Rogues’ Gallery

A reporter was musing recently about how North Carolina politicians used to be a bland, boring bunch.   That was back when we prided ourselves on clean, honest government.   Times have changed:   A former U.S. Senator and presidential candidate brought down by a sex scandal.   A former Governor and a key adviser…

Read More

The New WRAL

Jesse Helms is probably rolling over in his recording studio.   WRAL, the station that used to run Helms’ editorials opposing desegregation, is now running editorial messages opposing resegregation.   That’s how much Jim Goodmon has changed the station.   (Does anybody remember when WRAL used to sign off at night by playing “Dixie” instead…

Read More

Flights of Fancy

The State Democratic Party gets an A+ for rapid response this week.   I blogged last week that the N&O overplayed Tom Fetzer’s questions about Governor Perdue’s campaign flights.   The research rats at Democratic HQ then turned up questions about Pat McCrory’s campaign flights. That led to an N&O headline – the same size…

Read More

A New Day in the Senate?

Up in Washington last weekend at the Conservative Political Action Conference every time Scott Brown’s name was mentioned the conservative hordes let out a bellow of approval – but, then, two days later Brown voted with the Democrats in the Senate to end a filibuster against President Obama’s latest ‘Stimulus Bill’ and Democratic leader Harry…

Read More

Open Wide

President Obama may be setting up Republicans for a classic one-two punch.   First, the left jab: an open, public “discussion” where he challenges Republicans to put their ideas on the table. That’s what they said they wanted, isn’t it?   Then, the right uppercut: ramming a health-care bill through using something called “reconciliation.”  …

Read More

Tiger and Toyota PR

PR types like to speculate about what they would advise Toyota and Tiger Woods to do in their times of trouble. (Imagine the fees!)   For all the ridicule and criticism, I think Tiger made a good first step in his televised mea culpa.   But Toyota still can’t get it right.   The myth…

Read More

The Pot and the Kettle

Senator Richard Burr wins this week’s hypocrisy award hands down.   Formally entering his race for reelection, Burr said something needs to be done to break the “gridlock” in Congress.   This, mind you, is the same man who has dutifully followed his party’s lead in gridlocking budget reform, health-care reform and anything else that…

Read More

Diagnosis Confusion

The N&O/WTVD poll on health care left me totally confused.   The poll, done by Mason-Dixon, “found that 51 percent of registered voters in North Carolina think Congress should not change the U.S. health care system this year. Thirty-eight percent think that lawmakers should take action.”   But then the story went on: “The poll…

Read More

A Pretty Bad Mistake

Sometimes a story floats in over the transom that’s just too incredible to pass up; – this one came at the expense of Bank of America, which certainly doesn’t need any more headaches after being sued by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for fraud, plus a whooping $16 billion.   Charlie Cordosa, who used…

Read More

Message Misery

The best message in politics is always: “It’s Time for a Change.”   That worked like a charm for Democrats in 2006 and 2008. Voters were anxious, angry and ready to throw out the bums in power in Washington.   Nothing has changed this year – except Democrats are now the bums in power.  …

Read More