McCrory and federal judge don't see eye-to-eye on Cooper's job performance

When it comes to evaluating the job performance of Attorney General Roy Cooper, a Democrat challenging incumbent Republican Gov. Pat McCrory for re-election, a federal judge and the governor have sharply contracting points of view.

"Well, wow, I guess we know what he's been doing now instead of his job. He's obviously had a lot of time to raise money.” McCrory said on Tuesday, after reporters asked him that Cooper had a $1.9 million advantage in campaign fund raising in the last quarter and a $3.1 million advantage in cash on hand.

"The North Carolina Department of Justice is representing the State by aggressively defending this action. … It is clear from the record that Defendant is aggressively defending this action on behalf of the state.” — Dennis Howell, U.S. Magistrate Judge, in an order last week rejecting claims by Republican legislative leaders that Cooper and his office won't adequately defend a state law that lets magistrates refuse to perform gay marriages based on their religious beliefs.