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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McCrory Manager Exposed

By Gary Pearce May 3, 2012

Here is the kind of information you won’t get from what Sarah Palin calls the “lamestream media.” It’s only available in the lamebrain media, like this blog.   Specifically, you have to read our Forum section to discover that Pat McCrory’s new campaign manager “has ties to CHARLIE CRIST!”   The TAPster adds: “Crist is…

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Downright Seedy

By Carter Wrenn May 2, 2012

There’s an outbreak of fornication on Jones Street. In the State House. In Speaker Thom Tillis’ office. Between lobbyists and Tillis’ aides. Yesterday after all the shenanigans landed in the newspapers Speaker Tillis disposed of two aides then, after “reviewing” 130 pages of emails and other records, announced they hadn’t lifted a finger to give…

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Sex and the Speaker’s Office

By Gary Pearce May 2, 2012

I like the observations below because the TAPster who wrote them not only takes aim at everybody, but also dares to defend lobbyists:   “The irony – and hypocrisy — of this sex scandal is these staffers work for Republican politicians who imposed their personal morals on the state’s citizens by ramming through the proposed…

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Not Serving Wine

By Carter Wrenn May 2, 2012

It’s hard to tell who’s crazier: Andrew Young or John Edwards.   Back in 1998 in Myrtle Beach Young hears Edwards make a speech and, as Young told it himself in court last week, fell in love. A few years later Rielle Hunter met Edwards in a New York bar and fell in love too.…

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More to Come?

By Gary Pearce May 2, 2012

The N&O story today by Dan Kane and John Frank (“Second Tillis staffer admits to inappropriate relationship with a lobbyist”) had this eye-catching line:   “After Thomas’ resignation, Tillis said he returned to his office on Sunday afternoon and questioned five of his 10 remaining staff members, who had been the subject of rumors related…

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Bin Laden Politics

By Gary Pearce May 1, 2012

Mitt Romney is about to come unglued because President Obama ordered the operation that killed bin Laden.   First Romney said “even Jimmy Carter” would have ordered the raid. Then he said “any thinking American” would have.   Presumably, that explains why President Bush didn’t.   Of course, Romney overlooks the fact that some military…

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Blame Newt Gingrich

By Gary Pearce May 1, 2012

A capital veteran says of the Charles Thomas/lobbyist scandal:   “Sex between legislators, staffers and lobbyists isn’t anything new. Been going on for years. What’s new about this is a private investigator hired by an undisclosed client did the N&O’s investigation and the N&O printed the result. This is a spooky precedent.”   Laura Leslie…

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What Is Bill Thinking?

By Gary Pearce April 30, 2012

Most of time, you can tell what a campaign is thinking by watching what it does. Sometimes, what a campaign does makes you wonder what – or if – they’re thinking. So it is with Bill Faison’s campaign for governor.   Some weeks ago, the buzz was that Faison was going to pump a half-million…

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Walter, Bob, Bill and Pat

By Carter Wrenn April 30, 2012

Walter Dalton, Bob Etheridge and Bill Faison are slugging it out in the Democratic Primary and the prospect of one of them emerging flat broke after the election and facing Pat McCrory (who’s sitting on $3 million) in the fall has Republicans feeling warm all over about winning the Governor’s race for the first time…

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Deborah Ross’ Rx

By Gary Pearce March 7, 2025

Curmudgeonly Cajun James Carville says Democrats just need to “roll over and play dead” and wait…

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Puzzling

By Carter Wrenn March 7, 2025

Trump raised tariffs. Said tariffs are beautiful. The next day, about facing, said automakers didn’t have…

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The Unknown

By Carter Wrenn March 5, 2025

A legend in politics, with a sneaky streak but a kind heart, Paddy sat down in…

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