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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Broke

By Gary Pearce June 2, 2010

Oil still gushes into the Gulf of Mexico, courtesy of BP – “Broken Pipe.” So many dollars, debt and deficits gush out of Washington that the country looks broke.   Even Al and Tipper broke up.   This is a scary scenario for President and Obama and the Democrats (except for the Gore split). Nothing…

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Cloud Cuckoo Land

By Carter Wrenn June 1, 2010

Last week on his Facebook page, Raleigh Congressional candidate Bill Randall boldly challenged his readers: “Do not read the following if you are not willing to face this challenge head-on. Is there a remnant out there who aren’t willing to give up? This great Republic must be preserved.”   Well, naturally, I clicked on the…

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Getting His Story All Tangled Up

By Carter Wrenn May 31, 2010

In a way Bill Randall was clever, taking a fifty year old document, Stan Evans’ ‘Sharon Statement,’ renaming it and posting it on his website as his own ‘Charter of Principles’ as if he’d written it.   After all, it worked for almost a year – until last week when Randall got caught red-handed.  …

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In Praise of Campaign Money

By Gary Pearce May 31, 2010

 It seems to be accepted truth today that all money in political campaigns is inherently evil. Let me offer a contrary view, thanks to Ferrel Guillory   Ferrel is the ever-wise director of Program on Public Life at the UNCCenter for the Study of the American South.   At breakfast the other day, we were…

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Slick

By Gary Pearce May 28, 2010

The Gulf oil spill set off massive responses. No, not the ones to stop the leak or clean up the spill. The political responses: Republicans and the media trying to stick the gooey blame on President Obama – and the White House, to keep it away.   Sarah (“Drill, baby, drill”) Palin says the spill…

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The ‘Helms Station’

By Gary Pearce May 27, 2010

It’s no surprise Jesse Helms cozied up to the FBI. He and J. Edgar Hoover were the leading enemies of Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement.   But the revelations spotlight part of WRAL’s history that people at the station today might rather forget.   In the 1960s, WRAL was known as the…

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Not Agent Pierce

By Gary Pearce May 26, 2010

I’ve been absolved.   Several people asked if I’m the “Agent Pierce” on N&O Executive Editor John Drescher’s blog. Apparently, they think I went undercover by changing the spelling of my name.   Drescher absolved me this week. It’s not me.   I’ve read Drescher’s frustrations about dealing with bloggers who fling vitriol and venom…

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Broadband for Everyone?

By Gary Pearce May 26, 2010

There’s an interesting – and important – vote scheduled in the state Senate Finance Committee today at 1 p.m.   The bill is S1209.  The Broadband for Everyone NC coalition – which I’m working with – views this as an industry-sponsored bill that will give control of North Carolina’s broadband (and economic) future to Time…

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Crab Pots, Mental Health and a Perdue Meltdown

By Carter Wrenn May 25, 2010

Last week over on NC Spin Tom Campbell published a glowing interview with Perdue Cabinet Secretary Lanier Cansler – but even before the ink dried on the page the yarn Cansler spun Campbell was coming undone.   You might think before the Governor and Secretary Cansler put someone in charge of caring for the state’s…

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Cutting Spending

By Carter Wrenn March 28, 2025

Once again it’s not what Trump did, it’s how he did it. Congress appropriates money. The…

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Signals Crossed

By Gary Pearce March 27, 2025

Who among us hasn’t accidentally hit “reply all” on a group text or email? Or sent…

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Deporting Gang Members

By Carter Wrenn March 26, 2025

The problem’s not Trump deporting Tren de Aragua gang members – that’s a good idea. The…

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