News-Record.com

No weekender story from me this week. But here are some bits and pieces to keep you occupied.

• * Barry Smith at the Freedom chain wrote about the dueling bills on community colleges and illegal immigration. Rep. Pricey Harrison takes the view that the community college system should admit everyone.

  My bet: both bills get stuck in legislative limbo.

• * An anonymous e-mailer asked if I planned on writing anything about the conversation that the barkeep (second item in the post) and I had with Earl Jones about his medical marijuana bill. Well I did a post ealier, with video, earlier this week and a story (not by me) in the works for the paper. The item kind of got buried under Earl's other story of the day.

• *Dome comments on my comments about Dome's comments on Hagan's sponsorship and co-sponsorship of spending bills.

  And predictably I got an e-mail accusing me of being "in the tank" for "big spender" Hagan from one of my Republican correspondents.

  Look, all I'm asking for is a little context. Dome says they're going to look at all appropriations bills filed by folks running statewide this year so that's fair enough. Although, it's noteworthy that the preponderance of folks running statewide don't serve in the legislature.

  As for being "in the tank," no not really. I'm all for criticism of candidates, it's a good thing if its fair and accurate. And my suspicion is Hagan is going to get blasted for real before her Senate campaign is out. But criticism is usually more effective if it's on point.

  For example, my favorite misfire of the Senate campaign came from the N.C. GOP, that said Hagan and Sen. Walter Dalton (who is running for Lt. Gov.) were trying to "distance themselves from the budget writing process this year."

  The idea that Hagan is running from her record as an appropriator is, um, wrong. She plays it up in her campaign bio.

  Darned facts…always getting in the way of a good story.