Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
William F. Buckley, Jr. was an admirable and enjoyable fellow, regardless of his conservative politics. He was a master of words, ideas and wit. He showed that political debate could be friendly, entertaining and yet still penetrating. He lacked the hard-edged meanness that for some reason consumed Jesse Helms, Tom Delay, Newt Gingrich and other…
Read MoreHillary and Bill Clinton have come full circle. Their political ambitions now rest where they started in presidential politics 36 years ago, working in a hopeless campaign for George McGovern in Texas. Ironically, the Clintons might see themselves – although they don’t quite say it – as trying to keep the Democratic Party from making…
Read MoreBarack Obama got a taste this week of what’s coming. The picture of him decked out in Somali gear. The McCain emcee who repeatedly called him “Barack Hussein Obama.” The Louis Farrakhan question at the debate. It’s time for the Obama campaign to strap on the seat belts. It’s going to be a rough ride.…
Read MoreIt seems, or at least appears from reading the newspapers, that each successive generation of Democratic leaders in North Carolina is less concerned about rooting out corruption. Former ‘Governor for Life’ Jim Hunt, not my favorite elected official, may have occasionally tolerated a little bit of what a Tammany Hall politician once called ‘honest graft’…
Read MoreIn the beginning was the word. Senator Barack Obama’s rhetoric has accomplished what we Republicans have failed to do for years. He’s undone Hilary Clinton. It understates Obama’s achievement to simply say his rhetoric is articulate. To a certain, surprising, extent American politicians all oddly seem to sound the same. Sometimes listening to, say, Hillary,…
Read MoreThe other night, lying in bed, I stopped clicking long enough to watch an old black and white movie. Talk of the Town it’s like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, only with Ronald Coleman appointed to the Supreme Court rather than Jimmy Stewart appointed to the Senate. The good guys (and Jean Arthur, in both…
Read MoreWe apparently got all excited over nothing. North Carolina’s presidential primary may not matter after all. If Hillary Clinton loses Texas next Tuesday – as looks increasingly likely – the air will go out of our balloon. Obama campaign insiders are confident about Texas – and expect a close race in Ohio. Clinton campaign insiders…
Read MoreImagine this: Barack Obama and John McCain are debating in October. Senator McCain says: ‘As I said at the time, early in the war we made mistakes in Iraq. But we’ve learned. We’re on the right track. The surge is working.’ Obama says: ‘It that’s correct then tell me one thing – give me one…
Read MoreSenator Barack Obama told supporters Sunday in Ohio: “I don’t think NAFTA has been good for American’s, and I never have.” But, four years ago, during his Senate race in Illinois, “Obama touted the benefits from United States exports under NAFTA” and the Associated Press reported “that Obama favored pursuing trade deals such as NAFTA.”…
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