Outside Agitators

A reader notes the irony of Republicans rejecting Common Core because it’s from Washington, or “Big Government” or President Obama. The implication is that state- and local-level thinking is by definition better.   He points out: “The irony is that the GOP resists Washington’s direction while its leaders in North Carolina warmly embrace the political…

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Over in Greensboro

In the last week or so before the election, in the midst of conniving to win the Republican primary for Congress, young Phil Berger (and his Super PAC) whacked one opponent as a liberal, another as a wild-eyed big spender, and a third as a secret agent who’s too cozy with Chinese textile firms.  …

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Ode to the State Helicopter

Selling the state helicopter may make dollars and sense, but Governor McCrory is totally missing the Helicopter Coolness Factor.   Nothing says cool like that sleek bird swooping down from the sky someplace far from Raleigh. Crowds gawk, school kids go gaga and cameras go click. When the copter comes, Big News is happening.  …

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One Kind of Thinking

There’s been a lot of political foolishness going on over in Greensboro and I’ve been watching it pretty closely, working with one of Phil Berger Jr.’s opponents in the Republican Primary, Bruce VonCannon. The other day Berger’s Super PAC broke bad and issued an edict: Voters, they said, ought not to trust Bruce VonCannon to…

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Paul Tine

Paul Tine is a rare and endangered species: a centrist Democrat who represents a Republican-leaning district in the N.C. House. The Democratic Party needs him – and more like him.   I met Paul for the first time at a fundraiser this week. He’s young, smart and candid. I know his district, House 6, which…

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Art Pope Responds

I received a response from Art Pope to my blog yesterday (“Rich and Ruthless”). He said: “Feel free to post this to your web site.” I am happy to reprint it in full below, and I thank Art for responding – and for reading:   It is a rough game, but it has not cost me…

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