News-Record.com

Along with all other college students, the guys at Animal House Frat were required to participate in a new mentoring program.

Blutto taught his student how to crush beer cans against his forehead, peek into the girls' locker room and go dumpster diving for test papers. But trouble didn't really start until they visited the cafeteria together.

D-Day showed his student a fun prank with a gun and a horse in the principal's office.

Pinto met a really cute 14-year-old who agreed to sneak out of her house Saturday night and come to the frat party.

Otter made the same arrangement with his student's teacher.

Flounder told his student, "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."

Boon borrowed a school bus, and they all went on a road trip ...

... which landed them on mentoring program double secret probation.

Our editorial today supports the proposal by the N.C. Medical Board to post more information about physicians and physician assistants, including notations about malpractice judgments and settlements.

The North Carolina Medical Society, a private professional organization, raises some valid objections. Sometimes settlements are reached in malpractice cases not because the claim has merit but because it's less costly than going to court.

And going to court is risky. Skilled lawyers have won huge judgments or settlements in questionable cases.

But the Medical Society counterproposal seems clumsy. Get two practicing medical specialists to examine the case in contention and then post the malpractice information only if they conclude the patient received substandard care.

I'm not sure how that would work. How would these individuals be chosen? How much time would they have to investigate? Who would pay them?

No, better to post the information. The physician would be allowed to add his own explanation. If the Medical Society wants to post additional information on its own Web site, it would be free to do so.

Lawyers back the Medical Board proposal. But I think the State Bar should have to post on its Web site information about attorneys filing medical malpractice suits that get thrown out of court for lack of merit.

"We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender" -- Winston Churchill, June 4, 1940

"I'll let you know" -- Hillary Clinton, June 3, 2008

My column today:

Wake Forest drew national attention — and applause — last week for what was hailed as a bold step.

It became the first Top 30 university to make SAT/ACT scores optional for admission.

My first reaction was negative. But, the more I reflect, the more I think there’s less here than meets the eye. ...

At the time of year when local governments struggle to balance their budgets, Money Magazine columnist Janice Revell's column yesterday is eye-opening. She writes about city of Vellejo, Calif., forced into bankruptcy by high employee salaries and overly generous retirement benefits.

The city's work force is "heavily unionized," Revell reports.

"Under the current labor agreement, the average police officer walking the beat in Vallejo will be paid $122,000 this year before overtime, according to city documents. An average sergeant will make $151,000; a captain, $231,000. The average firefighter, meanwhile, will bring in $130,000 before overtime.

"That's just the salaries, though. The final budget-crusher was the city's pension plan. Thanks to retroactive benefit enhancements approved by the city council in 2000, police officers and firefighters can now retire at age 50 and receive an annual pension equal to 90% of their final pay (assuming 30 years on the job), an amount that gets increased every year to help keep pace with inflation."

Can't happen here, thank goodness. For one thing, state law doesn't allow collective bargaining for public employees. Unions lack the power to push salaries and benefits to unaffordable levels.

But that could change. A bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last year but currently stuck in the Senate would override North Carolina law and give public-safety workers collective bargaining rights.

It's being pushed by Democrats, who likely will have the horses to enact the measure into law next year.

This is why the city's push to beef up police resources, despite a tight budget, is important.

Crime increased by 4 percent in Greensboro last year, the N.C. Department of Justice reported yesterday, compared to a statewide increase of only 0.1 percent. Violent crime in Greensboro jumped 12 percent, while it declined by 0.7 percent across the state.

Greensboro surged to second in the state, behind Charlotte-Mecklenburg, in total number of violent crimes, passing Raleigh.

Greensboro: 2,311 in 2007; 2,063 in 2006
Raleigh: 2,094 in 2007; 2,217 in 2006.

Raleigh's population is 374,320 (January 2008 estimate). Greensboro's is 244,610 (July 2007 estimate).

Raleigh may have all the crooks in the state legislature, but most of them aren't violent.

Crime was one of the top concerns expressed in last fall's Greensboro municipal elections, and the City Council is responding. A new police gang unit and other strategies should start to pay off.

Reported crime within the Guilford County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction declined by 2 percent.

Those right-wing scoffers at the John Locke blog deny Barack Obama is America's Messiah.

Shocking, just shocking:

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both have received much more positive news coverage than John McCain.

A study by Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism and the Joan Shorenstein Center on Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University was released last week.

(I guess that didn't get much media play.)

Researchers looked at the "personal narratives" of the candidates as presented in the news. For Obama, these were portrayed positively 69 percent of the time during the period reviewed; for Clinton, 67 percent -- evenhanded treatment (contrary to the Clintons' assertions).

But McCain? Only 43 percent.

"On the Republican side, John McCain, the candidate who quickly clinched his party’s nomination, has had a harder time controlling his message in the press," researchers found. "Fully 57% of the narratives studied about him were critical in nature, though a look back through 2007 reveals the storyline about the Republican nominee has steadily improved with time."

That's good news. No doubt as he and Obama go head-to-head until Election Day, press coverage will be equally fair to both.

President Bush is coming to Raleigh to raise money for Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory, Under the Dome reports.

Man, I thought McCrory was smarter than that.

Maybe Bush is money in the bank, but the unpopular lame duck is death with voters.

