The Trump primary is taking shape
Pat McCrory is expected to announce his candidacy for the U.S. Senate today. Or at least he’s making some sort of announcement on his radio show. If he jumps in, he’s joining former Congressman Mark Walker and likely candidate Rep. Ted Budd. Lara Trump is still...
The Obstructionists
In the next week or so, Congress will take up Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill. It’s a big bill addressing big needs, many of which have been ignored for decades. Democrats will likely need to pass the bill with no Republican support. Since Mitch McConnell became...
Dispatches from Bojangles
Last week, I was traveling a bunch. I’m not much of a fan of fast food but when I’m on the road, that’s what I tend to eat and I try to find a Bojangles. I found one on the outskirts of Asheville and went inside to eat, the first time I’ve sat down in a fast food...
Reward yourself
I got my stimulus check yesterday and, like a good patriotic American, I bought a television. I clearly was not alone. The TV that I had seen on sale was sold out. In fact, almost every television in the “entry level,” as the salesperson described them, was sold out....
Grifters gonna grift
Well, it turns out the Trump campaign bilked their own supporters out of millions of dollars. Using the GOP’s new small-dollar donor tool, WinRed, the campaign made all contributions default to monthly unless the giver checked a box to prevent the recurring donation....
The luckiest politician
Thom Tillis is the luckiest person in politics. A man with limited political skill and even less political conviction, he’s risen to the top echelon of American politics. He’s one of just 100 U.S. Senators and yet his favorability in the state he serves has rarely...
A state of being
This past weekend, we left our bubble of Carrboro to celebrate my son becoming a teenager. He wanted to go to the mountains to an area where “we don’t see many cars.” I had just the spot—a secluded cabin owned by a childhood friend in Transylvania County. It was a...
Ready to deal
What a difference a pandemic makes. Governor Roy Cooper dropped his budget this week and, while Republicans disagreed with much of it, nobody used terms like “DOA” to describe it like they have in the past. Both sides struck a conciliatory tone, sounding confident...
Continuing the Big Lie
Yesterday, Republicans in the legislature grilled State Board of Elections Director Karen Brinson Bell. They claimed they are trying to get to the root of irregularities in election administration and restore confidence in our elections. In fact, they are doing all...
Get the recovery right for the kids
A friend who has been traveling around Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee came into town this weekend for a visit. His first observation was, “Carrboro is the only place I’ve seen where people are wearing masks just walking down the street.” It’s true. The whole...
