For me, 2012 will be remembered as the year that American conservatives, including their leaders here in the Old North State, decided that telling lies is no longer a sin. Aided and abetted by the mainstream media, Republican politicians today can say whatever they want with impunity.
It doesn't have to be that way. At least one national mainstream publication has dared to call a spade a spade: Paul Ryan Repeats Auto Bailout, Medicare Lies.
And here in North Carolina, Bob Geary, at Indy Week, picks up the cause of truth, where BlueNC leaves off.
Pat McCrory. Man of Mystery.
Unlike Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who's been widely criticized for not revealing enough of his tax history, even though he did disclose his 2010 income tax return and a 2011 estimate, McCrory's refusal to share his personal tax returns is total and unyielding.
At the state level, if McCrory were a different candidate with a more robust record in public office or in business, the question of how much he's been paid and by whom might be dismissed as an effort to divert attention from his accomplishments. McCrory, who's worked hard to master the art of the political shuck-and-grin, is trying his best to brush it off as nothing the public should be concerned about.