McCrory is playing right into Democrats' hands. No amount of money he can raise is worth the cost.

Jack Hawke, McCrory's chief consultant, told Dome, nah, Bush won't hurt the Charlotte mayor.

National issues will have little impact on the governor's race.

"Our campaign will concentrate on the state of North Carolina and the problems the state has — from corruption, to mismanagement, to a high tax rate," he said. "That has very little (to do) with what is going on at the national level."

Those things are true, but one reason North Carolina Republicans have a hard time getting anywhere on the state level is that voters associate them with the Republicans in Washington.

BlueNC bloggers are already trying to link McCrory to Bush, and now McCrory's helping them.

It's totally unnecessary. The gubernatorial campaign is about state issues, and running on state issues where Democrats are weak is the only way for McCrory to win. So, why is he opening the door to a discussion of Bush and his blunders?

How does this break down politically?

Mecklenburg County commissioners voted 5-3, along party lines, tentatively in favor of putting a quarter-cent sales-tax hike on the ballot in November, the Observer reports today.

Naturally, tax-and-spend Democrats supported the higher tax.

But the money raised would go for fighting crime. So where were law-and-order Republicans?

Well, nevermind all that. The voters will decide whether more law and order is worth more tax and spend.

Meanwhile, Greensboro City Council members are wrestling with road paving and shrub trimming and trying to avoid a tax increase. But those decisions are required because one priority already has been set in stone: police protection. More police funding, responding to public safety demands, is squeezing the rest of the budget.

I don't know whether Barack Obama will have a better chance to defeat John McCain than Hillary Clinton would, but I agree with this analysis by the Observer's Mark Johnson:

He'll be much more competitive in North Carolina.

After Obama's thumping of Clinton in our state's Dem primary May 6, that's a no-brainer.

North Carolina has voted Republican in presidential contests since 1980, sometimes by huge margins. McCain should be favored to continue the trend this year, but it will be a close one.

Close enough that both candidates should spend some time campaigning here -- a very positive development for North Carolina voters (and media).

Johnson quotes Dem pollster Harrison Hickman as placing North Carolina in a second tier of battleground states for Obama, after Florida, Iowa, Ohio and Michigan. I don't know. Florida, Michigan and Ohio were Clinton states, and some of her supporters in Florida and Michigan might hold a grudge against Obama for opposing the full reinstatement of their delegates. He might have a better chance here.

At any rate, McCain can't afford to take North Carolina for granted, and Obama would be foolish to concede it.

Here's to a vigorous and hard-fought presidential campaign -- in North Carolina!

Power was out again in my part of High Point this morning and maybe even in other areas, judging from the recorded message I heard when I called the public services office:

"At present, we have crews out in north High Point, east High Point, south High Point and west High Point."

Yeah, I guess that just about covers it.

The lights came back on after about 30 minutes. Apparently, crews were shifting some of the electrical load from one substation to another after the damage caused by yesterday's fire.

Judges are allowed to carry handguns in courthouses.

A bill filed last week seeks to extend the same privilege to prosecutors.

I understand that dangerous people are drawn to courthouses. Some of them might be inclined to attack a judge or prosecutor.

But who says the judge and DA won't take shots at each other?

"Permission to approach the bench, your honor?"

"Granted. Just keep your hands where I can see them."

Or ...

"Objection, your honor!"

"Objection overruled!"

"Overrule my .38, you old fool!"

"Go ahead and make my day, counselor!"

Before long, the defendant might be the least dangerous character in the courtroom.

Worth reading ... Laura Leslie's highlights from a recent N.C. House appropriations committee meeting.

Triad legislators mentioned include Alma Adams, Hugh Holliman, Cary Allred, Katie Dorsett and Dale Folwell. Laura relates Randolph County Rep. Pat Hurley's attempt to cut about $100,000 from Lottery Director Tom Shaheen's salary.

Best quote comes from Allred: "When I voted for the lottery, I didn't mean for the director of the lottery to be the winner of the lottery."

Fun stuff, with audio.

It's not the norm for a candidate for statewide office to leave the country for a month during the campaign, but ...

When you're running for a seat on the N.C. Supreme Court, and you have a chance to teach a summer law course with a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court ... in Venice, Italy ... well ...

"I think you just don't pass up the opportunity to teach with Ruth Bader Ginsburg," said Suzanne Reynolds, a Wake Forest University law professor and candidate for the state's highest court.

Ginsburg made the commitment to participate in the summer program during a visit to Wake Forest three years ago. She and Reynolds will lead a two-week course in comparative constitutional law, comparing U.S. and Italian legal issues.

Reynolds will stay two additional weeks teaching comparative family law.

Wake Forest has its own place in Venice, called Casa Artom.

Considering she's a first-time candidate, and she's running against incumbent Justice Bob Edmunds of Greensboro, giving up a month's campaign time is risky for Reynolds. But then, who pays attention to judicial races in July, anyway?

Besides, the academic experience plays to her strength. Unlike Edmunds, who served on the Court of Appeals before advancing to the Supreme Court eight years ago, Reynolds hasn't been a judge. Nor has she been a prosecutor, as he has. And even her private practice experience goes back a long way, before she began her 26-year career at Wake.

She's running for the Supreme Court as a professor -- a scholar and teacher of the law.

