News-Record.com

Sen. Kay Hagan spent some time in Afghanistan over the weekend. From a story in today's paper:

Sen. Kay Hagan got a chance to see Afghanistan and some of the problems faced by the U.S. military there this Memorial Day weekend.

She and four other senators spent two days in the country this weekend, evaluating efforts to rebuild the war-torn country and root out the Taliban and Al-Qaeda first hand.

“It’s one thing to hear about it. It’s another thing to be in a helicopter looking over the terrain,” said Hagan on a conference call with reporters Monday.

North Carolina’s junior senator said she visited the Afghan capital city of Kabul and the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand, areas where there is rising violence from a resurgent Taliban.

Click here for more of that story.

Meanwhile, Sen. Richard Burr was in Europe for Memorial Day.

U.S. Sens. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan traveled overseas as Congress began its weeklong Memorial Day recess.

While Hagan, a Democrat, visited troops in Afghanistan, Burr, a Republican, helped lead Memorial Day ceremonies at the Normandy American Cemetery in France.

Burr praised the American troops who helped liberate France and likened them to American forces fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan today.

“And like their forefathers, the latest American generation to come of age on distant battlefields also knows the horrible toll war exacts on mind, body, and soul,” said Burr’s prepared remarks for the occasion. “Since 2001, they have shouldered the heavy burdens of combat and struggled with its often lonely aftermath.”

Click here for more from the Washington Watch column.

She's no Linda Richman, but North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan is inviting you by for coffee if you happen to be in the D.C. area on Wednesday during the Congressional session. From a release:

North Carolinians visiting or living in Washington, DC, are invited to attend Carolina Coffees, which will be held every Wednesday morning while the Senate is in session, from 9-10 a.m.

“Serving North Carolina in the U.S. Senate is such an honor, and it is truly a privilege to invite constituents to visit my office in the nation’s capital,” said Hagan.

Click here for the whole thing. Please note, Hagan has left her temporary basement digs and now has offices at 521 Dirksen.

Also, coming Monday, maybe you can get Hagan to sign a copy of her stimulus book when she hosts a round table discussion in Durham:

WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) will bring together federal, state and local leaders and other experts to discuss how minority and female-owned businesses, small businesses and non-profits can access funds made available through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, better known as the stimulus bill.

[snip]

WHO: Senator Kay R. Hagan; federal, state, local leaders and other experts

WHAT: Senator Kay R. Hagan will host roundtable discussion to help minority and women-owned businesses, small businesses and non-profits access funds made available through the stimulus package.

WHEN: 10 a.m.

WHERE: Room 1221 of the Mary M. Townes Science Complex at NC Central University, Concord Street, Durham, NC

Click here for more.

Update: Click here for the story I'm working on for tomorrow's paper.

-=-=-=-

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx had this to say on the U.S. House floor today:

“I also would like to point out that there was a bill -- the hate crimes bill that's called the Matthew Shepard bill is named after a very unfortunate incident that happened where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn't because he was gay."

Click here for a fuller clip direct from the source.

A staffer in Foxx's office who I asked about Foxx's comments pointed to a 20/20 piece and a article in the Washington Times, both of which question the motives of the murderers.

Still, the comments are provoking a rather strong reaction already.

Hat tip to Politico and my friend Lex Alexander.

Background on the Matthew Shepard murder here.

Update: Foxx's office just e-mailed this statement from the Congresswoman:

“It has come to my attention that some people have been led to believe that I think the terrible crimes that led to Matthew Shepard’s death in 1998 were a hoax. The term “hoax” was a poor choice of words used in the discussion of the hate crimes bill. Mr. Shepard’s death was nothing less than a tragedy and those responsible for his death certainly deserved the punishment they received.

“The larger context of my remarks is important. I was referring to an article published in the Washington Times on August 10, 2007 that referenced a 2004 ABC 20/20 report on Mr. Shepard’s death. The Times article and 20/20 report both questioned the motivation of those responsible for Mr. Shepard’s death. Referencing these media accounts may have been a mistake, but if so it was a mistake based on what I believed were reliable accounts.”

The Swine Flu's spread into the United States after it has run roughshod through Mexico has gotten the attention of Public Health types.

The CDC has started a web page to track the spread in the United States. The score as of Sunday night:

State # of laboratory confirmed cases California 7 cases Kansas 2 cases New York City 8 cases Ohio 1 case Texas 2 cases TOTAL COUNT 20 cases

Health officials in North Carolina are on the case, according to this AP story:

"We're OK here so far," said Bill Furney, communication coordinator with the Division of Public Health in the Department of Health and Human Services.

Furney said Sunday that his agency has been in contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as with local health care providers. He said the effort was to make sure the information his department had was up to date. He said his office had also been talking to local health officials to make sure they have the information they need.

The U.S. declared a public health emergency Sunday to deal with the emerging new strain of swine flu.

To fight the illness, Furney said the key is to practice caution.

"The health message here is pay attention to the news reports. You use your typical prevention strategies as with any flu," he said. That means covering one's mouth before sneezing, staying away from people who are sick and washing hands frequently.

"The biggest thing is the prevention message," Furney said. "If they follow those ... they have the ability to be in control of the situation. We can't stress that enough."

According to the story, there will be a conference at Duke to discuss the flu Monday.

More from the AP here and the White House here.

The Obama administration's chief trade negotiator, Ron Kirk, said yesterday that there were problems with NAFTA but that the whole thing didn't need to be rewritten. In remarks reported by Reuters, CQ and the Dallas Morning News, Ross said:

"The president has said we will look at all options, but I think they can be addressed without having to reopen the agreement," U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk told reporters in a conference call on trade issues discussed at the Summit of Americas meeting this past weekend in Trinidad.

Sen. Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, went out of her way to take umbrage at the remark, sending reporters a news release Tuesday:

“While I understand the President’s desire to maintain a good relationship with our North American trading partners, I am disappointed US Trade Representative Ron Kirk has said it is not necessary to renegotiate the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA),” said Hagan. “This country’s current trade policy is not working. The manufacturing economy in North Carolina has suffered and far too many North Carolinians have lost their jobs. It is only right we require our trading partners to enforce the labor and environmental standards that we ask of our manufacturing industry.”

Worth noting, a lot of textile jobs that used to be held by North Carolina workers have found their way to Central and South America.

Related to Sunday's stimulus story and the upcoming stimulus conference is something that I've neglected to mention thus far: Sen. Kay Hagan's big book of stimulus resources.

Okay, she actually called it a "Resource Guide" and you can find out more here or download the whole big PDF here.

The book is handy in that it pulls together information on a lot of the places where stimulus funding will go, and it includes links to relevant website and phone numbers.

Of course, in the case of programs that haven't yet been funded or where rules haven't been written, you'll still run into a lack of information.

Still, if you're trying to rattle the stimulus tree, it might be a good place to start.

Fresh on the heels of Sunday's story about sorting out the stimulus comes this announcement from a pair of local legislators:

Sen. Katie Dorsett, Rep. Adams and Fellow Legislators to host Economic Recovery Summit April 27 at Guilford Tech

Senator Katie Dorsett (D-Guilford), along with Rep. Alma Adams (D-Guilford) and other members of the Guilford County legislative delegation, will host a summit entitled “Coping During Economic Difficulties: Stimulus Opportunities” on Monday, April 27th at Guilford Technical Community College. The meeting will bring together some of North Carolina’s top officials to discuss ways in which the federal recovery funds may be used to create jobs and grow the economy. They will also share information about how to apply for grants funded by the federal stimulus.

The summit will feature presentations by Dempsey Benton, Director of the North Carolina Office of Economic Recovery & Investment, who is know as our state’s “stimulus czar,” state Transportation Secretary Gene Conti, state Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco and others.

The public is invited to attend.

“The Economy Recovery funds are essential in helping us get out of the recession. It is also important to provide information for residents and organizations in Guilford County so that the stimulus can help us locally. I look forward to an exciting and informative event,” Senator Dorsett said.

Details after the jump.

From the Sunday paper:

Local government officials had hoped the massive economic stimulus bill Congress passed in February would be manna from heaven, or at least easy cash from the federal government.

Rather, tapping money coming to North Carolina from the American Investment and Recovery Act has turned into a strange Easter egg hunt, one in which nobody knows all the rules or exactly what the eggs look like.

“We are extremely frustrated about what’s going on,” said Reidsville City Manager Kelly Almond. “We don’t know who to ask or who to fault.”

The stimulus bill divided funding between tax breaks, infusions into entitlement programs such as Medicaid and unemployment benefits and capital projects such as building roads or schools.

It is that third chunk — at least $6.1 billion — that cities and counties hope to tap.

Click here to read the whole thing.

Those following the ongoing battle over whether to relicense Alcoa will remember that Gov. Bev Perdue moved to intervene in the federal regulatory case.

Alcoa filed this response this morning and says Gov. Perdue should not be able to weigh in. The company argues the N.C. Department of Environment of Natural Resources is already a party to the case. And, they say, the time for the state to take a real interest in the relicensing is over. From the filing:

The Motion cites as “good cause” for failing to file within the Rule 210(b) period the fact that “the opportunity to intervene through the normal channels predated the election of the current gubernatorial administration.”5 What the Motion overlooks, however, is the fact that the issues and positions in this proceeding are not new, and the State therefore has long been on notice as to the issues of this proceeding, regardless of the individual serving as governor. In her letter to the Commission of June 3, 2008, then-Lieutenant Governor (now current Governor) Perdue referred to the different circumstances that exist presently as compared to those present at the time the initial license was granted.6 Yet these circumstances to which the Governor referred (i.e., the closing of the Alcoa Inc. (“Alcoa”) smelting operations in Badin, North Carolina) did not develop after the Rule 210(b) deadline in February 2007. Rather, Alcoa curtailed its smelting operations in 2002.

Furthermore, the previous gubernatorial administration, of which the current Governor was an integral and senior member, was responsible for the successful intervention in this proceeding of two of its instrumentalities—NCDENR and NCWRC. If those two State entities had the opportunity to intervene in this proceeding on a timely basis, then so too did the Governor’s office, assuming arguendo that the Governor’s office has separate standing to appear as a party. The fact that the individual serving as Governor changed is irrelevant. The present Governor is of the same political party as her predecessor, but even if that were not the case, the fact that the occupant of the office changes would not of itself indicate a change in State policy.

An anonymous e-mailer asked me about a recently formed PAC connected to Sen. Kay Hagan. I had not seen anything about it, although apparently CQ Moneyline had a three-paragraph blurb earlier this year.

The original paperwork for the Longleaf Pine PAC was filed in February. According to FEC documents, it is a leadership PAC.

Leadership PACs are used by members of Congress to raise money that they typically give to the campaigns of other Congressional candidates. Essentially, it is away to amass money and, in turn, amass influence among one's colleagues.

According to the documents, the PAC's "Custodian of Records" is Art Winstead, a long-time Hagan supporter from Greensboro. The Treasurer is listed as Nancy Brenner, an active political donor who serves on the State Board of Community Colleges.

Records show the committee has so far raised a total of $14,000 from four PACs:

• * J. R. SIMPLOT COMPANY POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE 5000.00

  J.R. Simplot is an agribusiness company that supplies McDonalds among others.

• * K&L GATES LLP POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (DC) 2000.00

  K & L Gates is a Pittsburgh-based law firm.

• * PROGRESS ENERGY EMPLOYEES' FEDERAL PAC 2000.00

  Progress Energy is one of North Carolina's major power companies.

• * SAFEWAY INC. POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (SAFEWAY PAC) 5000.00

  Safeway is a California-based grocery store chain.

So earlier this week, Sen. Richard Burr gave a talk to the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce and his remarks were covered by the local paper. During part of his speech, Burr talked about events surrounding the bank bailouts last year:

The state of the financial system at that time had a profound impact on the senator.

“On Friday night, I called my wife and I said, ‘Brooke, I am not coming home this weekend. I will call you on Monday. Tonight, I want you to go to the ATM machine, and I want you to draw out everything it will let you take. And I want you to tomorrow, and I want you to go Sunday.’ I was convinced on Friday night that if you put a plastic card in an ATM machine the last thing you were going to get was cash.”

That kind of remark doesn’t go unnoticed and soon news organs like The Hill and our friends at Dome amplify the report.

In turn, liberal-leaning websites picked up the report and blasted Burr for making “a run on the bank” during the crisis. Click here for Huffington Post’s take, which includes a nod to the DSCC jumping on the pile.

There’s only one place to go from there: Being made fun of by a nation political humor site. On that note, here’s Wonkette’s take:

North Carolinians, did you know your only national senator besides godless Kay Hagan is some guy who wanted his wife to withdraw his family’s entire savings from his local bank one ATM transaction at a time? If everyone had done this back in September, maybe we really could have had a good old-fashioned Depressiony bank run like in olden times.

Probably not the attention one wants, especially heading into an election.

Update: Now here comes CNN to make sure nobody misses the story.

Gov. Bev Perdue and Nancy-Ann DeParle, director of the White House Office on Health Reform, hosted a 90-minute town hall on health care reform Tuesday at NCA&T alumni events center.

Click here for the early version of my story.

More from the governor here and the feds here.

During the event, Perdue and DeParle heard from both pre-selected people and those who raised their hands. Included were health care providers as well as people who have had struggles with the health care system.

During a question-and-answer session after the event, DeParle said that she would carry the stories from today's forum back to Washington with her. (You can click here to listen to Perdue and DeParle take questions from reporters after the forum.)

One of the stories that seemed to stick with DeParle was that of Kirby Heard, 52, of High Point. The graphic designer talked about how she has lost her health insurance and now relies on a system of free clinics, but has been waiting eight months to see a dentist to replace a filling.

Click here to listen to what Heard told the forum.

From this morning's story on tobacco under fire in North Carolina:

“The argument I’m getting is this thing about tobacco farmers and companies, that we owe some sort of debt to them because they built the state,” Haynes said. “Well, our country was also partially founded on slavery, and we’re not doing that any more. We woke up and got some common sense one day. … Why aren’t the farmers farming something else? They’ve had plenty of time to switch.”

Isley shakes his head when asked if there’s another crop that could yield as much money for his 100-acre farm as tobacco.

“Maybe one acre of strawberries, and if you could have a little stand up on the roadside, maybe that could sustain your family,” he said.

Really?

“No. I wish it was,” he said.

So why doesn’t he get out of farming altogether?

“It’s in my blood,” he said. “It must be. It sure wasn’t because I wanted to get up at 4 a.m. every day and go to bed at midnight every night and make less money than my classmates.”

Click here to read the whole thing.

Haynes is Holly Haynes, a Winston-Salem woman who is fighting cancer. Isley is John Isley, a fourth-generation tobacco farmer from Reidsville. Among others, the story also includes quotes from folks who work at Greensboro-based Lorillard.

What I hoped to do with this story is let you hear a little bit from folks who are deeply vested in the tobacco policy debate but whose voices aren't often heard.

My editors and I talked over several times whether we needed to include a smoker in the story and decided against it because we've heard from them on many occasions. If you're dying for that perspective, Mark Johnson's excellent piece from earlier this year can scratch that itch.

And I should thank N+R news librarian Diane Lamb, who helped me sort through figures from the ESC, BLS and Reynolds American regarding tobacco-related employment.

If you're looking for more on this story:

• * Click here for H2, the smoking ban bill sponsored by Rep. Hugh Holliman. And Click here for background.

• * Click here to read the 2006 Surgeon General's report that declared:

  "Research reviewed in this report indicates that smoke-free policies are the most economic and effective approach for providing protection from exposure to secondhand smoke. But do they provide the greatest health impact. Separating smokers and nonsmokers in the same airspace is not effective, nor is air cleaning or a greater exchange of indoor with outdoor air. Additionally, having separately ventilated areas for smoking may not offer a satisfactory solution to reducing workplace exposures. Policies prohibiting smoking in the workplace have multiple benefits. Besides reducing exposure of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke, these policies reduce tobacco use by smokers and change public attitudes about tobacco use from acceptable to unacceptable."

• * You can read details of the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement on tobacco here. Good resources that help explain more include here, here, and here.

• * The Fort Worth Star-Telegram recently did a good story on the pending federal tobacco tax hike, while McClatchy's Washington Bureau put out this story about the ongoing conflict over FDA regulation of tobacco.

