clinton). LLS actually can…
Read MoreIt was like watching the rerun of a bad old black and white movie: Obama won reelection then, the next day, at a press conference in Washington John Boehner stood up and announced he was ready to compromise and accept new taxes â but only on one condition. Obama had to accept big spending cuts.…
Read MoreThis isn’t the first Dix land fight. And it’s not the first time the state did the right thing despite short-sighted politicians. Exactly 28 years ago, in late 1984, another outgoing governor had plans for Dix land. Governor Hunt wanted to give a chunk of it to N.C. State University for a research park.…
Read MoreBack in 2005, Governor Mike Easley pulled strings and got his wife a job at North Carolina State University running what he called a ‘speakers series;’ then the Governor pulled more strings and got his wife a new job paying more, $170,000 a year; then the Governor’s string-pulling landed on the front page of the…
Read MoreIt’s shameful that Republicans believe their political future rests on voter suppression. But Democrats can turn this chicken shit into chicken salad. First they tell voters: “Republicans are doing all they can to make sure only angry old white men can vote. If you’re young, old, a minority or anyone who doesn’t look like…
Read MoreWell, Governor Perdue’s stepped in another mess. She’s announced she’s going to sidestep the normal nominating process (she set up) to pick a new Supreme Court Judge before Pat McCrory takes office. Perdue explained how her plan made sense, saying, I can’t imagine that the person I select will be anything but the finest…
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