"A law professor's background is perfect for the appellate court," she said during a visit yesterday. "Especially a law professor who has stayed in touch with the legal community."

"Reynolds wrote the authoritative source on family law used by North Carolina lawyers," a March profile in Wake Forest Magazine noted.

"One of my advantages is experience as a law professor who studies legal opinions and teaches them to my students," Reynolds added.

She believes her strengths -- writing, teaching, clarifying the law -- fit into the job description for Supreme Court justices. When they write opinions, they should be explaining the law.

Reynolds adamantly refuses to criticize Edmunds or any of his opinions, but she is challenging the "status quo" of the court. It doesn't accept enough cases on discretionary review, doesn't write enough opinions and leaves too many conflicting decisions from the Court of Appeals unresolved, she said.

I plan to explore those issues in more detail next week.

Her law professor argument carries more weight in states where judges are appointed rather than elected.

In appointment states, merit selection committees often look to the "academy" for judges, Reynolds said, citing as her model former Connecticut Supreme Court Justice Ellen Peters, who was selected from Yale Law School.

And then there was Ginsburg, a former Columbia University law professor before her appointment to the federal bench.

North Carolina's tradition is different, though. None of the current justices taught law before joining the court.

Reynolds hopes to change the pattern, but she won't be campaigning during July.

The Washington Post politics blog handicaps the veep possibilities for both tickets and rates John Edwards as fourth-most-likely among Dems.

I don't see it. Barack Obama needs a running mate with Bill Richardson-level experience -- a solid, dependable, competent leader. I don't even think the Dems need another campaigner on the ticket. Instead, Obama has to demonstrate he's going to surround himself with people who have substance more than style.

Besides, I'm betting Edwards will end up as labor secretary if Obama wins. It gives him a better platform to pursue his anti-poverty agenda and pro-union initiatives. The unions will be all for it.

In principle, this is an encouraging development:

"Representatives of the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) are taking part in a conference on interfaith dialogue being held in the Muslim holy city of Mecca.

"The three-day conference, attended by hundreds of Islamic scholars and religious leaders from throughout the world, is part of a recently-announced initiative by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to promote dialogue between Muslims and followers of other faiths."

American Muslim leaders participating in the conference include CAIR National Board Member Larry Shaw, a state senator from North Carolina, the organization said in a news release.

It referred readers to this AP story ... which reported that a senior Iranian official used the forum to criticize the United States. So, some politics as usual.

Here's a report on the conclusion of the conference from Middle East Online. Its lead:

"Muslim scholars meeting in Saudi Arabia wrapped up a three-day conference Friday by calling for efforts to boost dialogue with Christians and Jews.

"Wrapping up a three-day international conference in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, the scholars urged the creation of the King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz International Centre for Connection between Civilisations in honour of their Saudi host."

That's all well and good, and I hope the effort yields some positive results. We need more dialogue and understanding.

But I have to note the irony of the location of this conference. Mecca is off limits to non-Muslims. Not only could Christians and Jews not participate in this conference, they couldn't attend as observers. And news coverage could be provided only by Muslims.

And if this new international center is located anywhere in Saudi Arabia, that will raise the further irony of the lack of religious freedom within the entire kingdom. Christians, Jews and other non-Muslims who visit would not be allowed to practice their religion openly or even possess Bibles or other religious texts.

It's hard to promote understanding among people of different faiths in a country where only one faith is recognized or tolerated.

We're suffering from record or near-record heat and hearing air-quality warnings.

So, naturally, some area schools are having ... field days!

Sure, end-of-grade tests are over. Chances of teaching kids anything are nil. They're bouncing off the classroom walls.

Normally it makes sense to send them outside.

And even in these conditions it wouldn't be so bad ... for them.

But putting teachers through it?

That's inhuman.

Charlotte rich guy with a law degree but little legal experience runs for District Court judge -- against the judge he thinks screwed him in a property-distribution ruling following a bitter divorce.

Nothing personal. Just wants to "reform the system," Bill Belk says.

The Observer reports.

Let's see what voters make of this.

Layoffs at Thomas Built Buses are frightening for High Point/Archdale.

I wonder if this will trigger an effort to de-certify the UAW. The unionization drive of 2003-06 split the work force and left bitter feelings.

Other Freightliner facilities in North Carolina have been hit with major job losses, too.

More coming in High Point? Let's hope not. TBB is a mainstay, the city's largest traditional manufacturing employer.

My column today:

Suzanne Reynolds is running against Bob Edmunds for his seat on the N.C. Supreme Court, but she faults his performance only by association.

The whole court is falling short, she said last week. ...

Congratulations to Neal and Betsey Clinard on the birth this week of their son, Aaron Neal Clinard III.

Today's story by Joe Killian and photos by Jerry Wolford explain how technology by Freedom Calls Foundation has helped Neal enjoy this special event even though he's serving in Iraq with the Army.

I've known Neal and his family for many years. He's a fine young man who could have pursued many career options but chose to serve his country in the armed forces.

His dad, Aaron, a High Point attorney, served in Vietnam. Neal's sister, McLean, is engaged to a pilot who's also deployed to Iraq.

Betsey is the daughter of Russ and Susan Mendenhall of High Point -- Susan being the former long-time school board member.

