Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
If you think running for office is easy, you should have seen Rep. Grier Martin yesterday. The heat index on my street in Raleigh’s North Ridge was somewhere north of 100 degrees. And here came Grier, drenched with sweat through his knit shirt, his khaki slacks and shoes. He was going door to…
North Carolina Republicans are a long way from winning this fall’s legislative elections, but they’re winning the battle of perceptions. And that battle has big implications for fundraising. Three sources have told me in the last week that the Republicans’ presentations on their prospects for the fall are blowing away the Democrats. …
Not long after we took up the burden (or had it forced on us) of fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq we decided ‘Democracy Building’ (wherever our army went) sounded like a noble idea. And no doubt it was noble but nearly nine years later we’ve had an education and learned not everyone agrees.…
I understand the emotional reaction against building a mosque near the site of the World Trade Center. And I understand politicians who demagogue the flap to score points. That’s what politicians do. But I don’t understand the logic. Carter wrote in his blog yesterday, as I read it, that the mosque shouldn’t…
Back when Beverly Perdue was running for Governor, just before the election I needed a piece of election law clarified before I ran two ads – so I called the State Board of Elections. I wasn’t too hopeful. I thought, Here I am asking a bunch of Democrats about running ads attacking a Democrat –…
When an email floated in out of the blue saying a fellow named Oz Sultan wanted to build a Mosque a block from where the Twin Towers used to be I thought it had to be a joke – but darned if it wasn’t true. The next thing I knew New York Mayor Michael…
Under the Dome reports that Republicans “had a field day” with Elaine Marshall’s stumble over whether she wants President Obama to campaign in North Carolina. In the end, she said: “I would welcome President Obama to North Carolina.” So here’s the question for Senator Burr: Does he welcome Sarah Palin to North…
The other morning there was an article in the paper listing perverse examples of how the President has spent ‘Stimulus Funds’ – like paying $300,000 to study the power of yoga to relieve hot flashes. Now, at first blush this sounds like typical government foolishness (or some Congressman buying votes from yoga enthusiasts) but…
The Raleigh buzz is that three of the finalists for UNC System President are AG Roy Cooper, Greensboro super-lawyer (and Board of Governors Chair) Jim Phillips and Bill Roper of UNC Health Care. Cooper and Phillips, interestingly, are long-time friends and political allies. For Cooper, the N&O’s much-hyped series on the SBI could…
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…