LOD: Pope is No Dope

The Washington Post published a front-page story on Sunday about Art Pope’s unique role as both a powerful inside and outside player in a state’s politics. The writer drew on interviews and material from several groups across the political spectrum, including Democracy NC, for the profile and a clever chart of Pope’s network of influence. The article includes the revealing case of Pope personally intervening to kill North Carolina’s landmark public financing program for judicial candidates – the quintessential example of Pope’s style of micro-management and his elitist bias for the privileges of wealthy donors over the common good (or more broadly, property rights over human rights).