The Daily Haymaker

#NC-08: Moore County’s McNeill to take on Hudson

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Brant Clifton

Moore County Democrats — a rather hapless, hopeless bunch over the years — are showing some life for the 2018 cycle. They’ve fielded a candidate for sheriff, for state representative,

Raleigh superhero Lil’ Josh, his sidekick AndyPaul KNOW smack

Posted on February 3, 2018February 4, 2018 by Brant Clifton

McClatchy’s Politifact gets presented as something serious and important, but usually ends up coming off like something dreamed up during one of Wayne Goodwin’s daily extended stints in the porcelain

BIGGER not always better

Posted on February 1, 2018February 1, 2018 by Brant Clifton

We’re really getting soft-pedaled and spun about the UNC Health Care / Carolinas Medical merger. I, for one (and as a former patient with both), don’t see much good for

#NC-03: The LONG arm of the Law?

Posted on January 31, 2018January 31, 2018 by Brant Clifton

Oh, The Third Congressional District’s GOP primary is living up to its reputation for soap-opera and drama. DC lobbyist (and Craven County commissioner) Scott Dacey is already in as a

EVERYBODY loves Donald

Posted on January 31, 2018January 31, 2018 by Brant Clifton

The drivebys want to tell you President Trump is despised, hated, loathed in all corners. Yet, you’re getting big business types — well-known suckups to Dems — praising our CINC.

Earmarks, the Helms way.

Posted on January 30, 2018 by Brant Clifton

Somebody recently shared this letter-to-the-editor in The Wall Street Journal by Wayne Boyles, a former coworker during my Capitol Hill days: Rep. Mark Walker is correct (“GOP Maps a Road

Popping the “Blue Monday” bubble

Posted on January 29, 2018January 29, 2018 by Brant Clifton

Well, the state Democrat Party has rolled out more challengers for incumbent Jones Street Republicans. One that threw me for a loop was Lowell Simon of Moore County challenging

Some HB2 Karma

Posted on January 27, 2018 by Brant Clifton

Remember all of those people who said we should let people pick which bathroom they want to use based on the gender with which they “identify”? Well, look what this

#ncpol: There’s a NEW shih-tzu in town!

Posted on January 26, 2018January 26, 2018 by Brant Clifton

… And his name is Andy or Paul. Speck, I think. Anyway, longtime readers of this site may remember we dubbed former N&O scribbler John Frank “The Shih-Tzu” for his

Folwell gives state retirees early peek at benefits of Trump tax cut

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Brant Clifton

Thanks to the work of North Carolina state treasurer Dale Folwell’s team, state government retirees will be some of the first to see the benefits of the tax cut recently