Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
Dear Bill, Here is the second question about the debate. You were asked, Are you pro-life? Now most Republicans are pro-life – though they disagree on the best way to end abortion; some favor passing a Constitutional Amendment to make abortion illegal outright; others favor passing a Constitutional Amendment to let each state…
Read MoreDear Bill, At your debate with Bernie Reeves, when you were asked where you stood on tax reform and said, The Fair Tax, baby, and, second thing, get rid of the IRS. Not replace the IRS. Abolish it. That effective piece of political theatre evoked hurrahs and cheers – but it wasn’t…
Read MoreDo endorsements matter? Not judging from Tuesday’s primaries. A candidate endorsed by President Obama loses a Democratic primary in Pennsylvania. A candidate endorsed by the Senate Republican leader – and the state’s senior Senator – loses the GOP primary in Kentucky. So how does Ken Lewis’ endorsement help Elaine Marshall? Well, it’s…
Read MoreIs there an inherent conflict in Secretary of State Elaine Marshall regulating lobbyists while running ads about “taking on” lobbyists? And is it proper for Marshall to ask lobbyists she regulates to contribute to her campaign? I’ve talked to several lobbyists who are outraged by what they see as a conflict, but are…
Read MoreMaybe I was wrong. After the primary, I didn’t see how Cal Cunningham could come from nine points back. Elaine Marshall’s campaign manager, Thomas Mills, is trying to cut off Cunningham’s cash by sending out a memo saying he can’t win. The Cunningham campaign is pushing back, trying to reload his donor base.…
Read MoreI admire Roddy Jones, John Prestage and the 800 business and civic leaders they say have “responded to an invitation from former U.S. Sen. Robert Morgan and Democracy North Carolina to form Campaign Donors for Campaign Reform.” In their op-ed “Urgent need for clean elections” in today’s N&O, they say that today’s “campaign financing…
Read MoreWhile Democratic Senate Leader Martin Nesbit was dancing a two-step with reporter Mark Johnson, Governor Perdue was having her own duel with the News and Observer’s Andrew Curliss – and she wasn’t doing as well as Nesbit. Curliss set about grilling the Governor on what she’s doing – and not doing – to clean…
Read MoreJosh Stein is the hottest freshman from Raleigh since John Wall. I’ve known Josh for more than a dozen years, and I feel like I helped raise him in politics. So permit me to brag. The N.C.Center for Public Policy Research ranked Josh the most effective freshman in the 2009 General Assembly: 19th…
Read MoreYou can’t have a temperance meeting in a bar. And a group that wants to reform lobbying and fund-raising can’t have a fundraiser sponsored by lobbyists. But that’s what the N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform is doing. The result: Governor Perdue – who, hard as she tries, can’t satisfy the N&O…
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