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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Signals Crossed

By Gary Pearce March 27, 2025

Who among us hasn’t accidentally hit “reply all” on a group text or email? Or sent a message to the wrong person? Of course we have. Of course, we didn’t disclose a military operation’s timing, targets and weapons on a hackable, non-secure messaging platform – and put a magazine editor on the text chain. If…

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Deporting Gang Members

By Carter Wrenn March 26, 2025

The problem’s not Trump deporting Tren de Aragua gang members – that’s a good idea. The problem’s how he did it. Locked in jail five deportees sued, told the judge they were not Tren de Aragua gang members – all Trump had to do was prove they were. But didn’t. So staring at Trump’s lawyers…

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An Old Doctrine

By Carter Wrenn March 24, 2025

Politics just gets stranger and stranger. Trump ordered around 200 Tren de Aragua gang members deported – the ACLU filed a lawsuit, told a judge five of the deportees weren’t Tren de Aragua gang members. All Trump had to do was prove the ACLU was wrong. But he didn’t. Instead his lawyers said he had…

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Bernie and AOC

By Gary Pearce March 24, 2025

Are Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez too far left? Many Americans think they’re right. An astounding 86,000 people turned out in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico last week for “Fighting Oligarchy” rallies starring the 83-year-old Senator and 35-year-old Congresswoman. “We will not allow you to move this country into an oligarchy,” Sanders thundered to Trump.…

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They probably won’t…

By Carter Wrenn March 21, 2025

Whoever heard of a Washington politician voting to shut down the government? A bone-deep Washington politician, Chuck Schumer tore into Trump’s ‘continuing budget resolution,’ called it a bad bill then voted for it – to keep the government open. Trump thanked Schumer. Democrats howled. Tap-dancing Schumer threw up a smoke screen. Back when Trump first…

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Wake Up, America

By Carter Wrenn March 17, 2025

A dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, locked down during COVID, he called, surprised me asking: ‘Ford beat Reagan in the first 5 primaries in ‘76 – how on earth did Reagan beat Ford in North Carolina?’ The day we lost the Vietnam War mothers and fathers who’d lived through World War II, watching Russian tanks roll into Saigon,…

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Hope

By Gary Pearce March 17, 2025

I have hope – despite what Trump is doing. I have hope because of what he’s doing – and what he promised to do but isn’t doing. I have hope because, in politics, the pendulum always swings back. I’ve seen it all my life. We had JFK and LBJ, then Nixon, then Carter, then Reagan…

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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 Carolina’s Mount Rushmore of Education Governors. While the Governor set a bipartisan tone in his State of the State speech last night, he set out a clear challenge on education to Republicans who control the legislature. He challenged them…

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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 from the Governor on down read it every morning. It covered everything that moved in state government and politics. Its investigations took down crooks, incompetents and corrupt politicians. Its editorial pages stood up for the little guy and stuck…

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Bernie and AOC

By Gary Pearce March 24, 2025

Are Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez too far left? Many Americans think they’re right. An astounding…

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They probably won’t…

By Carter Wrenn March 21, 2025

Whoever heard of a Washington politician voting to shut down the government? A bone-deep Washington politician,…

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Wake Up, America

By Carter Wrenn March 17, 2025

A dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, locked down during COVID, he called, surprised me asking: ‘Ford beat Reagan in…

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