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A4 I NOVEMBER 29,2017 BERTIE LEDGER-ADVANCE Opinion Cabinet battle rages on... You might have already forgotten about 2017’s most over-hyped political drama between the state legislature and Gov. Roy Cooper, but the lawsuit is still crawling its way through the court system - with important implications for state govern ment’s power balance. The fight over Senate confirmation hearings for Cooper’s Cabinet secretaries hasn’t gotten much attention lately, so let’s flash back to February for a refresher: Sen ators had set up a table, microphone and paper nameplate for Cooper’s pick to lead the state’s veterans and military affairs department, former state Rep. Larry Hall. But Hall twice didn’t show up for his confirmation hear ing, while Cooper asked the courts to intervene and halt the process. Cooper didn’t succeed, so Hall and the rest of the gov ernor’s Cabinet eventually took questions from sena tors. We reporters went to the meetings expecting fire works: Surely Republican senators would give Demo cratic Party appointees a Washington-style grilling, and they’d seek to block at The fabric of Bertie County since 1832 Colin Campbell Today in North Carolina least some of the nominees. After all, one of North Carolina’s top Republicans is U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, who proudly blocked one of President Barack Obama’s judicial nominees to create what he noted was “the longest judicial vacancy in the history of the United States.” But the confirmation hearings proved to be boring affairs, just like any other job interview where both sides know the process is just a formality. The Senate ap proved Cooper’s Cabinet picks with bipar tisan support, and the issue faded from the headlines. Cooper, however, continued his lawsuit over the law that created the confirmation process - one of several measures passed by the legislature last December to ensure Cooper has less power than his Republi can predecessor. The governor argues the confirmation process infringes on the con stitutional powers of the executive branch, but the legislature points to a line in the state constitution that says the “governor shall nominate and by and with the advice and consent of a majority of the Senators appoint all officers whose appointments are not otherwise provided for.” That’s a pretty clear component of the constitution, and so far Cooper has been losing this legal battle. The N.C. Court of Appeals sided with the legislature in early November - upholding a lower court ruling - and now the matter heads to the state Su preme Court. Given that the Supreme Court has four Democrats and three Republicans, the gov ernor has an incredibly cynical view of the state’s judiciary - if the judges are in his po litical party, he’ll win. If not, he’ll lose. He’s suggesting that judges will blindly follow their party regardless of what the laws, constitution and legal precedent say. But a recent analysis by the conservative John Locke Foundation of 2017 Supreme Court rulings found that’s not true. The vast majority of rulings were unanimous, and 4-3 splits have only fallen along party lines twice this year. Odds are good that ;the majority ruling on the confirmation ;;case will include justices from both par- . ties. i It’s understandable that Cooper still wants the law struck down - even though ; this year’s confirmations didn’t harm his S administration. It’s possible the Senate was on its best behavior during confirma tion hearings to avoid adding fuel to the : governor’s legal case. That could change ;:: once the matter becomes settled law. Re- ;; publicans would find it tempting to pull a * Richard Burr and block Democrats’ nomi- nations indefinitely. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen, regard- ^less of who wins in court. The last thing North Carolina needs is a legislature that ^ acts like Congress. ^ Colin Campbell is editor of the Insider i'State Government News Service. Follow him at NCInsider.com or @RaleighReporter. I Write to him at ccampbell@ncinsider.com. UIS THE LAUNCH GTO. The reason for the season is love ■ ■ Black Friday used to be a rite of passage in our family. You had to be of an adult age to go out early with the aunts and uncles to fight the crowds on the ominous sounding day. Later that evening, when turkey leftovers were fin- a ished up, the fam ily went out again. All six of us cousins were left behind to watch reruns of old Christmas movies at Grandma’s. I never under stood the mystery behind those early morning and late night shopping ' sprees, but I felt like •I was missing out on something. As an adult, I tried this early morning mysterious Black Friday shopping - once. It cured me of ever wanting to do it again. Yet, Black Friday is no longer what it once was - where parades of people would wind around Deborah Griffin Farmlife Wife buildings with some even spend ing the night in the parking lot, all in anticipation of the opening hour and the promise of huge sav ings. Black Friday now has turned into “Black Friday Weekend.” And these days we have two more excuses to shop: Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Even Cyber Monday has stretched into Cyber Week, as if we needed any more fuel for our obsession for finding the perfect Christmas presents for the ones we love at the right price. As the last crumb from the Thanksgiving table fell, a silent alarm went off across America. Time to decorate, shop, wrap, shop, celebrate and shop. ^ We can barely