They all worry about Neal, who has a demanding job in Baghdad, but the ability to bring him home for important family occasions or even routine visits via this technology is a blessing.

In Wilmington: a state senator with personal problems and plenty of people who want to comment on them (from StarNewsOnline.com).

Guilford County Superior Court Judge Henry E. Frye Jr. was reprimanded this week by the Judicial Standards Commission for dragging his feet on a case he heard in Forsyth County in September, 2004.

As of April of this year, he still hadn't issued a written judgment, the Commission noted.

"Respondent (Frye) has acknowledged that he has no excuse for his inaction and delay," the reprimand states.

"The Commission views such delay as serious misconduct because of the adverse consequences on individual litigants, who are deprived of the opportunity to have their claims decided in a timely manner, and on public confidence in the administration of justice. Such circumstances compel the Commission to act in order to ensure that the public is protected from the deleterious effects of unwarranted delays."

A judgment in the case was finally issued on May 26, a Forsyth County clerk said today.

"Respondent agrees that he will purposefully ensure the timely entry of written orders in all cases over which he presided wherein orders are currently pending, and in all future matters," the reprimand adds.

Got to keep those wheels of justice turning.

You can read other reprimands of North Carolina judges here. There have been six in the past 12 months.

Five District Court races in Guilford County are contested, and to my knowledge only five of the 10 candidates have campaign Web sites. Please let me know if I've missed any, but this is what I've got at present:

Tabatha Holliday vs. Susan Burch (incumbent)

Robert Enochs vs. Angela Foster

Avery Crump vs. Robby Hassell (incumbent)

Betty Brown vs. Chuck White

Barbara Gore Washington vs. Polly Sizemore (incumbent)

Some of these sites are much better than others, but all judicial candidates ought to have one.

I'm not familiar with the term "chilipunk'd," but it doesn't sound like something that ought to happen to a legitimate candidate for governor.

Meaning Mike Munger, a Duke poli sci prof and Libertarian candidate for governor.

He's been left out of the series of debates between Republican Pat McCrory and Democrat Bev Perdue.

Chilipunk'd, I guess.

The Libertarian Party, against all odds, has secured a place on the ballot this fall. Democrats and Republicans in this state stack the rules to make it very hard for third parties to compete.

This year, Libertarians collected enough signatures to qualify, but that won't do them much good if organizations holding debates exclude them.

As a qualified candidate, Munger ought to be given a place on the stage. Although Libertarian ideas have never appealed to a majority of voters, Munger is credible and interesting. He'd likely add some valid observations about foolish policies and mismanagement in state government. Voters deserve the chance to hear.

Having three candidates instead of two isn't going to clutter the stage. Munger shouldn't be chilipunk'd.

Greensboro Mayor Yvonne Johnson supports collective bargaining rights for public employees, Mark reports. That's disappointing.

The proposed city budget explains why it's a poor idea:

"Salary adjustments will vary based on employee performance but should average 2.3 percent across the organization."

Simple enough. Two-plus percent isn't much, but money is tight. Private-sector workers -- taxpayers -- certainly aren't doing any better.

That was the manager's proposal. The City Council can adjust the final budget. But what if there were collective bargaining?

Of course, that opens the door to unions -- probably several unions. Before he could fashion his budget proposal, the manager would have to make a bargain with the various unions: one for police officers, another for firefighters, maybe another for sanitation workers, what have you. All could come to different agreements about salary and benefits. But one thing you could be sure of: There would be no variance based on employee performance. Good workers, poor workers. All would get the same pay adjustments.

Once these agreements were concluded and reflected in the proposed budget, the City Council would get its turn. Could it cut the budget without reopening the bargaining process with the various unions? Or would it have to accept any agreements -- contracts? -- signed by the manager, having its hands tied?

Many cities in collective bargaining states enter into long-term contracts with unions that obligate them to salary increases in years when a slow economy might depress tax revenues. That would force the governing body to raise taxes to meet its contractual obligations, unless the contracts allowed layoffs -- both bad options.

Public employees should be treated fairly, as should taxpayers. Collective bargaining can put employees in an adversarial position against the taxpayers. Elected city officials should decide whom they represent.

Following up on yesterday's column:

The N.C. Supreme Court released 13 opinions today, the first in two months.

Seven were per curiam, like this.

The six full opinions included one authored by Justice Bob Edmunds, here, and joined by the full court.

The others were written by Justice Robin Hudson (unanimous); Hudson again (Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson dissenting); Justice Ed Brady (unanimous); Brady again, granting a new trial in a death-penalty case (unanimous); and Mark Martin, reversing a Court of Appeals ruling that overturned a first-degree murder conviction (unanimous).

I haven't had time to read these opinions, but a good source for commentary/explanation is the North Carolina Appellate Blog written by members of Womble Carlyle's Ralleigh Appellate Group. As of this moment, however, they haven't produced anything yet today

I met Linda Brady, the new UNCG chancellor, today and attended her local introduction/press conference. I've written a Sunday editorial and, if time permits, may add some observations here tomorrow.

In the meantime, there's plenty of interesting reading material by and about her on the Web.

Such as: "Educating International Security Practitioners: Preparing to Face the Demands of the 21st Century International Security Environment," which she co-authord.

Or a description of her book, "NATO in the 80s/Challenges and Responses."