• * For those interested in public opinion, a March 2009 Elon University Poll showed that "A strong majority support local or state laws that ban smoking in all public places, including public buildings, offices, restaurants and bars. Seventy percent support local laws and 67 percent support state laws."(PDF)

So, does your opinion line up with the public's? The comment link is open.

From MSNBC's First Read blog :

Firing their shot in the current battle over the budget, the liberal group Americans United for Change has launched a six-figure ad blitz (likely to exceed $700,000) that will run in states that just happen to be represented by some of the more conservative Democratic senators --

Those Senators include Kay Hagan of North Carolina, who recently joined up with 15 other "moderate" Democratic senators to form a caucus. Those moderate Democrats are balking at the high level of debt and spending in Obama’s budget plan.

You can see the ad on American's United for Change's blog. The group is described as "pro-Labor" and "pro-White House" in recent writings by Washington-based political writers.

Update: Here's the ad from YouTube:

From this week's Washington Watch column:

When the Supreme Court ruled last week on a North Carolina case involving circumstances under which legislative districts can be drawn to protect minority voting rights, members of the Congressional Black Caucus immediately started talking about legislation to overturn the decision.

“On first blush, it was thought this was a disaster,” said Rep. Mel Watt, a Charlotte Democrat who represents parts of Greensboro and High Point in the 12th District. “After a day or so, the second reaction was just 'This is bad.’ And somewhere between those two is probably what it really is.”

Click here for the whole thing. And
click here for the ruling and background.

Greensboro will be the site of one of five regional health care reform discussions the Obama administration is conducting, Gov. Bev Perdue announced today.

"The governor was happy to play host to this important event and remains committed to hearing from all sides on this issue," said Perdue spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson.

The North Carolina event follows on a health care reform summit held at the White House Thursday.

The meeting will take place March 31, according to a news release. The same release said the events are "designed to bring citizens, health care workers and patients together to express concerns and offer solutions for reforming the nation’s health care system."

Information on precisely where the discussions will take place, who will participate and how long they will be was not immediately available.

A friendly staffer up in D.C. e-mailed this photo earlier in the week:

If you'll look closely, the gentleman seated on the left is no longer English Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Instead, Rep. Howard Coble, Republican of Greensboro, is among the big three at Yalta.

Apparently, Rep. Walter Jones (or, more correctly, someone on Jones' staff) has been producing a series of pictures as homage to Coble's "long and varied career."

While the photos are beginning to make the rounds via e-mail, they've been getting posted in the Republican cloak room just off the U.S. House floor.

Coble chuckled when I asked him about the Yalta picture Wednesday.

"I told Walter Jones, 'Your chief of staff has too much time on his hands,'" but quickly added that the pictures have "become the talk of the cloakroom."

Others in the series of doctored pictures include Coble walking ashore in Korea with Gen. Douglas MacArthur and walking with President John F. Kennedy.

But Coble says the Yalta picture is his favorite. Not only does Coble's head seem to fit perfectly on Churchill's body, but Churchill was holding a cigar in the photo.

"I'm an occasional cigar smoker," Coble allowed.

Here's another from the series:

Update: Glen Downs, chief of staff for Jones, called back and fessed up to being the artist behind the illustrations. Downs grew up in Greensboro, went to Paige High School, and knew Coble when the now-Congressman was in the legislature.

The pictures started as an inside joke, Downs said. Coble's resume has a bit more variety than your average Congressman, from Coast Guard commander to state secretary of revenue.

"The guy has pretty much done everything," Downs said.

This week, Republican North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr gave the GOP response to President Barack Obama's weekly radio address. Obama spent the time pitching his budget proposal, while Burr said that the federal government needed more spending restraint.

Click here for Obama's radio address.

Click here to listen to Burr's response.

Okay, I'm trying something new (for me) with the live blogging here. Let me know if you like it.

Text of the president's prepared speech after the jump.

Gov. Bev Perdue's office just sent this list of what stimulus spending will mean to North Carolina.

The thing that jumps out at me right away is it doesn't look like there's any money for school construction, which just strikes me as odd. There is money for Head Start, Special Education and Educational Technology.

Update: That's no mistake. School construction funding was eliminated from the bill. From the Washington Post:

House Democrats were particularly incensed that language relating to school construction had been eliminated -- along with nearly $20 billion in funds -- and that governors would be restricted to paying for school renovations and repairs out of a $54 billion pot of money that included other education projects.

After much anxiety yesterday, details of the stimulus bill are beginning to emerge.

click here for the legislation as offered by the House Rules Committee. The first of two parts is 13.4 MB. Anyone think your friendly local Congressman is going to have time to read that thing before they vote today?

NCSL has some more information here, although a lot of it seems to be linked back to what's posted on Congressional websites at this point. The Ceneter on Budget and Policy Priorities has some analysis up.

As the Barkeep mentions, there are still open questions as to how this will affect North Carolina.

Although, I would argue that the "state stabilization" piece, while important, may not turn out to be important as the feds picking up an increased share of Medicaid costs. So much of North Carolina's budget gets plowed into health care programs for the poor that relief of that end of things makes other parts of the budget puzzle easier to fit together. The question is what kind of maintenance of effort caveats come with that Medicaid money and what they mean in practical terms.

After seeing my griping about a lack of information on the stimulus, a Congressional staffer felt my pain and sent along a cheat sheet that they'd been given on the stimulus package's benefits for North Carolina. It's telling that they cautioned that just about everything in it had changed several times this week and they didn't want to put their boss's name on it since it could still turn out to be not exactly right.

So with the caveats that the list is:

• A - still more outline that mean on the bones, and
• B - could turn out to be not precisely on point
• C - clearly written with the idea of selling the package to skeptics

I'll pass it on to you after the jump.

A great many of us scruffy media types who work in the states have been looking for anything resembling meaningful information regarding the stimulus bill Congress is supposedly due to pass this week.

While some broad strokes are available, there's nothing like the level of detail out there that would let us say with any precision or confidence how much money North Carolina might get for a particular program or to even begin thinking about translating that down to a county level. Yes, you can sort of extrapolate from prior versions of the bill, about how much in free-and-clear state aid or Medicaid funding might be coming down, but it’s really guesswork at this point. Take this bulletin from the AP:

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina lawmakers are trying to get an early read on what federal economic stimulus legislation would mean for local construction projects and government payrolls.

State House Speaker Joe Hackney said Thursday a previous estimate of $2.2 billion in Medicaid help from Washington could be reduced. The federal $789 billion package is on track for final votes in Congress on Friday.

A key question affecting state government jobs is how much North Carolina would receive in funds designed to help states cope with the recession. Hackney, an Orange County Democrat, said the chunk targeted to help state budgets is about midway between previous congressional versions.

After striking out with normally helpful staffers in Gov. Bev Perdue’s office and at a couple Congressional offices in D.C., I put out a tweet looking for help. That request copied to my Facebook account where Stateline's Dan Vock pointed me to this post by the Sunlight Foundation:

While the House and Senate conferees have agreed on what the stimulus bill will look like in final form, the public may very well have to wait for President Obama to sign it to get a chance to read it. The House rules require that all conference reports (which is how the bill will be reported to the floor) be made publicly available for 48 hours before consideration. Yesterday, the House Rules Committee waived that requirement to allow the House leadership to bring the bill to floor immediately. And we still have not seen the bill, and “we” includes many, many members of Congress.

At this point, I have a great deal of sympathy for the point of view that any piece of legislation, much less one that spends $790 billion, which cannot stand up to public scrutiny before it is voted upon might not be worth the paper you haven't printed it on yet. This hardly fits with promises of a more open and accountable government we’ve heard so much about.

Gov. Bev Perdue has written a letter from her undisclosed vacation spot to members of Congress asking them to speak up for certain items in the stimulus package.

Click here to read the letter.

Click here for the latest story on the stimulus from the Washington Post. It notes that negotiators have trimmed the price-tag of the bill about $50 billion from what the Senate approved earlier in the week.

Perdue outlined two groups of items she considered vital to North Carolina. They're grouped together here:

1. Funding for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund at the level of $79 billion over two years, as included in the House version. This will deliver $1.1 billion to North Carolina for education and provide the flexibility to effectively direct $716 million for other urgent funding gaps we suddenly face.

2. Making the funds available immediately, as the Senate version directs, upon enactment rather than waiting for July 1, 2009. Waiting until the start of our state’s next fiscal year will be too late to help us with the revenue shortfall we face today.

3. Making the funds eligible to sustain current state commitments to education, as the National Governors Association recommends, so that states like North Carolina are not penalized for keeping up with our commitments to education by sacrificing much-needed services in other areas.

4. Maintain the House provision providing approximately $364 million to North Carolina school districts. These funds would put people to work immediately on the $1.1 billion in “shovel ready” school projects.

5. Provide maximum level of funding for the wastewater and drinking water projects. The estimated $1.25 billion in wastewater and $124 million in drinking water infrastructure “ready to go” projects in municipalities, and the $309 million “ready to go” in rural areas only cover a portion of these needs.

6. Support the House version of funding for various law enforcement assistance. That version will provide more near-term jobs and have a greater impact on public safety in our state.

7. Include Unemployment Insurance extension and modernization language and funding. This bill must address these issues, particularly if we face a lengthy and deep recession.

As our friends at Politico note, usually when the website TMZ catches a public figure in public the exchange rates somewhere between "awkward" and "hold on while I dial my lawyer."

But, as seen in this clip, Sen. Richard Burr doesn't mind showing his thing to the Web site at all.

To be precise, Burr's "Thing" is a 1974 Volkswagen convertible that he uses to get around Washington, D.C., even in the nastiest of weather. From a blog post a couple years back:

The Volkswagen Thing, a Mexican variant of a European jeep from the late 1960s and early 1970s, is about as ugly a mod of transportation as one might find. Sen. Richard Burr has two.

"As most would tell you up here, rarely if ever does the top go up," he says. "I leave the top down because the weather is pretty good most of the time and I can ride from here to the White House and kind of forget that I'm in Washington. It's as much therapy as anything else."

Of interest to lawmakers in Raleigh is the Congressional debate over extending the SCHIP - State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

In North Carolina, federal SCHIP funds help pay for North Carolina Health Choice for Children

The debate in recent days has circulated around its expansion. Specifically, there are objections that the newest version of the Senate bill would open up benefits to one class of immigrants and unintentionally open benefits to another.

"This is another attempt to grow the size of a government program ... without taking on the tough task of debating how in the hell do we fix health care in this country, what are the reforms that have to take place so that every American has the opportunity to be insured," Sen. Richard Burr said during floor debate late this morning.

The Winston-Salem Republican outlined the two major immigration-related objections:

• * First, the bill would remove a five-year waiting period for new immigrants to tap federal government programs. Under current law, for the first five years they are in the country, legal immigrants are supposed to provide for their own health coverage or have it provided by their sponsors.

  The current Senate bill eliminates that requirement for SCHIP.

• * The current senate version of the bill eliminates a photo identification requirement for those seeking coverage under SCHIP, Burr said.

  "We actually threw away the verification that they're legal. ... All we say is you have to have a name and you have to have a Social Security number," Burr said. That type of check can be too easily skirted, he said.

Video here:

(Yes, you have to wait through the end of Sen. Casey's remarks.)

The House passed a similar bill earlier this month.

The Senate is expected to continue the debate through the rest of this week.

According to a spokeswoman in Sen. Kay Hagan's office, the Greensboro Democrat expects to speak on the debate.

A news release from the Democrats who control the Senate Finance Committee pushes back on the immigration arguments this way:

Before 1996, legal immigrants were eligible for Medicaid on the same basis as U.S. citizens. But the 1996 welfare reform law prohibited Federal funding for Medicaid coverage, nutrition assistance (food stamps), and Supplemental Security Income payments to most legal immigrants who had lived in the U.S. for less than five years. The Children’s Health Insurance Program was created in 1997 with the same restrictions.

Congress has already lifted the 1996 restrictions on low-income legal immigrants receiving nutrition assistance Supplemental Security Income. To allow legal immigrant children to receive the doctor’s visits, medicines, and care they need to stay healthy, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 gives states the option to enroll legal immigrant children and legal immigrant pregnant women who have been in the U.S. fewer than five years

More here.

Rep. Virginia Foxx's anti-bailout measure passed the House today. The Senate killed the twin measure earlier, so Foxx's bill is unlikely to have any practical effect. The second half of the financial industry bailout approved last fall, $350 billion for this installment, is probably going to be in the hands of the Obama administration sooner rather than later.

Bill info is here.

Click here for the news obit of former Congressman Horace Kornegay. The obit submitted by the funeral home is here (MS Word).

Yesterday's post on him is here.

Charlotte's Jack Betts remembers him here. The N+O obit is here.

Thanks for those who called or e-mailed to suggest folks to talk to and share memories that didn't make the story, including Judge Robby Hassell and Sen. Don Vaughan.

It turns out both of North Carolina's senators will be whips in the new Congress.

Richard Burr bumped up to chief deputy whip for Senate Republicans this year.

Now Sen. Kay Hagan, a Democrat, confirms reports quoting anonymous sources that she is a deputy whip for the Democrats. I asked her how she got the job.

"I got a call from Dick Durbin's office asking me to come and meet with him," Hagan said. Durbin is the majority whip.

She said her first assignment as whip was to count votes on the TARP legislation.

Whips have a couple jobs. One, they figure out where people stand on a particular piece of legislation so something that's going to fail badly doesn't come to the floor. Second, they twist arms when a vote is on the line and folks are breaking from the party orthodoxy.

A whip position is also important because it's an early sign of confidence in the new senator and an indication that she may be on the leadership track sooner than later.

Sen. Kay Hagan gave her first floor speech in the U.S. Senate today.

Click here to link to the video or click on the jump to read her prepared remarks.

Hagan was speaking in favor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill she co-sponsored as a U.S. Senator.

Update: Back in 2003, we wrote this in our "Inside Scoop" political column:

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole's self-imposed low profile may be coming to an end. The well- known Dole has been studiously avoiding the spotlight while she settles into the office she assumed in January.

But this week, North Carolina's freshman senator gave her first speech on the Senate floor . By tradition going back two centuries, new senators remain silent during floor debates for a period of at least a few months.

Dole broke her silence Thursday morning in a speech carried live by the C-SPAN network. She focused her remarks on the need to fight hunger in North Carolina and throughout the world.

By that measure, Hagan seems to be precocious.

But it seems that the Senate's own historians have a decidedly more modern view:

From the Senate’s earliest days, new members have observed a ritual of remaining silent during floor debates for a period of time—depending on the era and the senator—that ranged from several months to several years. Some believed that by waiting a respectful amount of time before giving their so-called maiden speech, their more senior colleagues would respect them for their humility.

[snip]

Today, all that survives of this ancient Senate tradition is the special attention given to a member’s first major address. When university libraries organize a collection of a former senator’s papers, the chronology of that member’s career almost always includes the date of his or her maiden speech.

What has not survived of this tradition, of course, is the yearlong waiting period. As one longtime floor observer notes, "the electorate wouldn’t stand for it."

Now for the jump.

During the last Congress, the House voted to let the Food and Drug Administration regulate tobacco. This measure died in the Senate, thanks in no small measure to the efforts of Sen. Richard Burr.

Faith United Against Tobacco, which is associated with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, is doing an event today to stir up public sentiment and pressure Burr to switch his stance. (It's 11 a.m. at 809 Spring Forest Road, Suite 1000 here in Raleigh if you're interested.)

Given what he said during an interview I did with him in Washington last week, I don't expect Burr to change his mind.

You can click here to listen to audio of that conversation. You will hear the rustling of my notebook from time to time because I didn't rig a mike - sorry.

Before I get back to Burr, a Republican, it's worth noting that Sen. Kay Hagan, a newly installed Democrat, also opposes regulation.

"I just think the FDA has their hands full with so many other things having to do with regulation affecting the American public, and I've already had occasion to talk about that on the Hill," Hagan said recently.

Now back to Burr: By way of summary, I asked him if he still planned to oppose FDA regulation of tobacco. Burr said he did.

Burr said he would introduce legislation to put "a new regulatory map in place," but he does not want the FDA to be part of that map.

