Sorry, Jetson, you lose. The story contains no mention of The Party That Must Not Be Named.

Mary Easley is fired; Oblinger resigns

N.C. State Chancellor James L. Oblinger resigned and former first lady Mary Easley was fired Monday in a stunning new round of fallout over her job at the university.

After weeks of flat out denial, Oblinger’s lies denying any use of influence were outed by the university.

Oblinger’s resignation came minutes before the university released documents showing that he had conferred with (Easley-crony McQueen) Campbell and members of then-Gov. Mike Easley’s staff to secure a job for Mary Easley in 2005.

Oblinger originally maintained that he wasn’t involved. He said in a resignation letter Monday that he had simply forgotten his role and had not intentionally done anything wrong.

Facial expression experts have long noted, that while issuing the denials, Oblinger was moving his lips, a telltale sign of deception amongst those of The Party That Must Not Be Named.

His (Oblinger’s) resignation came after days of shifting explanations about a buyout deal he struck with (Provost Larry) Nielsen the day before the provost quit.

In 2005, Nielsen, then the interim provost, hired Mary Easley. He gave her an 88 percent pay increase last year that took her annual salary to $170,000. The raise violated UNC-system policy, and later the system’s Board of Governors had to review it, and then voted to approve it.

Records: Mike Easley (?) involved in hiring

And, yes, the McQueen Campbell named above is that McQueen Campbell, a key member of the influence peddling circle of former NC Governor Mike Easley (?).