Downing Street

Clinton aims for an ugly outcome

2008-05-21T08:15:00.004-04:00

It's almost all over but the shouting in the campaign for the Democratic nomination for president, but there may be a lot of shouting before it's all over. In her victory speech after the Kentucky results were in last night, Hillary Clinton sounded feisty, even bellicose, as she vowed to continue her campaign. Barack Obama reached a milestone last night as he won the Oregon primary and picked up a few delegates in his Kentucky loss: He now has a majority of the total number of pledged delegates. Superdelegates will ultimately decide this contest, but Obama is slowly adding to his total among these party power brokers.

Clinton's trump card is the seating of delegates from Florida and Michigan. Both states broke the party rules and held primaries earlier than the Democratic National Committee allowed. Their punishment: loss of voting delegates at the national convention and a ban on candidates campaigning there. But Clinton did some campaigning in both states and has declared victory there, even though Obama was not even on the ballot in Michigan.

Now the Clinton folks are tossing out the buzzwords — "count every vote," "fairness," "not so fast" — to try to make a case for seating all the Florida and Michigan delegates and giving them all to her. A Clinton fund-raiser has even raised the specter of 2000, saying, "This is what Bush did to Gore in 2000, and we're not going to put up with it." That fund-raiser went even further, declaring that not counting the Florida and Michigan votes was "corrupt."

If Clinton goes through with this — and I don't doubt for a second that she's capable of exactly that — it could be a very ugly convention in Denver. The Democratic Party Rules Committee meets May 31 to decide what to do with Michigan and Florida. Some compromises will be offered, but Clinton's only hope is no compromise, everything for her. Harold Ickes, one of her (and Bill's) closest advisers and a political trench warfare warrior from way back, is on the Rules Committee.

If Clinton gets her way with the Rules Committee, it could throw the nomination into turmoil. It would also turn future primary seasons into chaos because there would be no penalty for violating party rules. If she doesn't win in Rules but decides to take the fight to the convention, things could get really, really ugly. A bitter fight at the Democratic Convention with lingering hard feelings is exactly what John McCain needs.

Why would Chamber want to drown out culture?

2008-05-20T08:34:00.003-04:00

Following up on yesterday's post, I had the opportunity last night to talk to several people who were at the Friday night performance of "Fair and Tender Ladies," during which the one-woman show by Quinn Hawkesworth was drowned out by a rock band playing for the Chamber of Commerce's Small Business Week celebration a half a block away. The people I talked to were livid. They were ready to beat Chamber officials over the head with a microphone stand or strangle them with a guitar string.

There simply was no excuse for the Chamber party, which seemed to be poorly attended, to compete with Theater of the American South, which is attracting visitors to Wilson. What a way to show off your city's culture and mutual respect!

The Chamber party could have been scheduled on a different day (the theater schedule was set a year in advance), or it could have been relocated far away from the Edna Boykin Cultural Center. There simply is no excuse, and the Chamber should be held accountable for its callous and incomprehensible lack of concern.

You even have to wonder whether Chamber officials were trying to sabotage Theater of the American South. If it wasn't deliberate, what excuse could they have? The Chamber has not been active in supporting Theater of the American South, even though the Chamber is supposed to support events and strategies that benefit the local business community. Theater of the American South is bringing in visitors who spend their money and go away with an impression of Wilson.

Does the Chamber really want visitors to leave with the impression that Wilson is a place where the business community tries to drown out the community's premier cultural event?

Chamber band drowns out theater event

2008-05-19T08:58:00.003-04:00

This had to be the most idiotic scheduling Wilson has ever seen. The opening night of "Fair and Tender Ladies" — one of two plays highlighting the third annual Theater of the American South — was nearly ruined Friday night by the blaring of a rock band half a block away. The band was so loud that theater patrons, who had paid $20 a ticket to see (and hear!) the play, strained to separate actress Quinn Hawkesworth's words against the thump of the bass and the screaming lyrics. The music very nearly drowned out the play. Some people moved closer to the stage so they could hear what they paid for instead of the uninvited intruders. It did little good. Silent pauses in the script were not silent at all, thanks to the band next door.

It's a tribute to Hawkesworth's professionalism that she did not allow the distraction to throw her off. She would have been justified, as some college professors and preachers have been known to do, to simply stand and glare or walk off the stage at the inconsiderate interruption.

The rock band was hired by the Wilson Chamber of Commerce. The block of Pine Street next to the Chamber (and a half block from the Boykin Center, where Hawkesworth was performing) was blocked off for the Chamber's Small Business Week party. As I was arriving at and later leaving the play (and hearing others from the theater audience complaining), I saw no more than a dozen or so people at the Chamber's outdoor event. There were probably 250 people at the theater.