"The FDA mission statement is to prove the safety and efficacy of drugs, devices and biologics," Burr said.

None of that can be determined on a product like tobacco, Burr said. And since there's a great deal of evidence surrounding cancer and heart disease related to tobacco use, it's not a huge leap of logic to think the FDA might deem tobacco products unsafe.

Burr said that making FDA regulate tobacco would "hamstring" the agency, taking its resources away from things like making sure food and drugs are safe.

So is there not a certain element of protecting the hometown industry as well? With Lorillard in Greensboro and RJ Reynolds in Winston-Salem and a shrinking but still critical mass of tobacco farmers throughout the state, Tar Heels have a significant interest in the health of the industry.

Burr's answer: "If you listen to the proponents of FDA legislation for tobacco, you would believe there is no regulation today. Yet, it is the most regulated product sold in America," Burr said. "I don't hide the fact that I'm from a tobacco state, but I also don't hide the fact that I believe the credibility and integrity of FDA should be maintained."

Burr said that tobacco should continue to be regulated but done by other agencies that, in his mind, make more sense, such as EPA.

Gov. Bev Perdue is in Washington today pressing her case for North Carolina to get its share of federal stimulus dollars. (Background here.) She was meeting with North Carolina's Congressional delegation and members of President-elect Barack Obama's transition team.

Emily Stephenson, who served ably as a newsroom intern last summer, is doing a tour in D.C. with Scripps Howard Foundation Wire and provided me with a report from Perdue's travels today.

Perdue said Tuesday that she expected to see a $2 billion (give or take a few hundred thousand) shortfall in the current year budget earlier this week. That's higher than the $1.2 billion Gov. Mike Easley had been predicting before the transition.

She told reporters in D.C. that she's asking for two pots of money from the federal government: one for infrastructure items and one to help bolster the state's budget.

"I learned a long time ago … that you take a time like this of tremendous challenge and you use it to retrofit or change the system," she said.

Perdue told reporters that she had identified a list of projects that are "shovel ready." I spoke with some of Perdue's aids this afternoon, who said that it's not so much a list as a collection of e-mails that are being compiled into something resembling a coherent list. It should be done by this weekend.

Perdue did have a one-page handout she gave to lawmakers (Click here for a PDF) that contained gross totals for the kind of money she could put to work. That sheet says, for example, there are $2.8 billion in projects cities could do right away, but it doesn't list those individual projects.

At any rate, those projects are things that could be under way by March 14 if North Carolina were to get the money Thursday.

"This is a tremendously realistic list," Perdue said, adding, "My criteria was, don't give me people's wish lists. I want projects that are shovel-ready...I think the president-elect's team and the president-elect himself understand this is critical money."

The handout contains and interesting reference to Medicaid funding and says that a federal infusion into the Medicaid program would be welcome.

"Additional FMAP funds would ameliorate the need to make draconian reductions that ultimately impact our ability to provide quality services to our citizens."

Perdue took a dig at the North Carolina Congressional delegation members who have been skeptical about the stimulus and (in her opinion) were letting reelections determine their votes.

Emily ran into Rep. Mike McIntyre (ran into him in the hallway) who originally opposed stimulus stuff because he thought it ignored rural areas, and 85 counties in NC can be considered rural. He thinks Perdue's proposal does account for rural areas since transportation, airports, clean water are everywhere.

"It's not targeted just to one sector or one industry," he said.

It is time to update your bookmarks. The folks at the N.C. Republican Roundtable wrote to say they have moved on over to Conservative NC. Aside from getting their own domain, the site is slicker and they're re-branded under the "conservative" label, which may get them a few more eyeballs from Democrats and unaffiliated voters.

Among their first posts, Conservative NC notes that Sen. Richard Burr is doing a blog on his official Senate site. Nice short posts and the voice seems to be his own, or at least a pretty adept staffer.

From Politico:

Sen. Richard Burr is set for a promotion and winning the position of chief Republican deputy whip under Sen. Jon Kyl, according to a GOP aide.

Burr, a conservative from North Carolina, has long harbored leadership ambitions, losing a bid for conference chairman in the last Congress to Lamar Alexander.

The position gives Burr a chance to help keep Republican members in line during key votes and is a stepping stone to a higher-ranking leadership spot.

This morning's paper had a story on Rep. Virginia Foxx's effort to kill the second installment of TARP funds. She has a resolution that must be heard before the money can be forked over to the Obama administration.

Full disclosure: I wrote about it not so much because I think it will pass but because it's unusual for a Republican to be able to force a vote on any issue in a Democratically controlled Congress. That fact that one of our local GOP members of Congress might be in such a perch interested me.

Somewhat up in the air was the timing of when that bill might be heard. After hearing back from the Democratic majority leader's office, here's what the plan seems to be:

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank of Massachusetts is pushing a bill that would put more restrictions on the TARP funds. From this AP story:

The House could act this week on a bill by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., who heads the House Financial Services Committee that would set tougher conditions on recipients of the second $350 billion, including limits on executive pay, and require the government to use at least $40 billion to modify mortgages of struggling borrowers to avert foreclosures.

"I hope the House will pass a bill this week that sets forth the conditions we believe are necessary to assure that the public gets the full benefit of these funds," Frank said in a statement Monday. "It seems clear the Obama administration agrees with what we are setting forward, and I believe this creates a framework so that the release of these funds can go forward."

I was told that House leaders want to vote that bill first before taking up the Foxx measure.

The inference, I think, is that Democrats want to take at least a couple bullets out of the gun of folks trying to shoot down the second half of the TARP funding. The Frank measure may buy them some cushion on the vote, winning over those who wouldn't vote for a further release of funds without some better accounting of where the taxpayer's initial $350 billion has gone and where the next $350 billion might go.

Two news releases came in late today. First up, U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan received her committee assignments today. From a news release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) was named to the Senate Armed Services and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committees today. Legislative work in Congress is divided among committees based on jurisdiction, and “A”- level committees are considered the most important.

Former Sen. Elizabeth Dole, who Hagan defeated this fall, sat on armed services. Hagan will join Richard Burr, a Republican and North Carolina's senior senator, on the HELP committee.

Hagan and new North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue are scheduled to talk about priorities Wednesday. And as it happens, our second release comes from the governor, who says the state's current year budget deficit will hit $2 billion.

Governor Bev Perdue today signed an executive order to address the increasing fiscal year 2008-09 budget shortfall now predicted by the Office of State Budget and Management (OSBM) to reach $2 billion or more.

The order outlines options to address the shortfall. Perdue will provide a more detailed management plan by the end of this week to ensure the state’s budget is balanced on June 30, 2009 as required by the state Constitution.

“Like most states, North Carolina is being deeply impacted by the global recession,” said Governor Perdue. “As Governor, I have a constitutional requirement to balance North Carolina’s budget, and I intend to do so responsibly. North Carolina has a track record of responsible fiscal management as demonstrated by our AAA bond rating. That’s the same approach we take today.”

Click here to read the executive order.

The order seems to make good on something Perdue said yesterday, when she said the state may have to freeze spending. While this doesn't cut any programs off, it does seem to put a hold on spending for things the state might not have to buy right away.

I would translate it as the governor saying, "Don't spend money we don't have." AP's Gary Robertson is, as usual, a little more precise in his delivery. From the Associated Press story:

Perdue's executive order told budget officials to keep holding back on monthly allocations to state agencies at her direction. They also may be called to retain cash set aside for capital projects that haven't yet been placed under contract and to take money from other pots within state government to keep the general operating fund flush.

The news release said Perdue's budget officials set the $2 billion figure because taxes withheld from paychecks - a key indicator of employment - slowed to 1.2 percent growth during the three months ending Dec. 31. Sales tax collections also fell 10 percent in the second quarter.

The declining stock market and the state's highest unemployment rate in 25 years also will lead to revenue problems, according to her office.

If the economy continues to sour, Perdue and legislators could face having to draw up a budget for next year that must fill a $3 billion gap between projected revenues and expenditures. Filling the gap would likely include making a cash infusion to the health insurance plan for state employees and giving small raises to employees and teachers.

When President George Bush requested that Congress release the second half of the financial bailout money, known as TARP, he gave Forsyth County Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx some leverage.

Foxx opposes the bailout and is the sponsor of a measure that would, essentially, turn the president down. Among the few safeguards included in the original TARP bill was a requirement that Congress consider that measure.

There's a lot of anxiety about doling out another $350 billion, but it appears Congressional leaders are going to try to push their troops in that direction.

Still, Foxx gets to play a leading role in the opposition.

Foxx argues that the TARP approach is similar to the New Deal programs of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, which she characterized as a failure.

"So here we have a documentation of how not to do it and it appears as though people are ignoring it," Foxx said.

Click here to listen to her explain her opposition. It is from an interview conducted last week, but still relevant.

And Click here to read her resolution.

It is unclear when her bill might be heard. If it has not gotten a vote by the middle of next week, she can go to the floor of the House and force matters.

From today's paper:

If North Carolina's newest senator is ever tempted to rise above her raisin', swept away by the privileges and perks of office, the black duffel bag lurking near her desk might bring her back to reality.

Tucked inside is a hood designed to protect Sen. Kay Hagan from a chemical or biological attack on the Capitol.

"I had no idea. I thought it was somebody's package, something of a staff member," Hagan said, bemused by the strangest trapping of her new role as North Carolina's junior senator.

If nothing else, it's a reminder that even the thick stone, marble and brick buildings on The Hill cannot keep out the world's rougher realities.

Hagan, a Democrat, was sworn in Tuesday, taking over from Sen. Elizabeth Dole after defeating the Republican incumbent in November's election. And for the first time, the Senate clerk called for "Mrs. Hagan" as part of a quorum call - an accounting of which senators are present - and she participated in several ceremonial happenings.

Click here for the whole thing.

When I was in D.C. last week reporting on Sen. Kay Hagan's first days in office, I also spent some time with some of our other Congress-critters.

Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican, is North Carolina's senior senator. He plans to run for a second term in office in 2012.

We talked a little bit about Arizona Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign. Burr was a big supporter of McCain, particularly in North Carolina. He is convinced that it's the economy more than anything else that did in McCain's campaign, particularly in North Carolina.

I asked if he thought North Carolina had changed in some fundamental way. After all, Democrats won a fifth consecutive term in the governor's mansion, won the state's presidential electors for the first time since 1976 and expanded their hold on the Council of State.

Burr said, no, that all things being equal, the state has always had voters willing to look across party lines. This year was odd, he said, because of the economy but did not represent a redrawing the political fundamentals.

So, I asked, does 2008 have any bearing on 2010, when he'll be running again?

Again, no.

"I still have to prove to the voters that I've done the best that I can, that I've worked hard on their behalf," Burr said.

However, Burr does seem to have taken note that Sen. Elizabeth Dole, the Republican incumbent who lost to Hagan, was beaten in no small part because she was perceived as an absentee senator.

"I spent 11 weekends in Washington in 14 years, and I've seen some news accounts that say I'm going to be home more often than I have been. My wife says, 'I don't think that's possible,'" Burr said.

In the end, Burr said, he doesn't plan on changing how he operates.

Click here to listen to more of the conversation.

My colleague Jerry Wolford and I were on Capitol Hill today watching Greensboro's Kay Hagan take her oath of office. (More coming in Wednesday's paper and Sunday.)

Click here for Jerry's excellent photo slide show and audio presentation, which really captures the day.

More later.

My colleague Jeri Rowe writes an open letter to Sen. Kay Hagan today as she prepares to be sworn in. As I write, that's a little more than three hours away.

The drill is this: At noon the Senate will convene and swear in the new members en masse. Then they'll run across the hall to the Old Senate Chamber and pose for a swearing-in shot complete with a bible and family and what not.

Other than on C-Span, you're not going to see the actual swearing in because they don't let news cameras on the floor. The bit in the Old Senate Chamber is a commemorative moment, but entirely fake.

Later in the day, Hagan will host an open house at her senate office and then head off to a reception.

Speaking of her office ...

When I wandered into town Monday, one of my first orders of business was to get credentialed so I could roam the buildings up here a little more freely. I saw Hagan on her way into the office, toting a very colorful flower arrangement.

I didn't think a lot of it at the time, other than to think that most sitting senators probably had staffers bring in their flowers.

But when I visited her temporary offices later in the day, the flowers made more sense.

Hagan is based in the basement of the Senate's Dirksen office building, across the hall from the stationary shop and within sight of a service corridor. Inside, the walls are plain white and the carpet is a brown that might charitably be described as coming from a desert palette.

Very blah.

The flower arrangement sitting near her desk was the only punch of color in the suite of offices.

Hagan is going to have to wait for her permanent digs until all the foolishness with the Minnesota and Illinois senate races/replacements is over with. The Senate is a creature of traditions, and seniority is taken very seriously there. Even small clicks in seniority given by the size of one's state or prior service in government can move you up or down in the pecking order for everything from office space to committee chairmanships.

I'll have more later today on Hagan's first day officially on the job.

Before getting to the serious business I have with Congressman Howard Coble, you may want to give him, or at least his picture, the business on eBay.

That's right, you can buy your very own signed postcard of the Congressman for $9.99. Coble is heading into his 25th year in Congress and the picture appears to date from the beginning of that run.

Now on with our show.

Visiting with Coble in his Capitol Hill office tonight, I asked him what he wanted to tackle this session.

"Well my first order of business, old friend, is going to be maybe this week on this proposed pay increase," Coble said.

Rank-and-file members of Congress make $169,300 a year and are due for a $4,700 raise this year. That raise happens automatically unless Congress heads it off.

The automated raises were put in place more than a decade ago. In large part, they were supposed to avoid partisan wrangling over pay raise decisions. (No one would have to risk his neck or seat by sponsoring or debating in favor of a pay raise bill.)

Coble said that this year, with the economy tanking and people losing jobs, Congress should act to block its pay raise.

"When you have bills like this, it invites demagoguery," Coble said. "I'm not going to be a demagogue about it, but I think this is ill timed. You have thousands - strike that. You have tens of thousands of people who have lost their jobs ... and then they're picking up the paper and seeing we're getting a $4,700 a year raise. I think it serves no good purpose."

Coble is not the first to this idea.

Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Arizona, will be the lead sponsor of a bill to do what Coble is talking about. (More here.)

Coble did not mention the Mitchell bill -- which cannot officially be filed until Tuesday at noon -- but said he was looking for a measure to sign on to.

And you thought the election was over. From today's paper:

Wayne Abraham will get to do something today that most U.S. citizens never do: cast a vote for president.

Although North Carolinians saw Barack Obama's name on the ballot, they were actually choosing a slate of electors who will meet today at the Old State Capitol in Raleigh. Across the nation, similar groups will meet and the Electoral College will formally confirm Obama's ascension to office.

"I thought it would be interesting and exciting to cast, in a sense, the real vote for president," Abraham said.

He is one of 15 electors who will cast ballots in North Carolina: One for each congressional district and two elected statewide.

Read the full story here. And for more background on the citizenship thing, click here.

From the Sec. of State Elaine Marshall's office:

Raleigh - NC Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall will convene the North Carolina Electoral College on Monday, December 15, in the Capitol Building’s Old Hall of the House of Representatives at noon. The electors will cast their ballots for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States.

The November 4 popular vote determined that electors nominated by the North Carolina Democratic Party will cast the official ballots for the state. North Carolina’s 15 electors will cast their ballots and prepare Certificates of Vote for the President and Vice President of the United States.

The 2008 meeting of the Electoral College will feature comments from Secretary Marshall. The North Carolina National Guard Honor Guard will provide the color guard, and Miss North Carolina, Amanda Watson, will sing the National Anthem.

The Senate's rejection of the auto-industry bailout has prompted the White House to consider alternate action, according to the Washington Post.

A side note for North Carolina: our U.S. Senators split on the issue.

Out-going U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole voted FOR the bailout plan. U.S. Sen. Richard Burr voted against. Both are Republicans and Dole bucked the position the majority of her caucus took.

The House passed a $14 billion rescue package for the nation's auto makers on a 237-170 roll call vote Wednesday night.

The Washington Post story is here. The bill could face a tougher road in the Senate, where opponents have more tools at their disposal to slow the thing down.

Nine of North Carolina's 13 U.S. House members voted against the bailout.

