Republican vs Republican

Even Republicans think Republicans have gone too far in North Carolina. After losing the Republican primary for governor to Mark Robinson, Bill Graham said, “Mark Robinson is an unelectable candidate in the general election in North Carolina, and he puts a conservative future at risk for everyone, from the courthouse to the White House.” Paul…

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Tillis vs Trump

Senator Thom Tillis stood up to MAGA Mark Robinson. Now he should stand up to Donald Trump. Tillis, North Carolina’s senior Senator, endorsed Bill Graham over Robinson in the Republican primary for governor. Robinson promptly labeled Tillis one of the “RINO elites” plotting “to take me down.” Previously, Robinson blasted as “cowards” unnamed Republicans “who…

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Tillis’ Tap Dance

Do I have to start liking Thom Tillis now? The second-term U.S. Senator from North Carolina got censured by the state Republican convention for working with Democrats on guns, immigration and gay marriage. The resolution cited “blatant violations of our party platform.” The NC GOP doesn’t tolerate deviations from the party line. Then-Senator Richard Burr…

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Democrats and Republicans find common ground

Apparently, we all agree on one thing: Washington is corrupt. That’s the central message from two challengers to Senator Thom Tillis, one a Democrat and one a Republican. In his announcement video this week, Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham says we must “reform the corrupt system in Washington.” He says, “the corruption in D.C. and politicians…

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GodfatherGate

The news last night looked like a mashup remake of “The Godfather” and Watergate. Michael Cohen flipping on Trump is like consigliere Tom Hagen turning state’s witness against Don Corleone. Then Trump came on saying Cohen was “a weak person” whom he hired “because he did me a favor a long time ago.” Did Cohen…

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Now what?

Two questions arise now that Manafort and an associate have been charged. Will Trump go full Nixon and fire Mueller? If so, will the Republican Congress stand up for the rule of law? All eyes on Burr and Tillis.

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Quick hits

So much is happening so fast. So let’s fire away at several juicy targets – er, topics. Trumped Just when you think he can’t get worse, he does. His 77-minute tirade in Phoenix was True Trump. The estimable Economist pegged him for who and what he is: “politically inept, morally barren and temperamentally unfit for…

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Primary Meddling?

Democrats are no doubt playing in the GOP Senate primary, but some of the parallels being drawn may be exaggerated.   Rob Christensen compared Democrats’ strategy against Thom Tillis to what Democrats did in Missouri in 2012 to help re-elect Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri. There, Republicans nominated a Tea Party nut who promptly…

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Tillis, the GOP and God

Thom Tillis is a lot like Mitt Romney, and he learned one big thing from Romney’s 2012 campaign: Don’t get on the same stage and same page with the nuts in his party.   So Tillis may be making the right strategic decision by ducking the WRAL debate. It’s better to look chicken than to…

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Tillis Out of the Closet?

How would Republican primary voters feel about a prominent supporter of gay marriage holding a fundraiser for Thom Tillis in New York City?   That would be Paul Singer, a hedge-fund CEO whom the Washington Post calls “the money man behind pro-gay marriage Republicans.”   The Post reported that, “Last week, Singer and other donors…

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