Here's the big question: Why would the Chamber schedule a band at the same time as the Theater of the American South's performance? The theater festival schedule was set a year in advance. Surely the Chamber could have scheduled Small Business Week another time or at least rescheduled the street party with a band or moved it away from the theater.

The Theater of the American South is attracting patrons from Raleigh and other cities. I only hope that Friday night's audience was exclusively from Wilson because the Chamber's attempt — unintentional, I hope — at drowning out "Fair and Tender Ladies" would give outsiders a horrible impression of how this city organizes events and respects others.

Presumably the Chamber is not opposed to the Theater of the American South, which has a considerable economic impact already and is likely to grow into an event that will put Wilson on the map both culturally and economically. So why would the Chamber allow its party to sabotage this event?

No change in tax rate after revaluation

2008-05-16T10:20:00.003-04:00

Has there ever been a property revaluation that didn't result in the lowering of the property tax rate? I can't remember one in any of the places I've lived, and I asked Claude Starling, whose reporting on Wilson city and county government goes back almost 40 years, if he remembers such a case. He doesn't.

But if City Council goes along with City Manager Grant Goings' recommended budget, which keeps the city property tax rate at 51.5 cents per $100 valuation, this apparently unprecedented event will occur. Goings says the revaluation resulted in a disappointing 19 percent growth in property values from the last revaluation eight years ago.

That's not all. Goings also recommends a 5 percent increase in electric rates plus 5 percent increases in water and sewer rates. Another electric rate increase is expected in January.

No matter how you look at it, Wilson taxpayers are taking it on the chin. Already beset by exorbitant gasoline prices, we'll now face higher mortgage (escrow) payments and higher utility bills. Making matters worse is a struggling economy that has resulted in smaller raises or pay freezes for many workers.

The 19 percent overall increase in property taxes, disappointing though it might be to government officials, translates into higher taxes for every property owner who saw an increase. Unless taxpayers scream loud enough to get City Council's attention, we'll all be paying significantly more in the next year.

Edwards endorses at an odd moment

2008-05-15T08:43:00.004-04:00

The oddest thing about John Edwards endorsement last night of Barack Obama is the timing. Why now?

Edwards could have moved the numbers if he had endorsed Obama when he got out of the presidential race in January. He might have had an impact if he had endorsed before Super Tuesday in February. He might have been credited with major influence if he had endorsed before the North Carolina primary last week, as Gov. Mike Easley did (to no avail, as he endorsed Hillary Clinton, who lost badly here). But the only reason for endorsing Obama on May 14 is to dim the spotlight on Clinton, who just won the West Virginia primary overwhelmingly.

Edwards says he's doing it to bring the party together for the fall election, and his decision might help, but it would have helped more weeks or months earlier. Edwards' 19 pledged delegates are now likely to go to Obama, but those few votes still won't clinch the nomination for him. Although he's more than 100 delegate votes ahead of Clinton and gaining with less than 200 more votes needed for nomination, Obama has to persuade superdelegates to climb aboard his bandwagon.

Clinton is counting on her family's close ties to party movers and shakers keep the nomination in doubt at least until the end of the primaries and perhaps until the convention in August. Edwards' bring-the-party-together appeal is unlikely to discourage her single-minded determination to win the Democratic nomination, no matter what it costs.

TransPark is announcing a manufacturer

2008-05-14T08:01:00.004-04:00

An announcement this morning in Kinston will verify rumors that a major employer is locating in the Global TransPark, bringing a rumored 600 jobs in aircraft manufacturing. On the one hand, it's about time. On the other hand, perhaps, at last, the TransPark in Kinston will begin to deliver on the promises made when the state authorized the project in 1991.

The concept of a manufacturing park built around an airport was, in theory, the wave of the future when UNC professor John Kasarda proposed it and Gov. Jim Martin's administration endorsed it. Gov. Jim Hunt also got aboard when he won the 1992 election, and the General Assembly provided state funding for airport improvements, to which the federal government also contributed.

Many people and organizations have called the TransPark a massive boondoggle, but altogether, about $80 million in state and federal money has gone into the TransPark. That's not chump change, but in the context of the state budget, it's not a whole lot. This state builds bridges that cost $70 million, and how many jobs do they create?

The TransPark was a gamble from the start, a gamble promoted by some smart people who thought a site integrating manufacturing and distribution with an airport runway would be the wave of the future. Were they wrong? No one knows yet. The advocates' predictions were overly optimistic, but the TransPark could still turn out to be a wise investment in the long run. Or it could be, like the supersonic transport, ahead of its time at best and, at worst, too much of a stretch.