Democrats G.K. Butterfield, Mike McIntyre and Heath Shuler voted with all six Republicans (Greensboro's Howard Coble and Winston-Salem's Virginia Foxx included) against the package.

Reps. Brad Miller, Mel Watt, Bob Etheridge and David Price, all Democrats, all voted yes.

Our friends at the Associated Press report:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has turned down an emergency appeal from a New Jersey man who says President-elect Barack Obama is ineligible to be president because he was a British subject at birth.

The court did not comment on its order Monday rejecting the call by Leo Donofrio of East Brunswick, N.J., to intervene in the presidential election. Donofrio says that since Obama had dual nationality at birth — his mother was American and his Kenyan father at the time was a British subject — he cannot possibly be a "natural born citizen," one of the requirements the Constitution lists for eligibility to be president.

Donofrio also contends that two other candidates, Republican John McCain and Socialist Workers candidate Roger Calero, also are not natural-born citizens and thus ineligible to be president.

At least one other appeal over Obama's citizenship remains at the court. Philip J. Berg of Lafayette Hill, Pa., argues that Obama was born in Kenya, not Hawaii as Obama says and the Hawaii secretary of state has confirmed. Berg says Obama also may be a citizen of Indonesia, where he lived as a boy. Federal courts in Pennsylvania have dismissed Berg's lawsuit.

Meanwhile, Slate has a thorough write-through of the issue.

Last week, my colleague Lex Alexander wrote about an ongoing issue with the VA:

Winston-Salem's Department of Veterans Affairs regional office is among at least 41 VA offices nationwide that improperly placed papers in bins to be shredded, records show.

The papers pertained primarily to veterans' applications for benefits, according to VA records obtained by the News & Record through the service organization Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.

The papers were described in an Oct. 23 VA conference call as "critical," meaning the documents were necessary for veterans' claims to be properly adjudicated. Improper adjudication could keep veterans or their survivors from getting money to which they are entitled.

Mentioned here, because President-elect Barack Obama will formally announce his new Veteran's Affairs nominee today:

President-elect Barack Obama today will introduce retired Army Gen. Eric K. Shinseki as his nominee to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, bringing to his Cabinet a career military officer best known for running afoul of the Bush administration by questioning the Pentagon's Iraq war strategy.

Shinseki, a four-star general and 38-year veteran who retired shortly after the fall of Baghdad in 2003, will appear with Obama in Chicago at a news conference today commemorating the 67th anniversary of the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor. Obama said Shinseki agreed to join the incoming administration because "both he and I share a reverence for those who serve."

As ranking Republican on the Committee on Veteran Affairs, NC Sen. Richard Burr will have some say relative to the confirmation of that appointment.

Remember the questions over whether Barack Obama is actually a citizen of the United States? The nation's highest court is going to give them a look-see, according to the Chicago Tribune:

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider Friday whether to take up a lawsuit challenging President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. citizenship, a continuation of a New Jersey case embraced by some opponents of Obama's election.

The meeting of justices will coincide with a vigil by the filer's supporters in Washington on the steps of the nation's highest court.

The suit originally sought to stay the election, and was filed on behalf of Leo Donofrio against New Jersey Secretary of State Nina Mitchell Wells.

Legal experts say the appeal has little chance of succeeding, despite appearing on the court's schedule. Legal records show it is only the tip of an iceberg of nationwide efforts seeking to derail Obama's election over accusations that he either wasn't born a U.S. citizen or that he later renounced his citizenship in Indonesia.

The Tribune story is here. Some context on which justice forced the issue here.

As the AP and Bloomberg report, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments today in a case that has to do with whether the EPA can or should regulate water withdrawals by power companies. From the AP story:

The Bush administration asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to let the nation's older power plants draw in billions of gallons of water for cooling without installing technology that would best protect fish and aquatic organisms.

Lawyers for the government and electricity producers urged the justices to overturn a lower court ruling that says the Clean Water Act does not allow the government to pit the cost of upgrading an estimated 554 power plants against the benefits of protecting fish and aquatic organisms when limiting water use.

[snip]

Environmentalists want the decision upheld, an outcome that could prompt the EPA to require existing power plants to install the same technology it requires at all new plants. Known as closed-cycle cooling, it recycles water using less from waterways to cool machinery.

You can find a whole passel of legal briefs by clicking here and scrolling down the Entergy case. You can read a transcript of the arguments by clicking here.

Might this be relevant to North Carolina?

A spokeswoman for Duke Power said she didn't know and they'd have to look at the case.

But here's why I think it might be relevant to Duke, Progress and other power generators here:

(Click to enlarge.)

That's a graph from this presentation on water use heard by the General Assembly's Environmental Review Commission last month.

That big orange line? It represents 9 billion (yes, with a B) gallons of water power plants extract from North Carolina waterways every year. That's more than is withdrawn for all other uses in the state, including drinking water and hydro-electric power, combined.

Power companies will tell you that most of that water goes back into lakes and rivers, which is true. But it gets strained, heated up, shoved through industrial machinery and spit back out.

(And right here would be a good place to acknowledge that if you're reading this, you're most likely using a computer sucking up power from a plant like the one I'm describing, so let's not kid ourselves - we all like the lights coming on.)

At any rate, North Carolina has some power plants of a certain age (old) pumping out the juice and I'd be surprised (to the point of falling out of my chair) if they were all outfitted with the latest water conservation devices.

So if the Court goes against power utilities and the Bush Administration here, it could prompt the EPA (soon to be headed by an Obama Administration appointee) to require some expensive retrofits. (Of course the fish and those of us who like to catch and eat them might appreciate the extra steps, as, I’m sure, would the other critters who live in the lake.)

I'll report back here if Duke gets back to me on the applicability to their particular situation.

President George W. Bush (remember him!) was in Greensboro today. My friend and colleague Gerald Witt has the story here.

(Credit: Jerry Wolford / News & Record)

Meanwhile, Gov. Mike Easley (remember him!) and governor-elect Bev Perdue were up in Pennsylvania today talking about federal aid for states.

(Credit: The Associated Press)

The Associated Press reported:

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ North Carolina Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue says Barack Obama is speaking her kind of language when it comes to an economic recovery plan.

Perdue was on hand Tuesday as the president-elect spoke to current and soon-to-be governors in Philadelphia. Obama pledged to make quick work on an economic stimulus package that would include tax cuts and federal spending.

Perdue told The Associated Press in a phone interview she liked that Obama is interested in giving states money for water and sewer upgrades and other improvements - and not just road repairs. She also appreciated Obama saying that state leaders aren't to blame for the bad economy.

Perdue said she talked with Obama on Monday night during an event for Democratic governors.

Outgoing Gov. Mike Easley also was in Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, important people in the legislature will be running to stay important this month.

Legislative Republicans are due to meet in Greensboro this Sunday to choose leaders.

Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam is running again for minority leader in the House, and there's no mention of a challenger in the rumor mill.

Meanwhile, Rockingham County Republican Phil Berger will have competition for his seat. Sens. Bob Rucho of Mecklenburg and Pete Brunstetter of Forsyth are running for the right to lead the 20-seat Republican minority in the Senate.

I don't know either Brunstetter or Rucho well. I will say that Berger and Stam are cut somewhat of the same cloth. They don't play angry, take their victories where they can get them, are confrontational with the majority when it suits their purposes but not overly so. Brunstetter seems like he may be from that same mold but those that know him say Rucho may be a bit more inclined to get in Basnight's face a bit.

Democrats will hold a similar leadership election exercises later this month (Dec. 17) and House Speaker Joe Hackney and Senate President Pro Tempore Marc Basnight are expected to hold onto their posts.

(Editor's note: I've deleted a final sentence that was in an earlier version of the post that was copied and pasted into the post out of context and, in fact, made no darned sense as written.)

From N.C. House Speaker Joe Hackney's office:

North Carolina House Speaker Hackney has issued the following statement with respect to action in Washington on the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008:

"I am encouraging members of Congress to act quickly on a plan that will restore confidence in the U.S. economy. The ongoing crisis is driving down the value of homes, college saving funds and retirement accounts. Small businesses continue to suffer and some local governments are unable to carry out capital projects because of the tightening credit market. Added delay will only lead to more complications and doubt about the strength of our economy."

Translation: get your sorry back-sides back to work.

Four of North Carolina's 13 representatives voted for the bailout. They were: Bob Etheridge, Brad Miller, David Price and Melvin Watt.

The nine no votes from NC were: G.K. Butterfield, Howard Coble, Virginia Foxx, Robin Hayes, Walter Jones, Patrick McHenry, Mike McIntyre, Sue Myrick and Heath Shuler.

Congressman Howard Coble was among the Republicans who voted against the bailout plan. His vote was influenced by constituent comments.

"The phone just literally rang off the hook, and it ran 90-to-95 percent in opposition," Coble said.

Coble said that he didn't think the rush the administration was pushing was necessary.

"I just don't believe the sky is going to fall," Coble said.

Congressmen, he said, will likely be called back to Washington later in the week to take another crack at the bill.

The House voted down the bailout plan. Congressman Brad Miller, a Democrat, was on the losing side of that vote. A statement from his office:

Today, I voted to support the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act because I believe the compromise will help protect working and middle-class families from the crisis on Wall Street. I think the rescue plan will bring stability to the markets as we try to turn around our economy.

But, this bill is a very bitter pill for me. I probably have become the leading critic in Congress of the mortgage lending industry, including the financial institutions that bought predatory mortgages knowing full well the consequences of those mortgages for middle-class homeowners.

The industry has not always taken my criticism with good humor.

The industry hated the legislation that I introduced more than five years ago to prohibit predatory mortgage lending practices. And the industry really, really hated the legislation that I introduced last year to let bankruptcy courts modify predatory mortgages.

But I do think we are in a worsening financial crisis that will affect ordinary Americans, not just financial institutions. The economy will slow dramatically if every business and every American family has to operate on cash. If credit is not readily available and affordable, middle-class American families will have a hard time buying a new car, with disastrous results for the Americans who depend on the automobile industry for their livelihood. The story is the same in industry after industry.

This bill is a dramatic improvement on what the Bush Administration presented Congress not quite a week ago. There is now real transparency, and vastly improved accountability and oversight. The bill takes pains to shift the ultimate cost to the industry that made the mess, not innocent taxpayers.

I regret that this bill does not do more for families living in houses that they could afford, but are stuck with abusive mortgages that they can’t. Millions of families will lose their homes to foreclosure, and foreclosures are pulling down home values for millions of other families. I will push hard for bankruptcy reform early next year.

I wish the limitations on the compensation of top executives were tougher, another issue we need to come back to.

I wish there were real reforms in consumer lending practices that cheat middle-class families with deceptive penalties and fees, and trap struggling families in a cycle of debt.

And I know that no matter what Congress does, we are all in for several tough months, and maybe longer. Many financial institutions are carrying assets on their books for far more than the assets are really worth. Banks won’t trust each other enough to lend freely until insolvent institutions collapse, and taxpayers will foot much of the bill to pick up the pieces.

I reluctantly voted for this bill today, but I’m not finished with the fight against the heedless greed that is responsible for so much grief for so many Americans.

Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican of the Winston-Salem-based 5th Congressional district, said this morning she opposed the bailout.

"I'm going to vote no. I think it is a disaster for this country if the bill passes," Foxx said. "It starts us down the road to socialism. We're facing the most important vote any of us would ever take other than a vote to go to war. We're being asked to change fundamentally the way this country operates and I think it's a mistake."

Regarding the bailout, Rep. Mel Watt says he'll vote for the package being pressed by President Bush.

"I'm voting for it because I don't feel like I have a choice. We were told a week ago Thursday by Sec. (Henry) Paulson and (Fed Chairman) Ben Bernanke that the consequences of not doing something would be catastrophic, probably worse than the great depression," Watt said.

He acknowledged that public sentiment was running heavily against the bill. Paulson and Bernankie, he said, had the credibility to sell the need for a bailout, at least to Congress. But, he said, only the president had the potential to really sell it to the American people.

"The problem is the President has neither the communication skills nor the credibility to convince the American people," Watt said. "Only the president has that kind of pulpit and he failed woefully when he went out there and tried to make the case."

Watt said callers to his office are not convinced that there needs to be a bailout, no matter what the details might be.

I also asked him about the impending sale of Wachovia's banking operations to B of A, which provoked a knowing groan from the Congressman.

"In the past 16 years I've been up here, I've seen other members of congress come up to me with a stressed look on their face saying, 'Your bank has bought my bank,'" Watt recalled. Usually, that has been Wachovia (or First Union before those two merged).

"Now, I'm on the reverse side of that distress and it's not fun," Watt said.

Asked about what impact the deal would have on North Carolina and Charlotte, Watt could say specifically but said the deal could have "a devastating impact."

He continued:

"It shows you how irresponsibility and greed really can cascade into real problems...This was one of the most solid banks in America until they bought that loan portfolio from Golden West ... Loans that shouldn't have been made in the first place," Watt said.

It seems to me there's a lot of nose-holding going on with
the proposed financial industry bailout. President Bush issued this statement this morning:

Today, a bipartisan group of Members of Congress, working with my Administration, reached agreement on economic rescue legislation that is urgently needed to address a crisis in our financial system that threatens the entire U.S. economy.

I appreciate the leadership shown by Members on both sides of the aisle, who came together to write a very good bill. This bill provides the necessary tools and funding to help protect our economy against a system-wide breakdown. The bill will help allow access to credit so American families can meet their daily needs and American businesses can make purchases, ship goods, and meet their payrolls. And this plan sends a strong signal to markets around the world that the United States is serious about restoring confidence and stability to our financial system. Without this rescue plan, the costs to the American economy could be disastrous.

Many Members of Congress contributed important ideas to improve the legislation my Administration proposed. I appreciate the negotiators considering those ideas and incorporating them in this agreement.

Members of Congress will vote on this legislation soon. This is a difficult vote, but with the improvements made to the bill, I am confident Congress will do what is best for our economy by approving this legislation promptly.

I'll be checking in with the local honorables (federal versions) today on what they're thinking right now.

I spoke with Rep. Brad Miller late today about the mortgage bailout. Miller is a member of financial services committee, so he'll be a player when the bailout bill comes to the House side.

Click here to listen to my conversation with Miller from late this afternoon.

Miller has been pushing for a while now to allow bankruptcy judges to restructure first mortgages. Right now, they can clean up the mess of a second mortgage on an investment property, but on your own home where you live, the terms can't be changed.

Click here to read up on the particulars of Miller's bill.

This idea is now in vogue, but there are questions. The big one is outlined in the following graphs about allowing the Treasury Department to reset loan terms, which would apply to bankruptcy court judges as well (It's from a New York Times story):

But Democrats are insisting that the Treasury Department also help restructure many of those loans, by lowering the interest rate or the loan amount, to make the mortgages affordable and reduce the number of people who lose their homes through foreclosure.

The Bush administration has been lukewarm to that idea, but many housing and mortgage experts say the government would have a difficult time modifying mortgages even if it were eager to do so.

The vast majority of subprime mortgages - 90 percent or more, by some estimates - are inside giant pools, or trusts, which have in turn sold bonds with different levels of seniority to institutional investors around the world.

Even if the government acquires hundreds of billions of dollars worth of mortgage-backed securities, finance experts say, the Treasury Department would be unlikely to acquire all the bonds tied to a particular mortgage pool. And if the government did not own all those bonds, it might not have the power to demand changes in the underlying mortgages.

I asked Miller about that. He said that this is done in a lot of cases right now with other kinds of debt. The mortgage servicing company would most likely end up in court representing the interests of those who would stand to lose from the restructured debt.

The financial industry has been opposed to this idea and said they would oppose including it in the bailout package. One lobbyist told Miller it was a "deal breaker," which made him laugh.

"What deal is this. They're drowning, it's they're own fault their drowning, and they're negotiating over the rope we throw them," Miller said.

Again, click here to listen to my conversation with Miller. And here's the feed I sent to folks working on a story for tomorrow:

When asked what the tone of calls and e-mails to his office had been, Rep. Brad Miller used one word.

"Fury. "

Then he thought of a second.

" Rage. "

Like Coble, he is still learning details of the plan and says it will evolve as the week goes on. Miller, a Democrat and member of the House Financial Services Committee, called the administration’s initial offer “not serious” and said it amounted to a negotiating position meant to start discussions.

