Real short version: this all started when Jay Parmley, the former executive director of the NC Democratic party, was allegedly accused of sexually harassing a male staffer. Reportedly, Parmley had sent said staffer pictures of genitals*…

Hold on: let me stop for a moment and make a PSA for politicians.  DON’T DO THAT.

…anyway, Parmley effectively got tossed out on his ear, but there’s still a lot of speculation of just how far a hypothetical coverup of the alleged incident could have spread.  This isn’t of academic interest: Lt. Governor Walter Dalton might even be involved, and not coincidentally Dalton happens to be running for Governor this year.  He’s doing so because current governor Bev Perdue abruptly decided earlier this year to not seek another term… do people see where this could be going?  Anyway, there was a lot of pressure put on NC Democratic chairman David Parker to resign, and yesterday he did so.  Cue the relieved-but-still-slightly nervous press releases from the Lt. Governor and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall**, congratulating Parker for doing the right thing, here.

Only… the state Democratic party’s Executive Committee voted 263-209 to not accept Parker’s resignation; whereupon Parker said Shucks, Gee whiz, I guess that I won’t resign, then.  At which point every Democrat running for a statewide office started blinking rapidly and coughing.  Some things to take away from this: first – and this is a criticism of both parties, probably – if you have almost five hundred people on your ‘Executive Committee’ then you’re probably doing it wrong.  Second: it’s a real shame that the skill at shenanigans and other political maneuvering being demonstrated by these hadn’t been directed towards, say, repairing the horrific economic damage that the Democrats did to the state of North Carolina until the voters spanked them in 2010.  Lastly, we were treated – and no, really, this is a treat for the GOP – to this inadvertent admission of truth:

“Well you crazy people, is this the Democratic Party or what?’’ Parker said after emerging on stage from behind a curtain to reclaim a post he resigned just hours earlier.

WHY, YES. YES, IT IS.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*By the way, the story is potentially worse, but hopefully not.

*Also a Democrat; also up for re-election; and also somebody who doesn’t need any complications this election cycle, given the way that she got shellacked in 2010 when trying to win NC’s notoriously incumbent-unfriendly Senate seat.