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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Good News

By Gary Pearce October 14, 2010

Things are looking up for us news hawks.   These days, I have to read my favorite daily newspaper very s-l-o-w-l-y to make it last through breakfast.   But as soon as I turn on my computer, I have two new websites to go to for more political fodder: M2M Politics (“Covering North Carolina Politics…

Who’s the ‘Fruit Loop’?

By Gary Pearce October 13, 2010

What’s with this Republican obsession with gays?   There’s state Rep. Larry Brown, who emailed legislators about “queers” and “fruit loops.”   There’s Carl Paladino, the GOP candidate for governor in New York, who makes Brown look charitable. And there were all the gay slurs in the last race for North Carolina Republican Party chair. …

Desert Crosses, Crusaders’ Flags and Nose Piercing

By Carter Wrenn October 12, 2010

Back in 1934 for reasons no one has explained the Veterans of Foreign Wars decided to build a sole wooden cross – as a memorial to soldiers who died in World War I – in the Mohave Desert, where hardly a soul would see it.   The cross stood peacefully atop Sunrise Rock for six…

‘Throw ’em Out’

By Gary Pearce October 12, 2010

An astute observer poses this question about Elaine Marshall’s new ad: “How do Democrats like David Price and Bob Etheridge feel about her saying it’s time to throw out the Washington politicians?”   Well, for Democrats this year, it’s obviously every man – and woman – for themselves.   Marshall’s ad is simple and inexpensive,…

How Government Really Works: A Train Wreck III

By Carter Wrenn October 11, 2010

After Lanier Cansler figured out how to end run the Medicaid appeals process (so he could cut patients’ home care pretty much however he wanted) he was ready to take the next step.   He’d already given CCME Corporation (his former client from his lobbying days) a $25 million no bid contract, so all he…

Truth in Polling

By Gary Pearce October 11, 2010

Ferrel Guillory – along with his colleagues and students in the Program on Public Life at UNC’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication – has published a useful guide to political polls. Get it at their website here.   This is timely, given the plethora of polls today, the extensive media coverage they get and…

The Forgotten Issue

By Carter Wrenn October 9, 2010

Back when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, we figured fightin’ was going to be the key to winning the war, so we told General McArthur to charge and keep charging and not to worry about the amount of havoc he wrecked until the Japanese were whipped.   In the same vein in 1944 and ’45…

Bad Sign

By Gary Pearce October 8, 2010

Whenever a politician or party talks about “mobilizing the base” in the final weeks of a campaign, you know they’re in trouble.   That’s exactly where President Obama and the Democrats are, as this story from the New York Times noted:   “With four weeks until Congressional elections that will shape the remainder of his…

How Government Really Works: A Train Wreck II

By Carter Wrenn October 7, 2010

After Secretary Lanier Cansler gave a 25$ million no bid contract  (to his former client CCME Corporation) and promised legislators that meant he’d be able to cut in-home care to Medicaid patients $50 million (because, he said, 45% of the patients were cheats) he ran into a problem.  When he ran all the patients’ records through…

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…