Veto overrides and Medicaid expansion
Today, the legislature is scheduled to vote to override Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of the budget. However, the vote is inextricably tied to Medicaid expansion. Before session began, Cooper said that expanding Medicaid is his top legislative priority and an aide told...
Sure a woman can win
Recently, a lot of Democrats seem to be asking if the country is ready to elect a woman president. The answer is an unequivocal “Yes.” However, voters aren’t ready to elect a woman just because she’s a woman. They're looking for a candidate whose message reflects...
Jefferson’s story is our story
On Monday night, the Charlottesville, Virginia, city council voted to scrap a city holiday honoring Thomas Jefferson, founder of the University of Virginia, author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States. They will...
The theocrats
Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest caused an uproar in a talk he gave at a church last week. He articulated what Christian conservatives have believed about our country, and more specifically, our region since the end of the Civil War. He said, “[N]o other nation, my...
On gerrymandering, what next?
Yesterday, the Supreme Court delivered a devastating blow to redistricting reform. In a 5-4 decision, the Court declared that the federal courts are not the place to remedy the problems caused by gerrymandering. The conservative Justices declared that it’s a political...
Break outs and break downs
Democrats had two nights of debates with 20 candidates on two stages. It was clearly a less than perfect set up. Too many people are in the race. As I watched the debates with my brothers and parents, they kept asking, “Who is that person?” None of the also-rans...
Tillis and the cult of personality
It must be hard to be a Republican these days. Instead of a party based on ideas, it’s a party based on a cult of personality. When Senator Thom Tillis tried to establish himself as a man who stands on principle, he was rebuffed by the Trump wing of party for breaking...
Another bill for the base
Heading into the 2020 election cycle, Republicans in the legislature are hitting all the buttons to fire up their base. We had the so-called “Born Alive” bill to excite the anti-abortion wing of the party and let them feel good about themselves by opposing baby...
Neo-confederates in the GOP attic
Rep. Larry Pittman is at it again. He’s wearing his ignorance as a badge of honor and embarrassing the Republican Party, which, in the Age of Trump, is hard to do. But Pittman also represents a significant minority within the GOP. Without them, Republicans would be a...
Civitas poll shows evenly divided state with Tillis in trouble
Civitas has a poll out that should give Republicans in North Carolina a bit of relief. It’s not enough to jump for joy, but it’s a lot better than other polls that have come out recently. Roy Cooper is still popular and the favorite to win re-election and Thom Tillis...