Tax-and-spend Mike will have to raise taxes

2008-05-13T08:34:00.003-04:00

The Associated Press story on Gov. Mike Easley's new budget doesn't mention the percentage increase in spending Easley is proposing to legislators. It's 5 percent. His proposal increases spending by about $1 billion, but that amount of money is not available from unbudgeted increases in revenue, so he'll have to raise taxes. Easley is proposing raising alcohol taxes by $66 million and tobacco taxes by $99 million.

So-called "sin" taxes are usually low-lying fruit. Easy picking. But the governor is already running into some opposition from the General Assembly's leadership, and they're all Democrats. But Speaker of the House Joe Hackney and Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight, usually of the "tax and spend" school of politics, say this might not be the best time to raise taxes.

Taxpayers are reeling from gasoline prices that are rapidly approaching $4 a gallon. The economy is in a slump because consumers can't afford to buy discretionary items because the essentials — fuel, food, medicine and all the rest — are getting more and more expensive.

Maybe Governor Easley wasn't paying attention, but last week voters in 18 out of 20 county referendums rejected higher sales taxes. The same day, voters in four counties rejected higher real estate transfer taxes. Even though these taxes were not especially onerous or burdensome, voters overwhelmingly told elected officials that they were paying enough taxes already.

We'll find out whether legislators are paying attention to that sentiment. We might also find out how taxpayers, many of whom are getting little or no cost-of-living increases or who have lost their jobs, will feel about generous raises, averaging 7 percent, for teachers. Easley proposed that so he could fulfill a campaign promise to raise teacher pay to the elusive "national level."

It's a busy weekend, and that's good

2008-05-12T10:16:00.003-04:00

It's only Monday, and already it's a busy week.

This week the third annual Theater of the American South kicks off with "Steel Magnolias" Thursday night and "Fair and Tender Ladies" Friday night. The two plays commence a three-weekend run of theater, food and lectures. I interviewed Gary Cole, the founder of the festival, last week for a story that will run later and found him enthusiastic and confident about this year's festival and about how the festival is being accepted and is growing. From the beginning, I've thought this could be something really big for Wilson. Cole will be the first to say it will take time, but the festival, which combines southern literature, drama and food, is growing steadily. And it's helping to put Wilson on the map.

As often happens in the spring and fall, we're looking ahead to a jam-packed weekend. Not only will Theater of the American South events be held through the weekend but also the Relay For Life fund-raiser for the American Cancer Society begins Friday, and the annual Sunday in the Rose Garden is Sunday. And those are just the events I know off the top of my head. I'm sure there are others.

Wilson is not a place where "there's nothing to do." It's a place where there's so much to do that involved people have to pick and choose among conflicting event schedules.

Tornado hits Greensboro, misses Wilson

2008-05-09T08:36:00.003-04:00

News this morning of tornadoes in Greensboro caught my attention. The reports said one person was killed and tractor-trailers were blown off of Interstate 40 last night.

My son lives in Greensboro, near the center of the city. I called him about 7 a.m. His response was, essentially, "Tornado? What tornado?"

That's the nature of tornadoes. Their destructive power is horrific, but it's usually exerted along a narrow path. Aerial photos often show one house demolished and the one next door unscathed.

Still, anyone who has lived through severe weather, such as a tornado or a hurricane or just a severe thunderstorm, can feel a little uneasy at the news of a tornado watch, and for good reason. These destructive forces are largely unpredictable. Even with today's modern weather radars and sophisticated warning systems, whether your home or workplace gets hit is largely a matter of chance.

Once again, Wilson County was fortunate this morning. The line of storms seems to have played itself out in Alabama and central North Carolina before reaching this area. The heavy rain and lightning this morning was all that was left of the storms that wreaked so much havoc to the west of us.

Is Clinton squandering a personal fortune?

2008-05-08T08:43:00.003-04:00

After her embarrassingly wide loss in North Carolina Tuesday, Hillary Clinton's campaign announced that she had lent her campaign another $6.4 million. That's on top of the $5 million she had previous lent the campaign.

That sounds like a good way to rid yourself of a personal fortune. The Clintons, if you'll remember, portrayed themselves as working stiffs in 1992, not even owning a home (because they lived in the Arkansas governor's mansion) who understood the unwashed masses and could "feel the pain" of the working people in ways George Herbert Walker Bush never could. In fact, as presidential candidates go, the Clintons were not rich.

But all that changed. Both Bill and Hillary signed very lucrative book contracts, and the former president has been making speeches for five-figure and six-figure payoffs. And his presidential pension is sufficient to cover the expenses of any two or three working families. So they have money, which is obvious when you can lend yourself more than $11 million.

The question is, "How good an investment is that?" With Barack Obama nearing the magic number of delegates to win the nomination, Clinton's investment looks more hopeful than wise. But if she wants this nomination badly enough to go back to being poor (relatively speaking), then she can keep on spending until she runs out of cash.