Another book: "Politics of Negotiation: America's Dealings With Allies, Adversaries, and Friends"

Another: "Public Administration for the Twenty-First Century"

Here's one I think is by a different Linda Brady, or at least the folks at UNCG should hope so:

"Discovering Your Soul Mission: How to Use Karmic Astrology to Create the Life You Want"

Back to the real Linda Brady:

This is an interesting interview she did a couple of years ago in Oregon. Check out her comments about women's leadership styles.

I cut my run from five miles to three this morning because of the smoky air and didn't have problems breathing ... but my dog, who usually enjoys sitting out in the front yard after we get home, wanted straight back into the AC.

That's the right idea. If you've got AC, and don't have to go out, you probably ought to stay in.

---

When I arrived at UNCG's Gatewood Student Art Center for the meet-the-new-chancellor event at 2:30 yesterday afternoon, it was hot and humid out. When I left about 3:45, it was dramatically cooler and dark storm clouds were bearing down.

So, no surprise to learn that yesterday's official high temperature was 88 degrees at 2:17 p.m. and the official low was 70 degrees at 3:49 p.m.

Oddly, it never rained downtown. The National Weather Service station at PTI recorded 0.18 inch, and I understand there were some fierce downpours north of town.

Linda Brady was pleased with the warm welcome she received at UNCG yesterday.

She meant more than the Greensboro hospitality.

Eugene, Oregon, is beautiful, she said, but she was looking forward to warmer weather.

OK, as I write it's 43 degrees out in Eugene, pretty chilly for June. But it's supposed to reach a very pleasant 76 this afternoon. I think we all could appreciate that.

So, I don't really think it's the weather that's bringing her back east after only two years as provost at the University of Oregon. While UNCG isn't a flagship campus, it's still nearly as large as UO and its future looks bright thanks in large measure to new developments in partnership with A&T. The opportunity to step in as chancellor must have been very attractive to her.

From UNCG's perspective, the attraction was obvious. Brady was "a home run candidate," search committee member Keith Debbage told me yesterday. "She was my No. 1 candidate from day one."

Certainly, Brady had the academic credentials. She was essentially the chief operating officer at Oregon, a 21,000-student university. Prior to that assignment, she headed the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at N.C. State and performed so well that Chancellor James Oblinger was one of her biggest boosters. "That meant a lot to us," said Debbage. Her experience in the UNC system was also a big plus.

But what really set her above other candidates was her diplomatic experience in the State and Defense departments during the Carter and Reagan administrations. She was involved in high-level arms-control negotiations with the Soviets and some very sensitive diplomatic initiatives in the Middle East and Pesian Gulf regions. Some of the latter work paved the way for President George H.W. Bush's ability to forge a mulinational coalition in the first Gulf War -- back when we dealt with Saddam Hussein in a more intelligent way.

Someone with that kind of background and expertise at UNCG? What a coup.

Interestingly, in her personal demeanor she didn't strike me as someone who would intimidate the Soviets. She's soft-spoken and unassuming. But, then, diplomacy isn't pounding shoes on the table. Brady says you have to understand other cultures and perspectives, bring the right people to the table and focus on the problem, not personalities.

Good skills for the head of a university who has to work with multiple constituencies, including students, parents, alumni, faculty, board members, the UNC system, state government, community leaders ...

... and who's going to put a priority on building partnerships.

Brady probably will have to work on bringing in a lot more money to support new research initiatives, but it's good she's also emphasizing the importance of maintaining a focus on teaching and service.

She didn't outline an agenda for UNCG, but then, she just got the job yesterday and doesn't start until Aug. 1. I'll bet she'll set out some ambitious plans before the weather cools.

I'm heading to D.C. for the weekend.

What are the absolutely don't-miss attractions you'd visit in our nation's capital?

Among those I haven't seen yet are:

the National World War II Memorial

the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

and the new ballpark. Darn. Looks like the Nats are away.

Impressions from our nation's capital:

We parked our car when we arrived at our hotel on Washington Circle at noon Saturday and didn't get into it again until we started for home this afternoon. In between, all our getting around was done on foot, except for one Metro ride. I love a city where you can see and do so much by walking, to wit:

The Lincoln Memorial is always one of my can't-miss stops, no matter how many times I've already visited. I just find it inspiring. Admission: free.

The Korean War Veterans Memorial is nearby and features rows of infantryman statues slogging through the elements. In addition, a reflective black granite wall reveals more than 15,000 images of the men and women who served in the bitter 1950-53 conflict. Admission: free.

The National World War II Memorial occupies a prominent space at the end of the Reflecting Pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. It's grand -- but a heat trap on a sunny summer day. I'm serious, and I think that could make it a physically uncomfortable place for our aging WWII vets to visit. There's just no shade in the middle of the day, so go early or late. Thematically, the designers had a tough job. How do you capture the totality of a global conflict that cost tens of millions of lives and required immense sacrifices to fight and win? While this is an impressive display, especially thw wall of stars, probably one small part of it might have succeeded where the larger creation fell short: A series of panels in relief depicting individual Americans participating in various events of the war, from listening to the news broadcasts reporting the Pearl Harbor attacks through military service to war's end. Admission: free.

