One suspects Gov. Beverly Perdue usually would be thrilled to be featured — with a photo — in a national publication.

One also suspects she would have chosen not to get national attention from National Review for her recent comments about the congressional election schedule.

Bev Perdue, North Carolina’s Democratic governor, had what she thought was a capital idea: “I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won’t hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover. I really hope that someone can agree with me on that. … You want people who don’t worry about the next election.” Ever since there was something like democracy, politicians and others have bemoaned the democratic process. After the governor came in for criticism, Team Perdue claimed that she had been joking. A tape of her comments contradicts this. People who say boneheaded things should not compound their errors with mendacity.