Easley's endorsement isn't worth much

2008-05-07T10:25:00.004-04:00

Now we know what a Mike Easley endorsement is worth. Governor Easley endorsed Hillary Clinton last week with great fanfare. He traveled with her on the campaign trail later in the week. He even took his wife and son along for the ride. He extolled Clinton's virtues and seemed to feel an intimate connection with the New York senator.

And then Democratic voters went overwhelmingly for Barack Obama Tuesday, giving the Illinois senator a resounding 14-point victory in North Carolina.

The Clinton campaign had given every indication that the North Carolina vote would be close, maybe even an upset. Easley might even be a kingmaker — or queenmaker. Clinton expended a lot of energy — and money — in North Carolina, but it did her no good. She lost by a wider margin than had been expected. CNN and other networks called the race for Obama the minute the polls closed at 7:30. There was no drama, no anxiety, no questions. Mike Easley's endorsement isn't worth much in this state.

Of course, Easley has no apparent ambitions for future political office, and that's probably a good thing. Although he's been a popular governor, re-elected in 2004, he's been widely criticized as detached, uninvolved, independent, unapproachable and, well, clueless at times. He's gotten through his big programs — More at Four and the state lottery — but his administration has made a total mess of mental health reform, and now he's being sued over destruction of state records.

Easley can ride out the last few months of his term and retire to a good life in Southport, without ever having to answer questions from pesky reporters or go on the campaign trail with another presidential candidate. I doubt many will be knocking on his door.

Yes, today's primary is crucial to nomination

2008-05-06T08:50:00.002-04:00

Make no mistake about it: Today's North Carolina primary could be a make-or-break event for the Democratic presidential candidates.

Should Barack Obama, who once had a 20-point lead in statewide polls, lose to Hillary Rodham Clinton, it could be the death blow to his campaign. Although Obama might still be ahead in pledged delegates and in popular vote (excluding the outlaw Michigan and Florida primaries, where he didn't run and Clinton was not supposed to run), a loss in North Carolina will affect the thinking of superdelegates. And it's the superdelegates who will ultimately decide this nomination.

Clinton knows this and has pulled out all the stops in North Carolina. Bill Clinton has practically camped out here, and Senator Clinton has been back and forth in the state. Chelsea Clinton has been trying to lure the youth vote away from Obama. The Clintonistas think they can win here, or at least come so close that the outcome embarrasses Obama and makes superdelegates think twice.

The other primary being held today in Indiana is also important. Clinton leads in the polls there, but if Obama should win both Indiana and North Carolina, it would make it difficult to argue that superdelegates should shift to Clinton. A strong showing in North Carolina and a narrow loss in Indiana would sustain Obama and nip Clinton's momentum.

But this campaign probably won't end tomorrow. A few primaries in less-populous states still remain, and it looks like both candidates will continue until the last primary June 3. After that, it will be up to the superdelegates. But the outcome of today's primaries will probably matter more in the final tally than will any subsequent voting.

Election Day: It's when we vote

2008-05-05T11:03:00.002-04:00

I missed early voting again. I'm really "old school." I live under the impression that you should open Christmas presents on Christmas Day, you should eat Thanksgiving dinner on the third Thursday in November, and you should vote on Election Day. Not before.

Besides, I like the hurly-burly excitement of going to the polls. Tuesday, I'll be one of millions of North Carolinians doing their civic duty, all on the same day. Early voting doesn't give me that connection, that sense of community that arises from shared responsibilities and shared experiences.

North Carolina has had more presidential excitement than I can remember, at least since the 1988 campaign, when Al Gore, Gary Hart and Michael Dukakis all visited Wilson. We've had Bill Clinton (surrogate for his wife) and Barack Obama come to town, and the Clintons (Hillary, Bill and Chelsea) have camped out in North Carolina the past few days in hopes of upsetting Obama's expected victory in the Democratic primary.

Republicans have a hot primary for governor, as do the Democrats, and there are other races all down the ballot. But no hot local races, other than the sales tax referendum.

Besides voting on Election Day, I've made a habit of hanging out at the Board of Elections on election night. I won't be alone. I'll be interested in seeing the returns on the sales tax referendum and how Wilson County voted on presidential and state races.

It's all on Election Day. I'm ready, even if it means standing in line for a while.

How can I get to play with the Heels?

