"The same day the Democrats tore into Crime Control Secretary Kieran Shanahan they also let fly at Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Aldana Wos,'' writes veteran Republican consultant Carter Wrenn in his blog, Talking About Politics.

"Now doctors are a complex group of highly intelligent people who labor under a singular handicap: They’ve mastered one incredibly complex subject (say, neurosurgery) no one else can fathom so naturally, after that, they figure whatever else comes along they’re more than a match for it – they can just put their ‘little grey cells’ to work and figure it out too. But neurosurgery is no preparation for politics.

Dr. Wos is an interesting lady – born in Warsaw, she earned her medical degree in Poland then practiced medicine in New York, married, moved to Greensboro, helped Liddy Dole and George Bush in their campaigns, and then President Bush appointed her Ambassador to Estonia.

"There’re a lot of clever politicians and smart politicians but there’re not many politicians with the courage to take a stand they know is unpopular," writes veteran Republican consultant Carter Wrenn on his blog, Talking About Politics.

The other day, baffled by the raft of tax reform plans floating around the State Legislature, I asked an economist to explain the virtues of ‘consumption taxes’ to me – and he did in a simple way even an economic illiterate like me can understand: He said, Income is good, investment is good, saving is good – so tax them less; spending (consumption) is not so good – so tax it more.

Senate Leader Phil Berger sees eye to eye with that economist and he means to reform North Carolina’s tax code to base it on ‘consumption taxes.’

Attorney General Roy Cooper’s recent dog and pony show was an embarrassment to his office," writes GOP Sen. Thom Goolsby in his blog, Carolina Columns.

Cooper had gotten wind that Senate budget writers were planning to transfer the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) from Cooper’s control to the Department of Public Safety (DPS). The long-serving Democrat Attorney General wants to keep the SBI. The best excuse he could make was that he needs the agents to fight public corruption.

Can anyone remember any heavy lifting by Cooper during the investigation of former Governor Mike Easley? What about the investigations of Perdue’s henchmen who recently entered criminal pleas? Cooper, not known as a litigator, needs to come up with a better argument for his case.

Someone asked the obvious question: “Why do Democrats elect fools like David Parker and Randy Voller chairman?” writes veteran Democratic consultant Gary Pearce in his blog Talking about Politics.

It’s a “governance crisis,” said one thoughtful Democrat and former statewide candidate. “The chairman is selected by 600 people on the executive committee, most of whom know nothing about getting elected statewide.”

There always has been tension between Democratic activists and Democratic elected officials. Party people blasted Governor Hunt for his “keys” organization, built around people who were leaders in their cities and communities, but not necessarily party activists.

State Democratic Party Chairman Randy Voller on Friday announced his selection of Robert Dempsey as the party's new executive director.

Dempsey comes with experience as the Vermont Democratic Party's executive director and previously worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Voller will present his pick to the state party's executive council Tuesday, he said in an email to party leaders Friday evening. "Mr. Dempsey will come to North Carolina with a depth of experience that we need to start winning again," Voller wrote. "He is ready to roll up his sleeves and get to work for North Carolina Democrats."

With the announcement, Voller said he is relinquishing his role as interim executive director. He acknowledged his rocky turmoil in his first 100 days with questions plauging his spending after a trip to Las Vegas and the firing of party staffers. "During the first 100 days we have made great strides, but there have been challenges and misunderstandings, too. I ran on the ideals of reform and accountability, but I realize we haven’t fully achieved these goals yet," he wrote. "There have been some errors and missteps. We continue to take measures to correct these mistakes. But, ultimately I am the Chair and I take full responsibility."

Rep. David Price will join a town meeting on gun violence in America that will be held Tuesday at Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh.

Price, who is vice chair of the House Democrats' Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, will be joined by Dr. Assad Meymandi, a psychiatrist, and TV anchor David Crabtree.

The event, called “Gun Violence in America: What can be or should be done in media, politics and mental health?''

The NC Wildlife Resources Commission would take the biggest cut in its 65-year history under the budget proposed by the state Senate.

The Senate is proposing a 49 percent cent in the agency that oversees programs, research and management related to wildlife conservative, hunting, fishing recreational boating and urban wildlife.

“We are extremely disappointed,' said Tim Gestwicki, CEO of North Carolina Wildlife Federation, a non-profit conservation organization. “This comes without warning and with zero communications with the state agency with regards to impacts or implications of General statutes.''

The Senate has proposed cutting the commission's $18 million budget to $9 million. In reaction, the agency has put on hold 120 ongoing projects. Slashed would be services such as law enforcement and widely used facilities for boating and fishing access areas, game lands, shooting ranges, community fishing sites and fish hatcheries.

The agency manages 2 million acres of public game lands, 49 lakes and ponds, 31 dams, 73 waterfowl impoundments, 1,878 miles of roads, six fish hatcheries that produce 7 million fish annually, 58 public fishing areas, and 211 public boating access areas.

Charlotte's Paula Broadwell says she has “remorse” for her role in the scandal that brought down CIA director Petraeus.

“I have remorse for the harm that this has caused, my family, and other families, said Broadwell said in an interview with WSOC. Broadwell, who was writing a biography of Petraeus, had an affair with the former Army commander which lead to his resignation when it became public.