At this point, he said, there are a few bright lines for him.

" I am not willing to vote for a $700 billion bailout … and come out of this with an industry just as crooked as the one that got us here, " he said.

Miller says he would favor restrictions on campaign giving by executives with companies helped by any new bailout fund.

“I know we’re not at the end of it,” Miller said, reflecting the anxiety of a lot of his constituents. “And I don’t know what other shoes are going to drop…I really want to know what else might be coming.”

Photo credit: The Associated Press. Caption: Senate Banking Committee member Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., listens to testimony on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008, during the committee's hearing on the credit market turmoil. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Dole's written statement to the committee:

I have very strong concerns that this "rescue" proposal will unfairly hold taxpayers responsible for the costly and reckless decisions of investment bankers on Wall Street. I, like the North Carolinians I am hearing from, am very skeptical of this proposal and frankly, I’m extremely frustrated that we find ourselves in this position.

So much of what is happening – with regard to the credit crisis, the housing slump, the bankruptcy and dissolving of major financial institutions – can be linked to the mismanagement of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which was made possible by weak oversight and little accountability.

(More after the jump.)

I just sent the following to colleagues working on a story about the U.S. Government's proposed bailout of the financial industry:

Staffers for Rep. Howard Coble’s office report that reaction to the bailout plan has been steady and almost entirely negative.

“My first thought is, who’s going to bailout the taxpayer,” Coble said Tuesday afternoon.

Coble said Vice President Dick Cheney met with Republican House members Tuesday morning, encouraging them to back the plan.

“He was advocating for the bailout, but I didn’t get a lot of out that,” Coble said. Meetings with House members are due to continue this week. As of right now, he said, there’s not formal plan on paper that Congressmen can read or evaluate.

In particular, Coble said, he is bothered by the lack of oversight included in the outline drafted by the administration.

Given the choice between voting in favor of the bill and seeing the economy encounter more turmoil, “I may be obliged to vote for it, but right now, my heart ain’t in it.”

The gold-truck will once again role through Mayberry as President Bush is due to come to town on Sept. 30.

The curious thing for me in reporting this story was that Democrats were a lot happier about the impending visit of a sitting Republican president than were Republicans. Here's a few relevant graphs from the story (published Saturday):

Bush canceled a fundraising trip this week in Alabama and Florida. If this one comes to pass, it will be just more than a month before the election, and some political observers say state-level candidates might have reason to be uncomfortable with the visit.

According to opinion polls, the president’s generic job approval rating is between 30 percent and 40 percent, dipping to 25 percent in some states such as California.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole “is the one who obviously is affected the most,” said Andrew Taylor, a political science professor at N.C. State. “She hasn’t explicitly tried to distance herself from the president, but there’s no real embrace of the president. It doesn’t help her that people will be reminded that she and the president share party affiliation.”

Dole is locked in a tighter-than-expected re-election campaign against state Sen. Kay Hagan , a Greensboro Democrat who has attracted national attention for her aggressive campaign and ability to keep pace with the widely known Dole.

When asked about the scheduled presidential visit, Hagan spokeswoman Colleen Flanagan cited Dole’s record of voting in concert with the president 92 percent of the time, a statistic that campaign has used for months in television ads and on the stump.

“President Bush may go, but his legacy will live on if we re-elect Elizabeth Dole to the U.S. Senate,” Flanagan said.

This earlier blog post from D-2008 had a copy of the invitation and a few other tidbits.

Following the earlier angst over the prohibition bill, Congressman Howard Coble has thrown inhibition to the wind and taken over sponsorship of what is now H. Con. Res 415, but still has the same language as earlier. From Coble's office:

Someone who has been known to appreciate a beer or a glass of wine on occasion, U.S. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) tonight will introduce legislation to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of prohibition against alcohol consumption in the United States. Congressman Coble, along with Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) will sponsor a House concurrent resolution celebrating 75 years of effective state-based alcohol regulation and recognizing state lawmakers, regulators, law enforcement officers, the public health community, and industry members for creating a workable, legal, and successful system of alcoholic beverage regulation, distribution and sale.

"After consultation with my ranking member of the House Judiciary committee," Rep. Coble stated, "I decided to move forward with a new concurrent resolution. Although Congressman Lamar Smith and I disagree on this particular bill, we will do so agreeably. Lamar will remain my good friend and sometime tennis partner. I am comfortable being the lead author of this resolution because of all of the fine work done by beer and wine wholesalers, not only in my district, but throughout North Carolina and the nation. Not only do they provide quality jobs to many of my constituents, all of the beer and wine wholesalers whom I know support outstanding charitable and community-minded programs throughout the 6th District."

In 1919, following the passage of the 18th Amendment, which prohibited "the manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating liquors," the United States experienced a dramatic increase in illegal activity including unsafe black market alcohol production, a growth in organized crime, and increasing noncompliance with alcohol laws.

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Cullen-Harrison Act, which once again, legalized the sale of 3.2 percent beer, signaling the beginning of the end of Prohibition. On December 5, 1933, the United States ratified the 21st Amendment which repealed Prohibition and restored the control of alcohol to the states.

With the ratification of the 21st Amendment, primary authority was delegated to the individual states, establishing the state-based regulatory system for alcohol distribution that we still use today. This system allows each state to adopt individual laws that fit the beliefs of its citizens.

Reps. Coble and Stupak will introduce H. Con. Res. 415 tonight, but it is unknown when a vote will be scheduled.

I've been away from the computer for a couple days, and wandered back in this morning to find an item from the Politico referenced a couple times among the bazillion e-mails waiting for me:

The House of Representatives had been slated to take up important work this afternoon: celebrating the legalization of booze. Passage of the resolution, though, is in question today, as one of its two sponsors, Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.), might not make it to town in time to take part in the bipartisan celebration, an aide in the Democratic cloakroom says.

Co-sponsored by Michigan Democrat Bart Stupak, the resolution comes 75 years after the ratification of the 21st Amendment re-legalized alcohol. The resolution notes that "prior to the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which established Prohibition in the United States, abuses and insufficient regulation resulted in irresponsible overconsumption of alcohol." The ban, though, "resulted in a dramatic increase in illegal activity, including unsafe black market alcohol production, organized crime, and noncompliance with alcohol laws."

[snip]

UPDATE: Coble is in town and ready to go forward, but a Judiciary Committee aide says that Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), ranking member of the committee, has concerns about the resolution and isn't ready to let it move just yet.

It seems the Politico didn't quite get it right. So just to be clear, I called Coble's staff this morning. According them, the skinny seems to be this:

• * Coble still thinks the repeal of prohibition is worthy of celebration.
• * He was in town in plenty of time for the vote that was probably scheduled before its time.
• * Coble has piped down about the bill because Smith, ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, doesn't drink and doesn't think we ought to be celebrating prohibition's repeal.

Coble, according to his staff, will still support the resolution when it comes to a vote, but won't be "the lead" republican on the measure.

For those who are interested, here's the bill, a nonbinding resolution that holds virtually no force of law.

And while I plan to celebrate prohibition's repeal in my own quiet way, my liver and some others might think there are topics more worthy of attention at time when the financial markets are melting down around our ears.

Update: As the headline might suggest, I think there's a joke in here somewhere about Coble having been around for the repeal of prohibition, but I neglected to go for it. You're welcome to try in the comments link below.

Let's say you're an average American who knows that two relatively important things called Fannie and Freddie have been put into government receivership. This seems to be bad, as in other companies you used to think were big will suffer bad; as in you better not want to sell your house, retire or send your kids to college in the next five years bad.

So you wonder to yourself: Self! How could two massive companies with implicit backing of the U.S. government be so poorly run and/or regulated that this could happen?

Well I'm no financial expert, but the Center for Responsive Politics might give us some hints:

If the same guys who created you and the rules that govern you are also heavily invested in your enterprise and get lots of campaign donations from you, maybe they're more likely to go easy on you. If not, there's always lobbying to fall back on.

Or as the Politico put it:

If you want to know how Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have survived scandal and crisis, consider this: Over the past decade, they have spent nearly $200 million on lobbying and campaign contributions.

But the political tentacles of the mortgage giants extend far beyond their checkbooks.

The two government-chartered companies run a highly sophisticated lobbying operation, with deep-pocketed lobbyists in Washington and scores of local Fannie- and Freddie-sponsored homeowner groups ready to pressure lawmakers back home.

As the guys on Mythbusters say: Well there's your problem.

Now let's be clear: Fannie's and Freddie's executives designed and prosecuted the policies that led to all of this, and they were buying into a larger pattern of doing business that in hindsight looks absolutely nutso. But one does not spend that kind of money without wanting something, and it looks like to me (sitting in the cheap seats here in Raleigh) what Fannie and Freddie wanted most of all was freedom in the way they did business while still clinging to the security blanket of taxpayer protection.

Would the Congress have been more skeptical if all that money wasn't sloshing around? You can't say for sure, but ... how could it not have been?

Worth noting that Sen. Barack Obama is #2 on the contributions list and McCain shows up on both the contributions and investment list. Also on the contributions list: North Carolina Reps. Brad Miller, Mel Watt, David Price, Walter Jones and Robin Hayes.

Every year when Hurricanes start rolling into the state, Gov. Mike Easley goes through a predictable series of steps. He gets his emergency response guys together and holds press conferences telling folks to stockpile water and food and generally stay safe. As the storm gets closer, he switches from business suits to what we scruffy media types call "disaster casual," kaki pants and opened collared shirts with logos. After the storm, he goes riding about in a helicopter to survey the damage, declares disasters, etc... You know, governor stuff.

So a couple of news releases from Sen. Dole's office had us confused. Here's the latest:

Friday, September 5, 2008 6:15 p.m. MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Dole will meet with the North Carolina State Emergency Response Team (SERT) to discuss preparations for Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike. Yesterday, Dole spoke with North Carolina Governor Mike Easley, Department of Homeland Security Undersecretary for Federal Emergency Management R. David Paulison, who heads the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and officials at the American Red Cross to help coordinate an effective response to the severe weather.

North Carolina Emergency Operations Center
Administration Building
116 West Jones Street
Raleigh, N.C.

It's not just that senators don't have a whole lot to do in disaster given that whole lack of executive authority thing. Honestly, I can't remember her ever doing this before for any previous hurricane.

You don't think this could have something to do with it being an election year, do you?

Update: I had ask Dole's office this afternoon if she had ever done anything like this. I got a response back saying that she had and listing all the times. The problem with the list is most (if not all) are touring damage after the fact, not getting ready for it. But by way of full disclosure, I'll post the list after the jump. My point remains that there's not much for a federal (or state-level) legislator to do in preparation for a hurricane.

Update 2:And by way of fuller disclosure, Dole spokesman Wes Climer takes issue with my characterization, saying that Senators have a role in marshaling the resources of the federal government and "encourage and advise" on the placement of public resources.

"Senators work with state officials and federal officials to ensure a smooth response," he said.

Even after hearing that, I'm still am a bit dubious. But here's the jump, and you can look through this list yourself and decide.

Congressman Howard Coble is going to join the "Republican revolt" on the energy debate. From his Congressional office:

(WASHINGTON, D.C.)----U.S. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) will travel to Washington on Tuesday, August 12, to participate in the Republican debate calling for comprehensive energy reform. Congressman Coble said he will return to Capitol Hill so that he can lend his voice for the need to produce more domestic energy.

“I have been pleasantly surprised at the number of 6th District residents who have been calling and emailing all of our offices urging me to participate in this important debate,” Coble stated. “Even though the Speaker has turned off the cameras and the microphones, she has not been able to silence the voice of the people who want us to continue working on real energy reform. I am pleased that I was able to adjust my district work schedule so that I could return to Washington to lend my support to this effort.”

According to the House Republican Conference, what began 10 days ago as a spontaneous uprising on the floor of the U.S. House after Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) sent Congress home for a five-week break without allowing a vote on more American energy to lower gas prices has now become an unprecedented nationwide protest. The House Republican-led revolt against the Majority’s decision to defy the will of the American people, who solidly support more American energy production to lower gas prices, enters its second full week – and shows no signs of slowing down.

Rep. Coble will participate in the news conference at 11 a.m. that occurs outside the House Chamber in the Capitol and then he will join his colleagues on the House floor for the energy reform debate. He plans to return to Greensboro later in the day Tuesday to resume his district work schedule.

U.S. News' Luke Mullins caught up with Rep. Brad Miller regarding the mortgage market crisis.

1. Could you please explain what you are asking the mortgage industry to do in terms of foreclosures?

We're asking them to hold off on foreclosing on homeowners who may be eligible for refinancing under the new FHA "Help for Homeowners" program, at least until the program is up and running on October 1. We're also asking pointed questions about whether they're really going to use the program and what they're doing to be ready to start using the program as soon as possible.

2. Why are you asking them to do that?

We're partly asking to get their attention, to let them know we're serious about the mortgage industry taking responsibility for the mess they've made.

Critics say the mortgage industry has done precious little to help homeowners, but the mortgage industry claims that they're voluntarily modifying mortgages like crazy to help strapped homeowners keep their homes, and the industry has successfully fought off legislation to give real, enforceable rights to homeowners with bad mortgages.

The mortgage industry supported the "Help for Homeowners" legislation and said it would be a real help. Why would they foreclose on homeowners who would be eligible for the program in just a couple of months? Are they serious about using the program, or are they just stalling to keep Congress from passing tougher legislation?

Click here for the whole thing.

Update: Here's my story from Thursday's paper.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Updating the menthol story: The U.S. House passed HR 1108, a bill to give the FDA power to regulate tobacco.

But in the final version of the bill that got approval Wednesday afternoon contained this language:

(A) SPECIAL RULE FOR CIGARETTES- Beginning 3 months after the date of enactment of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, a cigarette or any of its component parts (including the tobacco, filter, or paper) shall not contain, as a constituent (including a smoke constituent) or additive, an artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice, including strawberry, grape, orange, clove, cinnamon, pineapple, vanilla, coconut, licorice, cocoa, chocolate, cherry, or coffee, that is a characterizing flavor of the tobacco product or tobacco smoke. Nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to limit the Secretary's authority to take action under this section or other sections of this Act applicable to menthol or any artificial or natural flavor, herb, or spice not specified in this subparagraph. For purposes of this section, a cigarette or any of its component parts has a characterizing flavor if the cigarette, its tobacco smoke, or the component part imparts a distinguishable taste or aroma other than tobacco or menthol either prior to consumption or during consumption, or is advertised or marketed as having or producing a flavor, taste, or aroma other than tobacco or menthol.

Translation: the bill outlaws cherry, vanilla and other flavors but not menthol. If this bill were passed into law, the FDA could regulate menthol in cigarettes but only after scientific study and a federal rulemaking process - and we all know how fun and straightforward THAT is.

Why is menthol regulation a big deal? Well, if you're Greensboro-based Lorillard or a company like Commonwealth Brands and a bunch of your sales is tied up in Menthol sales, it's a big honking deal. Lorillard owns about a third of the U.S. mentholated cigarette market.

There are a lot of backers of the bill who say that the menthol exception is just fine and worth the tradeoff to get some sort of tobacco regulation rolling. Others take exception.

"More than 80 percent of the smokers in the African American community smoke mentholated products," said William Robinson of the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network. His group initially backed HR 1108 but withdrew its support over the menthol issue. "Why set menthol aside and not immediately ban it like all the candy and fruit flavors?"

Click here to see votes on the bill.
No votes from North Carolina: Greensboro's Howard Coble (R), Virginia Foxx (R), Heath Shuler (D).

Coble offered these prepared remarks during the floor debate:

“During my tenure in Congress I have consistently opposed granting the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate tobacco. I do so based upon my philosophical beliefs and the ramifications this legislation would have upon my congressional district and state.

“As I have stated on many occasions, I believe allowing FDA to regulate tobacco in any capacity would inevitably lead to FDA regulating the family farm.

“Permitting FDA on the farm creates uncertainty and adds another burden to the already overwhelmed FDA. Let’s be honest, should the FDA spend its time regulating tobacco on the farm and in manufacturing facilities, despite the warning on cigarettes which alerts users to their danger, or should it focus on the core mission of ensuring the safety and soundness of our food, drugs, and cosmetics.