2008-05-01T12:42:00.003-04:00

I think I'll declare my candidacy for president in, oh 2012, or even 2008, if it'll do any good. I don't really want the job (though it pays fairly well and has lots of perks). I just want to be allowed to scrimmage with the Carolina Tar Heels.
Barack Obama worked up a sweat Tuesday, a day after he had held a town hall meeting in the Beddingfield High School gymnasium, which he followed with a rally at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill. But the biggest thrill of those couple of days was his workout on the hardcourt with the Final Four Tar Heels. The Wilson Daily Times ran a picture of Obama putting up a layup against All-America Tyler Hansbrough. He also got a guided tour of the Carolina locker room and facilities from Coach Roy Williams (who, by the way, said he was not endorsing Obama).
Obama is a basketball player in the same way Bill Clinton is a golfer or George Bush is a runner turned bicyclist. Basketball provides him exercise and stress release. I'm told that he's a pretty fair player. Getting a shot off in the lane against the Tar Heels indicates he's not bad. Safe to say, he's a better roundball player than a bowler.
It occurred to me as I looked at the photos of Obama playing with the Tar Heels that this event probably violated some NCAA rule. Sure enough, a story in the News & Observer reported that NCAA rules were violated. Williams sat and watched the scrimmage, but coaches are not allowed to watch players practice during the off-season. Fortunately, the high sheriffs at the NCAA decided that this was a special occasion and no rules investigation would ensue. New NCAA policy: Coaches cannot watch players practice unless a presidential contender is allowed into the lineup, in which case the coach gets a reprieve.
I'd love to run up and down with the Heels, but the NCAA might not be convinced I'm a serious candidate. Even if I could clear that hurdle, I'm 4 inches shorter and 15 years older than Obama. I don't think anyone would throw me the ball, assuming I ever got onto the court.

Easley's endorsement boosts Clinton

2008-04-30T07:39:00.003-04:00

Mike Easley has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. Will it matter? Maybe.

Easley is not a power broker in the mold of a Jim Hunt or a Kerr Scott. In fact, many Democrats find "Governor Bubba" little more than amusing. He's widely criticized, even among Democrats, for being uninvolved, inattentive and, basically, lazy. He makes no secret of the fact that he doesn't enjoy the traditional political duties of ribbon cutting, hand-shaking, back-slapping, brown-nosing, money-begging and all the rest. None of this suggests that he is not a "good guy" and an entertaining conversationalist and speaker. But his opinion doesn't carry the weight that a traditional politician's would.

That said, the Easley endorsement has to be good news for the Clinton campaign, which is pulling out all the stops for the North Carolina primary. Hillary Clinton is touring all over the state (but it looks like she won't make it to Wilson). Chelsea Clinton has hit most of the college campuses around, and Bill Clinton is virtually camping out in North Carolina. You have to assume that the Clinton strategists know something. Despite a double-digit lead in the polls, Obama's support must be vulnerable, at least in the Clintonistas' view.

This might be the thinking: If Clinton can defeat Obama here, in a state he was expected to win in a walk, it could start a stampede of superdelegates, who will ultimately decide the nomination. Obama has to win North Carolina, and he badly needs a win in Indiana, which is also voting on Tuesday.

The Easley endorsement came on a bad week for Obama, who was forced to disavow the continuing racist, radical rhetoric of his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. In Winston-Salem yesterday, Obama made his strongest denunciation yet of Wright, calling his fantastical claim of a government HIV conspiracy against blacks "disgusting." The repudiation might eventually help Obama, but again reminding voters of Wright's views won't help in the short term.

The two big endorsements in North Carolina haven't happened. Neither former presidential candidate John Edwards nor former Gov. Jim Hunt has endorsed. In Wilson Monday, Obama praised Hunt at considerable length as Hunt and his wife sat in the crowd at Beddingfield High School. But no endorsement was forthcoming. As for Edwards, Clinton's pledge to appoint a "poverty czar" sounds like an appointment tailor-made for Edwards, but so far he hasn't taken the bait.

For now, Clinton will have to settle for Easley's endorsement. For what it's worth.

The costs of attending a political rally

2008-04-29T08:25:00.002-04:00

Going to the Barack Obama Town Hall Meeting last night cost me about three hours of my time and a 3-inch Swiss Army knife that I'd had for years. I made good use of some of my otherwise wasted time while waiting for Obama, who arrived almost exactly an hour later than scheduled, by talking to Frank Jones and the Rev. M.K. Smith, who were seated on either side of me. I enjoyed the conversations about politics, race and religion from two guys who have spent some time thinking about these issues.

I'm still pretty miffed about having my Swiss Army knife taken, though. I got it for Christmas so long ago that I've forgotten who gave it to me. Its scissors, blade, tweezers, toothpick and nail file/screwdriver had come in handy numerous times. How did I ever get along without it?

But it was snatched by an overzealous Transportation Security Agency agent (the same folks who make you take your shoes off at the airport) as I passed through the metal detector going into the Beddingfield High School gym. "Can I get it back later?" I asked. "No," she said curtly. "It's a weapon."

