McCrory

In keeping with the fine tradition of the McCrory administration, Aldona Wos looks citizens in the eye and lies through her teeth. Thank goodness North Carolina Health News was on the scene.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Aldona Wos told an audience in Reidsville today that the decision not to expand the state’s Medicaid program came from state Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin. Her comments came during a community forum held at Annie Penn Hospital during a question-and-answer period with the audience of 70 to 80 hospital personnel, community members and medical professionals.

To which the Department of Insurance had this to say:

How much do you really know about Art Pope?

Pope has been a fixture in North Carolina conservative politics since the 1970s, pouring millions into political and conservative organizations, campaigns and programs promoting libertarian programs at North Carolina universities. Now, as Governor McCrory's Budget Director, Pope has a direct role in our state government. Many McCrory appointments have direct and indirect connections to Pope or one of his foundations and political action groups.

I'll be putting up a series of blog posts about figures in the McCrory administration and legislature with unanswered questions that liberals and progressives should be asking about our new Republican public officials. Winning elections is more than just getting feet on the ground or participating in a protest - it's also about research, strategy and holding public officials accountable.

Let's start with the one man who has taken this lesson seriously.

James "Art" Pope, North Carolina's newly appointed Budget Director, heads up the Office of State Budget and Management. Governor McCrory calls Pope his "assistant budget director", minimizing Pope's role and declaring that the Governor himself is the "state's budget director".

However, the Office of State Budget and Management is a government agency that does much more than just keep books and pay the state's bills. There's more responsibility to Pope's new job that the simple title of "Budget Director" implies.

From the Raleigh N&O online:

NBC-17 reporter hired as Gov. McCrory's communications director

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/02/22/2698944/wncn-tv-political-reporte...

Deputy Assistant Governor McCrory is having second thoughts about his short leash, resulting in a bizarre kabuki dance that looks more and more like a good-old-fashioned shell game.

As you'll recall from last week, Governor Pope gave Phil Berger permission to say the General Assembly would put an end to income and corporate taxes in favor of raising sales taxes, including a tax on food. Right on cue this week, Pope told reporters in Chapel Hill that he didn't think that was a good idea. Then yesterday, Deputy Assistant Governor McCrory told reporters that he didn't really agree with Governor Pope, and that he'd continue to push the ALEC agenda of drowning government in Grover Nordquist's bathtub.

In case you're having trouble following this, here's the real story. Governor Pope and his Deputy are embarrassed that so many people have seen through their charade. Despite the fact that Pope is not a controversial figure, he needs to find a way out of the spotlight and let Deputy Assistant Governor McCrory look like he's in charge. What better way to do that than to have a public spat, let McCrory win, and then slide back into running his slum-retailing empire, leaving a gang of Lockers behind to do his absentee bidding.

What's even more remarkable is the fact that these guys know North Carolina voters will fall for their smoke-and-mirrors scam, and that all this tap-dancing will distract people from seeing the harsh reality of their regressive agenda.

With national electoral maps showing almost no path to victory for the GOP in November, it wasn't surprising this weekend to see Mitt Rmoney shift into Hail Mary mode by naming Paul Ryan as his running mate. It's reminiscent of John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin, a desperate move, fraught with risk, especially in swing states like Florida and North Carolina. But it's worse than you think for Rmoney ... and Pat McCrory too.