I had no idea of the vastness of the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial, which occupies 7.5 acres along the Cherry Tree Walk along the Tidal Basin. You proceed through a series of outdoor courtyards bounded by huge granite walls, each chamber depicting the events of an FDR presidential term. In keeping with the natural surroundings of the memorial, each courtyard includes plenty of trees and benches for meditating in the shade. Admission: free.

The highlight of our visit to the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum was taking in its African Voices exhibit. Admission: free.

The Phillips Collection on 21st Street near Massachusetts Avenue includes works of the great impressionists. Our favorite: Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party, a large, bright, animated, engaging canvas. We were absorbed in the characters and our own conjecture about the personalities of each. Admission: $10.

The National Geographic Society's featured exhibit covers the early 15th century Chinese voyages of discovery. In case you thought Europeans were pioneers in sea travel, this will fill in some overlooked history for you. Admission: free.

We stopped in at the Cathedral of St. Matthew on Rhode Island Avenue, which is just stunning in its beauty. The site of John F. Kennedy's funeral in 1963, it recently received a visit from Pope Benedict XVI. And Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass there in 1979. Admission: put something in the poor box.

The Renwick Gallery on Pennsylvania Avenue -- next to Lafayette Park and behind the White House -- is part of the Smithsonian. It owns George Catlin's amazing Indian Gallery and has much of it on display in its great hall upstairs. Derived from Catlin's Western journeys of the 1830s, these images preserve the details of a way of life that even then were rapidly disappearing. Admission: free.

For me, good running routes are an important part of any trip. I enjoyed rambling up the tow path of the C&O Canal. It took me through Georgetown and far enough out of the urban environment that I saw a beaver enjoying a leisurely swim and a great blue heron calmly watching the joggers huffing past. Admission: a little sweat.

It was a great three-day weekend, except for the wicked hailstorm that nailed us a little north of Charlottesville on U.S. 29 this afternoon. My car is all pinged up, and I'll be calling the body shop tomorrow.

My column today:

The N.C. Supreme Court should try teaching middle schoolers.

The justices, insulated in their peaceful chambers, last week denied a worker’s compensation claim for a former middle school teacher whose “job was driving her crazy,” in the words of her psychologist. ...

Is no price too high for going green?

Maybe not, if this story from yesterday's edition is any indication:

"The city transit system is getting $593,000 from Uncle Sam to cut air pollution and save fuel with the local fleet's first hybrid bus."

There must be some mistake here, I thought. That can't mean Greensboro is going to spend $593,000 for one hybrid bus. After all, I just wrote last week about the state purchasing two hybrid school buses for a mere $226,000 each.

I figured those school buses would have to run for about 140 years before they saved enough fuel to pay for themselves.

Indeed, Greensboro is not going to buy a hybrid bus for $593,000. How absurd.

It's going to pay $714,000. The $593,000 is only the federal portion. Even Uncle Sam has limits. The rest will have to come from state and local funds.

Of course, bus manufacturers are still experimenting with hybrid technology. When they figure it out and go into mass production, costs will drop sharply. Right?

So why not wait and buy some then?

GTA needs hands-on experience before committing to hybrid purchases, Adam Fisher, Greensboro's transportation director, told Taft Wireback.

"We'll be evaluating how it actually does on the road," Fisher said.

Yeah. I'd like to evaluate how a Rolls-Royce actually does on the road, but I'm not going to buy one to find out.

Maybe Greensboro could send someone, or a whole team of someones, to some other city that already has one of these $714,000 buses and observe how they work. Surely a city that has one is engaged in extensive evaluation and wouldn't mind sharing the results.

(This just in: The Chicago Sun-Times reports today that Chicago is testing hybrid buses that cost up to $580,000.)

But what's a little money as long as it's spent on something green?

Sure, we're forking out $714,000 for a single bus, but it's going to save money on fuel and spew less pollution. Isn't that a great deal?

Well, sorry to be so environmentally unfriendly but, no, it doesn't sound like a very good deal to me.

Related: An explanation from The Locker Room of why solar power costs are so high. I've noticed that relatively modest solar initiatives announced by Duke Energy seem to have a disproportionate impact on the power bills of all its customers.

Keeping our highways safe is a demanding job that sometimes requires state troopers to put their lives on the line. Tragically, Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr. lost his life on I-40 in Haywood County last night.

Blanton, a 24-year-old husband and father of one, was described by a superior as "a great kid" who was "changing the world," The Asheville Citizen-Times reports.

Unfortunately, some things don't change. The world is full of vicious people.

The person suspected of shooting Blanton after a traffic stop is in custody.

Does anything any politician says about energy make any sense?

Case in point, the following statement from Beverly Perdue's campaign yesterday:

"I am 100% opposed to oil drilling off the coast of North Carolina. President Bush has cozied up to the oil companies with tax breaks and all they have given us is $4 dollar a gallon gas, while our focus should be on developing green energy alternatives to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Offshore drilling would take years to provide any benefit, while just one hurricane or Exxon Valdez incident could destroy North Carolina's coastline forever along with the economy that depends on it," said Bev Perdue, candidate for Governor.

-- end of Perdue statement --

Ii don't have a problem with Perdue's concern about North Carolina's coastal environment, although offshore oil drilling is widespread around the world with a pretty good recent safety record. Even Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf three years ago didn't cause any major oil spills.