The same woman took my new umbrella, collapsed to its 10-inch length, and tossed it into a pile behind her. "Can I get that back?" "If it's still here when you come out," she said. I asked to slip my business card into the umbrella so no one would take it by mistake. Nope. Move on.

Because I left early to head to another meeting while Obama was still talking, I was able to recover my umbrella (I also could have taken a dozen others). It occurred to me to complain to one of the many sheriff's deputies around Beddingfield that a TSA agent had stolen my Swiss Army knife. It was a strong-arm robbery. Arrest that woman!

I decided against it.

Interestingly, the TSA agent carefully examined another item from my pocket. Like the Swiss Army knife, it was attached to a stash of grocery store discount cards (might they be weapons?). This screwdriver device, called a Screwzall, with four attached screwdriver heads, looks more menacing than the little penknife and is much sturdier, but she didn't take it.

Security at campaign events are essential. No one wants a replay of the 1972 assassination attempt on George Wallace, but we need to be realistic. Umbrellas and 3-inch penknives are not dangers to presidential candidates surrounded by Secret Service agents.

Fine dining available in Wilson

2008-04-28T08:46:00.003-04:00

When my wife and I headed out to dinner Saturday night for a belated anniversary celebration, we knew we were risking a long wait in line at our favorite restaurant. After all, it was Saturday night. It was 7 p.m. It was prime time for restaurants. We were prepared to have to wait for a table.

To our surprise, when we arrived at Jac's Grill, only one couple was in front of us, and the hostess offered us our choice of tables. We chose outdoor dining on the patio.

Many times we've had to wait in line for a table at Jac's and at other restaurants. We've seen no sign that Jac's is any less popular and plenty of signs that people are going out to each more than ever. Could it be the slowing economy forcing people to curtail fine dining? Or could it be that Wilson now has more competition for high-end dining?

I think it's the latter. Jac's, which seldom advertised while generating a robust business mainly by word-of-mouth in its first year, has been running some discrete ads. The Legacy in Elm City also has been advertising, reminding diners that the elegant restaurant in a historic mansion is still serving. And Fifty-Fifty Lounge seems to be attracting good crowds throughout the week as it offers a weekly wine special. The newest restaurant on the block is Quince, which I haven't tried yet. Old stand-bys Griff's Steak Barn, Silver Lake Oyster Bar and the Beefmastor still draw crowds.

All of these restaurants are competing for the same audience, and it's a testimony to how far Wilson has come. This is more than a hot dog and barbecue town, although hot dogs and barbecue still do well here.

But I've told a number of people (there's that word-of-mouth again) that Jac's has served me some of the best meals I've ever had anywhere (admittedly, my experience with five-star restaurants is somewhat limited, but I've dined in a few). Its chicken pasta with a mushroom, spinach and prosciutto sauce is to die for. At an elegant restaurant in Black Mountain recently, I ordered chicken roulade primarily because it sounded a lot like the dish Jac's used to serve by that name. The meal was great, but not as good as Jac's original or its current chicken pasta.

The 40-plus restaurants that participated in last week's Taste of Wilson fund-raiser for The Arc are testimony to the strength, variety and civic-mindedness of Wilson restaurants.

Originally, my wife and I had planned to drive to Raleigh for dinner at the Angus Barn, a treat in which we had not indulged ourselves in more than 30 years. But after looking at the menu prices on the famed restaurant's Web site (about double the prices of Wilson's fine restaurants) and thinking about the two hours we'd spend driving and the four gallons of gas we'd burn, we decided to eat in Wilson.

We didn't regret it for a moment.

Obama is coming to Wilson

2008-04-25T16:53:00.003-04:00

It was hot standing in the sun Friday afternoon at the Barack Obama headquarters at 1211 Tarboro St., but the crowd didn't seem to mind. U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield's brief remarks were frequently interrupted by applause and shouts of "yes," "uh-huh" and "vote." The biggest excitement came when Butterfield announced that Obama would be in Wilson Monday at Beddingfield High School. The hot, excited crowd queued up for tickets available inside the campaign office.

Obama will be the first major presidential candidate to come to Wilson since Bill Clinton in October 1992. He'll be here just eight days before the crucial North Carolina primary. Whether his rival, Hillary Clinton, will also make a trip to Wilson remains to be seen, but the fluid, short-term aspect of a presidential campaign makes it at least possible that Wilson will see both major Democratic candidates within a week.

Bill Clinton has already been here, so the Clinton campaign might think that's as much as Wilson County voters need in one election year.

A civilized election campaign?

2008-04-25T09:30:00.003-04:00

The kerfuffle over the North Carolina Republican Party's plans to air a subtly racist commercial linking the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Barack Obama to Democratic gubernatorial candidates Bev Perdue and Richard Moore raises an interesting scenario.

