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Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

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“It’s a nightmare. Get away from my car if you see my car. I had to buy a car. Someone hit me in the first week… I am learning how to drive again. I hadn’t driven in four years. I’m a horrible driver. But I like the independence a lot.”

— Former North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R), quoted by the Charlotte Observer, on having to drive himself again.

McCrory Finally Concedes In North Carolina

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North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) announced that he’s conceded the election to Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) and will support transition efforts, the Raleigh News & Observer reports.

Said McCrory: “It’s time to celebrate our democratic process and respect what I see to be the ultimate outcome of the closest North Carolina governor’s race in modern history.”

McCrory Backtracks on New Bathroom Law

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North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) “issued an executive order that changes two provisions in the controversial LGBT-protections law, and reaffirms private sector and local government rights to enact their own non-discrimination policies,” the Raleigh News & Observer reports.

“The law has led to substantial opposition from major companies, and hundreds of quantifiable lost jobs.”

However, the “most controversial part of the new law, requiring people use bathrooms of their sex at birth and not their gender identity, remains intact.”

Washington Post: “If this saga has gone terribly for McCrory, it’s been great for Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper, who is trying to unseat McCrory.”

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McCrory, Sanford Took Payments from Corrupt Lender

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Soon after taking office, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory (R) and Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC) “accepted six-figure stock payouts from an online mortgage broker accused by regulators of deceiving its customers,” the AP reports.

“The two Republicans served as directors at Tree.com, the Charlotte-based corporate parent of the website LendingTree. As board members, they were entitled to large chunks of restricted company stock if they held their positions long enough. Both resigned after their election victories, which would have rendered their unvested stock worthless had the board not taken special action to provide them early payouts.”

The payments were not fully described in their ethics statements and their timing and total value are only being revealed now.

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

Praise for Political Wire

“There are a lot of blogs and news sites claiming to understand politics, but only a few actually do. Political Wire is one of them.”

— Chuck Todd, host of “Meet the Press”

“Concise. Relevant. To the point. Political Wire is the first site I check when I’m looking for the latest political nugget. That pretty much says it all.”

— Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the Rothenberg Political Report

“Political Wire is one of only four or five sites that I check every day and sometimes several times a day, for the latest political news and developments.”

— Charlie Cook, editor of the Cook Political Report

“The big news, delicious tidbits, pearls of wisdom — nicely packaged, constantly updated… What political junkie could ask for more?”

— Larry Sabato, Center for Politics, University of Virginia

“Political Wire is a great, great site.”

— Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

“Taegan Goddard has a knack for digging out political gems that too often get passed over by the mainstream press, and for delivering the latest electoral developments in a sharp, no frills style that makes his Political Wire an addictive blog habit you don’t want to kick.”

— Arianna Huffington, founder of The Huffington Post

“Political Wire is one of the absolute must-read sites in the blogosphere.”

— Glenn Reynolds, founder of Instapundit

“I rely on Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire for straight, fair political news, he gets right to the point. It’s an eagerly anticipated part of my news reading.”

— Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.