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U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan just did a conference call with the hometown scruffy media types.

Item #1 for discussion was the ongoing mark-up of a bill that would allow the FDA to regulate tobacco, which the Greensboro Democrat opposes.

"We need to have FDA focus on monitoring our food, our drug safety, rather than taking on a product that I think people know is inherently unsafe," Hagan said.

There's nothing new in that position for her. She said that some changes made to the bill will help out small tobacco manufacturers, but they were short of anything that would make her vote for the final bill.

Hagan and Republican Sen. Richard Burr are angling to offer another bill that would create a whole new agency to regulate tobacco.

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When Hagan through the call open to questions, she was asked about her recommendations to fill appointments on federal benches and prosecutors’ office. Of particular interest was news that one of her screening panel members had resigned.

In addition, the job of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina is of particular interest. That's the federal district that prosecutes most of the corruption cases in the state and is the office looking at former Democratic Gov. Mike Easley and his wife.

Hagan had this bit of news to share:

"It is my feeling that George Holding should stay on until these investigations are over with," Hagan said. Holding is the current, Republican-appointed, U.S. Attorney.

While it is the president and Attorney General that really make the final decisions on such things, the recommendation of the state's only Democratic senator carry a lot of weight.

If nothing else, Hagan just gave herself some political insulation by saying that the investigations should continue unimpeded. If she had openly pushed for a replacement, Hagan could have been subject to claims of partisan favoritism.

"I don't feel it would be in North Carolina's best interest to replace someone who is investigating these two very high profile people ... He ought to have the opportunity to complete that investigation," Hagan said in response to a second question on the topic.

Update: Hagan's office just sent this out:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) announced today she has recommended the White House not replace George Holding, U.S. Attorney for North Carolina’s Eastern District, until the conclusion of federal investigations into former Governor Mike Easley and former Senator John Edwards. In March, Hagan announced the formation of a statewide panel to screen candidates for federal appointments, including candidates for the U.S. Attorneys positions in the state. Senator Hagan called the White House to voice her concerns yesterday.

“Back in March, I announced the formation of a statewide review panel to help screen federal nominees of whom all North Carolinians, regardless of their political affiliation, will be proud,” Hagan said. “To uphold that promise, I called the White House yesterday to inform them of my recommendation that President Obama not replace Mr. Holding until the ongoing investigations into John Edwards and Mike Easley are completed. It is of the utmost importance to me, as well as to the people of North Carolina, that we ensure this process is carried out as transparently and honestly as possible.”