Sen. John McCain, the all-but-certain Republican nominee, has stated flatly that the state party should not run the ad. He has condemned the ad, and two major TV stations have refused to run it.

McCain has called for a civil, issue-oriented campaign. Obama has also called for a positive campaign and has, for the most part, followed his own advice in the Democratic primaries. Here's the intriguing scenario: If McCain and Obama go head-to-head in November, is it possible that this would be the first presidential campaign in decades that was decided on the issues, rather than negative advertising, "wedge" issues and poll-tested gotchas?

It seems to be too much to wish for, but if both McCain and Obama (if he wins the nomination) follow their own stated principles, American voters could see a more civil, issue-oriented campaign than they've seen in half a century.

But only if the state parties, national parties, 527 organizations and other groups follow the candidates' advice. How likely is that?

Responses to endorsements are immediate now

2008-04-24T09:58:00.002-04:00

We're still getting swamped by e-mails from Hillary Clinton supporters, following the Daily Times' Saturday endorsement of Barack Obama in the May 6 presidential primary. As I mentioned here earlier, I was greeted with dozens of irate e-mails from Clinton supporters on my first day back after the editorial ran. The number of e-mails has slowed to a trickle, and I've published perhaps a dozen of the e-mails as letters to the editor. Some print readers who probably didn't read my Monday blog on the subject have wondered why we're running so many out-of-state letters.

We have not run any letters that were not directly responding to Saturday's editorial. Several of the letters directly quoted the editorial, and others rebutted specific points in the editorial. We received a large number of other e-mails that criticized Obama and praised Clinton without responding directly to our editorial. We did not publish those generic missives as letters to the editor.

This whole incident points up how much the Internet has changed politics. Dozens of blogs (like this one) comment on political developments. Candidates raise money via the Internet. Mass e-mails go out daily to connect supporters to candidates.

And candidates have access to newspapers in distant locations and can get instant responses from supporters, like those e-mails sent to the Daily Times. Rebuttal letters are not unusual after a newspaper's endorsement, but they used to be limited to a few readers or the recipients of clipping services, and the responses would be a week in coming. No more. Everything is immediate.

Perdue commercial has Wilson connection

2008-04-22T14:55:00.005-04:00

A little dust-up on the gubernatorial campaign trail has a little-noted Wilson connection. Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue ran a television ad accusing state Treasurer Richard Moore of a sweetheart deal with State Insurance Services. The insinuation was that the insurance boys used their influence with Moore to gain a contract for supplemental insurance for state retirees.

Little noticed is the name of Wilson resident and political junkie Dewey B. Sheffield, who incorporated State Insurance Services and is now its vice president. When I jokingly mentioned the deal to Sheffield, he was quick to point out that he is only one of the principals in the company — "just a small part" — and he was just as quick to defend the company's contract and performance.

The company has filed notice that it intends to sue Perdue over the television ad, which has been removed from the air. The principals, including Sheffield, think their company's integrity has been besmirched, and they want to set the record straight, even if it takes a courtroom venture to do it.

These supplemental insurance contracts are pretty lucrative, given the number of state employees and retirees available for sales pitches. The dust-up caught the attention of Capitol Press Association columnist Scott Mooneyham, who wrote a recent column about it.

Perdue and Moore will settle their battle for the Democratic nomination for governor May 6. If the Perdue commercial really does go to court, it will not be settled until much later.

Get a "taste" of Wilson's culture

2008-04-22T10:24:00.004-04:00

Tonight marks one of the true cultural events in Wilson, The Arc's Taste of Wilson. For several years, I've been asked to sell tickets to the event — something I'm not really adept at. While some arm-twisters or those who've cultivated regular customers can sell 100 tickets, I always struggle to sell my allotment of 10.

This year, I managed to sell out my quota (including the two I bought for myself and my wife). I'll also be volunteering for the event, checking and marking tickets for an hour of the two-hour event, during which about 1,000 people will pass through the lines to obtain a "taste" of the cuisine from more than 40 local restaurants. I'll find myself stuffed with delectable food before all 10 "tastes" on my ticket have been punched. Some patrons come prepared with baskets and coolers to collect their "tastes" and feed off of them for a couple of days. I'm never that prepared. I just enjoy as much of the food as I can and don't worry about what I might have missed.

Proceeds from the Taste of Wilson goes to The Arc, which provides support for developmentally disabled children and adults. It's a good cause, and executive director Kay Bunch deserves much of the credit for putting TOW together every year and making it such a success. Kay does an awful lot of the legwork. Although scores of volunteers also make this event possible, it would never happen without Kay's hard work. And that's true of most of what The Arc does.

