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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From China With Love

By Gary Pearce October 25, 2011

Governor Perdue reached across the Pacific to Washington last week to make a point that signals her 2012 strategy: Republicans are hurting education.   While she was in China, her office sent a letter to Senators Hagan and Burr endorsing “The Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act.”   She wrote that the bill,…

Trial By Ordeal

By Carter Wrenn October 24, 2011

In 1996 six months after Steve Forbes began his campaign for President his brother Tim told me, Here’s how Presidential campaigns work: They stand my brother up on stage then they strip all his clothes off and beat him to a pulp. But in a way it makes sense. Because, I guess, people figure if…

Selective Credit

By Gary Pearce October 24, 2011

It was interesting watching Republicans react to the death of Gadhafi and the end of his regime. It pained them to give President Obama any credit.   They strained instead to find a way to give credit to President Bush.   Just like when Osama was killed. The Republicans were quick to credit Bush.  …

The Vanishing Cuts

By Carter Wrenn October 24, 2011

If Bev Perdue had a few more Cabinet Secretaries like Lanier Cansler she’d never have to cut spending a penny – no matter what Republican legislators said.   Last summer the Republicans told Cansler to cut the state’s $12.9 billion Medicaid budget by $350 million. The other day a team of legislators came back to…

The Last Two Candidates?

By Carter Wrenn October 22, 2011

Judging by the Las Vegas debate, the seven guys and the one lady running for President in the Republican Primaries are getting testy.   Right off, with no pleasantries, everyone lit into Herman Cain – which seems to be the paradigm for Republican Presidential campaigns. The pundits and bloggers and Fox News anoint a flavor…

911 for 999

By Gary Pearce October 21, 2011

Taxes are to politicians as zappers are to bugs. They can’t resist the temptation, and they end up getting fried.   Latest example: Herman Cain. Or, as he would say, “Herman Cain!”   In their debate this week, his Republican rivals pretty well ripped apart his 999 tax plan. Turns out it would raise taxes…

One Rip-off, Two Villains

By Carter Wrenn October 20, 2011

Here’s an unusual experiment in ethics: Is Citibank guilty or innocent of bilking investors by selling home mortgage bond packages? The answer, the bank says, is neither. It’s neither innocent nor guilty. In fact, it’s neutral on the issue. But, the bank adds, it will pay a $285 million fine to put the past behind…

A Democratic Pope?

By Gary Pearce October 20, 2011

A Republican TAPster sends along this N&O blog with the observation: “Looks like the Democrats might have found their version of an Art Pope.”   Keung Hui, in a blog headed, “Dean Debnam’s group gives Common Sense Matters another $25,000,” wrote:   “It looks like we should expect another flurry of mailers from Common Sense…

The 2012 Stimulus

By Gary Pearce October 19, 2011

One industry in North Carolina is guaranteed to get a big boost next year: the political industry.   President Obama’s two-day bus tour this week gave a glimpse of what’s to come. You’re going to see a lot of him the next 13 months – and a lot of the Republican candidate.  And they’re all…

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…