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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Warner’s Warning

By Gary Pearce October 9, 2006

Senator John Warner, Virginia Republican, is former Secretary of the Navy, now chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a reliable supporter of Bush’s policies in Iraq. So when he says the situation there is “drifting sideways,” Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice have some explaining to do. I didn’t see Warner’s comments in the…

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Behind the Scenes at the Lottery Trial

By Carter Wrenn October 9, 2006

Watching the lottery trial is like being invited to go behind the curtain and see how legislative politics really works in North Carolina. Democratic House Speaker Jim Black has said for months he came up with Kevin Geddings’ appointment to the Lottery Commission, more or less on his own. Now, we learn from the prosecutors…

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How Bad is the Foley Scandal?

By Carter Wrenn October 6, 2006

For us Republicans, I’m afraid, pretty bad. The Foley scandal is a microcosm of what’s wrong with Congress: Arrogance, Hypocrisy and Venality. And it has two elements that make it politically lethal: It’s simple. And it’s sex. There are no clandestine deals with lobbyists. No labyrinthine money trails. Just sex and instant messaging. There are…

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Which Finger?

By Carter Wrenn October 6, 2006

Governor Easley didn’t know about Kevin Geddings’ ties to lottery companies. He didn’t know his chief political aide orchestrated ads attacking three senators opposed to the lottery. But when he testified at the trial he did know how he felt about the press. “Easley spent less than 15 minutes in the courtroom, offering perfunctory testimony…

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Parties and Good Times

By Carter Wrenn October 6, 2006

The newspapers are reporting more good times in Governor Easley’s administration. Last summer the Governor’s folks at the Department of Transportation arranged a $30,000 ferry cruise with lobster, hors d’oeuvres and a band so they could enjoy seeing the tall ships. Now, two of the Governor’s appointees to the ABC Board have taken an excursion…

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Random Political Notes

By Gary Pearce October 6, 2006

With the campaign in its final month, here are some predictions and observations: Speaker Black’s troubles won’t hurt Democrats in North Carolina. Oh, voters don’t like what they’re hearing. They just don’t know which party controls the House or whether Black is a Democrat or Republican. The Wake County school bonds are going down to…

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Memories Like Elephants

By Gary Pearce October 5, 2006

Washington Republicans are suffering from bad memories these days. Condi Rice can’t remember a “supposed meeting” in which she was briefed about Osama’s threat before 9/11. Dennis Hastert can’t remember two fellow congressmen telling him about Mark Foley’s electronic adventures with teenaged pages. Who are they kidding? Click to Read & Post Comments

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On Terrorism

By Carter Wrenn October 5, 2006

Opium production is up in Afghanistan and the Taliban, not coincidentally, is making a comeback. The day before these reports ran in the newspapers New York Times columnist David Brooks pointed out a flaw in the war on terrorism (News and Observer, 9-29-06). “To his eternal credit,” Brooks wrote, “After 9/11 George Bush quickly understood…

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Geddings’ Political Sin

By Gary Pearce October 4, 2006

A jury will decide whether former Lottery Commissioner Kevin Geddings violated a criminal law. But he clearly broke the first law of politics: Don’t surprise me. Geddings argues that he did not deceive anyone about his ties for Scientific Games. At the time he was appointed to the Lottery Commission, he argues, he was not…

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Education Governor

By Gary Pearce March 13, 2025

With a better General Assembly, Josh Stein could join Jim Hunt and Terry Sanford on North…

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The N&O Story

By Gary Pearce March 12, 2025

Once upon a time, there was a great and powerful newspaper: The News & Observer. Everybody…

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How Democrats Win Again

By Gary Pearce March 10, 2025

The shouting, sign-waving and cane-wielding by congressional Democrats at the State of the Union isn’t a…

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