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Carter Wrenn posted on May 24, 2013 14:45
The same day the Democrats tore into Crime Control Secretary Kieran Shanahan they also let fly at Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Aldana Wos.
Now doctors are a complex group of highly intelligent people who labor under a singular handicap: They’ve mastered one incredibly complex subject (say, neurosurgery) no one else can fathom so naturally, after that, they figure whatever else comes along they’re more than a match for it – they can just put their ‘little grey cells’ to work and figure it out too. But neurosurgery is no preparation for politics.
Dr. Wos is an interesting lady – born in Warsaw, she earned her medical degree in Poland then practiced medicine in New York, married, moved to Greensboro, helped Liddy Dole and George Bush in their campaigns, and then President Bush appointed her Ambassador to Estonia.
When Governor Pat McCrory asked her to take on the toughest job in state government – running the mortally dysfunctional Department of Health and Human Services – she agreed but refused to take a salary. So she’s working for a dollar a year. Which, in a way, makes what happened to her last week not unlike adding insult to injury.
While making a speech, trying to explain Governor McCrory’s plan to privatize Medicaid, Dr. Wos ran into an unexpected buzz saw – as soon as she finished a doctor stood up and asked her why on earth the state had refused to be part of President Obama’s Medicaid Expansion Plan which, the doctor added, would have provided health insurance to his uninsured patients.
Dr. Wos slipped.
She said Governor McCrory hadn’t made that decision, that it had been made by Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin who’s a Democrat.
Of course, she was wrong.
The Republicans in the State House and Senate, along with Governor McCrory, had killed Obama’s Medicaid Expansion.
Now, in politics, when you inadvertently slip and land yourself in a porridge most times the best way out is to simply say, I made a mistake and I’m sorry – but when folks are hollering at you, well your pride sort of buckles up and simple confession suddenly feels like eating crow – which leads directly to another mistake. And that’s what happened to Dr. Wos. Her spokesman bowed up and instead saying, She regrets her mistake, tried an old dodge, saying Dr. Wos was quoted out of context.
To the Democrats it was like Clint Eastwood saying, Make my day – they couldn’t believe their luck. They pounced again, promptly launching a second round of broadsides, even rolling out ole Commissioner Wayne Goodwin – who demanded Dr. Wos apologize.
It’s a heck of an education for someone who’s only being paid a dollar a year.
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Gary Pearce posted on May 24, 2013 10:08
Someone asked the obvious question: “Why do Democrats elect fools like David Parker and Randy Voller chairman?”
It’s a “governance crisis,” said one thoughtful Democrat and former statewide candidate. “The chairman is selected by 600 people on the executive committee, most of whom know nothing about getting elected statewide.”
There always has been tension between Democratic activists and Democratic elected officials. Party people blasted Governor Hunt for his “keys” organization, built around people who were leaders in their cities and communities, but not necessarily party activists.
Back in 1992, one of his opponents thought that would be a real vulnerability when Hunt was making his comeback to the governor’s office. The opponent promised that he would restore the 100 county party chairs to their rightful place at the head of the table. He learned how effective the chairs were: he got 30 percent of the vote in the primary.
Today, many party activists are idealistic and ideological. They are true believers. Like the Republican right-wingers, they are determined to root out any deviancy from the True Faith – which is far more liberal than North Carolina’s voting population. Many of them got involved in the party through the Howard Dean movement in 2004. Remember when Dean jump-started his campaign by pledging to represent “the Democratic wing of the Democratic party”?
Jerry Meek, who emerged from that group, gets credit for nevertheless bridging the gap between activists and elected officials. Then came David Parker, who exploited the split to keep himself in the chairmanship.
The national Democratic Party has made this mistake before. After the 1968 Chicago convention, activists threw the old bosses out of the temple. A lot of that was healthy. But they also ignored people who knew something about how to get elected, which is what political parties are supposed to do.
Over time – through a Commission on Presidential Nominations that Hunt chaired and the Democratic Leadership Council that Bill Clinton led – the party rebalanced itself. And it started winning again.
