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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Abortion Opponents May Regret This

By Gary Pearce February 27, 2006

For some time now, the political tide has been running against supporters of abortion rights. That’s because the opponents got smart. They started focusing the battle on issues like parental notification and late-term abortions. I’ve watched these polls for more than 20 years now. Americans are fundamentally split about abortion. They don’t like it, but…

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Scandals – ‘Pay to Play’

By Carter Wrenn February 27, 2006

The Democrats in Raleigh have been embroiled in a series of scandals over the last six months that the newspapers have dubbed ‘pay to play’ – and as a result we have a series of investigations underway by everybody from the U. S. Attorney to the State Board of Elections. House Speaker Jim Black has…

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Property Tax Revolt Coming in NC

By Gary Pearce February 24, 2006

From the first taxpayers’ revolution in California in 1978, North Carolina has escaped a full-scale rebellion over local property taxes. I predict that is going to change soon. Specifically, this fall. And specifically right here in Wake County over the school bond issue. The issue is popping up all over the country again. South Carolina…

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Hoist By His Own Petard

By Gary Pearce February 24, 2006

I’m enjoying watching Republicans put President Bush on the hot seat for letting a Middle Eastern company run American ports. And I have a sneaking suspicion that beneath all this hoorah – as one of the commenters on our blog suggested – there might be nothing wrong with the arrangement. But you can’t blame me…

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Answering Bill Graham on the Gas Tax

By Gary Pearce February 23, 2006

A painful lesson Carter taught me in the 1984 Hunt-Helms race was the power of using your opponents’ own words against him. I thought of that when – for the first time – I saw Bill Graham’s ad against the state gas tax increase. His last line – after saying the politicians want him to…

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On the Public Doles

By Gary Pearce February 23, 2006

I believe The News & Observer was dead wrong Thursday morning about Senator Elizabeth Dole, her husband Bob Dole and the Dubai ports fiasco. The N&O, like other news outlets, reported that Bob Dole “has been hired by Dubai Ports World to help shepherd the company through a $6.8 billion deal to control terminals at…

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Bush’s First Veto

By Carter Wrenn February 23, 2006

President Bush has not vetoed a single bill in five years in office. But, yesterday, it seemed at last he had found an issue so important it merited his first veto. What? The President wanted the United Arab Emirates (or, to be technically correct, a company owned by the government of the United Arab Emirates)…

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No Port in This Storm

By Gary Pearce February 23, 2006

President Bush’s decision to let Arab companies provide security for American ports confirms what I’ve always suspected: the one thing stronger than Bush & Co.’s fear of Arab terrorism is their greed for Arab money.

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Democratic Hypocrisy in the Pews

By Gary Pearce February 22, 2006

Jerry Meek, Chairman of the State Democratic Party, denounced the N.C. Republican Party for seeking church membership lists. Jerry said churches are “sacred” places that should be free of politics. As a Democrat, I know how heavily Democratic candidates have depended on African-American pastors and their churches at election time. Will Jerry now call on…

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Another Story from Politics

By Carter Wrenn December 24, 2024

Watergate sunk Nixon. Jimmy Carter was elected. Two years later Jesse Helms ran for reelection. In…

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Unhappy Holidays?

By Gary Pearce December 24, 2024

We Americans are angry this Christmas. 77 million voters were so angry they elected Trump. 75…

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A Surprise

By Carter Wrenn December 23, 2024

‘You tell a lot of good stories about Reagan, like his saying a prayer for the…

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