finish giving our thanks before we jump into a sea son of overindulgence, albeit with good intentions. Those good intentions should be at the heart of our merriment, remembering that Christmas is not just a celebration of the ones we love. Christmas came about because we are loved. We are so loved by our Creator that He sent His son as a tiny baby into a dark world to save us. His gift exceeded any gift mankind could ever bestow. He was born to die for us - be fore we even knew it - so we could live eternally with Him. In a world of Winter Festivals and Holiday Specials and Seasons Greetings, remember why we even have the concept of Christ mas. We have hope in Christ. As you gather once again this year with friends and family, don’t forget to reach out to those who may need to be reminded they are loved with an eternal love found only in Christ, the hope of Christmas. The only rite of passage needed is to believe in Him. Deborah Griffin is Staff Writer at the Enterprise & Weekly Herald. She can be reached at dgriffin@ ncweeklies.com. Lesson from my toppled hero ■ ■ ■ North Carolina lost another monument. It came like a flash. And 1 am still reeling. Charlie Rose was one of North Carolina’s nationally best-known and most admired people. He was right up there with Michael Jor dan, Billy Graham and the late Andy Griffith, as some one that people in the rest of the country know and admire. After stating that North Carolina had given to the world giants of 20th Cen tury journalism Edward R. Murrow, David Brinkley, and Charles Kuralt, the “Moon Guidebook to North Carolina” says, “Charlie Rose carries their torch today.” Like these predecessor giants. Rose brought Southern charm and spirit to the television screen. Polite, earnest, and a disarming, twinkle-in-the eye seriousness, he charmed the guests on his televi sion programs and captivated his viewers. Even at the age of 75, Rose co hosted the daily CBS Morning Show and a daily talk show for D.G. Martin One On One PBS and Bloomberg News. In addition to that amazing and grinding schedule, he made regu lar appearances on CBS Televi sion’s “60 Minutes.” His work paid well, $2.5 million a year, and gave him a net worth of 10 times that amount, accord ing to estimates in the media. I have had another reason to admire Rose. As host of UNC- TV’s North Carolina Bookwatch, I have the weekly responsibility and privilege to interview North Carolina-connected authors. Rose’s interviews were my great teachers. His careful preparation, his skillful listening that showed respectful curiosity about his guests and their achievements and opinions, his reliance on the flow of conversation rather than a hard and ordered list of ques tions, and his studied reluctance to interrupt, made him a valuable role model. I could never be in his league, but Charlie Rose’s example helped me do better, and I am grateful to him. Having taught me about inter viewing, his example is now help ing to teach us another lesson. Last week. The Washington Post reported that eight women who worked or sought work with Rose accused him of sexual harass ment by groping, walking around naked, and other provocations. The hammer came down hard and immediately. CBS News Presi dent David Rhodes fired Rose, explaining that because of “ex tremely disturbing and intoler able behavior” he had been ter minated. “Despite Charlie’s important journalistic contribution to our news division, there is absolutely nothing more important, in this or any organization, than ensuring a safe, professional workplace-a supportive environment where people feel they can do their best work,” Rhodes said. Anticipating that some of us might say that this kind of con duct had been tolerated in the past, Rhodes stated, “I’ve often heard that things used to be dif ferent. And no one may be able to correct the past. But what may once have been accepted should not ever have been acceptable.” What may once have been ac cepted no longer is. That is the hard and sad lesson Charlie Rose’s recent troubles teach us. D.G. Martin hosts “North Caro lina Bookwatch,” which airs Sun days at noon and Thursdays at 5 p.m. on UNC-TV. Bertie Ledger-Advance The fabric of Bertie County since 1832 Tme Behtie Ledger-Advance was bstarlisheo in 1928 through the HERITAGE OF ThE WINDSOR LEDGER AND The AuLANOER ADVANCE. The NEWSPAPER traces its history to 1832 when it was first purushed AS THE Windsor Herald and Bertie County Register Kyle Stephens Deborah Griffin Group Publisher Stctf Writer . kstephens(®ticweeklies.com d.griffin@ncweekiies.com Angela Harne Leslie Benchboard Group Editor Staff Writer ahame@ncweeklies.com lbeachboari@ncweeklies.cora , Thadd White Jim Green Editor Sports Editor twhite@ncweeklies.coffl jgreen@ncweeHies.com Michelle Leicester Creatwe Services mleicesrer@ncweeklies.com Jessica Mobley Advertising Manager jmobley@ncweeklies.com Lanny Hiday Copy Editor bertienews@ncweeklies.com The Bertie Ledger-Advance (ISSN 051-700) IS published EACH Wednesday for $26.69 (plus tax) per year (n Bertie, Hertford, Martin, Northamp ton, Chowan and Washington counties) by Cooke Communica tions North Carolina, LLC, 109 S. King St., Windsor, NC 27983. Periodicals postage paid AT Windsor, NC and entered at ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. Postmaster: address changes to the Bertie Ledger-Advance, P.O. Box 69, Windsor, NC 27983. Contact Us: Bertie LedgerAovance P.O. Box 69, Windsor, NC 27983. Phone: (252) 794-3185 Fax: (252) 794-2835
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