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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A Scientific Fact

By Carter Wrenn February 21, 2007

Global Warming has joined ‘the earth is flat’, ‘the sun revolves around the earth’, and ‘disease is caused by humors in the blood’, as a scientific fact. The polar bears are dying, the penguins are going into exile, the seas are rising and the land will disappear beneath a flood greater than Noah’s. The dilemma…

Progressives Poll on Key Issues

By Gary Pearce February 20, 2007

A collection of progressive groups (some even call themselves liberals) says a recent North Carolina poll found strong public support for some of their issues. The poll was done by OnPoint Polling and Research of Raleigh. That’s the group that got the Wake County school bonds vote right last year. The most striking results: More…

Edwards and the Bloggers

By Carter Wrenn February 20, 2007

Bill O’Reilly, interviewing a young lady defending John Edwards, asked with his usual bombast: Would you have fired the bloggers if you were Edwards? The young lady – a spokeswoman for the Young Democrats – evaded. He pursued. Finally, cornered, she admitted, No, she wouldn’t. O’Reilly pounced: If they had attacked blacks – the same…

Music and Politics

By Carter Wrenn February 19, 2007

Here’s a commentary on the state of Presidential politics. John Edwards has chosen the theme song for his campaign: John Mellencamp’s “This is Our Country.” Ford – or is it Chevrolet – is using the same song to sell trucks. Senator Chris Dodd, risking the appearance of vanity, choose “Get Ready (Cause Here I Come)”…

Our Ally in Iraq

By Carter Wrenn February 19, 2007

We have given the Iraqi Army the best weapons, the best training, the only air support in Iraq – so why can’t they defeat the terrorists? The answer we are told is they need more time to train. But that seems to defy common sense. They’ve had as much time for training as the terrorists…

Dwight Eisenhower on Iraq

By Carter Wrenn February 16, 2007

A marine officer on patrol in Baghdad sees five Iraqi soldiers clustered beneath a streetlight, an easy target for snipers; certain something is wrong he rushes across the street. He finds the Iraqi ‘s staring at pornography on a cell phone. (News and Observer; 2-10-07). An Army Lieutenant on patrol with Iraqi soldiers captures three…

The Fall of Jim Black

By Gary Pearce February 14, 2007

Jim Black crossed the line – and fell off a cliff. Like too many politicians, Black didn’t see that some old political plays are out of bounds today. North Carolina politics has long been built on friends helping friends, as Rob Christensen pointed out in The News & Observer. But the rules have changed. Some…

Is An Apology Necessary?

By Gary Pearce February 13, 2007

John Edwards says he was wrong on Iraq. Barack Obama says he was right from the start. So should Hillary Clinton apologize for her vote – along with Edwards’ – to authorize the war? Does she have to say now that she made a mistake then? She is resisting. She says the mistake was Bush’s.…

A Mile Wide and an Inch Deep

By Carter Wrenn February 13, 2007

John Edwards enjoyed a surge in popularity after his announcement, even leading Hillary in polls in Iowa. But a new poll raises questions. A month ago Edwards led Hillary by 13 percent in the polls in North Carolina. But, now, the latest Public Policy Poll (News and Observer; 2-9-07) shows Hillary surging, cutting Edwards’ lead…

“Conservative Successes”?

By Gary Pearce April 23, 2026

Senator Phil Berger was out of touch with voters in his district – and suffered the…

Rise and Fall

By Gary Pearce April 21, 2026

A reassuring lesson from our trip to Germany and Czechia is that dictators, despots and tyrants…

Rolling Down the Elbe

By Gary Pearce April 19, 2026

Gwyn and I just returned from a 12-day journey through 1,000 years of history in Germany…