Both Broadwell and Petraeus are married.

“I am very blessed,” Broadwell said. “Blessed with an awesome family, a wonderful community that's been a great part of my rehabilitation, if you will. Even when you've made mistakes in life, you can still contribute and pick up stuff and move on.''

She said the scandal was a “devastating period” for her family and they are still healing.

Supporters of House Speaker Thoms Tillis have filed paperwork to create a federal “SuperPAC'' to raise money for a possible U.S. Senate bid next year.

The SuperPAC, named Grow NC Strong, will enable backers of Tillis to collect and spend unlimited funds on behalf of his candidacy – so long as it is not directly tied to his campaign.

“Our state's failing economy is turning around under the leadership of Thom Tillis, and there's a reason for that: Thom understands North Carolina businesses,” said Champ Mitchell, the SuperPAC chairman. Mitchell is a retired lawyer and is the brother of former Chief Justice Burley Mitchell.

Others involved in the SuperPAC are Cindy Marelli-Watko, who was a senior executive with IBM and Accenture and Doyle Parrish, who is CEO of Summit Hospitality Group.

While Tillis has not formally announced that he will challenge Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan next year, he is widely expected to do so. But he will likely face Republican primary opposition.

Justice Mark Martin has announced that he will run for chief Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court next year, replacing Sarah Parker, who is expected to retire.

Martin, who is the senior associate justice, sent out a letter this week announcing plans to run for chief justice in 2014. Parker, who will turn 72 next year, will not be eligible to run for another term because of age requirements in the law.

Although justices now run in non partisan races, Martin is a Republican and Parker is a Democrat. The legislature is strongly considering making judicial elections partisan again as they were before 2002.

The Ag-gag bill may still be alive.

Controversial Senate Bill 648 is slumbering in Senate Rules but may get a hearing next week, according to a lobbyist for the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States.

The bill aims to prevent undercover whistleblowers from exposing animal abuse in the state's meat processing plants.

Similar bills have been filed in other states. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent NC lawmakers a video featuring Republican pundit Mary Matalin that showed graphic scenes of animal abuse.

Republican Greg Brannon will hold a series of house party's this summer as he cranks up his campaign to challenge U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan in 2014. "We are taking this campaign directly to living rooms and backyards across our beautiful state where I can hear exactly what is on people’s minds and talk to them about my vision for our state and our country," he said in a statement.

Brannon, a Cary physician, is the lone announced Republican candidate trying to oust the Democratic incumbent -- though others are expected to join him. (Looking at you, Thom Tillis.) Brannon, who has aligned himself with the tea party, started his house party tour in Winston-Salem this week and comes to Raleigh on May 31 for an event at the home of Rick Gardner. In June, he will hold two more events in Raleigh and another in Cary. See the full list here.

REALTORS TO LAUNCH NEW TV CAMPAIGN AGAINST TAX PLAN: The N.C. Realtors Association is preparing to launch a second, big-dollar campaign to challenge the N.C. Senate's tax overhaul efforts in coming days. The new TV ad campaign says the Senate tax plan to repeal the state deduction for mortgage interest will hurt middle class families. The group's strategist Chris Sinclair said the TV buy is in the "hundreds of thousands" and will run for three weeks. The realtors began the campaign a month ago with TV and online ads and the total cost is likely to approach $1million, he said. "The realtors believe this is a watershed moment for homeowners," Sinclair said.

McCRORY TO FETE BIG CAMPAIGN DONOR: Gov. Pat McCrory lists one public event on his schedule Friday: a retirement party for William "Bill" Shumaker, the CEO at Kewaunee Scientific. Shumaker and his wife donated $11,000 to McCrory's campaign in the 2012 cycle and another $2,000 in his losing 2008 bid, according to campaign finance reports. McCrory resigned from Kewaunee's board of directors on Jan. 5, the day he was sworn in as governor. The company paid him $53,168 in total compensation in the year that ended April 2012, federal corporate records show.

***Happy Friday and thanks for reading the Dome Morning Memo -- a North Carolina political news tipsheet. Send news and tips to dome@newsobserver.com.***

Republican political pundit Mary Matalin has made a video for – are you ready? – PETA.

“You may be wondering what a meat-eating conservative Republican like me is doing in a PETA video,” Matalin says in the three-minute piece.

Well, yes, we are.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is sending the video to lawmakers in states considering so-called “ag-gag” bills, which are aimed at preventing undercover whistleblowers from exposing inhumane conditions. In North Carolina, Sen. Brent Jackson – a Republican farmer representing parts of Johnston, Duplin and Sampson counties – introduced SB648, which appears dead for the session.

Regardless, the video is being sent to North Carolina legislators. Similar bills have cropped up in other states, without much success, according to PETA.

Matalin’s video shows graphically violent clips of animal abuse. If you have the stomach for it, here it is.

Congressmen David Price and G.K. Butterfield will join with representatives of several government agencies to host a “marketplace'' workshop to help small businesses identify contracting opportunities with federal, state and local governments.

The day-long workshop will begin at 8 am on Wednesday May 29th at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center in Durham.