It just smells: Investigation should continue, but, please, it's about politics

One reason that you should not wait if you want to investigate partisan complaints against your political competition is that if your candidate finds herself in hot water later, and you decide to pursue an inquiry, it smells.

And the recent decision to push forward on a complaint filed in April 2010 against the Pat McCrory campaign for governor -- which, incidentally, was filed by a Democratic party leader -- sure has an odor, even if those involved say it has nothing to do with the recent indictments of three people associated with the Beverly Perdue campaign.

Before we speak of that, a word.

Gov. Perdue is a well-meaning, nice person. She has a background in education and a heart not only for students and teachers, but for the state she has made her home.

She is just as likely a victim of a machine -- which has been established by the Democrats in this state for years. And one that has led to investigations of several of its top lieutenants.

Is she guilty of hanky-panky herself? Only time will reveal that, but it seems more that she has resigned herself to doing what it takes to win a second term -- and that, in this political climate, is beyond tough.

So, let the McCrory investigation go forward -- even if it seems like a badly camouflaged partisan retaliation at best. Get the moths out and delve into how he ran his campaign. Let's get all the mud hurled now so we do not have to listen to months of salacious and unfounded garbage that only seems to get in the way of a real debate on what matters to the citizens of North Carolina.

If we find misdeeds or unreported donations, we need to take action.

But if we find nothing, the matter needs to end.

North Carolina is positioning itself for a spot in the new economic pecking order. And the last thing this state needs is more drama, more scandal and more bad decisions.

This gubernatorial election will set the stage for what comes next. Let's make sure that we are talking about what matters.

Published in Editorials on December 3, 2011 11:38 PM