30 Comments
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Rick Henderson's avatar

His vote to let Bove out of the Judicary Committee seemed like same old, same old.

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James Shelton's avatar

Yes. This is the key test in my view! Pressure on him to vote against the nomination on the full floor vote is crucial!

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Eric Smith's avatar

What pressure can we apply??? As we saw with the Bove vote on the Judiciary Committee and the rescission vote that defunded foreign aid and PBS/NPR, TACO Thom runs his mouth and then chickens out. I write to him on his email form and get mealy mouthed responses which are carefully crafted. He has a great bunch of interns, I will give him that. Budd never replies. I wonder if MAGA threats to his person and his family might intimidate him. If that is the case, I wish he would speak out.

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Doug's avatar

What's going on with all this pressure thing, Tillis is not exactly been the sharpest tool in the shed—he can't even figure out why he is under the bus. Just let him make a fool of himself voting for Taco's agenda.

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Eric Smith's avatar

I would rather keep trying with Tillis in hopes that he, Collins, Murkowski, Mitch and/ or Rand Paul might stop some of this stuff in floor votes. The Assembly just published an excellent piece on Tillis. I had not realized that Phil Berger and Destin Hall actively undermined Tillis in his attempt to prevent the most extreme cuts to MEDICAID. Come to the Sustain the Veto rally in Raleigh tomorrow afternoon (Monday) at 5 PM.

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Doug's avatar

There are a lot of things Tillis should have been aware, but wasn't. Simple rule in politics he forgot: when a leader genuinely sees their constituents as an extension of themselves, they can hold office for as long as they choose. Tillis should’ve recognized where the MAGA wave was steering the party and stepped aside. Too late now. Time to turn the page—Cooper would make a far stronger senator than Tillis ever could’ve imagined.

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Lucy Gorham's avatar

He has done nothing to slow down the Bove nomination— a clear threat to a competent and fair judiciary. Or to influence the recessions bill, though he could have. I had hopes but they’ve already been dashed. I’ll be pleased if he surprises me but I see no evidence so far.

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Sandra Griffith's avatar

Me thinks thou does project too much

He just voted against NPR and PBS

He can always be counted on doing the wrong thing unless it profits him

I’m disappointed in your logic on Tillis

NC deserves better

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Doug's avatar

Well, maybe Tillis finally located his spine — oh wait, false alarm. He just voted to hand a lifetime judgeship to one of Trump’s loyal mouthpieces. So much for the miracle. This isn’t courage; it’s classic “go along to get along” Tom. The man talks tough when the cameras are rolling, then folds like a lawn chair when it’s time to vote.

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Donna Somers's avatar

Sorry, you missed the boat on this one. We can't trust anything Thom says. He's still the same lying, untrustworthy, person he's always been. He will still vote for anything 47 wants during the rest of his Senate term AND will push for any candidate that 47 endorses. 😡

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Joe English's avatar

CONCLUSION: please reprint a retraction of this nonsense and keep your well-earned and respected reputation as a seasoned most excellent journalist intact.

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Skeptical Lad's avatar

and yet he just voted to gut public TV and radio

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Neal Rattican's avatar

Any trust in Tillis is misplaced.

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Joe English's avatar

Good gravy Thomas Mills when did the cynic in you become a converted soul and delusional at that.

Bove has been brought up. And Tillis has also happily killed Big Bird (well maybe the Rep House will save the yellow guy today).

I have seen Bryan Anderson slowly this spring become 'close' to the NC Republican machine. His full on embraces of articles dedicated to Destin Hall and now the new NCSBOE Director are simply disgusting.

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US Blues's avatar

Believing Tillis will consistently do the right thing is akin to Charlie Brown repeatedly trying to kick the football and Lucy pulling the it away every time!

The only consistency with Tillis is he will say one thing and do another. It’s easy to criticize the madness of what MAGA is doing on social and mainstream media. VOTING for these monstrosities such as the rescission bs and Bove are something else entirely.

I’ll save my cheers for when Tillis actually does something to help the American people.

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Donna Somers's avatar

No chance in h--- that he'll do that.

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Tom Fiore's avatar

The Bove vote is a good test of which Tillis we'll see going forward. So far, with the committee vote, he's failed. Let see what he does with the full Senate vote.

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Uncle Grumpy's avatar

You're up early this morn! :-)

Regrettably, I think his ONLY influence is is single vote. And we do know from previous behavior, his actions rarely follow those words :-(

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Bill Nasso's avatar

Sorry, my friend. You express a lot more faith in Tillis than he deserves and his most recent votes testify to it.

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Dog Park Diaries's avatar

I hope so too, but will keep breathing in the meantime.

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William Flannery's avatar

It would be nice if a small group of republicans, led by Tillis, took back their power. I'm thinking about Tillis, Collins, Murkowski, and McConnell. Unfortunately, it probably won't happen.

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US Blues's avatar

That ship sailed long ago. Those republicans, just like Tillis, say one thing and do another every.single.time!

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LuEllen  Huntley's avatar

That it took something as dark and sordid as trafficking young worm to a private island for purposes of sexual pleasures for rich men, named and unnamed, speaks to the 2025 summer moment. That the story even has a leg tells us what we know: it takes something extra sleazy and vile to "so" upset a twisted MAGA mind. Even hearing people talk about it makes a person feel dirty.

And, yes, the shadowy, hollow vessel who takes up space and breathes air in the Oval Office continues to make messes and create chaos and is a part of "it"--the trafficking of young women for sexual pleasures for rich men--makes his black, wretched, corrupt behavior worse. As if that's possible. Again, that MAGA mind is upset says the base of the base is as low-minded as it's always been.

As far as our citizenry's needs to survive in this climate, let's hope some newbies who run for offices across our state and the land will listen to constituents who are of sound mind and that these voices continue to be incessant and impossible to ignore. Hopefully potential leaders are starting to build solid, electable platforms at this moment. Let's hope elections continue.

As for Tillis, he takes up space. Thinking that he deserves any credit as smudged up as he's been is wasted time. If "the way politics works," is to continue to make "stinky deals," then politics is sludge.

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TakingAction4US's avatar

We can hope.

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