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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Owning it All

By Carter Wrenn July 5, 2012

It happens on Wall Street: A tycoon calls an eager young executive into his office and hands him a job to do (like selling Facebook stock) and says, This is your responsibility – you ‘own’ it.   Three years into the ‘Great Recession’ no politician in his right mind wants to ‘own the economy.’  It…

How Government Works

By Carter Wrenn July 5, 2012

When Dr. Craigon Gray headed Medicaid in North Carolina he didn’t care much for home health care – he would tell anyone who’d listen how home health care was riddled with fraud.   Now a lot of folks suspected Dr. Gray’s animus towards home care (and his preference for sending elderly people to nursing homes)…

Move On

By Gary Pearce July 5, 2012

Will Republicans now make the same mistake on health care reform that President Obama made?   Apart from never adequately explaining his reform, the President hurt himself by focusing on health care when Americans were focused on the bad economy.   Now a poll shows that, however they feel about the law, Americans want to…

Hands Off

By Gary Pearce July 4, 2012

To celebrate Independence Day, Congress should oblige those patriots who attended the “Hands off My Healthcare” rally in Raleigh this weekend: Pass a law making them ineligible – now and in the future – for Medicare.  And give them medals for their sacrifice.   Oh, that’s not what they meant?   No, they want government…

36 Years Too Late

By Carter Wrenn July 3, 2012

Venerated Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, who is seventy-eight years old, just faced his first primary in three decades – a Tea Party opponent ran against him who said Washington could do with one less politician who’d spent years voting for more debt and more spending.   Senator Hatch weathered the storm but, then, after the…

3 Strikes,You’re Out

By Gary Pearce July 3, 2012

Like Charlie Brown, Governor Perdue and Democratic legislators took three mighty swings at the Republicans’ best pitches. And whiffed on every one.   It was an inglorious end to the party’s first legislative session out of power. And maybe a taste of how things will be for a while.   Some Democrats thought Governor Perdue…

Whose Economy?

By Gary Pearce July 2, 2012

Speaker Thom Tillis says Republicans “own the economy” and is optimistic: “I think we are seeing some green shoots.”   But Pat McCrory says Governor Perdue owns the economy and it’s “broken.”   Nationally, of course, Republicans say President Obama owns the economy and it sucks.   Obama avoids sounding too optimistic. Democrats say it’s…

Winning One for the Geezers

By Gary Pearce June 29, 2012

As an aspiring geezer, I’m inspired when white-hairs beat the young guns at their own new-media game.   So today we celebrate Lyle Denniston, the 81-year-old, twice-retired blogger at SCOTUSBlog. He got the Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act right and he got it first.   Actually, the trigger-happy hot heads at CNN…

Simple Politics

By Carter Wrenn June 28, 2012

When you boil out all the hollering and gnashing of teeth the Presidential campaign’s pretty simple. Romney says, Obama’s sunk the economy. He doesn’t deserve re-election. Then Obama says, Look at Romney’s record as Governor of Massachusetts. No matter how bad I’ve done – he’d do worse. Then Obama adds, And look at what Romney…

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…