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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Last in Education

By Gary Pearce April 18, 2011

Republicans have opened the doors of opportunity for Governor Perdue. And missed a golden opportunity for themselves.   Perdue can now say – according to State Board of Education Chairman Bill Harrison – that the Republican budget cuts would make North Carolina LAST in the nation in per-pupil education funding.   We can’t even say…

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A Breath of Fresh Air

By Carter Wrenn April 15, 2011

For the last ten years – girding their loins for this year’s redistricting battle – over in the State Legislature Republicans have been telling anyone who’ll listen that the Democrats should set up an ‘Independent Commission’ to draw new House and Senate districts. What they had in mind was simple: They didn’t want Democrats to…

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Bill Friday’s People

By Gary Pearce April 15, 2011

Some 500+ of Bill Friday’s closest personal friends attended a luncheon in Chapel Hill honoring him for 40 years of hosting “North Carolina People.”   (Warning: Shameless self-promotion ahead! I’m on his show tonight and Sunday, talking about my Jim Hunt biography.)   Friday has conducted these gentle, relaxed interviews with probably 2,000 North Carolinians…

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Davy Jones’ Locker

By Carter Wrenn April 14, 2011

In theory state law says the maximum contribution you or I or anyone else can give a State House or Senate candidate is $4,000 per election – but it turns out legislators left a loophole in the law.   Say a group – like the Medical Society – gives Senator Louis Pate $4,000.   Then…

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Ryan’s Express

By Gary Pearce April 14, 2011

Has it occurred to anybody in the Republican Party that U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan is driving them off a cliff?   Think back one year ago. Republicans could smell victory in November. Why? Because President Obama and the Democratic Congress had given them the perfect punching bag: sweeping, comprehensive health care reform.   Best of…

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Primary Reading Program

By Gary Pearce April 13, 2011

Craig Phillips, who died Tuesday, was a good and progressive Superintendent of Public Instruction. But I feel compelled to correct one small thing in the N&O’s story about him.   The story said Phillips “put reading aides in state elementary school classrooms as part of his Primary Reading Program.”   No. The Primary Reading Program…

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Police Envy…

By Carter Wrenn April 13, 2011

Of all things there’s another ‘concealed carry’ bill over at the legislature…this time Speaker Thom Tillis’ Chief of Staff, Charles Thomas, and State Senate Kingpin Tom Apodaca want to allow the Sergeants-at-Arms in the legislature to carry concealed pistols.   Supporting the bill, Thomas explained to the Senate Rules Committee that arming the Sergeants-at-Arms will…

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Pawns to Queen’s Turf

By Gary Pearce April 13, 2011

Look on the House budget proposal as the first move in a political chess match.   The strategy: Lay out the most draconian cuts possible, guaranteed to bring to Raleigh every special interest group in the state – a chorus of voices denouncing, declaiming and pleading.   Then come up with some magic moves –…

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Give Me a Ticket on a Fast Train…

By Carter Wrenn April 12, 2011

The corporate-wing of the State Republican Party, led by Charlotte Senator Bob Rucho, has come out four-square for Governor Perdue taking $545 million from the federal government to build ‘high-speed’ railroad tracks from Raleigh and Charlotte.   Governors in several other states turned down the federal money, but Senator Rucho explained that ‘snubbing the federal…

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Education Governor

By Gary Pearce March 13, 2025

With a better General Assembly, Josh Stein could join Jim Hunt and Terry Sanford on North…

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The N&O Story

By Gary Pearce March 12, 2025

Once upon a time, there was a great and powerful newspaper: The News & Observer. Everybody…

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How Democrats Win Again

By Gary Pearce March 10, 2025

The shouting, sign-waving and cane-wielding by congressional Democrats at the State of the Union isn’t a…

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