My problems with her statement lie elsewhere.

Start with President Bush's "tax breaks" for oil companies. Factcheck.org has busted that rhetoric: "... the 2005 energy bill ... contained $14.3 billion in subsidies for energy companies. However, as we’ve reported numerous times, a vast majority of those subsidies (all but $2.8 billion) were for nuclear power, energy-efficient cars and buildings, and renewable fuels research. In addition, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, the tax changes in the 2005 energy bill produced a net tax increase for the oil and gas companies, as we’ve reported time and time and time again. They did get some breaks, but they had more taken away."

Next is Perdue's complaint about $4 a gallon gas. Sure, I'm complaining with everyone else. But maybe Perdue can tell us where in the world gas is selling for less. In most countries, it's a lot more.

But what would reduce that price, and reduce dependence on foreign sources at the same time? Obviously, an increase in domestic oil production -- hence the renewed interest in more drilling in U.S. coastal waters. But Perdue's "100 percent" against that, for environmental reasons and also because "it would take years to provide any benefit." Does that mean we won't need oil years from now and wouldn't want the benefit of additional domestic supplies?

Well, Perdue says we should be "developing green energy alternatives." I agree. But when are these alternatives going to substantially replace our reliance on oil? A very long time from now, I'd say. So should we dismiss development because "it would take years to provide any benefit"? Of course not.

And when will these alternatives provide a benefit at an equivalent cost of less than $4 a gallon for gas? I'd say never. From what I've seen so far, these "green energy alternatives," for all their other benefits, are likely to cost us more than we pay now for energy.

I'm only picking on Perdue because her statement hit my inbox yesterday afternoon. Other politicians of both parties are also talking around the issue of energy.

The U.S. Senate lays claim to title as the "world's greatest deliberative body."

The N.C. Senate is more "shut up and vote."

As Mark reported today:

"Democratic leaders in the Senate rammed their version of the state's $21.4 billion budget through the first of two needed votes, allowing members to offer few changes and little debate Wednesday.

"Republicans had virtually no chance to amend the bill or speak to its merits on the floor, with the exception of a measure that would study the effectiveness of state-funded pre-kindergarten programs."

Republican leader Phil Berger of Eden, whose district covers parts of Guilford County, was still steamed this afternoon. I don't blame him.

A $21.4 billion budget isn't something that ought to be rammed through, especially when it contains items that didn't go through the normal appropriations process. Why not? What were the authors trying to hide? And why couldn't senators even ask questions, offer amendments or engage in meaningful debate?

Well, Mark got an answer:

"Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight , a Manteo Democrat, said he ordered debate shut down to protect members of his party in upcoming elections."

Alarming. Senate leader-for-life Marc Basnight is so powerful he can muzzle the 49 other duly elected senators who collectively represent the 98 percent of North Carolinians who don't reside in Basnight's district and so arrogant that he tells the press that's the way it is.

It's also revealing. If "protecting" Democratic senators in upcoming elections requires him to suppress debate or discussion on the budget they just passed, what's that say about the budget?

It tells me it's not defensible on its merits.

What's really sad, though, is that Basnight derives his power from the consent of his fellow Democratic senators. They could curb him and play fair if they wanted. But, like House members who supported former Speaker Jim Black practically until the day he was hauled off to federal prison, they won't stand up for what's right.

I'm not saying Basnight is a crook. I've never heard of him doing anything illegal. But he seems to hold sway over the Senate the way Black did over the House.

We shouldn't have this kind of governance in North Carolina. Our legislature should be a deliberative body where elected representatives of the people have a chance to be heard -- not told to shut up by an autocratic ruler.

More apologies from Barack Obama to women ... this time because his campaign barred them from sitting behind the podium while wearing the hijab.

I guess staffers didn't want anyone to think Obama's followers include Muslims.

Obama called it "inexcusable," one of the women told the Detroit Free Press.

As he did when he spoke at War Memorial Auditorium here earlier this year, Obama likes to seat some of the audience on stage behind him. These people will be visible in TV broadcasts of the event, and I'm sure the campaign chooses them with some care. In Greensboro, the group behind Obama was racially diverse but mostly white while the general audience was predominantly black.

"Building a human backdrop to a political candidate, a set of faces to appear on television and in photographs, is always a delicate exercise in demographics and political correctness," Politico notes. "Advance staffers typically pick supporters out of a crowd to reflect the candidate’s message.

"When Obama won the North Carolina primary amid questions about his ability to connect with white voters, for instance, he stood in front of a group of middle-aged white women waving small American flags.

An effort to purposefully exclude certain kinds of people is a new twist, but I'll bet it won't happen again. Sure, Obama has had to repeatedly correct the misimpression apparently held by many people that he's Muslim, so some of his helpers may be overly concerned about the presence of Muslims at his campaign events. But this was a very bad move that backfired big time.

Obama probably avoided serious damage by personally apologizing to the offended women -- as he did to the Detroit TV reporter he called "sweetie."

There's no word on whether he used the term of endearment in his latest apologies, but I doubt it.

The Fayetteville Observer objects to Gov. Easley's taste for first-class travel at public expense.

We had an interesting interview with at-large school board candidates Michael McKinney and Sandra Alexander this week.

One line of conversation sprang from an issue we raised on our questionnaire for both candidates: What ways can the district cut down on fuel costs?

