Josh Stein’s Fighting Start

Josh Stein’s announcement signals a different kind of Democratic campaign for Governor: an aggressive fight over values. Values usually are Republican turf, but Stein seized that ground. From the get-go, he defines his likely opponent, Mark Robinson, as having the wrong values for North Carolina today. Stein’s start promises Democrats the kind of tough, inspiring…

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Axis Sally

Axis Sally a Broadway showgirl with a sultry voice starred on Nazi radio during World War II, purring to lonely GI’s (who hadn’t seen their wives in years): ‘Remember the guy with the flashy convertible who had eyes for your wife…last week he moved in with her.’ That was propaganda back in the 1940’s –…

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It Wouldn’t Be the First Time…

Last fall on Sunday before election day political ads ran back-to-back on TV – one snarled, Cheri Beasley’s for rapists, another snapped, Ted Budd hates democracy, ads rolled on and on but with one odd twist: Full of razzmatazz, dark voices, snarls, growls, they all looked, sounded, alike. Like they’d been made by the same…

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Republicans Will Overreach … Again

Two issues that pundits pooh-poohed – abortion and the threat to democracy – helped President Biden post the best mid-term in 2022 since FDR in 1934. Both issues rose from Republican overreach: the Supreme Court ruling on abortion and the Trump-MAGA attack on legal elections and the Capitol. Have no doubt. Kevin McCarthy’s House Republicans…

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He’d Kill Us, Too

The newspaper story had dozens of photographs – working men holding shovels, digging up mass graves: One photo showed broken white bone fragments lying in black dirt, another a severed hand, another a mound of skulls with single bullet holes in the back, shot execution style by Putin’s soldiers. Workers dug up bodies of 245…

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The Price You Pay

Two years ago, not long after Biden whipped Trump, sitting in a restaurant, voice incredulous, staring at me across the table, blinking, a Republican laughed: “What – are you blind? You can’t see Biden stole the election?” Heads nodded. I remembered election night (in 1980) when John East trailed, led, trailed again, at five o’clock…

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Who Won? Kevin? Matt?

Over and over CNN called it a fight between normal Conservatives and Ultra-Far-Right-Conservatives. But the fight wasn’t about ideology – or issues – it was about power. For years Washington Politicians – not starting with but including Speaker Nancy Pelosi – tilted House rules, grasping for power. Rules gave them the power to decide who…

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I’m Back

Start the presses. I’m blogging again. I took a break in August 2021 to work on a book about my life and my experiences in politics and newspapers. I’ve written 200+ pages, and there’s more to come. One day I’ll get around to publishing it. Some parts will have to wait until I’m gone. For…

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“We’re Back”

There was ice in the room the day I met Gary – sitting in a law office staring across the table I saw a devil; staring back Gary saw a devil. We worked out the four Helms-Hunt debates back in 1984. Left. Sitting in another office years later Gary told doctors in a fight with…

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Gary Hahn’s Bad Call on “Illegal Aliens”

NC State sports announcer Gary Hahn got suspended when he called migrants in El Paso “illegal aliens.” Some of my fellow Wolfpack fans jumped to his defense: “What’s wrong with that?” And, “They are illegal aliens.” Here’s what’s wrong. “Illegal aliens” is a dehumanizing term. No human being is “illegal.” They may do something illegal…

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