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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The Limits of Reason

By Carter Wrenn August 3, 2009

A few days ago up in Washington the President got a visit from the Chinese; it seems China is holding $800 billion in U.S. government bonds (which basically means they’ve been loaning us the money to finance our national debt) so, naturally, about the last thing on earth they want is to see an outbreak…

Terrorists in Johnston?

By Gary Pearce August 3, 2009

Carter blogged last week that he was shocked that there were terrorists in Johnston County.   Hell, Carter, Johnston County has a long history of terrorists. They were called the Ku Klux Klan.   Well into the 50s – maybe later – there was an infamous billboard outside Smithfield: “Welcome to Klan Country.”   But…

Ken and Cal

By Gary Pearce July 31, 2009

Recently I blogged that, if Elaine Marshall gets in the Senate race, her candidacy should give pause to Ken Lewis and Cal Cunningham.   The reverse is also true.   Yes, Lewis and Cunningham are both unproven unknowns. But don’t overestimate how well known Marshall is. Or Richard Burr, for that matter.   In recent…

Welcome to Modern Times

By Carter Wrenn July 31, 2009

Good Lord: There’re terrorists in Johnston County. They’ve been sitting down there around a local fish pond for three years planning to go to Israel and blow someone (and themselves) sky high.    In the old days Johnston County was famous for Ava Gardner and world-class bootleggers but times have changed; now the home of…

The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight

By Carter Wrenn July 30, 2009

It’s a fact: One hand in Governor Perdue’s administration doesn’t have a clue what the other hand is doing. The Governor’s out telling everyone who’ll listen that if she doesn’t raise taxes a billion dollars she’s going to have to make terrible, terrible budget cuts – but the factotums in her administration seem determined to…

Why Doctor O May Win

By Gary Pearce July 29, 2009

Barack Obama brought his health-care reform campaign to Raleigh just as polls suggest support is slipping for reform.   As always, Washington and the media are poised for a rerun of history. They see the story in terms of the death of Clinton Care in 1994.   But the story could turn out different this…

Does Anybody Care?

By Gary Pearce July 29, 2009

The capital press corps and several editorial writers have whacked Governor Perdue and the Democratic legislative leadership for not getting a budget done.   But does anybody outside downtown Raleigh care?   Obviously, other people in government care. Like local governments. And school officials who don’t know how many teachers to hire.   But I…

Senate Scramble

By Gary Pearce July 28, 2009

Elaine Marshall is telling people she’s in the 2010 U.S. Senate race. That should give Cal Cunningham and Kenneth Lewis pause. She has two big advantages: stature and gender.   Women have won three of the last five races for governor or Senator in North Carolina: Dole, Hagan and Perdue versus Easley and Burr.  …

Dear Mike and Mary

By Gary Pearce July 27, 2009

  Please stop. Drop the grievance. Stop the bleeding.   On just one day last week, NCSU’s chancellor said your grievance proceeding is taking up too much of the university’s time and attention, the Democratic Party coughed up $24,000 because of you and the NCSU band cancelled a trip to Ireland because of you.  …

MAGA-gator

By Gary Pearce March 12, 2026

Thom Tillis and Phil Berger fed the MAGA alligator. Then it ate them. Thomas Mills wrote…

Enough is Enough

By Gary Pearce March 11, 2026

Exactly 80 years ago, in 1946, Republicans took control of Congress with a simple message: “Had…

Faith in Politics

By Gary Pearce March 10, 2026

Jim Hunt would like James Talarico winning the Democratic primary in Texas. Like Talarico, the late…