Tipsheet

Pop's Blog Gets Props

The local lefty rag back home, The Independent, names my dad's blog and publication as the "Most Infuriating Blog for a Roundup of State News that Matters" in its annual Best of the Triangle list.

Sounds like an honor to me, coming from the local progressives. Here's the slightly paranoid write-up:

Art Pope and his millions have done a lot of brazen things in recent years--from trying to influence curriculum at UNC to contributing more than $700,000 to the state Republican Party (enough to have its headquarters named after him) to spearheading the defeat of renegade Republican co-speaker of the House Richard Morgan. But one of his better projects has been the Carolina Journal and the Carolina Journal online. While its leanings are right-wing and libertarian, and it's a cousin to the arch-conservative John Locke Foundation, the money has paid for a solid Web site with a good roundup of state news, links to the Carolina Journal itself (which has broken a number of big stories, including recently raising questions about Gov. Mike Easley's relationship with winners of a contract to run the marina in Southport). Its opinion columns are religiously conservative and free market (against eminent domain, against toll roads, against taxes) and often led by the Rev. (not really, but he's a talking-points evangelist) John Hood, but it's a must-read in the capital--and it's always good to know what the other side is up to.

They're actually referring to the Carolina Journal, which isn't technically a blog, but a publication of the Locke Foundation, where Dad is publisher and writes a column. The Locke Foundation is the conservative think tank in N.C.

The Locke Foundation also runs the LockerRoom blog, which I read to stay up on hometown news. That's where Dad blogs.

Way to go, Dad. Click away on Carolina Journal and LockerRoom to infuriate N.C. liberals. It's so easy.