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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Not Practical

By Carter Wrenn March 31, 2025

Born and bred in New York, a dealmaker, TV star, Trump has his own way of looking at things. Take Ukraine: Back during the Cold War, to stop the Soviet Union, presidents made alliances. Like NATO. That kept us safe. A dealmaker, sitting in the Oval Office, Trump sees alliances as financial transactions, looks at…

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The Old Rebel

By Gary Pearce March 31, 2025

Jefferson Griffin is certainly consistent in his beliefs. In college, he celebrated the “Lost Cause” myth of the Confederacy. Now he champions the myth of his Lost Election. Griffin lost his race for Supreme Court, just as the South lost the Civil War. But he won’t accept his defeat, just as his Kappa Alpha fraternity…

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Cutting Spending

By Carter Wrenn March 28, 2025

Once again it’s not what Trump did, it’s how he did it. Congress appropriates money. The president spends it. If Trump doesn’t like how much Congress spends he can veto the spending. Or he can tell Congress ‘cut this waste now’ – and if Congress tells him no he can take his case to voters,…

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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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Anything Goes…

By Carter Wrenn February 26, 2025

Back when Rod Blagojevich ran for governor of Illinois, Obama endorsed him and Trump gave his…

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Does This Work?

By Gary Pearce February 23, 2025

Does a message about “workers,” “working families” and “working-class voters” really work for Democrats? Or does…

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Out of Touch

By Gary Pearce February 20, 2025

I’ve resisted the temptation to rail every day about Trump’s cruelty, corruption and incompetence – and…

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