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Democratic attack ads have tarred Pat McCrory for Charlotte's crime rate.

That's politics.

A Charlotte Observer editorial today provides some reality: The story of a man arrested last week for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl. He's been arrested more than 30 times in the past 10 years but never dealt with effectively.

Here's the point: Police make the arrests. That's a city function. Prosecution is up to the state -- and that's where the failure lies in this case, the Observer writes.

McCrory has been so frustrated that he and other municipal leaders have pushed the state for years to step it up. This year, Charlotte put $2 million of city money into the local court system -- a state responsibility -- to help see to it that criminals, once arrested by the police, aren't simply let go again to commit more crimes.

The Democrats are bashing the Republican mayor of Charlotte because he happens to be running for governor. But, because Democrats run state government, they would be more fair and truthful with the people of Charlotte and North Carollina if they acknowledged that fighting crime requires a bipartisan effort by state and local governments.

Having spent last night in downtown Greenville, S.C., I have a complaint:

It attracts way too many people.

OK, Furman's Homecoming weekend (I'm an alumna spouse) happened to coincide with the St. Francis Fall for Greenville festival. I have no idea how many thousands of people were packed into the downtown area. We weren't able to get a feel for the city at a typical time.

But the fact that a small city could host such a huge event says a lot.

Greenville has a lot going for it. Certainly, it's become a national model for downtown redevelopment. Larger cities, like Greensboro, can learn a lot. Indeed, city leaders took a bus trip to Greenville a few years ago for just that purpose.

A stroll down a seven- or eight-block stretch of Greenville's Main Street reveals an amazing variety of restaurants, bars, galleries, shops, hotels, banks, government buildings, residential complexes, theaters and more. The architecture, in many cases, is stunning. Public art and statues attract the eye. There are nearby sports facilities and the Reedy River parks, gardens, bridges and walkways. Beautiful.

I usually do most of my sightseeing while jogging. Much of my run this morning followed the Swamp Rabbit Trial, which traces the river from the Falls Park. It led past new residential developments, older neighborhoods and a series of small parks. I'm a big fan of greenways. Greenville's greenways, though, don't strike me as central at all to downtown development or activities. If Greensboro does build a greenway looping around downtown, it seems to me it would have to serve as a boundary rather than an attraction in its own right. It's what's in the middle that counts.

I haven't studied how Greenville created such a vibrant downtown, although I see it's still considered a work in progress. I don't know what holds up the Greenville economy and keeps all those restaurants, bars, shops and hotels in business, especially those of outstanding quality. All I can say is what others already have observed: Greenville has an exciting, vibrant and busy downtown.

Too darn busy sometimes.

The last time Notre Dame played in Chapel Hill, the Irish brought in a young quarterback named Joe Montana who filled the air with long touchdown passes. The Irish passed plenty yesterday but couldn't outscore the Tar Heels this time. Carolina wins and keeps its top ranking in our poll.

Wake Forest stuffed Clemson on Thursday, pointing to a big showdown with the Tar Heels ... no, wait. The too-big-for-its-own-good ACC didn't schedule a Carolina-Wake game this season. The Heels and Deacons will have to set one up themselves, Dec. 6 in Tampa.

Meanwhile, what has happened to East Carolina?

Tar Heel Top Eight

1. UNC, 5-1 (No. 1 last week)
2. Wake, 4-1 (2)
3. Elon, 6-1 (3)
4. App, 4-2 (4)
5. State, 2-4 (5)
6. Duke, 3-2 (7)
7. ECU, 3-3 (7)
8. Wingate, 7-0 (8)

Angela Foster, a candidate for Guilford County District Court judge, was disciplined in July by the committee that oversees court-appointed attorneys.

I learned about this when I began seeking information about all the District Court candidates. As part of our endorsement process, I solicit confidential comments from people who work in the court system. Further inquiries led me to public documents in the records of the Committee on Indigent Appointments.

On May 2, Public Defender Wally Harrelson informed Foster: "I am temporarily suspending you from any additional appointments to represent defendants and or respondents pending any action by the Committee on Indigent Appointment. I have determined that such action is needed to assure quality representation of indigent persons in Guilford County."

On May 6, Greensboro attorney Charles A. Lloyd, chairman of the committee, followed up with a letter to Foster, citing her failure to appear in court April 28 on behalf of client Christine Hinesley. "Unfortunately, your failures in Hinesley's case are all too typical of failures in other cases for which you have been counseled and against which you have been warned by the Committee," Lloyd wrote.

He informed Foster the committee would meet in July to consider action, including permanent removal from the indigent appointment list.

A June 24 memo to Foster from Lloyd titled "Notice of Basis for Removal from Court-Appointed Lists," included alleged deficiencies in several instances in addition to the Hinesley case.

