I don't blame him. I'd be tired of it, too. But at least the governor has performed this public service: He has shown the Republican and Democratic contenders for governor the perils of playing favorites, of making it harder for the public to find out about how their government works, of avoiding public appearances and of engaging in -- as Easley himself has put it -- "pettiness" in dealing with the news media.
For Democrats Bev Perdue and Richard Moore and Republicans Bob Orr, Fred Smith, Pat McCrory and Bill Graham, the message ought to be clear by now: If you think the Easley administration's way of dealing with requests for public information is a good model to follow, think again.
It has, as the governor acknowledged in a recent interview with editors, gotten in the way of his administration's initiatives in some areas and distracted from the focus he wanted to put on his final year in office.
Whether the candidates to succeed Easley have gotten the message is another question. Some of them -- such as former Supreme Court associate justice Bob Orr -- are easily accessible and comfortable discussing issues on almost any topic. Others, such as Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue, appear to be wary of too much public availability and more comfortable with having close aides handle the media.
If they're looking for a model among recent governors, Jim Hunt's public record is generally one of openness. There aren't many public appearances that Hunt wouldn't accept, and it usually was possible to land an interview within a day or two, even on controversial subjects. He wasn't perfect, but he was accessible.
But to my mind the gold standard for dealing with the public and the press was Bill Friday, the longtime president of the University of North Carolina system. He was, and is, as skilled a politician as any elected official of the 20th century.
Here's what biographer William Link wrote in "William Friday: Power, Purpose and American Higher Education":
Bill Friday's administrative style "embodied the qualities of Friday's personality: gregariousness and sensitivity, idealism and cold-hearted efficiency, and unassuming accessibility and constant communication with the state and national power structure...."
And in dealing with the news media, Link wrote, "Friday's approach was simple: to remain open and honest and to avoid withholding information. When he felt compelled not to reveal everything, he would often tell reporters, `I can't talk about it now, but call me later.' He `worked very hard' at reinforcing the press's confidence in him; when reporters called his office, he later said, `if it could be discussed,' they would `get it all' and `know the truth." This meant `good and bad, and there was plenty of bad, but I never withheld.' In this way Friday sought a press relationship `that provided the university with the means of getting its story before the people.' "
I don't think any of the current candidates for governor have all of Bill Friday's personal skills or the depth of his understanding of what makes North Carolina tick. But I do think they would benefit from considering the simple fact that Friday understood the needs of the media and what that really represented -- the opportunity to increase the public's understanding of its system of higher education and the impact it had on a rapidly growing state.
No public figure in my memory was more adept at marrying the needs of a public institution such as UNC with the daily demands of an inquisitive and sometimes unruly press.
Friday came away with his share of scar tissue during some of the battles he fought for public support of the university. But he also left office with a breadth and depth of public admiration and respect that no governor in recent memory could dream of enjoying.
There's a lesson in there, for those who pay attention.
IN MY OPINION Jack Betts
