GOP's Tom Fetzer loves The N&O

Tom Fetzer, the chairman of the state Republican Party and former mayor of Raleigh, visited The N&O recently for the first time in 15 years. Fetzer met with reporters and editors for an hour. At the beginning and end, he expressed affection for The N&O. Which came as a surprise to us. In the 1980s, Fetzer worked for the political organization of U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, who often had a strained relationship with reporters and editors at the paper.

"I grew up in the Helms organization," Fetzer said. "We were sort of taught as yearlings that this was the evil empire. I've matured a lot since then." Over the years, Fetzer said he had developed good relationships with several N&O staffers. 

"I'm very proud of this newspaper," he said. "I'm very proud of what the paper has done about the corruption in North Carolina these last few years. I know that's been a difficult task....Without the diligent work of Andrew Curliss, Dan Kane and others, a lot of this would never have come to the fore. I think the paper can be very proud of its role in this." He was speaking of The N&O's reporting about several Democratic politicians who have gone to prison, as well as our reporting about favors and gifts accepted by former Gov. Mike Easley when he was governor. Easley, a Democrat, is the subject of federal and state investigations.  

He concluded: "I want you to know -- I used to consider the newspaper an enemy. I don't anymore."

--John Drescher

To read more of Fetzer's comments, click here and read the second Under the Dome item.