#ncga: “Let Jimmy try it.”

Remember the old,Life cereal commercials  where the kids get ol’ Mikey to be the first to try the strange new cereal?  I’ve come to believe that Jimmy Dixon is the Mikey for the House leadership.

The N&O busted Dixon for obtaining an earmark of $830,000 for a big donor’s development deal.  Yeah, it was shady.  (But it’s not like it’s the first time shady things have happened on Jones Street.)

From what I’ve observed of Ol’ Jimmy — he takes great pride in being “the bad cop” for Timmy, Dave, Nelson and the rest of the boys in leadership.  He doesn’t seem to mind stepping out front to do the dirty deeds and take the heat — in  exchange for sweet office space, a nice share of the influence-peddling / shakedown booty, and an occasional pat on the head from  Speaker Timmy.

Causing headaches for House leaders?  It’s Jimmy Dixon to the rescue.  We got wind some time back about Dixon strong-arming local party chairmen about their counties’ legislators balking at repealing HB2.  (I’ve been the recipient of a few nasty phone calls and emails from Jimmy. I know he means to be intimidating,but it comes off as hellaciously amusing.) 

Jimmy went after Harry Warren for daring to challenge Speaker Timmy’s reelection to the big chair, and Beverly Boswell for daring to share some conservative ideas with the caucus. 

Whether it’s going after someone who has crossed leadership, or dealing with controversial issues like hog farms and solar subsidies, it’s become clear that Timmy, Nelson & Dave don’t mind putting Jimmy out front to take the heat and catch the arrows.

That’s what leads me to think the $830K to the Murphy development in Wallace was probably more of a group idea — a payback from party / caucus leaders to a generous crony.   Jimmy is there to simply hide behind.