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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Supremely Corrupt

By Gary Pearce May 8, 2023

The nation’s high court has sunk to new lows of corruption. Clarence Thomas is bought and paid for by billionaire Harlan Crow: gifts, trips and private-school tuition. The New York Times exposed another scheme that benefits conservative Justices and wealthy special interests. It’s the Antonin Scalia (wouldn’t you know it) Law School at George Mason…

The Age Thing

By Gary Pearce May 7, 2023

The Washington media is all wrong on this Biden age “issue.” Did you catch him at the White House Correspondents Dinner? He’s still got game. Will the media put the age scope on 76-year-old Trump? Have you watched him haul his butt out of a golf cart? Or struggle to construct a coherent thought? Ageism…

Abortion 2024

By Gary Pearce May 5, 2023

MAGA Mark Robinson said he’s “tired” of talking about abortion. Maybe he’d rather make fun of school-shooting survivors (see link below). North Carolina Republicans hope the abortion issue will go away by next year’s elections. Democrats won’t let it go. Governor Cooper’s veto will put heat on Republican legislators who promised not to do this.…

Hunter Biden

By Carter Wrenn May 5, 2023

Tammany Hall’s roots go all the way back to Aaron Burr. Once, years after Burr, a Tammany Hall boss boasted, ‘Honest graft made me rich.’ It’s a story as old as our Republic: A politician lands in Congress, learns dishonest graft lands him in jail but honest graft – ‘influence peddling’ – is no crime.…

An Ironic Twist

By Carter Wrenn May 4, 2023

Last week there were two new polls, one by the Wall Street Journal, the other by NBC News. Trump’s thrashing DeSantis in the primary in both; Biden’s beating Trump in the general election in both; And DeSantis is beating Biden in the general election in both. It’s an odd twist: Republicans want Trump. Biden wants…

Sowing the Wind

By Gary Pearce May 4, 2023

Politicians with too much power always go too far. In less than 24 hours, North Carolina House Republicans rammed through a far-reaching abortion ban. It’s 46 pages long, and we barely grasp its consequences. It’s a radical, right-wing assault on women. It criminalizes health-care professionals. It outlaws safe, sound and responsible medical care. Thank Tricia…

Cleta Mitchell is Worried

By Gary Pearce May 2, 2023

Two people from my political past are battling over college students voting. Cleta Mitchell wants to make it harder for them to vote. Daniel Gilligan wants to make it easier. Daniel was a student in a politics class I taught at NC State 20 years ago as an adjunct lecturer. (I think “adjunct” is Latin…

No Small Thing

By Carter Wrenn May 2, 2023

My doctor used to be in a family practice owned by doctors. Then, I’m not sure how, the practice became part of UNC Health Care. It was like they told my doctor, You have to see a patient every twenty minutes. Now, wham, bam, thank you ma’am – you’re in and out. I told a…

Fox Poll on Guns

By Gary Pearce May 1, 2023

If you don’t watch Fox News, you may have missed its poll on guns: “Voters favor gun limits over arming citizens to reduce gun violence.” The April 21-24 nationwide survey found: This time, Fox News isn’t fake news. Yet, Congress and the North Carolina legislature will do nothing. Thank the NRA.

Obama 48-Trump 39

By Gary Pearce April 26, 2026

A new nationwide poll shows that, if they could run against each other in 2028, Barack…

“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…