“I also have concerns with the impact this legislation would have upon tobacco manufacturers and their employees. These companies employ many hard-working North Carolinians, and I believe FDA regulation of tobacco could negatively affect these manufacturing jobs.

“Finally, taxing tobacco companies to fund additional regulation and avoid pay-go problems is ill conceived and will create an incentive for black market activity such as counterfeiting and smuggling.

“Madam Speaker, this legislation is misguided, and in my opinion will not achieve the goals identified by proponents. Instead, I believe it will further exacerbate an already stretched FDA, negatively impact manufacturers and farmers, and create a strain on federal revenues to the Treasury. I adamantly oppose this measure and urge my colleagues to do the same.

“Madam Speaker, tobacco is a product that is lawfully grown, lawfully marketed, lawfully manufactured, and lawfully consumed. We don’t need the FDA inserting its oars into these waters.”

And despite getting the menthol exemption, Lorillard wasn't completely happy with the bill. The company put out the following after the vote:

GREENSBORO, N.C. – July 30, 2008 – The Lorillard Tobacco Company (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lorillard, Inc. (NYSE: LO)) said that it is disappointed with today’s vote by the House of Representatives to approve a bill that would require the FDA to regulate tobacco. The Company also said that while it fully supports reasonable federal regulation of the tobacco industry, that the FDA is already overburdened and is the wrong agency to carry out this enormous task.

The Company also said that it welcomes the provision in this bill that calls for a scientific review of menthol in cigarettes. While the scientific studies to date do not support a conclusion that menthol cigarettes are more hazardous or addictive than non-menthol cigarettes, the Energy and Commerce Committee noted the importance of ensuring the FDA has the “scientific evidence necessary to make the best decision to protect the public health” for all cigarette additives and constituents.

Lorillard agrees that a proper scientific review based on “sound information and scientific evidence and data,” as the Energy and Commerce Committee report states, with involvement by all interested parties as required under federal rulemaking procedures, will be informative in addressing the questions that are being raised about menthol cigarettes.

The Company said the current challenges facing FDA are well documented. It believes that the addition of a new multi-billion dollar a year industry for the FDA to oversee, when the agency is already struggling to fulfill its core mission, is misguided. The Company said that it is understandable why 82 percent of those surveyed in a February 2008 Zogby poll say they are concerned that regulating tobacco would interfere with FDA’s principle mission to oversee pharmaceutical drugs and the nation’s food supply.

In October 2007, FDA Commissioner Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, in written testimony before the House Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health, made it clear that the FDA could play a role in the regulation of tobacco, but that the FDA should not be the responsible agency. Last week, HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt echoed those concerns when he wrote, “The regulatory obligations created by [the FDA] bill would be a significant added responsibility for the Food and Drug Administration and one that is inconsistent with FDA’s mission of ensuring food safety and the safety and effectiveness of drugs, biologics, and medical devices.”

The Company noted that some advocates have characterized this legislation as an important tool to reduce youth smoking. Lorillard firmly believes that cigarette smoking is an adult choice and that children should not smoke. According to government surveys, youth smoking rates are at the lowest levels since the government began studying youth smoking rates more than 30 years ago. Furthermore, for the second consecutive year, all 50 states are in compliance with federal legislation aimed at decreasing youth access to tobacco with the overall rate of compliance at its highest level. The Company added that while more needs to be done to reduce the rate of youth smoking, this specific bill is, in fact, principally focused on adult smokers.

The Company believes the FDA is overburdened and the wrong agency to regulate tobacco – and looks to the Senate for its leadership to find an effective regulatory solution.

There is a companion bill in the Senate that has begun to move through committee over there, although Sen. Richard Burr, R-NC, has expressed some major dislike for the bill.

Update:The Libertarian Party weighs in:

Washington, D.C. – Tobacco regulations that just passed the House "should carry a warning label about their dangerous effects on liberty," says Libertarian Party spokesperson Andrew Davis.

The bill, sponsored by California Democrat Rep. Henry Waxman, would give new powers to the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco ingredients and advertising, as well as the introduction of new products into the market. The bill passed the House 326 to 102 after less than an hour of debate.

"Freedom is going up in smoke," says Davis. "The issue isn't about public health. It is about giving the FDA new powers to regulate a private industry when really we should be moving to privatize the FDA."

Davis says that giving the FDA authority to regulate cigarettes "undermines the notion of individual liberty" for citizens who make informed decisions to smoke. Davis also adds that this regulation will create an artificial monopoly in the tobacco industry by Philip Morris USA--the only major company in the tobacco industry that supports the bill.

Critics have said that only Philip Morris is able to easily adapt to the new regulations, giving it a distinct advantage in the cigarette market over its competitors in what Davis says is "government creating monopolies."

However, "tobacco education is not a problem in the United States," says Davis. "Both private advocacy groups and cigarette manufacturers spend millions on educational programs. We don't need the government obtaining new powers to regulate a personal choice by millions of Americans to light up a cigarette when the risk is clearly known. Yes, smoking is dangerous, but government power is even more dangerous."

Davis says that individuals make a personal choice to smoke, and "government should have no role in helping to make that decision."

"It's a personal choice," says Davis, "and one that an individual should make for himself, as well as pay for the consequences himself."

The Libertarian Party is America's third largest political party, founded in 1971 as an alternative to the two main political parties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party by visiting www.LP.org. The Libertarian Party proudly stands for smaller government, lower taxes and more freedom.

Up in Washington, Congress is considering HR 1108, which would give the FDA to regulate additives in cigarettes. This is of particular concern to Greensboro’s hometown tobacco company, Lorillard. From an AP story on the bill:

The House of Representatives could vote before month's end on a bill giving the Food and Drug Administration power to regulate tobacco. If signed into law, the government would gain new power to restrict ingredients used in cigarettes and crack down on advertising directed at children. Currently, additives found in cigarettes, chew and other tobacco products are not regulated by the government.

Despite wide support for the effort in Congress, debate over whether and how to restrict use of menthol flavoring is threatening to derail the bill. No company has more at stake in the outcome than Greensboro-based Lorillard, which relies on menthol cigarettes for 90 percent of its sales.

The current bill exempts menthol from an immediate ban applied to other tobacco-masking flavors used in cigarettes, such as orange, strawberry and cherry. Instead the bill gives regulators power to ban or limit menthol at a later date, if they can show scientific evidence it threatens public health.

Click here to read the full story and here for a related story from the NY Times.

Okay, I have the plead ignorance here, having tried exactly one puff of one cigarette in my entire life. For you smokers: does the menthol make that big of a difference? At any rate, this seems to be a measure folks in Greensboro will be keeping watch over.

By the way, the AP story quotes Sen. Richard Burr as saying he'll use his influence to block the measure if at all possible.

The Associated Press unleashed a big project on Congressional earmarks this weekend. As part of the project, they rolled out an interactive map, which shows North Carolina's per capita earmark rank is 42.

AP recruited some newspapers to help out with the reporting. I'm really liking the interactive feature the Asbury Park Press rolled out.

The bulk of the stories were based on data from a few different places available on the web, including the Taxpayers for Common Sense. It's fun to play with even if you're not writing a big ol' takeout. (Previously.)

From Congressman Howard Coble's office:

Coast Guard veteran, U.S. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC), who is also a member of the House panel that has jurisdiction over the nation’s Coast Guard, will be a special guest on Wednesday at the graduation ceremonies of the United States Coast Guard Academy. Congressman Coble will travel to New London, Connecticut, with Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen for the graduation where Vice President Dick Cheney will be the commencement speaker.

Rep. Coble, the former Chairman and current member of the House Coast Guard subcommittee, said he agreed to accept the Commandant’s invitation because two of his constituents will be graduating tomorrow. "I have never been able to attend the Coast Guard Academy graduation ceremonies in the past," Rep. Coble stated. "and since there will be 6th District residents, both from Moore County, receiving their diplomas, I thought it was important to be there in person to congratulate them."

[snip]

Rep. Coble said he has received approval to miss any House votes during the day on Wednesday and hopes to return to Capitol Hill by 4 p.m. tomorrow.

Congressman Brad Miller took some time on the U.S. House floor to wish Greensboro a happy birthday this week.

Congressman Howard Coble is among those calling for the Congress to confirm nominees to the Federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. The nominees have generally been held up by Senate Democrats because they view the appointments - made by President Bush - as too ideologically committed in their rulings.

From a news release:

Today, 21 Republican Members of the U.S. House of Representatives called on Senate Democrats to schedule hearings for the Fourth Circuit judicial nominees. In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, the House Members - who represent constituents in the Fourth Circuit - urged Senate Democrats to give the nominees an up-or-down vote.

According to the letter, the 21 Members believe that their constituents are paying the price for the judicial vacancies “as they see their cases delayed because there are not enough judges to handle the caseload on the Fourth Circuit.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has a current vacancy rate of 33 percent; the nonpartisan Judicial Conference has found three of these vacancies to be "judicial emergencies." One of the seats, based in North Carolina, has been vacant for over 13 years.

Statements from several of the Members are below:

[snip]

Representative Howard Coble (R-NC): "Chief Judge Robert Conrad, who was nominated to fill the vacancy in North Carolina, is a longtime friend of mine and extremely qualified to fill this position. To leave a seat vacant for more than 5,000 days is a travesty. The people of North Carolina and the Fourth Circuit deserve better. I urge the Senate to move on this and other vacancies expeditiously."

Other Republicans also weighed in:

Representative Walter Jones (R-NC): "Many people in North Carolina rely on our federal courts, yet the Fourth Circuit seat based in North Carolina has been vacant for more than 5,000 days. The Senate’s refusal to hold a vote on President Bush’s four nominees to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is completely unacceptable. Due to the Senate’s inaction, our citizens continue to suffer as cases get delayed because there are not enough judges to handle the Fourth Circuit caseload. My constituents deserve better."

Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC): "By playing partisan politics with the judiciary, Senate Democrats are depriving the people of the Fourth Circuit their right to justice. They need to stop playing games and do their jobs."

Representative Sue Myrick (R-NC): "The people in North Carolina, who are served by the Fourth Circuit, deserve better. We need these judicial spots filled so that people can get justice; not a waiting line because we don't have enough judges to hear the cases."

A story in the Politico came over the Google feed this morning because it involves Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina. The story is about Historically Black Graduate Institutions. While I knew about HBCUs - Historically Black Colleges and Universities - the HBGIs designation was a new one for me. From the story:

Key members of the Congressional Black Caucus, along with lobbyists for historically black universities, are blocking a bipartisan Senate effort to expand the number of schools eligible to be a Historically Black Graduate Institution.

The HBGI designation comes with both prestige and federal funding, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and other members of Congress are pressing to use the Higher Education Act reauthorization to assign it to several schools, mostly in their home states.

The co-chairmen of the CBC's education task force, Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), are actively opposing the effort, arguing that the addition of more grad schools to the HBGI program would diminish the amount of money eligible for those currently receiving funding.

The three organizations that represent the Historically Black Colleges and Universities community are also opposing the effort. The battle between congressional chambers and among competing black schools has led to some serious bad blood, aides and lobbyists said.

"The inclusion of one or two others would open up a new category, and you'd have dozens that become eligible tomorrow afternoon, and we'd have no rational basis to keep them out," said Scott, who cited the opposition of the United Negro College Fund and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education. "There seems to be a pretty good consensus around not expanding the list."

Also from the story:

Burr's spokesman said that "Burr supports strengthening and expanding HBCU graduate programs so that a greater number of students have the opportunity to attend and further their education. Sen. Burr believes giving more students better opportunities can be done without reducing funding for current HBCUs."

Read the whole thing here.

Congressman Howard Coble sent word that a bill he's supported for a while was signed by President Bush today.

The Second Chance Act basically focuses on ways to ensure that once folks leave prison, they stay out. This current version funds $165 million in "prisoner reentry" programs. Coble has been talking this up since I've been talking to him on a regular basis. (White House Press Release.)

Here's a picture of Coble at the bill signing:

Credit: The Associated Press

Okay, so I do a fair bit of my work at night after the kids go to bed, plunked down on my sofa with the television box blathering in the background. That means I half hear a lot of commercials, promos and snipits that don't quite penetrate my thick noggin.

One of those half-heard snipits came up a couple nights ago, and seemed to have something to do with tobacco regulation. I missed the punch line and couldn't figure it out until this story showed up in my e-mail box courtesy of a Google alert:

The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a bill Wednesday that would give the Food and Drug Administration sweeping regulatory authority over the tobacco industry, clearing the way for a House floor vote on the legislation, which has long been sought by anti-tobacco activists.

The reason it pinged my Google alert comes further down in the story:

Senator Richard Burr, Republican of North Carolina, has reportedly threatened to filibuster against the legislation. In a statement Wednesday, shortly after the committee vote, Mr. Burr said he remained opposed to the legislation. A spokesman for Mr. McConnell said that the senator has said he would review the legislation.

Here's the ad in question:

Note that it is paid for by Reynolds American and would send people to this site.

The pro-regulation argument is here.

The U.S. House voted on a bill that would spend $50 billion over five years to expand AIDS prevention programs around the world particularly in Africa. Click here for the early AP story.

The White House backs the bill and a similar measure is on track toward passage in the Senate.

The North Carolina vote: All seven Democrats Yes, All six Republicans No.

Nationally, 230 Democrats voted for the bill along with 78 Republicans; 116 Republicans voted against.

U.S. Rep. Brad Miller, a Raleigh Democrat who represents parts of Rockingham and Guilford counties has a spiffy new website.

Largely lost in Treasury Sec. Henry Paulson's plan to remake financial industry regulations was and effort to create a federal super-regulator for insurers. More here.

If you think this might trouble North Carolina's state insurance regulator, you'd be right.

"It could be a real mess," said N.C. Insurance Commissioner Jim Long, who said that the federal government would have to hire thousands of workers to do the same job that state agencies do now.

"If you keep it on the state level, when I mess up, you're right next door to me. You can come over and say, 'Jim Long, what did you do?'"

Long acknowledges there were problems for companies getting certified by 50 different regulators and points to a relatively new Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission that helps streamline the process for 31 states, including North Carolina.

Also, Long argues that North Carolina's special mechanisms to take care of things like beachfront property aren't relevant to those who live in Kansas, and Kansas' concern about tornadoes probably doesn't translate to California property owners.

"The good news is it (the Paulson proposal) is not going anywhere right now," Long said. That's because it's an election year and, well, stirring that much soup while the cooks want to go home and win votes isn't feasible.

Long said that he'll be turning his attention to the legislature before too soon. In particular, he is watching an effort that would restrict his ability to control the state's auto-insurance rates.

"They pushed for that like crazy," Long said of the auto insurers. "And they're going to be pushing again, no doubt about that."

Background on that here (from political connections) and here (from the AP).

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole used and Op/Ed piece in the Washington Times today lay out her case the U.S. should spend 4 percent of GDP on military spending. This is an idea pushed by The Heritage Foundation and taken up by pushed by military leaders earlier this year.

Alcoa, the big aluminum company, is in the process of repermitting its power generating station on the Yadkin River. Its permit is due to expire this year and the company has applied to the FERC to renew.

Sen. Phil Berger, the Republican leader in the state Senate, says the state should oppose the renewal based on drought concerns. He copied us scruffy media types on a letter he sent to Gov. Mike Easley:

Dear Governor Easley,

I understand that Alcoa, Inc. has filed an application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for renewal of a license to generate electricity at facilities on the Yadkin River in Stanly County. If FERC approves the request, Alcoa’s electric power generation will allow it to divert water from the Yadkin River for its profit while providing no benefit to the people of North Carolina. Renewal will give Alcoa this control over North Carolina’s natural resource for a period of 50 years.

In 1958, when its current license was issued, Alcoa provided a number of jobs to North Carolina’s citizens; sadly, this is no longer the case. In 2002, Alcoa laid off hundreds of North Carolina workers and no longer provides employment for a substantial number of our people. If Alcoa is granted a new license, North Carolina’s precious and valuable water resources will be utilized for profits of an out-of-state corporation instead of being used for the people of North Carolina.

You have emphasized the need to preserve and protect North Carolina’s water resources, especially during the recent drought conditions; this is an opportunity for you to further those efforts in a tangible way. I hope you will take action to protect North Carolina’s citizens and their water resources by opposing Alcoa’s FERC application.

