This took guts.

And a sense of nowhere left to go.

I hope he conquers his demons, and I hope he gets all the support he needs for doing so from family and friends.

He is a human being and he deserves consideration from all of us.

But I trust he has no interest in converting this plea for support on the path of sobriety to one of support for the political agenda that he sought office to implement.

I am all for offering reinforcement and encouragement to anyone who wants to make positive changes in his or her life, but I do not believe the floor of the House of Representatives is the place to ask for personal assistance.

The position he occupies as representative is one of trust to the people in his district. It isn't a coffee house or a social venue. It is not fair or just or moral to use that position for anything other than representation of the district.

I wish him only the best, and trust he understands his obligation to resign.

"My name is Joe," he ended, in the classic Alcoholics Anonymous formulation, "I am an alcoholic and I ask for your forgiveness and your prayers."

When the drug of choice is a pill, powder, or plant, you typically don't get empathy, a pat on the back, and applause. You typically end up in the slammer, with a record that haunts you for life.

I'll stop there. But it's strange, isn't it?

William (B.J.) Lawson
Congressional Candidate, North Carolina's 4th District

Not many people could have gotten up there and done that. I'll try to remember him in my prayers.

I feel more for his family. I do know them all, to an extent.

I feel more for the voters of Moore County, who were under-served by a man who was in no position to be put into place by the PuppetMaster.

Art Pope wanted Richard Morgan gone, and he pumped so much money into the Republican primary in Moore County that it was impossible that Joe wouldn't win. Alas, he has been ineffective in the legislature. Now we know why.

Joe Boylan is a good man - with a lot of problems. The stress of being a public servant, while trying to hold office and still continue to run his businesses and be a father and husband must have been overwhelming. I honestly, with all my heart, wish him and his family all the best. Healing will be hard, but it will come.

Can we, instead, start talking about "for the good of North Carolina?" --Leslie H.
Pointing at Naked Emperors

I've been told Dee Stewart wrote his speech. If true, it is a sad that it probably was not very genuine.

I believe that he was speaking from his heart, and I don't think it's fair to tell that their apology is not genuine. He is not running for office, and has nothing to gain from the speech other than his own recovery.

And people who know me on this board know that I'm the last person to cut Joe Boylan slack. But I'm cutting him slack on this one. This is for real.

Can we, instead, start talking about "for the good of North Carolina?" --Leslie H.
Pointing at Naked Emperors