Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
I’m told that flustered Democrats in the legislature don’t seem to understand they’re not still in charge – and don’t know how to act as the minority. They could take a cue from no less a message maven than Senator Chuck Schumer of New York. This week, according to The New York Times,…
A TAPster (bartender, two cold ones here) offers this thought-provoking caution: “Carter’s brief blog about legislators carrying guns is scary on many fronts. It’s probably only a matter of time before a gun battle breaks out in the legislative cafeteria when a lawmaker tries to take the last piece of fried catfish from a hungry…
Understanding politics – if you follow the words – is pretty straightforward. Right now, we’re bombing Qaddafi’s army which is pretty clearly a war but President Obama’s press spokesman says it’s not – he says it’s something called a “time-limited, scope-limited military action.” (Last week he called it an even blander ‘kinetic military action.’)…
A Civitas Institute critic of Smart Start has twisted himself into an interesting position. In an N&O op-ed, Andrew Henson acknowledges that “early child care investment has proven to have an effect on children’s lives and should be a key priority for the legislature.” He then proceeds to argue that Smart Start, which…
There was an article in the New York Times the other morning by a fellow named Max Boot who works with the influential Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Boot’s got the war in Libya all figured out. He says he’s wanted the United States to attack Libya for weeks and finally Obama’s done exactly what…
A political tsunami brings ashore strange creatures from the deep. Witness some of the Republicans in the legislature. A serious Senator, Neal Hunt, comes up with a good idea that could repair burnt bridges for Republicans: pardon Reconstruction Governor W.W. Holden, who was impeached for standing up to the Ku Klux Klan. …
Someone in the State House sure does like handguns. First, legislators sponsored a bill to allow folks to carry concealed pistols in bars and restaurants. Now there’s a bill to require cities to allow concealed guns in parks. And Representative Mark Hilton is sponsoring a class in the legislature on carrying concealed guns. Legislators…
President Obama’s great coalition to defeat Libya – NATO, France, Britain, Arab League and the U.S.A. – is fraying at the seams. The Arab League, the French say, is out of sorts with NATO. The French, as always, are marching to their own drummer and out of sorts with everyone. And our NATO allies…
This is an urgent open letter to Republican political consultants in North Carolina: Now is the time to come to the aid of your profession. Your party is in charge of redistricting. The lonely eyes of all political consultants – Democrats and Republicans – turn to you. I’m not talking about partisan…
The political sniping began even as chaos still reigned at the White House Correspondents Dinner. My…
A new nationwide poll shows that, if they could run against each other in 2028, Barack…
Senator Phil Berger was out of touch with voters in his district – and suffered the…