Sincerely,
Philip E. Berger

Rep. Brad Miller, a Raleigh Democrat who represents parts of Greensboro, has been keeping busy asking for stuff from the FBI. The FBI has kept busy not giving it to him and his colleagues. From this piece on the "Government Executive" website:

Nine months after House Science Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee leaders wanted details about the FBI's plans for a massive data collection and tracking program, little has been done to address their concerns. Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Brad Miller, D-N.C., and ranking member James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., asked for a GAO report on the National Security Branch Analysis Center last June. House Oversight and Government Reform National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Chairman John Tierney, D-Mass., has joined their request.

The FBI sought $12 million for the center in fiscal 2008 to hire 59 employees, including 23 contractors and five FBI agents, according to the lawmakers' letter to the GAO. The effort would increase the FBI's ability to use "predictive models and patterns of behavior" to uncover terrorist sleeper cells, Justice Department documents said. The clearinghouse could hold 6 billion records by 2012, according to some estimates.

Rep. Howard Coble, Greensboro Republican, wrote a piece on Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing in "The Hill," a newspaper that mainly services official Washington. From the lede of the Op/Ed:

If you are under the age of 20, half of you did not purchase a single compact disc last year. You still acquired music - both legally and illegally - but you did it exclusively online. According to today's teenagers, going to the mall to buy a CD is so last century!

The main point of the editorial - after the self-consciously unhip start - was to say that those who use P2P services are at risk of identity theft and to advocate for blocking such services.

Needless to say, it has drawn some negative criticism from various technology bloggers, here, here and from Public Knowledge. There Sherwin Siy writes

There's an interesting parallel between the conclusion that all p2p applications, since they can be used for infringement, must be blocked, and the conclusion that copyright infringers, since they have infringed via the Internet, must be kicked off the 'net.

This parallel is a perilously narrow view of the purposes of communication technologies. Telling a lie in public may result in penalties, but those penalties should never silence the offender by preventing him from speaking publicly again. But that is exactly what such policies do.

Coble is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet. That means he has some influence over how these laws get written up, although not as much as he did when he chaired it.

From an blog post by the LA Times' Washington Bureau comes this scene of Rep. Mel Watt at work on Capitol Hill:

The meeting took a truly unexpected turn ... when Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia called upon Chertoff's entourage to all stand up -- without explaining why.

That task fell to Rep. Mel Watt of North Carolina, like Scott an African American and a Democrat. He said he wanted to make clear, for the record, "that the 10 staff members who stood up behind Secretary Chertoff are all white males."

There ensued a testy exchange between Watt and Chertoff, with the latter cautioning against assumptions about ethnicity based on appearances.

"I know an African American when I see one," Watt shot back.

In a comment directed at the staffers, he called out, "If anyone is an African American, I hope they will stand up."

That sparked laughter from some in attendance (thougn not from Chertoff's aides).
Watt then asked, to truly drive his point home, "If anyone back there is a woman, I hope they will stand up."

Finally, he chided Chertoff: "If you are going to do law enforcement, you need to have an element of diversity."

On the heels of joining up with an enforcement-first immigration caucus in the Senate, Sen. Elizabeth Dole filed a couple immigration-related bills this week:

• The first would repeal an executive order that requires government services to be provided in languages other than English. From the release:

  "Hundreds of different languages are spoken by people in this country, and it is fiscally irresponsible and impractical for our government to provide services in all of these languages," said Dole. "Moreover, proficiency in English should be encouraged, as it is not only required for citizenship but also is essential for maximizing opportunities in this country."

• The other would make drunk driving a deportable offense. From a release:

  "In North Carolina, we have had a number of fatal automobile accidents caused by an intoxicated person who was in the United States illegally," said Dole. "In several of these incidents, the illegal alien has a record of DWI, but has been caught and released. My bill would help ensure that undocumented aliens who have self-identified themselves by drunk driving are removed. Likewise, individuals who abuse their legal status in the United States by repeatedly breaking our drunk driving laws should lose their privilege of living in our country."

I have argued before that immigration will be a big factor in the upcoming election. It has slipped in the polls as of late, although remains big with conservative voters.

And while not EVERY legislative action is a piece of an upcoming campaign, and these moves are consistent with Dole's approach to legislating, but they do seem a good way to keep supporters happy.

Taxpayers for Common Sense has its annual review of budget earmarks out.

Earmarks are those little (or not so little) bits of funding that members of Congress set aside and make sure get to the home folks. Some folks call it pork, others call it "valuable local economic development projects." It's all a matter of perspective.

You can look through the whole thing at the TCS website, but I'm going to dive in an pull out some info on our locals.

Let's start with Congressman Howard Coble:

Amount requested alone or alone and with Senators: $5,289,500
Amount of Total Earmarks, requested solo and with others: $1,2737,500
Some of the Projects:

• * YMCA of High Point, NC, Archdale Trinity Branch in Archdale, NC, for construction of a YMCA facility, $147,000
  
• * Alamance-Burlington School District, Burlington, NC for the Professional Development Academy, $146,000
  
• * Sandhills Teen Challenge, Carthage, NC for substance abuse treatment services, $97,000

Coble had two projects he requested in conjunction with Brad Miller:

• * Elon University of Law, Juvenile Justice Intervention and Mediation Clinic, Greensboro, NC, $235,000.
• * Autonomous Anti-Submarine Vertical Beam Array, $1 million. (This one went to General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems.)

Miller himself had $9.6 million in earmarks, $2.2 of which he either requested on his own or in conjunction with Senators (read: no other house members involved). Some samples from his list:

• * FRESH (Field Renewable Energy System Hybrids) Li Ion Battery, $1 million. (AFRL/PRPS).
• * WakeMed Health & Hospitals, for the Emergency Operations and Regional Call Center, $170,000.
• * To Interact, for renovation and build out of a shelter for victims of domestic violence, $147,000.
• * Person Memorial Hospital, Roxboro, NC for facilities and equipment, $331,000.

Rep. Mel Watt has signed onto $23.8 million in earmarks, although only a tenth of that are items that he signed onto by himself. Some samples of those:

• * University of North Carolina, with East Carolina University, for the program in Racial Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease, $570,000.
• * University of North Carolina at Greensboro, for a teletherapy program to address the shortage of speech language pathologists, $68,000.
• * Intermodal Transportation Facility (Winston-Salem), $392,000.
• * Klumac Road grade crossing separation (Salisbury), $300,000.

The big money seems to be on the Senate side.

Elizabeth Dole did $147 million in earmarks either on her own or with others. Of that, she did $4.8 million in solo requests, with no other Senator or House member involved. Samples from that group:

• * FHWA; Ferry Boats and Terminal Facilities, $2.3 million, North Carolina Statewide Ferry System.
• * University of North Carolina at Wilmington, for nursing programs including military veterans, clinical research, and distance learning, $205,000.
• * Aquatic Plant Control - Lake Gaston, $512,000.

Sen. Richard Burr signed on to $116 million in earmarks, $2.8 million of those without another Senator or House member involved. In that latter group:

• * City of Rocky Mount, for renovations to the former Booker T. Washington High School, $137,200.
• * Clayton Pedestrian Grade Separation, $360,150.
• * Gaston College, Health Education Institute, Dallas, NC for nurse training programs, including facilities and equipment, $146,000.

From a PR Newswire release:

North Carolina Senator Richard Burr, a former businessman and pro-growth champion on Capitol Hill, has agreed to become the new Co-Chairman of the Senate Boating Caucus. Senator Burr replaces former Senator Trent Lott (R-Miss.), who recently retired from the U.S. Senate, and will serve as co-chairman alongside Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.).

Now before you think Burr is going to don a little sailors cap and start having people call him "Commodore," this has more to do with business than regattas. More from the release:

"I love the outdoors so I'm pleased to be a Co-Chair of the Senate Boating Caucus," Burr said. "Like all North Carolinians, I know that boating is a great way to enjoy our state and we share that with many families across our country. The boating industry is an important part of North Carolina's economy that is continually growing," Burr added.

North Carolina is home to more than 60 boat manufacturers that generate more than 7,300 jobs statewide. With more than $649 million in new retail sales and services in the powerboat, motor, trailer and marine accessories market in 2006, North Carolina is the fourth biggest marine market in the U.S. There are currently more than 370,000 registered recreational boats in North Carolina.

"The National Marine Manufacturers Association applauds Senator Burr for taking on the responsibility of co-chairing the Senate Boating Caucus and thanks him for his strong representation of the recreational marine industry and boating community in North Carolina," said Scott B. Gudes, NMMA vice president of government relations. "We look forward to working with him to promote pro-boating policies on Capitol Hill."

The House today approved an economic stimulus package. Congressman Howard Coble was one of 35 votes against. From his office:

Even though it was endorsed by a Republican president, along with Democratic and GOP leadership in the House, U.S. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) today voted against a $150 billion economic stimulus package calling it "deficit spending at its worst."

Congressman Coble stated that he voted against the legislation because it was "applying a Band-Aid to a problem that requires major surgery."

Rep. Coble said he also voted against the measure because he didn't like the process in which it was adopted. "It was brought up under suspension of the rules," Rep. Coble noted, "which meant that there were no hearings on the bill, and we couldn't amend it on the House floor. I know that everyone wants to assist our slowing economy as soon as possible, but adding this much to our deficit is the wrong approach in my opinion."

The stimulus plan passed the House by a vote of 385 to 35 with 1 present. The Senate is looking at different proposals for its own economic recovery plan, so the legislation still has additional hurdles to cross. Rep. Coble was the only member of the North Carolina congressional delegation to vote against the bill.

"When I first ran for this office," Rep. Coble stated, "I said I wanted to apply a sharp pencil to age-old ways of deficit spending in Washington. Well, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Some time ago, the catch phrase was, 'It's the economy, stupid.' It is still about the economy, but I think there is a smarter way to stimulate growth than by piling on additional debt. That is why I voted no today."

From The Politico:

The main intellectual engine driving Democratic responses to the housing crisis isn’t headquartered in a flashy Washington think tank or K Street suite, but rather in a restored cream-and-brick building on Durham’s idle West Main Street.

It's the nonprofit, nonpartisan Center for Responsible Lending. And on a recent afternoon, Martin Eakes, its chief executive officer, abandoned a half-read printout of the Federal Reserve’s just-released draft of new mortgage lending rules, its response to the subprime market meltdown.

"The proposed rule is worse than I could have ever imagined," Eakes seethed in his Southern drawl. "I had thought that the Bernanke Fed would be different, [but] it is the most pathetic response to a serious crisis that I have seen from any regulator in my adult career."

You may have read about the closing of the Gold Toe Moretz plant in Alamance County. The layoffs will affect 430 people, according to the governor's office.

Congressman Brad Miller, a Raleigh Democrat who represents Greensboro and parts of Alamance, weighed in on the closure this afternoon:

I am deeply disturbed by the loss of jobs that will result in the closing of the GoldToeMoretz manufacturing site in Burlington. Sock mills have been one of the few remaining competitive sectors in the hard hit US- apparel industry. I will keep in mind the hundreds of workers at Gold Toe who will be forced to find new work. I believe we can do more to preserve these jobs and work to help create new high -paying jobs in North Carolina. I will continue to oppose trade agreements like CAFTA that only accelerate the loss of manufacturing jobs at home.

This administration has done a woeful job of standing up for American manufacturing in the world market. A global marketplace and free trade mean nothing if it is not fair trade. When the CAFTA was passed, a commitment was made to protect the interests of the domestic sock industry. Today's news doesn't reflect well on that commitment. During consideration of CAFTA, and since it has become law, I have joined with other members of Congress in writing to the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Treasury asking them to honor their promises to protect this industry. I hope they do a better job of listening in the future.

Click here for a copy of the leader to Treasury Sec. Henry Paulson.

Click here for a copy of the leader to Commerce Sec. Carlos Gutierrez.

So, it turns out getting crammed into that little tiny seat isn't your biggest worry if you're flying these days. From the Washington Post:

NASA begrudgingly released some results Monday from an $11.3 million federal air safety study it previously withheld from the public over concerns it would upset travelers and hurt airline profits.

It published the findings in a format that made it cumbersome for any thorough analysis by outsiders. Released on New Year's Eve, the unprecedented research conducted over nearly four years relates to safety problems identified by some 29,000 pilots interviewed by telephone.

Earlier characterizations from people who have seen the results said they would show that events like near collisions and runway interference occur far more frequently than previously recognized. Such information could not be gleaned from the 16,208 pages posted by NASA on its Web site, however, because of information that was edited out. The data was based on interviews with about 8,000 pilots per year from 2001 until the end of 2004.

I post this hear not because you need another reason to be scared, but because Rep. Brad Miller (a Democrat who represents Greensboro and Raleigh) had a hand in getting NASA to "begrudgingly released some results." Miller had this to say in a statement this afternoon:

NASA today dumped three-year-old, unanalyzed data from more than 25,000 interviews of commercial and general aviation pilots on aviation safety. According to NASA, they never intended to analyze the data, just test the "methodology" used for the interviews. The taxpayers who paid $11.5 million for the surveys and the pilots who spent 12,000 hours answering the survey questions hoped for more. They hoped the survey would lead to improved aviation safety.

NASA said others can now analyze the data, but NASA scrubbed much of the information that would be important for any analysis. Eighty percent of the pilots asked to participate in the half-hour survey agreed. Those pilots obviously wanted others to know their observations and experiences. It is hard to imagine that those pilots would want useful information scrubbed from the data out of a fear that stray bits of information might somehow be connected to identify a specific pilot's answers to the survey.

Many of NASA's statements today are contradicted by the testimony of several witnesses at the Science and Technology Committee hearing on October 31. Dr. Robert Dodd, who managed the survey, said the scientists and experts who conducted the survey hoped to turn the data "into useful information for decision makers." Dr. Dodd said that the "data is of good quality and ready for meaningful analysis."

Despite NASA's dismissal of surveys as a methodology for collecting accurate data, Dr. Jon Krosnik, a statistics professor at Stanford who helped design the survey, said that surveys are routinely used "to track rates of events over time and to inform decision-making and organizational practices." Every 10 years the US conducts an essential survey - the Census.

The original intent of the NAOMS was to develop possible "safety precursors" from the survey. Without further study of this data we will never know what these precursors are. I am will to assume however, that near-misses are a precursor to collisions. I urge NASA to get the remaining data out quickly and in a useful form.

NAOMS was an air safety survey of 24,000 of the nation's airline pilots, conducted over a number of years. NASA initially refused a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the data from the Associated Press citing it "could materially affect the public confidence in, and the commercial welfare of the air carriers..." Committee Members called NASA's refusal "troubling" and "unconvincing," and urged the agency to make the data available to the public.

Pressure from the Committee to speed release of the data resulted in the press conference today by NASA and an initial release of data from the study.

Taylor Sawyer, 15: "I had never met a congressman, and I wanted to."

There's something sweet and sad that it's news when a teenager is excited about meeting a Congressman.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was on campus at Meredith College today.

I didn't see either of two groups of protestors who indicated they would be out there earlier this week, but my colleagues tell me someone was there for a very short time early in the day.

After speaking to an auditorium packed full of college students and professors, she took questions from us scruffy media types.

I imagine the headline that a lot of my colleagues will go with will concern Pelosi promising to send another Iraq war funding resolution through before Congress' Thanksgiving break. By her own admission, it won't be a lot different from what Congress has already done and President Bush has already vetoed and/or ignored. She explains in this video clip:

Pelosi also was asked about funding for drought relief in North Carolina and elsewhere, particularly farmers. When he was asked about this the other day, Gov. Mike Easley said there was no federal funding to tap to help farmers whose crops died on the vine this summer.

So, Madame Speaker, where is that federal funding?

Update: Pelosi was asked why Congress sent measures like the Iraq resolution and the SCHIP expansion bill over and over again, if the president was simply going to veto them again. Doesn't it make Congress look impotent, she was asked. Her answer:

I saw Rep. Howard Coble at the GOP gubernatorial debate this weekend.

Cordial as always, Coble looked like he came fresh from a fight with a angry badger. When I asked his spokesman, Ed McDonald about it over e-mail, he said, "Actually, it was a wolverine!"

