I was just a pawn on Mayor Jennifer Roberts' chess board.

Just how desperate is North Carolina GOP Gov. Pat McCrory to lay the blame for HB2 on anyone but himself? Well, this sitting governor has now released an attack email against a sitting mayor: Charlotte's Jennifer Roberts. Nothing like punching downward—that’s what all the political analysts recommend. Jim Morrill has the details on McCrory's latest re-election strategy, starting with the email’s headline:

“Roy Cooper Ally Jennifer Roberts Admitted She Thought About Leaving Out The Bathroom Mandate, But Pushed It Through Anyway,” a headline says. [...] McCrory’s email includes TV and radio clips of Roberts talking about House Bill 2. [...] “The clips … should help refresh your memory that the topic of bathrooms was first raised by the radical left when – over warnings from the governor and other state leaders that they should have left restroom norms way they were and focus on things … Roy Cooper’s allies decided to push through Charlotte’s radical bathroom mandate anyway,” said McCrory campaign spokesman Ricky Diaz.

Fact: Charlotte passed a measure that affirmed people's judgment in making the appropriate bathroom choice.

Fact: North Carolina lawmakers passed a Big Brother bill dictating to people which bathrooms they must use, because apparently The People can't be entrusted with such a decision.

This whole “Charlotte made us do it!” shtick is just ridiculous. McCrory is supposed to be the state’s frickin’ chief executive for crying out loud, not a marionette.

Now unless he finds a previously unreleased clip of Jennifer Roberts slipping him a Mickey, then placing the pen in his hand and guiding it across the bill, his HB2 signature is on him and him alone. Sorry, guv.