It’s easy for an idealistic activist to criticize a Governor or legislator – or President – for compromising and moderating and tacking and doing all the things politicians do to get the ship of state headed the right way.
It’s hard work to win an election and govern. You have to marry idealism with political reality. You have to mix energy with experience. You sometimes have to take a half-step ahead instead of a great leap forward.
If you don’t, you’ll stay where Democrats are today: getting repeatedly run over on the field of play, helpless to stop the Republican blitzkrieg.
To paraphrase a noted Republican, Barry Goldwater: “Grow up, Democrats.”
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Carter Wrenn posted on May 23, 2013 13:16
In the world of Raleigh politics being appointed a Cabinet Secretary is somewhat akin to being a Grand Duke or a Marquis – you get power and respectability and folks you never heard of start singing your praises.
But then, usually, just when a new Secretary is getting comfortably settled into his new office, other folks he never heard of start calling him a scoundrel.
Last week, in one day, the Democrats – who’ve been somnambulant since last November – suddenly came to life, erupted, and lit into two of Governor McCrory’s Cabinet Secretaries.
Secretary Kieran Shanahan did a stint on the Raleigh City Council before he was appointed to head the Department of Crime Control – so he’s seen rough and tumble politics. But last week, when the newspaper reported he was still practicing law part time, rough and tumble politics turned into elbow throwing and eye-gouging.
Over on BlueNC one Democrat blasted Shanahan for ‘moonlighting’ then another Democrat lamented that what was worse than Shanahan’s moonlighting was his not disclosing his clients, adding, “Maybe Shanahan has sweepstakes poker people for his clients, or beer wholesalers, or payday lenders.”
Next, over at Politics NC, Thomas Mills and the Democrats shifted their fire to Governor McCrory, asking the Governor what he thought of Secretary Shanahan’s wife running her lobbying business out of Shanahan’s law office. Mills wasn’t done. Next he pointed out the Governor had appointed Shanahan’s law partner to the Banking Commission and said, “Just think about it. The Secretary of Public safety, a Banking Commissioner and a politically plugged-in lobbying shop all under one roof! Hell, it’s a one-stop shop for special interests. What could possibly go wrong?”
The long knives were out.
A couple of days later, having lunch, I heard a Republican say to a Democrat sitting on the other side of the table, Couldn’t you all have left his wife out of it? Without missing a beat the Democrat looked up and shot back, How would you feel about Michele Obama lobbying – wouldn’t you want to see a list of her clients?
I reckon I’m done saying the Democrats have no fight left in them.
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Gary Pearce posted on May 23, 2013 10:13
Attention must be paid when the Republican legislator who wants to roll back ethics laws questions Speaker Tillis’ ethics.
It could just be sour grapes. But someone needs to pursue Rep. Robert Brawley’s written statement about Tillis “slamming my office door shut, standing in front of me and stating that you have a business relationship with Time Warner and wanting to know what the bill is about.”
Brawley had filed a bill that Tillis and Time Warner apparently didn’t like. The Charlotte Observer-N&O story noted drily: “It’s unclear what relationship Tillis might have to Time Warner.”
If these two guys were Democrats, Republicans would be demanding an investigation of that “relationship.” Democrats should now.
Republican ethics are coming quickly into focus. Their desire to roll back every Democratic idea of the last 100 years apparently is matched only by their desire to cash in on their new power and access.
Democrats will tell you: Ethics shortcuts are a quick road to ruin.
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Carter Wrenn posted on May 22, 2013 16:35
Republican legislators, for years, have stood up and spoken up for free markets. It’s part of their creed. They don’t like government picking ‘winners and losers.’ But when a group of Republican legislators in Raleigh decided to sponsor a bill to break the hospitals’ monopoly on outpatient surgeries and put the free market to work – it didn’t appeal to the Hospital Association at all.
Right now, before, say, an orthopedic surgeon can do outpatient surgeries in his office instead of in a hospital, he has to get a permit called a ‘Certificate of Need’ from the state. And his chances of getting that certificate are slim to none.
Now hospitals, naturally, believe ‘Certificates of Need’ are a good thing – they say they protect consumers, prevent duplication, and hold down medical costs.
