Doug Clark, an editorial writer for The News & Record, recounts in his blog a meeting his editorial board had with Democratic Rep. Alma Adams, whom he described as in “deep into Jim Black denial.”

I brought up the Mike Decker case. He pleaded guilty in federal court to accepting $50,000 for changing parties and keeping Democrats and Jim Black in power back in 2003. I asked, Is it OK for a party to stay in power through bribery? Adams answered that she doesn’t know whether that happened. Do you think Decker might have pleaded guilty, risking a term in federal prison, if it didn’t happen? I asked. Decker’s done some strange things, she said.

Wow. Here’s Decker essentially admitting to taking a bribe for political reasons. It’s a recorded fact that he switched parties and provided the key vote keeping Black and the Democrats in power. It’s a recorded fact that he then received money from Black and Black’s supporters. But, somehow, it could all be something that Decker made up?

Clark has obviously forgotten what “a magical place” the General Assembly is, one in which amazing tricks are performed regularly. So it’s not impossible that Jim Black would be returned to the House Speaker’s post, since so many know the magic formula to make it happen.


Click on the lady in the hat.

Hat tip: Sam Hieb, our new Piedmont Publius.