For better or worse, a gaggle of “firsts” this year will have a lasting impact on North Carolina politics. Here’s the Top 10 list from Democracy North Carolina. Happy New Year!!
For better or worse, a gaggle of “firsts” this year will have a lasting impact on North Carolina politics. Here’s the Top 10 list from Democracy North Carolina. Happy New Year!!
Thank you for sharing your “Ten Milestones in N. C. Politics for 2010.”
Although you titled the item “Slap-on-the-Wrist Felony”, you listed Governor Easley’s Alford plea to a felony first. It may well be more than simply “a message to politicians … that puublic corruption will not be tolerated”. It is doubtful Easley will ever be elected governor again. No Council of State officer who is convicted as a felon should be able to be electeed agian. He will not be another four term governor like Jim Hunt.
Easley did much good as a governor, particuparly appointing good lawyers as judges. However, his actions or inactions leading to his conviction stained the Democratric Party and damaged N. C.’s “good government” reputation. Who would have perdicted that a successful District Attorney who later served as a successful Attorney General would end up a felon for what happend in his second successful campaign for governor?
D. A. Bill Kenerly of Salisbury shuold be thanked for his hard work, service and good judgment on a difficult matter. Superior Court Judge Osmund Smith should also be thanked for accepting the plea and putting this behiind so the state can move forward again.
Campaign law and campaign ethics are important and ignoring or abusing them causes great harm to our system of government and, sometimes, to those who violate them.