In response, Foster submitted a number of documents showing she was active in representing Hinesley and including testimonials from a deputy sheriff, a private investigator, clients (not those cited in the complaints) and an attorney.

The committee did meet and, on July 17, Lloyd wrote to Foster informing her of its decision:

"The committee for the appointment of indigent counsel for the Eighteenth Judicial District has unanimously decided to remove you from all criminal appointment lists. You may remain on all juvenile and non-criminal lists. You may reapply for criminal lists at the July 2009 meeting of the indigent committee.

"I feel I must give you a word of caution: Because of past problems with communications between you and clients and court officials and you, you must be acutely sensitive to possible issues in those areas for the remainder of your career. In other words, you should go out of your way to make sure that you receive communications from the court and that you respond to clients in a timely manner.

"I hope you take this as good news ..."

I met with Foster this morning. She concedes that, with running for office (she had a primary in May), "I was overwhelmed." She missed some contacts with clients. Some were not her fault, she said.

"Have I had missteps? I have and I've tried to correct them."

She also handed me the following statement:

"It is with great humility that I respond to the events surrounding my temporary removal from the criminal indigency defense list. I am happy to report that the phenomenal support of my constituents, as well as my thorough and immediate response to the committee's concerns, enabled me to remain focused on my service to the citizens of Guilford County. When I initially learned of the committee's concerns regarding my ability to handle the substantial caseload to which I was assigned for cases in High Point and Greensboro, I recognized that perhaps the compaign demands of the primary race were increasing at a rate I had not anticipated. As a result, I voluntarily tendered my resignation to Richard Wells (assistant public defender) for temporary removal from the criminal indigency defense list for all High Point cases. Notwithstanding, Wally Harrelson and Charlie Lloyd notified me only days before the primary of their contemplation to permanently remove me from the indigent appointment list. The timing of their action seemed calculated to me then, and even more so now.

"I am happy to report that after the indigency committee hearing addressing these issues in July, Richard Wells informed me that I would remain an active attorney on the indigency defense list for juvenile and child support enforcement cases. Likewise, Mr. Lloyd wrote to advise me of this 'good news' with assurances that I had not been permanently removed from the criminal indigent defense list. I thank my colleagues for submitting letters of support and for sharing my concerns regarding current procedures for representing Guilford County citizens on the court appointed list.

"Throughout my seven years of representing citizens on the indigency list, I acknowledge that I have not always agreed with the manner in which these cases are calendared, scheduled and heard. Much of my dissatisfaction with the system has motivated me and been the catalyst to my seeking the position of District Court Judge. I believe that reform in this area is necessary to improve the overall quality of representation these citizens receive. The overcrowded dockets, requiring attorneys to be present on multiple cases in both Greensboro and High Point on the same day, has not only affected me, but also other attorneys on the criminal indigency list. One of my primary goals upon election is to address this issue from the bench by making every effort to communicate with the attorneys and courtroom personnel to create a more harmonious and fluid approach to the manner in which cases progress."

There are several issues there.

* Foster acknowledges her campaign activities were interfering with her ability to do her job.

* She implies that Harrelson and Lloyd were acting for political reasons (although Lloyd's letter was dated on the day of the primary, not "only days before.")

* She says she was assured she was not permanently removed from the criminal appointment list. The committee gave no such assurance. It said she may reapply for reinstatement next year.

* She blames the system for her problems and says her candidacy was motivated by her desire to fix the system. Yet, I am reliably told that the committee's action against Foster was very rare. Other attorneys are managing to work with the system without experiencing the same problems.

Foster may try to turn herself into a victim and use this episode to strengthen her campaign. I can't see it that way. I believe this does speak to her qualifications to serve as a judge.

She strenuously disagreed during our conversation today and insisted she is better qualified than her opponent, Robert Enochs, an assistant district attorney who is assigned to Superior Court cases. Her practice has been in District Court.

But the pertinent question is, how reliable has her work there been?

I am told she does a good job in juvenile court, which is very difficult for many attorneys. She can work passionately on behalf of her clients and tries to help them find long-term solutions to their problems rather than just get them out of their immediate trouble. Foster is well-liked personally.

But there are too many red flags.

I have a transcript from the Superior Court session of April 28 before Judge Richard Stone (a visiting judge) when courtroom personnel couldn't locate Foster. She told me she did not know her client was scheduled to be in court that day and did not receive communications from the court. More important than the details of one case, however, were the comments by Walter Jones, the top assistant district attorney for High Point:

"This has been something of an ongoing problem, Your Honor. I believe the Court would find that out if it made inquirty of other persons in the courthouse. ... But it has been, I'm sad to report, something of an ongoing problem in various and sundry cases."

I've done what Jones suggested and made inquiries of other persons in the courthouse, and the answers I've heard don't support the idea that Angela Foster should be elected to the bench.