But those free-market-loving Republican legislators disagreed – they concluded what ‘Certificates of Need’ really did was grant the hospitals a monopoly by limiting their competition. So they introduced a bill that would let doctors do outpatient surgeries without getting a state permit.
As far as the hospitals were concerned, that crossed the line – so they came out swinging, setting up a website and running ads defending ‘Certificates of Need.’ They also dispatched lobbyists to the General Assembly to show legislators the error of their ways. And, when the smoke cleared, the legislators’ free market bill ended up in the elephant’s graveyard of legislation – a study commission.
Afterwards, commiserating with a legislator serving his first term, an old hand in the General Assembly said, Well, now you’ve seen how government works first hand. The younger legislator bit his lip, shook his head wryly, and said, Yep. And it sure looks like the money changers have gotten inside the Temple.
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Gary Pearce posted on May 22, 2013 10:08
Michael Biesecker with AP reported that Randy Voller “said he believes a portion of the Vegas charges, including a $557 dinner at a restaurant within the casino, were justified because he asked friends from across the country to give to the party and was therefore networking with potential political donors.”
Of course. Las Vegas is the perfect place for “networking with potential political donors.”
Or maybe you could just put all the party’s money on red and hope for the best. Or buy Powerball tickets. Yeah, that’s the ticket.
Here is Voller’s record so far: He didn’t pay his taxes. He was widely quoted – and rightly excoriated – for saying Republicans are “raping” the state. He apparently has dumped interim ED Tammi Brunner, whom I know, have worked with and respect. He named himself interim ED. He hired a $7,000-a-month national fundraising consultant, which is fine so long as you raise one hell of a lot of money. He and the consultant went to Vegas together for an annual March Madness trip he makes with his college buddies, who he suggests will “throw a fundraiser in their hometowns of San Francisco, Chicago, New York and so forth.”
And, by the way, he promises to investigate $800,000 in prior party expenses. Just the man to do it, obviously.
One Democratic TAPster noted the irony: people of conscience submitting to arrest at the legislature, while Voller and his friends party in Vegas.
And you ask if the Democratic Party can come back?
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Carter Wrenn posted on May 21, 2013 15:22
There’re a lot of clever politicians and smart politicians but there’re not many politicians with the courage to take a stand they know is unpopular.
The other day, baffled by the raft of tax reform plans floating around the State Legislature, I asked an economist to explain the virtues of ‘consumption taxes’ to me – and he did in a simple way even an economic illiterate like me can understand: He said, Income is good, investment is good, saving is good – so tax them less; spending (consumption) is not so good – so tax it more.
Senate Leader Phil Berger sees eye to eye with that economist and he means to reform North Carolina’s tax code to base it on ‘consumption taxes.’
Now, if you’re an average guy studying the tax code, it looks like an irrational muddle. But if you’re a politician studying that same tax code it doesn’t look so irrational at all – instead it looks like the labyrinthine result of legions of smart politicians, over years, carefully calculating which taxes they could raise without getting voted out of office.
For example, those politicians decided not to tax food because everybody eats. They decided not to tax prescription drugs because a lot of older people vote. The income tax code is ‘progressive’ because there’re fewer rich people than poor or middle class people. Farmers get the loopholes when they buy a tractor because rural politicians want to be friends with farmers.
The whole tax code, politically, is highly practical.
And that’s a problem Senator Berger ran into head-on. Because to cut taxes on income and savings, but to do it he had to raise taxes consumption. And to do that he had to close what my economist friend calls tax ‘loopholes.’
That’s logical. But it left Senator Berger facing a helluva fight. Because a senior citizen not paying sales taxes on his blood pressure medicine doesn’t see that as a ‘loophole.’ And neither do a whole welter of other groups who enjoy tax exemptions.
For instance, the Association of Realtors doesn’t see the home mortgage deduction as a loophole. And it doesn’t see switching to consumption taxes as a cure to the housing industry’s doldrums. So it’s running one ad saying folks will pay 25% in sales taxes (consumption taxes) when they buy a home and another ad with a young man saying, It’s wrong to take away my money for tax reform.
