If I remember correctly, Berger tried to stall Medicaid expansion in NC until he got his casino. IMO, Berger is one of the worst actors in the NCGA. He’s been involved trying to derail Medicaid expansion as noted above, gerrymandering NC and usurping the powers of Stein and Jackson who the PEOPLE elected to leadership not Berger’s vision of cutting them off at the knees.
However, Mr. Berger may live to regret the endorsement from our flame-topped fearful leader.
I suggest that as our rural (70+-) county friends and relatives begin to absorb the cost increases in medical care, in addition to those in goods and other services, not to mention incompetent international activities, and the increasing evident mental issues the aforementioned "leader" is exhibiting, there's just a glimmer of a party control change in Raleigh.
The sheriff might well win.
But should he fail it is more than mathematically possible he might return as a minority leader.
Berger may have treated the others around the legislature with respect, but he treated everybody ELSE like shit. And he’s used every lever of power not for the good of the state, but to consolidate power for himself and his party. It didn’t START with the partisan power grab branded as a “Hurricane Relief Bill”, but that’s the most obvious and most recent (that I can think of) example. When Roy Cooper dethronedPat McCrony in that history-making 2016 election, the first thing Berger and Moore did was kneecap the governor’s office — more than they already had. And when asked about the constitutionality of curtailing Cooper’s power, Berger snarked “Does he have any left?”
That’s not serving a conservative agenda, that’s absolute power corrupting absolutely. And if there is a just God in heaven, he will come crashing down in flames in the primary and we’ll be shut of him for good. That’s the second best outcome that could come to pass with the first being his seat flips. The sooner we’re rid of him and his spawn the better. And I hope that endorsement he prostrated himself for turns into a millstone around his neck.
Great column, Thomas. Spot on! I'm a perfectionist, so please excuse my correcting the spelling of a single word you used. It should be "altar" ("Like the Republican Party as a whole, he’s sacrificing his dignity and self-respect on the ALTAR of Trump.")
As others have stated, Berger has been a power hoarding conservative hack for 20 years. It is really unfathomable that he just NOW losing your respect.
Let's not forget about retired military officer Richard Ojeda running in the 9th congressional district. He's a Democrat that won't take (stuff) from anyone. He's exactly the type of person to lead the charge to retake North Carolina from the morally corrupt republicans.
If I remember correctly, Berger tried to stall Medicaid expansion in NC until he got his casino. IMO, Berger is one of the worst actors in the NCGA. He’s been involved trying to derail Medicaid expansion as noted above, gerrymandering NC and usurping the powers of Stein and Jackson who the PEOPLE elected to leadership not Berger’s vision of cutting them off at the knees.
Thomas - spot on as usual.
However, Mr. Berger may live to regret the endorsement from our flame-topped fearful leader.
I suggest that as our rural (70+-) county friends and relatives begin to absorb the cost increases in medical care, in addition to those in goods and other services, not to mention incompetent international activities, and the increasing evident mental issues the aforementioned "leader" is exhibiting, there's just a glimmer of a party control change in Raleigh.
The sheriff might well win.
But should he fail it is more than mathematically possible he might return as a minority leader.
AH, hope springs ... is it eternal?
:-)
Berger may have treated the others around the legislature with respect, but he treated everybody ELSE like shit. And he’s used every lever of power not for the good of the state, but to consolidate power for himself and his party. It didn’t START with the partisan power grab branded as a “Hurricane Relief Bill”, but that’s the most obvious and most recent (that I can think of) example. When Roy Cooper dethronedPat McCrony in that history-making 2016 election, the first thing Berger and Moore did was kneecap the governor’s office — more than they already had. And when asked about the constitutionality of curtailing Cooper’s power, Berger snarked “Does he have any left?”
That’s not serving a conservative agenda, that’s absolute power corrupting absolutely. And if there is a just God in heaven, he will come crashing down in flames in the primary and we’ll be shut of him for good. That’s the second best outcome that could come to pass with the first being his seat flips. The sooner we’re rid of him and his spawn the better. And I hope that endorsement he prostrated himself for turns into a millstone around his neck.
Great column, Thomas. Spot on! I'm a perfectionist, so please excuse my correcting the spelling of a single word you used. It should be "altar" ("Like the Republican Party as a whole, he’s sacrificing his dignity and self-respect on the ALTAR of Trump.")
As others have stated, Berger has been a power hoarding conservative hack for 20 years. It is really unfathomable that he just NOW losing your respect.
Betcha Art Pope is loving the shitshow he unleashed all those years ago.
Let's not forget about retired military officer Richard Ojeda running in the 9th congressional district. He's a Democrat that won't take (stuff) from anyone. He's exactly the type of person to lead the charge to retake North Carolina from the morally corrupt republicans.
Sam Page ALL THE WAY👏🏼✊🏼 And Berger can rotate sideways🖕🏼 NC needs to get it together and quit it with these power hungry thieves.
Thanks for this NC political intelligence, Thomas!