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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31 Million Reasons

By Gary Pearce December 22, 2009

President Obama and the Democrats are doing a better job ramming health-care reform through the Senate than explaining it.   They should try this message: 31 million.   That’s the number of uninsured Americans who will get health insurance over the next decade because of the bill. That’s not Democratic rhetoric. That’s from the nonpartisan…

Capital Potty-Break Putsch?

By Gary Pearce December 22, 2009

Are Washington Republicans learning from Wake County Republicans?   Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, a leading opponent of the health-care reform bill, said Sunday: “What the American people should pray is that somebody can’t make the vote.”   Democrats protested that Coburn was wishing misfortune on a Senator.   Maybe Coburn was just hoping that…

Politics Getting Stranger

By Carter Wrenn December 21, 2009

With the State Board of Elections and a Federal Grand Jury investigating Mike Easley, and the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission asking questions about Tony Rand manipulating penny stocks Democrats can’t catch a break — and now a state Grand Jury has found probable cause Senator R.C. Soles, one of the Democratic old bulls…

No Bid Contract Backfires

By Carter Wrenn December 21, 2009

Secretary Lanier Cansler’s gone and landed Governor Perdue in the soup again with one of his no bid contracts.   This time Cansler got caught by WRAL giving a $30 million contract to a company that’s only been in existence two months and whose owners – Ramzi Abulhaj and Rich Admani – got sued in…

Putting the Fun back in Politics

By Carter Wrenn December 21, 2009

The cat is out of the bag – Bernie Reeves may run for Congress against Brad Miller.   Bernie, who publishes Metro Magazine, is a sort of irrepressible force of nature – brash, charming, outspoken and not at all impressed with a single politician walking around on two feet. I’d buy a ticket to watch…

Perdue and the Courts

By Gary Pearce December 21, 2009

Editorial writers, defense lawyers and letter-writers claimed that Governor Perdue was defying the courts and the “rule of law” in the life-doesn’t-mean-life brouhaha.   But now one judge has agreed with her – and the Supreme Court has decided to review the matter.   In truth, her critics’ rhetoric was just as overheated as the…

Kissell’s Bad Bet

By Gary Pearce December 21, 2009

The Washington Post had a story Sunday about how Larry Kissell’s vote against health care reform – and President Obama – has angered passionate Democrats who elected Obama and Kissell.   The story concludes with a quote from me about Kissell:  “That’s why they call them freshmen — because they make freshman mistakes. That’s why…

Penny Stock

By Carter Wrenn December 18, 2009

It looks like – from the newspaper – Democratic Senate Leader Tony Rand had a scheme to turn 140,000 shares of ‘penny stock’ he owned in Law Enforcement Associates (where Rand serves as Chairman of the Board) into a windfall.   First, it seems, Rand tipped (or otherwise persuaded) a few of his political friends…

Humble Cal

By Carter Wrenn December 18, 2009

Poor Cal Cunningham; the young man has had so much ‘humbling’ lately if he wasn’t a politician he might be facing the possibility of sainthood.   First, before he announced he was running for Senate, he said he’d been ‘humbled’ by how many folks wanted him to run. Then, after he declared he was running,…

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…