Archive for 2009
The Hunt Library
Today is one of those days I’m glad I’m in politics. I went to the groundbreaking for the James B. Hunt, Jr. Library on the Centennial Campus at N.C.State. There were tributes to Hunt and his contributions to North Carolina – especially for giving NCSU the land that become the Centennial Campus. …
Read MoreParoling Murderers
Over in Beijing Governor Perdue’s taking a break from her stressful junket to China to teleconference with reporters back home and say it’s just awful, terrible and cruel and her feathers are all ruffled because twenty murderers are about to be released due to a strange law passed 25 years ago. Now, stop a…
Read MoreT-Shirts
If you’ve bought the line there’s a budget crisis in state government – here’s proof you may have been sold a bill of goods. The State Department of Agriculture ordered 9,000 camel-colored t-shirts to give away at the state fair – for $18,000. You might ask – why did the state need to…
Read MoreWorse than a Mistake
A few days ago American Spectator published a story about fireworks erupting in a caucus of Republican Congressmen when conservatives asked Representative Pete Sessions, head of the National Republican Campaign Committee, why on earth he was pouring half a million in cash into liberal Republican ACORN supported (in the last three elections) candidate Deidre Scozzafava’s…
Read MoreA Price Production
“The War Room” has a sequel. There is now a film about the 2006 election – “HouseQuake” to go with the classic documentary about Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign. (I am compelled to insert here that I have a brief role in “The War Room.” I challenge you to find it.) Political junkies in…
Read MoreJust When Bev Perdue Thought It…
… couldn’t get any worse, it did. Her popularity dropped again. According to a poll last week an astonishing 63% of North Carolinians disapprove of the job Perdue is doing as Governor. She’s lost the support of Moderates, Conservatives, Independents, Republicans and half the Democrats who voted for her last November. All she has…
Read MoreWatch What You Think
Public Policy Polling did a poll that seems obvious: Fox viewers don’t like Obama, and MSNBC viewers do. But the point was reinforced last week by Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu (and UNC grad), in a talk in Chapel Hill. Kilar said the Internet is essentially a tool that enables us to watch…
Read MoreWillful Ignorance
Recently I was subjected to a speech by columnist-commentator George Will. He courageously took on Washington’s big spending. His implication was that President Obama is the culprit. To his credit, Will did acknowledge that George Bush’s prescription drug benefit – which doesn’t let the government negotiate lower prices – is part of the…
Read MoreWhat’s Wrong with the Conservative Movement?
The answer in a nutshell is Republicans in Washington. The other morning ole Newt Gingrich, who talks the talk and has gotten himself anointed as ‘conservative thinker’ numero uno turned his attention from Washington to Lake Placid, New York and endorsed a liberal who’d make Nancy Pelosi proud. Why would a deep-thinking Republican…
Read MoreDon’t Blame the Democrats
Most of my political conversations these days are about investigations, not elections. Especially about John Edwards and Mike Easley. This can’t be good for Democrats. But maybe the party can find shelter from the fallout. Try this: Neither Easley nor Edwards ever was a good party man. Easley rarely went…
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