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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It Turns Out…

By Carter Wrenn March 25, 2011

Now that we’re bombing Libya the New York Times reports that, technically, we didn’t go to war to defeat Gadhafi. Technically, the Times says, all the UN Resolution did was set up a no-fly zone to stop Gadhafi bombing his own civilians. The General commanding our attack says pretty much the same thing: “Our mission…

Reforming DENR

By Gary Pearce March 25, 2011

The easy story line is that rapacious Republicans are out to gut North Carolina’s environmental protections.   Not so fast.   In fact, Governor Perdue might want to jump on this train while she’s restructuring state government.   There are economic developers and business people who are responsible on environmental issues AND convinced that DENR…

A Mystery

By Carter Wrenn March 24, 2011

Governor Perdue’s against ending end-course tests in high schools, she empathically told the newspaper. But, then, she took a breath and said there’s no way she’ll veto the Republicans’ bill to eliminate the tests. Then she took another breath and said she won’t sign the bill either. Instead, she’s going to sit on her hands…

The Republican Rush

By Gary Pearce March 24, 2011

I’m the last person most Republicans would listen to for advice. But I’m struck lately by the concerns I’ve heard from serious and nonpartisan people about the GOP’s ambitious legislative agenda.   As one veteran at the legislature observed: “If the Republicans try to do everything now, there won’t be a later for them.”  …

The Oldest Story in Politics

By Carter Wrenn March 24, 2011

As Claude Rains said in Rick’s Café in Casablanca, I’m shocked, just shocked. It’s like the world turned upside down – here on Talking About Politics. I’m defending trial lawyers and Gary’s defending negligent doctors.   The issue of ‘medical malpractice reform,’ in a unique way, boils down to hard-edged questions about personal responsibility… and…

One Libyan Jet

By Carter Wrenn March 23, 2011

Oh Lord, will we ever learn from our mistakes?   There’s a restaurant near my office with a dozen television sets lining the walls (usually turned to basketball games) but the other night they were all turned to CNN and Fox as a Libyan fighter went down in flames and a cruise missile blew apart…

Fergit, Hell!

By Gary Pearce March 23, 2011

An N&O letter-writer takes umbrage at the bipartisan effort to pardon Civil War-era Governor W.W. Holden, denouncing him as a “pestiferous ulcer on the body politic.” (It’s hard to find good calumny like that anymore) Then someone leaves on senators’ desks an “unflattering biography of Holden that quoted histories written by a deceased white supremacist…

Another View on Med Mal

By Gary Pearce March 23, 2011

I do consulting work with doctors and hospitals, and my view of medical-malpractice reform differs from Carter’s.   First off, personal-injury lawyers aren’t opposed to reform just out of tender hearts and a passion for justice. They’re looking after their bank accounts.   Second, a lawyer who is a skilled courtroom performer can hit the…

Another Quagmire?

By Carter Wrenn March 23, 2011

Well, the United Nations has voted to go to war with Libya only it doesn’t call it a war it calls it a ‘no-fly zone’ – which is political double talk for filling the skies over Libya with American or French or British fighters blowing up Libyan tanks and artillery and air-defense batteries.    The…

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…