Alexander's answer: "There is little the system can do to cut down on fuel costs given the current crisis. However, the system should make efforts to transport middle school and high school students together on the same buses to schools in close proximity. Also, I recommend that the governors on buses be reset for buses not to exceed 43 mph rather than the 45 mph limit at which they are presently set. This will save some fuel as well."

McKinney's answer: "Combine routes and stops where possible. Encourage walking where safe and conducive. Reduce the number of school activity buses. Maybe explore the possibility of a 4 day school week. Avoid unnecessary busing where possible. Reduce busing where possible."

I asked McKinney what he considered "unnecessary busing." He said:

"Busing for the sake of diversity is unnecessary."

He added that he believes in diversity but not at the cost of busing children relatively long distances. In addition to the expense, he said spending so much time on the bus is stressful for students who have enough to worry about with academic work and testing.

I asked Alexander for her take on that. She said:

"I wasn't aware that students were being bused for diversity."

Who's right?

And, about the four-day school week, Alexander said she would reserve her opinion but, "We can consider anything."

Although, in Polk County, the suggestion was declared "dead on arrival."

Also, Carteret County schools have adopted a four-day summer work week for employees but will return to a five-day schedule when school resumes in August. Likewise Henderson County Schools.

Your opinion?

Our News Department hosted a journalism workshop for area high school students this week. They were all brilliant kids, but I was especially impressed when I saw one guy wearing a green T-shirt with yellow lettering saying, "Go Pre."

Pre, of course, being the late, great Oregon distance runner Steve Prefontaine ...

... who was killed in a car crash way back in 1975.

So I was surprised, to say the least, that a teenager all these years later would have any idea who Steve Prefontaine was, let alone have a Go Pre T-shirt.

Turns out he's Seth Crawford, an outstanding distance runner at Northwest whose ambitions are 1) to lead his team to a state cross-country championship this fall and 2) go on to run at Carolina next year.

Northwest has an outstanding track and cross-country program and produces many excellent athletes, including state-record pole-vaulter Scott Houston.

I did a blog entry last fall noting that four former Vikings were current members of the UNC cross-country team.

Anyway, Seth's T-shirt gave me an opening to tell the students a story that links Prefontaine to the launch of my journalism career.

I had just finished my sophomore year at Carolina and was working for the summer at a knitting mill outside Hickory when Pre died. Despite his ranking as the country's top distance runner, there wasn't much coverage in the Hickory Daily Record.

So I wrote an article and dropped it off at the paper. Soon, sports editor Dan Richards called. He didn't publish my article but used exerpts from it (with credit) in a column of his own ... and he hired me to cover sports part-time for the rest of the summer. I worked in the mill from 7 'til 3, then covered youth baseball and local golf tournaments in the evenings and on weekends. The next summer, I was given a full-time internship. So, my first professional journalism jobs came about because of Steve Prefontaine.

Pre excelled because he was a famously hard worker and fierce competitor. Seth tells me the Vikings runners are already following a tough training schedule this summer. I'll be pulling for them this fall.

Go Seth!

I was going to pass on Barack Obama's campaign-finance turnaround until I received his email late Friday afternoon explaining the switch and asking for money.

It was breathtaking in its dishonesty.

Recall that Obama had pledged to run his general election campaign with public funding if his opponent agreed to do the same. John McCain has.

So Obama, who presents himself as someone who will change the way Washington works, brazenly broke his word in regard to one of his biggest campaign decisions.

That ought to warn supporters that he might not stand by other promises, either.

What struck me as worse was his over-the-top justification. He didn't admit he simply wasn't going to abide by the spending limits imposed by the public financing system. Instead, he declared "independence from a broken system."

"This decision frees us to build a movement of millions of people giving whatever they can afford to a campaign that is truly reforming the way our political process works," he wrote in his email.

In other words, his campaign is raising record amounts of money -- so why contrain it with spending limits?

But what's broken about the system that he recently had endorsed? He doesn't say.

The only hint is his statement that "we're facing opponents who have become masters at gaming the broken system as it stands today -- collecting money from Washington lobbyists, special interest PACs, and relying on so-called 527 groups that can take unlimited contributions to peddle lies and smears."

Given that this hasn't been done to him, it's a bit premature to claim victimhood. Besides, 527s come in all stripes. Some are just as likely to attack McCain as others are to attack Obama. But McCain won't have nearly as much money to answer them ... nor to compete with Obama.

Obama's decision "frees us to take our campaign for change to parts of the country where Democratic presidential candidates haven't spent too much time in the past," he wrote.

Or spent too much money. Now he can. It's possible he'll be able to outspend McCain by a 3-1 margin this fall. He'll have plenty of money to outspend McCain in every state, including North Carolina. McCain will be under pressure to defend typically Red states that now will be in play. But the challenge will be next to impossible for him.

All this means that Obama, for all his high-minded rhetoric, is still just a politician. But a very, very good one. An overwhelming money advantage may ensure his victory in November, and if that seems to be in doubt he can simply break his other promise not to accept money from PACs and lobbyists. Like any other candidate, he'll do what's necessary to win.

I've got a suggestion about any proposals to raise pay for Greensboro's mayor and City Council members:

Put them to an advisory vote on the November ballot.