But all that matters tonight is that the food will be delicious, the atmosphere will be exciting, and a good cause will gain thousands in proceeds, thanks to the generosity of the restaurants and the hunger of the ticket buyers. If any unsold tickets remain, they will be on sale at Wilson Mall as the event begins at 5:30 p.m. There are also dozens of items available in a silent auction that runs during the TOW.

Come on out!

Clinton crowd responds to endorsement

2008-04-21T09:42:00.003-04:00

I've discovered a sure-fire way to boost the Daily Times' number of letters to the editor: Just endorse Hillary Clinton's opponent in an election.

When I arrived for work this morning, my first day at work since the newspaper's Saturday endorsement of Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination, I found an unprecedented number of e-mails from Clinton supporters. About a dozen, which had names and addresses attached, will be published, and some others could make it into print if the writers reply to my requests for names and addresses.

These were not the usual mass e-mailings that have become common in election campaigns. Most newspapers, which prefer letters from actual readers and area residents, reject these letters as simply a campaign ploy. But the e-mails I opened today were specific to Saturday's editorial and sought to refute or belittle the endorsement's rationale. All of that's fair game on newspaper opinion pages.

I'm not so naive as to think that all of these Clinton supporters simply stumbled across the Daily Times' editorial as they were surfing the Web from New York or California. The Clinton campaign obviously caught wind of Saturday's editorial and sent out an alert to loyal supporters, likely encouraging them to respond. That's the way modern political campaigns operate. The quick responses indicate that the Clinton campaign is well-organized and nimble, despite some press reports that the Obama campaign is superior in grassroots organizing.

I found no "attaboy" e-mails from Obama supporters who agreed with Saturday's editorial, but few people who agree with an editorial ever respond, and it seems unlikely that the campaign would benefit from sowing letters of agreement.

Who wouldn't be bitter?

2008-04-17T08:51:00.003-04:00

The matter came up again last night in the Democratic candidates' debate in Pennsylvania. Barack Obama had said, in a comment in San Francisco, that some Americans have become bitter and "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them." Hillary Clinton, his rival for the nomination, is not going to let him — or any potential voters — forget it. Clintonian "I'm not bitter" stickers were seen when former President Bill Clinton came to Wilson last Saturday to tout his wife's candidacy. The Clintons say commenting on working-class bitterness makes Obama elitist.

The whole episode has been overblown, it seems to me. "Bitter? Damn right, I'm bitter," plenty of Americans would be justified in saying. "Our leaders dragged us into a war on false pretenses, and it has wasted the lives of 4,000 good Americans and crippled thousands more. Tax and industrial policies are exporting jobs to other countries, throwing millions of Americans out of work and permanently reducing the living standards of millions more. Business execs get rewarded with millions of dollars in bonuses, even if their corporations tank, while workers' inflation-adjusted earnings decline. Social Security is headed for a train wreck because Democrats and Republicans would rather play politics than fix the problem. Health insurance is unaffordable for us, but members of Congress get blue-ribbon treatment at taxpayers' expense. Congress can't balance the federal budget, but it expects me to live within my means even while prices rise while wages stagnate.

"Bitter? Damn right, I'm bitter! I've got reason to be. I'll cling to guns or religion or family or anything else that helps me through this."

Causes to crusade for scrape the bottom

2008-04-16T08:00:00.005-04:00

Looking for a cause to wrap your life around? Save the whales? World peace? Nuclear disarmament? Global warming? Tax cuts?

How about Free The Jefferson 1? You don't know about The Jefferson 1? Well, if you want to stand up for your constitutional right to dance a midnight at a national monument, this is the cause for you.

It seems that a couple of dozen revelers decided to celebrate Thomas Jefferson's birthday by dancing the night away at the Jefferson Memorial. Park police told them to leave. Yeah, but we're just doing what Jefferson said to do, they claimed, citing this quote from the third president: "Dancing is a healthy and elegant exercise, a specific against social awkwardness."

The revelers came prepared with video cameras to record the event, and have posted the videos for all to see. One person, 28-year-old Brooke Oberwetter, was arrested and charged with "interfering with an agency function." She was released after five hours. Miscarriage of justice? Seems to me more like a set-up by some folks who have way too much time on their hands. The incident was set up by a group known as bureaucrash, which appears to be dedicated to anarchy — everybody's free to do whatever they want to do ... yada, yada, yada.

Would Mr. Jefferson approve? I doubt it. Jefferson was an advocate of personal freedom, but also of personal responsibility and personal achievement/betterment. And I doubt that the 18-century dancing he advocated as healthy exercise looked anything like the "bopping" the revelers at the Memorial were doing.

This isn't a cause to die for; it's a contrived rebellion with no real meaning.