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

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Gary Pearce

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Brad, Bernie and the Banks

By Gary Pearce January 26, 2010

Congressman Brad Miller is never the happiest of warriors. But this year could raise his angst to new levels.   Miller worries in the Greensboro News & Record that – thanks to the Supreme Court’s corporate-campaign ruling – he might be the target of bank-sponsored attacks.   “I’ve made a real nuisance of myself to…

Napoleon’s Mother

By Carter Wrenn January 25, 2010

Sometimes it seems like one of a President’s less enviable jobs is to be a kind of national whipping boy, an outlet for our pent up frustrations and afflictions. And even if pummeling, say, Barack Obama or George Bush won’t put people back to work it sure is satisfying to have someone to blame.  …

Obama Resets

By Gary Pearce January 25, 2010

Team Obama has a 1-1 record. They won the 2008 campaign, and they lost the 2009 campaign. Now they’re resetting for the 2010 tie-breaker.   One step is organizational, and another is rhetorical.   Organization: They brought back 2008 campaign manager David Plouffe to oversee the 2010 elections. The lesson Team Obama took from Massachusetts…

Congressional Malpractice

By Gary Pearce January 25, 2010

President Obama made exactly the opposite mistake from Bill and Hillary Clinton on health-care reform.   The Clintons drew up a sweeping reform plan in secret, then sent it to Congress, where it died.   Obama let congressional Democrats come up with a reform plan. The first time it went to the voters, they voted…

Let’s Bribe the Taliban

By Carter Wrenn January 22, 2010

Here’s a sure sign we’re in deeper trouble in Afghanistan than anybody’s letting on: The Afghan government (no doubt with U.S. taxpayers’ money) is offering the Taliban soldiers cold hard cash to surrender or, better yet, switch sides; of course being blossoming Afghanistan politicians are wrapping all this up in Washington style rhetoric calling their plan…

Before We Vanish…

By Carter Wrenn January 22, 2010

For those inclined to believe in the infallibility of modern science here’s a cautionary tale.   A few years ago our scientists announced the Y chromosome – “the thing that makes a man male” – was a pretty poor creature; the Y chromosome, they said with conviction, was shrinking and in exactly 50,000 years would…

Fall of the Mighty

By Gary Pearce January 22, 2010

I’d give the front page of today’s N&O to any young person who aspires to go into politics.   Ruffin Poole, the “little Governor,” gets indicted on 51 counts of corruption.   Poole was Mike Easley’s “go-to guy.” Now he’s the guy the feds go to to get Easley.   John Edwards confesses, says he’s…

Sheriffs as Chauffeurs

By Carter Wrenn January 21, 2010

The other day over in Charlotte Governor Perdue called herself the ‘Jobs, Jobs and More Jobs Governor’ then chirruped she’s the education Governor but it doesn’t look like she’ll be calling herself the ‘Tough Crime Governor’ any time soon.   At least not according to the newspaper and – inadvertently – her Secretary-and-Former- Lobbyist of…

Obama as Hamlet

By Carter Wrenn January 21, 2010

President Obama just sent 30,000 soldiers to fight in Kabul so he’s got to be a little shocked to find himself branded as ‘soft’ on terrorism but there’s a reason:  Obama as Hamlet. Obama-of-the-Divided-Mind.   On one hand the President’s launching killer drones like crazy and dropping robot bombs out of the sky over Pakistan…

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…