To balance your budget, you're counting on the General Assembly to pass a state lottery. As a student 30 years ago, I heard Ralph Nader lecture on the need to become social activists. Instead of watching late night talk show host Johnny Carson, Nader said, you ought to be doing something useful. Sometimes they happen so quietly that hardly anyone notices. No. 2 job gets even less respect Ben Roney, the crusty, hard-boiled Democratic political operative from Rocky Mount, was incredulous when Bob Scott said he was interested in running for lieutenant governor in 1964.
Few people are neutral about North Carolina's senior senator.
Helms is a humanitarian in the view of former U.S. Rep. John Kasich, who introduced Helms to Bono, lead singer for the rock group U2. But to Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, Helms is the last homophobe in Washington. A lot of nothing going on Zzzzzzzzz. That's the sound coming from the Legislative Building these days. Think of a lazy summer day in some isolated mountain holler.