Word on the street is that he was hilarious in private, with a great sense of humor that he wasn't afraid to aim even at himself. (Ask him to do his "Leon Phelps, The Ladies' Man" impression the next time you see him.)
Campaigning in Raleigh just days before the November 2008 election, presidential candidate Barack Obama called him "one of the funniest governors in the country."
Too bad, now that he is being investigated and may be in jeopardy of taking up residence in yet another kind of government housing, that former Gov. Mike "Delete This E-mail" Easley never showed that part of his personality to voters.
Considering all the reports of alleged skulduggery emerging from state government these days, we could sure use something to laugh about.
The seldom-seen humorous part of Easley's personality wasn't his only alter ego. With the discovery of a secrete-mail account for official business that the governor may have illegally kept hidden from the public, it could turn out that Easley was a soft-spoken Southern governor only by day, but a keyboard-pounding, e-mail-eradicating crimefighter by night.
Nick Danger is what they called him, his secret e-mail identity reportedly known to but a few in the highest echelons of state government.
Alas, what kind of crimefighter could he be without a sidekick and theme song?
We can't do anything about the sidekick - indicted Boy Wonder Ruffin Poole has his own problems related to his tenure as North Carolina's "Little Governor," allegedly accepting free airline flights to Costa Rica and New Orleans from people doing business with the state, for instance.
We can, however, provide him with an appropriate theme song. With apologies to Johnny Rivers and "Secret Agent Man," here it is.
Maestro, make it funky:
There's a man who calls himself Nick Danger.
To everyone he meets, he stays a stranger.
He used to be our Gov.
But now, thank Heaven above,
He's just a dude who finds himself in trouble.
Secret E-mail man, SecretE-mail man.
He may be our first Gubna to end up in the can.
Sending e-mail to everyone on Sunday.
Then erasing every one before Monday.
Please be careful what you write
Don't mention Ruffin's flight
'Cos if you do we all could be in trouble.
Secret E-mail man, SecretE-mail man.
They've given you a number and taken your e-mail.
Beware of every e-mail that you hide
The wrong e-mail could get your tuchis fried.
Ah, with every secret one you send
Another law you bend ...
And odds are you won't get to send another...
Yes, if you let the wrong one pass
That might just mean your -- -
OOPS. DELETE THIS MESSAGE.