This drumbeat of acorn acorn acorn is rattling my nerves.

No, I'm not talking about Barack Obama's days as a radical leftist community organizer.

Maybe I'm the only one who's not.

I mean the hailstorm of acorns bombarding my roof, my car and, when I'm standing under one of my oak trees, my head.

There is a load of them this year ... after practically none last fall. Isn't that supposed to warn of a harsh winter? Maybe not. Anyway, it means all those gray, bushy tailed little critters will have plenty to eat.

I can also expect a tougher time raking and bagging when there are millions of nuts lurking below the layers of leaves ... and digging their way into the soil.

Can't wait for the crop of oak seedlings next spring.

Squirrels love 'em, but acorns are nothing but trouble for the rest of us. Right, Sen. Obama?

UNCG Chancellor Linda Brady sat down for a chat with our editorial board this morning, then she and I continued the discussion on video. You'll be able to read a Q&A in print on a future Sunday, and the video ought to be up on the Web site before long.

She's a very good interview, with brilliant recall of facts, figures, policies, people, places, and, impressively, she's developing really serious ideas about making UNCG increasingly relevant to the state, community and nation in challenging times. Plus, she's relaxed and personable.

Best of all, she and I have a link: We both spent some of our younger years in the small town of Hillsdale, N.J. She graduated from Pascack Valley High School in 1965, where I attended ninth and 10th grades in 1969-71 before my family moved to North Carolina.

I'm the first person she's met in Greensboro with that Hillsdale connection. Come to think of it, she's the same for me. Anyone else around here?

We didn't have a chance to trade Pascack Valley recollections. Maybe the next time.

I recommend the film "as we forgive," which deals with reconciliation after the Rwanda genocide. I saw it at my church last night. It's very powerful.

You meet people on both sides of the atrocities -- killers and victims.

Can they reconcile and live together in peace so soon after the 1994 slaughter?

This is a story of overcoming fear ... fear of people who committed terrible acts of violence ... and fear of facing those who have every reason to hate and seek retribution.

The process of forgiveness and reconciliation in Rwanda, as presented in this moving documentary, is driven by faith and trust in God.

By coincidence, I just received an email notice about a new book, "Conflict & Reconciliation: The Contributions of Religions," edited by John W. Bowker.

A news release says it "includes chapters written by experts in different religions, who met together to write and discuss the chapters of this book, in order to share with others how different religions understand and practice reconciliation." I hope the public library gets a copy soon.

There aren't many greater challenges for advocates of reconciliation than the Rwanda genocide, where neighbors destroyed neighbors. Filmmaker Laura Waters Hinson traces the process of confession, seeking pardon and finally granting forgiveness in the lives of suffering people. It is a lesson for all of us, whether people of faith or not, who seem to have so much trouble letting go of petty grudges and grievances.

Does Sarah Palin deserve credit for getting rid of another state jet?

You might want to tune into UNC TV to hear an outstanding discussion of important state issues between gubernatorial candidates Pat McCrory and Mike Munger.

Both these men offer excellent, well-informed presentations of their views, without acrimony or attacks.

Not there, sadly, is the third candidate, Bev Perdue.

It's no small irony that, earlier today, Perdue announced a "First Day of Change" agenda, including her proposal for a "North Carolina Endowment for Positive Gubernatorial Campaigns."

Now, it's certainly a concern that campaigns are costly and negative. An alternative financing scheme, coupled with a bar on negative campaigning, is worth discussing.

But consider: Perdue had an opportunity to appear on statewide television at this very moment and present a positive agenda. On the state's public TV network, no less. It would cost her campaign absolutely nothing.

And she turned it down. For the second time. So I have difficulty taking her idea seriously.

Furthermore, a positive pledge by a candidate means nothing if surrogates for that candidate conduct an expensive, negative campaign on her behalf ... which is exactly what is happening in this campaign. If Perdue would renounce and demand a stop to the attack ads on McCrory by a surrogate group, I might believe she's sincere on this issue.

She's also pledging to hold televised "gubernatorial town hall" meetings if she's elected. Maybe she would. But, again, is that more important than participating in a televised discussion of the issues of concern to North Carolinians now? If she won't do it now, will she really do it later?

The Las Vegas furniture market is crowding High Point -- an aggressive move.

Vegas will open just a month before the October High Point Market, beginning next year.

The change seems likely to force more buyers to choose one or the other. The Vegas promoters must think they come up winners in this gamble. Or they're admitting August just wasn't working out. Cutting back to four days from five, while adding showroom space, looks like a retreat.

The winter show is shifting to February, instead of late January. That still leaves breathing room before High Point in April.

I've thought this might happen. Vegas is out to take market business from High Point. Now High Point has to work all the harder to make sure customers wait for October and April.

When somebody gets in your face, you've got to push back.