The Hospital Association doesn’t see exempting hospitals from paying sales taxes as a loophole either – so it’s weighed in, too, with an ad and website saying hospitals are fighting for their survival and closing their ‘loopholes’ is the worst kind of news for their patients.
And, of course, the Democrats don’t like Senator Berger’s plan – they let fly roaring his idea of tax reform is ‘regressive’ and will tax the rich less and the poor more.
So Senator Berger’s got a tiger by the tail. Before he’s done ‘closing loopholes’ there’s a fair chance he may be the most vilified elected official in North Carolina. But, anyway you look at it, you have to give Phil Berger credit: He’s no finger to the wind politician. People may be arguing for years whether he’s right or wrong – but, either way, you have to admit he’s got the rarest trait in politics: Courage.
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Gary Pearce posted on May 21, 2013 10:32
A veteran business lobbyist takes aim at both The N&O and the legislature – and makes a noteworthy point about how government in Raleigh today works – or doesn’t:
“The reality is that the influence of nearly all the usual political heavyweights -- not just BCBS -- has waned. Two factors contribute to this phenomenon. First, there's the arrogant, know-it-all attitude of most of the new crop of legislators who believe they're on a mission and don't have to listen to anybody. They make policy choices based on instinct and their personal experiences. They also believe that getting facts from a lobbyist somehow compromises their independence. This is a dangerous mindset when dealing with complex issues that are beyond the comprehension of most legislators.
“Second, ethics laws have created a unfortunate structural separation between those with knowledge and those who desperately need to know. It's harder than ever for lobbyists to share information, and the result is a poorly informed legislature that's making bad choices that are not limited to the insurance industry.”
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Gary Pearce posted on May 20, 2013 09:51
One word can say a lot. So it was with last week’s heated meeting between the Wake County commissioners and school board.
That “victory” was Senate passage of a bill taking control of building schools away from the Democratic-majority school board and giving it to the Republican-led commissioners.
First, Bryan was giving himself a lot of credit: “the victory we had.” Given the partisan lineup of the Senate, it wasn’t much of a contest.
Second, the comment betrays an underlying theme in this legislature. It’s not about good public policy. It’s not about good ideas. It’s not even about ideological consistency.
It’s about payback. Political revenge. It’s about: “We’re going to undo everything Democrats did, just because we can.”
Wake County voters will have a chance to ponder whether Republicans are putting their party’s interest above the public interest. What does Bryan’s quote tell them?
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Gary Pearce posted on May 16, 2013 15:17
A TAPster and long-time legislative lobbyist notes that, in politics, you must sometimes rise above principle:
“A pair of current debates in the General Assembly – when studied together – demonstrate that lofty political principles and high-minded ideals are quickly abandoned when they conflict with the reality of local politics.
“Tesla, the maker of electric autos, is tangled in a scrum to determine if it can sell its high-end vehicles directly to NC consumers rather than through dealerships. This fundamental free-market issue, which ought to resonate with free-market, less-government Republicans, is opposed by auto dealers, of course. Tesla’s plan to sell cars directly to consumers will make dealers irrelevant and obsolete.
“Who will win the fight? Local auto dealers, of course. They’ve played the political game at the local level for decades, collectively and individually contributing plenty of money (and perhaps a car or two) to legislators, who will happily allow government to continue to pick winners and losers in this business. Tesla probably has contributed nothing. End of game.
“Meanwhile, some legislators want to end the state’s renewable energy program because, in their view, the program injects government into the free market system and determines winners and losers in this industry. The free-market theory of this argument – and what looked like a legislative slam-dunk – is being confronted by a solar industry with enough employees and projects around the state that local legislators are spooked about pulling the plug. The renewable industry isn’t capable of making political contributions and its voice is largely unheard now that its Democrat champions are out of power, but local payrolls and investments trump free market theory every day.
“These choices make legislators look confused and disingenuous when they’re simply reacting to the oldest axiom in the business: all politics is local.”
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Carter Wrenn
Gary Pearce
The Charlotte Observer says: “Carter Wrenn and Gary Pearce don’t see eye-to-eye on many issues. But they both love North Carolina and know its politics inside and out.”
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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