Then he pointed me to this story in "The Hill" newspaper (fourth headline down):

Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.) was diagnosed with skin cancer in the late 1990s and has had several growths surgically removed from his forehead over the years. But he now treats himself with a topical solution that burns the skin cells and turns the outer skin on his face a blistery red.

"It's painful and not real good-looking," said Coble spokesman Ed McDonald, explaining that his boss has recently begun another treatment on himself. Coble undergoes these treatments three to four times annually. "The doctors swear he'll look like Robert Redford. That's his joke."

Aw, geeze, I feel bad about the badger thing now.

Coble and a note of discord

You can say a lot of things about Rep. Howard Coble. Every time I write about him I get at least a few phone calls or e-mails from folks who don't like his politics and, well, that's America.

But at 76-years-old, Coble pretty much has taken to speaking his mind about the situation at hand, which makes him fun to write about. Case in point, Tuesday's House Judiciary Committee meeting on the headline-grabbing case down in Jena, La.

One of those speaking was slated to be the Rev. Al Sharpton, who was a little more than fashionably late.

"If I were compiling a group of witnesses to encourage the diminishing of racial disharmony, I don't know that Mr. Sharpton would have made my cut," Rep. Howard Coble (R-N.C.) advised Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.).

As if on cue, Sharpton, in a three-piece suit, walked in a few minutes later and, to the tune of hundreds of camera-shutter clicks, took his seat. Conyers asked if he wished to make a belated opening statement, and Sharpton certainly did.

Click here for the full sketch from the Post.

So I took the family down to the beach for a few days, leaving the computer and most of my other gizmos behind. Of course, that results in a zillion e-mails waiting for me this morning and the bar has been pretty high as far as getting my attention.

But one from Congressman Brad Miller made me laugh. It is basically an update to constituents following the the Iraq testimony last week, but had this biting bit of commentary:

"I also gave a video interview to The Hill, a publication devoted entirely to Congress and politics. The Hill hosts a blog on which they invite Members of Congress to post entries, which has resulted in some of the most tepid, uninteresting blogging known to man.

Dude, when a Congressman is ripping your blog for being boring, that's just wrong. At any rate, Miller goes on:

They posted portions of interviews with various Members as a "video log," or "vlog." Their question to me was what I would have asked General Petraues if I had gotten the chance."

The question I would have asked was why his very optimistic forecasts of events in the past had proven so wrong.

For those who are interested, click here for Miller's take on things.

And no, Miller's not the only Triad area Congressman hitting the vlog scene.

Howard Coble put his take on Iraq out there as well.

Update: More video from the e-mail box:

Former N.C. Senator (and currentl presidential hopeful) John Edwards gives his response to President Bush's address last week.

President Bush is outlining steps to help out Americans caught up in the mortgage lending mess:

"It's not the government's job to bail out speculators or those who made the decision to buy a home they knew they could never afford," Mr. Bush said. "Yet there are many American homeowners who can get through this difficult time with a little flexibility from their lenders or little help from their government."

(Sorry, European investors, you're still up a creek.

Bush's announcement prompted this statement from Congressman Brad Miller, a Democrat who represents Greensboro and Raleigh:

"I welcome President Bush to the effort to help middle class American families avoid losing their homes to foreclosure. His attention to the issue is long overdue. If Congress had passed decent consumer protections against predatory mortgage lending four years ago, we wouldn't be in the mess we're in now. Instead, I had to fight for four years to keep Republicans in Congress from gutting state predatory mortgage lending laws.

I want to help homeowners keep their homes, but I have no interest at all in using taxpayer money to pay predatory mortgages in full. Congress has passed emergency legislation before - going back to the Great Depression - to help farmers avoid losing their farms to foreclosure by modifying their mortgages, and we need to do the same thing to help homeowners in predatory mortgages now.

I welcome President Bush's support for Congress' urgent effort to help middle class families save their homes."

Miller has some standing to speak out on the housing issue. He was a key architect of North Carolina's predatory lending laws, which are pretty aggressive in favor of consumers. As well, drafting legislation to protect borrowers at the federal level has been one of his key priorities in D.C.

Related: Columnist Scott Mooneyham has also weighed in on the topic.

Gonzales is out as AG.

Previously from these parts: our own little local angle to the story.

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee held a hearing today on the continuing ruckus over firing U.S. Attorneys.

The U.S. Attorney based in Greensboro, Anna Mills Wagoner, was the subject of some questions today from Rep. Mel Watt. Thanks to a helping hand from Rep. Brad Miller's office, we have a transcript:

WATT: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Ms. Goodling, this obviously has national implications. But it has some repercussions at local levels, too. So I'd like to ask you a couple of questions that relate to North Carolina, which happens to be where I'm from.
You testified in your opening statement this morning that, quote, "I never recommended to them that a specific U.S. attorney be added to or removed from Mr. Sampson's list."

GOODLING: I mean "them" being the White House. I did discuss with Mr. Sampson, of course, removing individuals. I was referencing my interactions with the White House in my statement.

WATT: That seems to be at odds with what Mr. Sampson testified in the Senate, when he testified that you suggested taking Ms. Anna Mills Wagoner of the Middle District of North Carolina off the list in September of 2006.
Did you or did you not recommend taking Ms. Wagoner off the list?

GOODLING: I did. I recommended...

WATT: OK. All right.

GOODLING: ... retaining her in service in January and in September.

From today's paper:

Two former U.S. attorneys who headed the Greensboro-based Middle District office are among those surprised that the area's current top federal prosecutor was at one point slated to be fired.

Anna Mills Wagoner was among 26 U.S. attorneys Bush administration officials considered firing in 2006, according to congressional testimony and newspaper reports.

This sweeps central North Carolina's top federal law enforcement officers into the swirl of a national scandal. Congress and other critics question whether U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and other administration officials tried to get rid of sitting prosecutors for political reasons.

"I've known Anna Mills (Wagoner) for quite a while now; I have the highest opinion of her," said Robert Holt Edmunds Jr. , who served as U.S. attorney in the Middle District from 1986 through 1993 and is now a state Supreme Court justice.

Edmunds was appointed by President Reagan and recommended for the job by then-Sen. Jesse Helms.

Click here for the full story.

Previous entries from me on this topic here and here.

More on the wider story:

• No-Confidence Vote Sought on Gonzales. (Post)

• Senate Democrats Plan a Resolution on Gonzales. (NYT)

• Dems to Seek Gonzales No-Confidence Vote. (TPM)

From a Washington Post story, here's Gate City's own connection to the ongoing prosecutor firing scandal up in D.C.:

Another prosecutor, Anna Mills Wagoner of Greensboro, N.C., is included on three lists. Documents show that Monica M. Goodling, a Gonzales aide set to testify next week in Congress, removed her from consideration because of her work prosecuting gun crimes.

Click here for the full story. Wagoner's name is at the end.

Update: Click here for more on the local story and there will be more in Friday's paper.

For those who say the online brief regarding Coble criticizing World Bank head Paul Wolfowitz, but wanted more, we did have a story inside our A section today. For the full the full version, click past the jump.

Update:Click here for a YouTube version of the speech.

Note: I'm re-ordering this post a bit so it makes sense to those who come late to it. Audio links are moving to the bottom. -binker

-=-=-=-=-=-=

Apparently, all the web sites that my bosses were telling me about this morning were 100 percent horse hockey. Several, including some biggies like CNN I'm told, were reporting that John Edwards would suspend his presidential campaign.

Edwards, presidential candidates and former North Carolina Senator, says he's staying on the campaign trail.

His wife, Elizabeth, does have an incurable form of cancer, but it’s treatable and she says she, too, will stay on the trail. If I understood them right today, the cancer is a form of the breast cancer she had that has now migrated to her bones, and possibly a lung.

Mrs. Edwards says she will never be cancer free, but she can live with this form of the disease for years.

More, including audio, coming.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Update:Edwards was asked whether he would stop the campaign.

But Click here for his answer.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Update: For the AP story, click here.

For the full 20 minutes or so of Mr. and Mrs. Edwards speaking to us scruffy media types, click here.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Update: From Rep. Brad Miller's office:

"I've known Elizabeth longer and better than I've known John, and I know John would agree that he married above himself. They have a tough fight in front of them, and my prayers are with them."

I just finished watching the State of the Union address and then talking to our local Congressional folks about it. A few notes:

• President Bush was making some nice overtures to the Democrats, but he did use an Republican idiom early in the speech.
  “Some are new to this chamber,” said the president, “and I congratulate the Democrat majority.”
  Most Democrats would say that he should have said “Democratic.” This has been a linguistic spitting matching between the two parties and if you want to know more, click here.

• Was it just me and the folks here in my newsroom, or did anyone else watching the television broadcast see Rep. Virginia Foxx give the president an overly friendly smooch on his way out of the chamber?

• Sen. Richard Burr talked to us scruffy press types after the speech on a conference call. He was asked about the president’s statement on immigration:
  “I was pleasantly surprised to see any immigration plan should not include amnesty because amnesty is a show stopper,” he said. When asked if the guest worker proposal couldn’t be interpreted as offering some sort of amnesty to those who are here illegally, he said, “I think allows for a little creativity.”

• I asked Rep. Mel Watt about the president’s education proposal:
  “Well, he’s committed to No Child Left Behind, I think a number of us are committed to it. Unfortunately he’s shown little commitment to standing up for the necessary funding for it,” said Rep. Mel Watt. “I think we will reauthorize No Child Left Behind. I think we will probably make some amendment to it. The biggest shortcoming is that we have not funded the thing anywhere near the level we committed to when we passed it.”

• I asked Rep. Brad Miller about the president’s environmental statement:
  “I wondered where he’s been for the past six years. He said a lot of things I agree with but there were a lot of things he talked about that he fought tooth and nail for the past six years.”
  He continued, “The speech just ignored the policies of the administration for the past six year. Now, last year, he also said we need to end our addiction to oil but then his budget did nothing on it.”

• Yes, Rep. Howard Coble still says he opposes the surge. He liked what the president had to say on immigration:
  “The President continues to emphasize the importance of guest workers, and I agree with that,” said Coble, who said he does not favor amnesty for immigrants here illegally.
  Coble said he has heard from farmers and landscapers who rely on migrant labor. “They tell me that if they didn’t have guest workers from which to draw on, it would be chaotic.”

• Foxx disagreed: “I disagree with the President’s proposed 'comprehensive immigration reform.’ We should close the borders and end illegal entry into the United States now. This is not the time to allow illegal aliens any form of amnesty or path to citizenship,” Foxx said in a written statement.

From U.S. Rep. Brad Miller’s office:

On the morning before President Bush delivers his State of the Union Address to Congress, U.S. Reps. David Price (NC-04) and Brad Miller (NC-13), introduced a bill to phase out the U.S. military involvement in Iraq by year's end.

The Price-Miller legislation would terminate the President's authority to wage war in Iraq on December 31, 2007, and would require an exit strategy to bring American troops home by that date. The bill would also enhance political and diplomatic efforts designed to hasten the total transfer of authority to the Iraqi government and bolster that government's chances of success after the American presence has ended.

Click here for the whole thing.

My week in D.C. wrapped up this afternoon. A few notes before I head back south:

• One of the things I've been talking with folks quite about bit about this week is Iraq. Click here for the first part of my conversation with Sen. Dole on the topic. For a second bit, trimmed to get it down to three minutes, click here.

• A reader question that came through my editor asked who pays for those civic pride bets like the one Sen. Burr made on the Orange Bowl.

  After chatting this over with a few people on the hill, it usually comes from the elected official’s own pocket or their campaign account.

  In the case of the Orange Bowl bet, Burr shelled out. The payout was, as is typical for North Carolina honorables, barbecue. But there was the big decision.

  "It makes it particularly difficult for a Senator from North Carolina because we have both eastern and Lexington style barbecue and you don’t want to disenfranchise either one," Burr said. "So we cooked it ourselves."

  So for you kids getting into politics, remember you not only need to know how the shake hands, work well with others and navigate the bureaucracy, but knowing how to cook your home state's delicacy doesn’t hurt either.

• Another reader question: Keith from High Point wrote to ask if Sen. Dole is in North Carolina much. That's a reasonable question given her gig the past two years heading up the NRSC, which kept her on the road campaigning for candidates in other states when she wasn’t in D.C.

  Free of that commitment, Dole said this morning she planned to be in North Carolina about every other week when the Senate was in session, more during recesses.

  "You’re going to see so much of me you’re going to think, 'Good glory, here she comes again,'" Dole said.

• He's not from the Greensboro area, but former state legislator and current U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry is gaining recognition as one of the most outspoken young conservatives on the hill.

  He was part of a news conference Friday afternoon that took a few swipes at the Democrat’s 100 hours agenda.

  "They promised results," McHenry said. "They delivered hypocrisy."

  I asked him about what he said was an effort "to disagree agreeably," but sounded a little biting to my ears.

  Click here to listen to what he said on the walk back from that news conference to his office. It's an interesting take on how one needs to operate in D.C. when one doesn't sit in the seat of power.

  McHenry has been applying that "strong elbow" he talks about in that clip liberally.

That's it for now. I'll be driving back tomorrow and spending the next few days getting several stories together for next Sunday's paper.

Previous Wx posts:

• Tuesday.
• Wednesday.
• Thursday.

Reports from Washington:

• Tuesday.
  
• Wednesday.
  
• Thursday.

So a couple of lobbyists walk into a Congressman’s office. There’s nothing unusual about that in D.C. Barring weekends and federal holidays, I’d warrant there’s a lobbyist of some sort walking into one of the 535 member offices just about every day of the year.

Of course, it’s a little unusual to have a reporter sitting in the room.

Rep. Brad Miller was kind enough to let me sit in on part of his day Wednesday. That day included a visit from Floyd Stoner and James Ballentine, who represent the American Bankers Association.

Now, Stoner and Ballentine didn’t run screaming from the room when they met me, which I appreciated. But it seemed to me they were a little on edge, and probably not as blunt as they might have been had I not been sitting there scribbling in my notebook.

The pair is interested in the federal predatory lending legislation that Miller (and Rep. Mel Watt) plan to file once again. The bill would set limits on what banks can charge for loans to people with less than optimal credit and set boundaries for when loans just aren’t feasible. A snippet of the conversation:

“What we want to avoid is turning back the clock where if you don’t have A-plus credit, you get nothing,” Ballentine said, saying that if rules were too restrictive lenders help borrowers with less than stellar credit.

“We have been aware we, we will be aware we don’t want to regulate sub-prime lending to death,” Miller said, drawing on the example of North Carolina’s law to show that sub-prime lending can still happen in the face of regulation.

It went on like that for about 10 minutes, maybe a little longer.

Miller and his staffers characterized this as a “meet and greet,” an opportunity for the lobbyist in question to make their intentions known.

Now, I know the idea here is that instead of having someone who is going to work against whatever you do, you invite them to give their 2-cents on a pending bill and maybe they’ll help you get it passed. It happens quite a bit in Raleigh, where there’s a special room in the legislative office building where these stakeholder meetings typically go down.

So I know was supposed to be a cooperative occasion.

But it also had the feel of a couple of prize fighters sizing each other up, maybe at a weigh in or something. Except in the pugilistic exposition that is American politics, it’s not just two guys in the square circle. Rather, as many different parties as have an interest in a thing lace up their gloves and go at it.

Bits and pieces from Wednesday (and one from Tuesday):

• I’ve heard from Democrats and Republicans that the much ballyhooed plan to work five days a week put forward by the Democratic leadership is keeping them from visiting with constituents back in their districts. And this early in the session, they say, there’s not the work to justify it. Said Rep. Virginia Foxx yesterday, “We’re cramming two and half days of work into five.”

• In yesterday’s post I wrote about Rep. Howard Coble’s opposition to the minimum wage. On the Senate side, Sen. Richard Burr said he generally supports the idea of the raising the wage, but has a different take on how it ought to be done. Click here to listen to that clip.

• As I was stalking Miller today, I stopped in on the House Foreign Relations Committee where he is a member. The agenda for the day was to hear from and question former Sec. State Madeline Albright. She is not a fan of the administration’s Iraq policy.
  “There are not a lot of countries looking at Iraq right now and thinking ‘I want my country to look like that.’ It’s not a great advertisement (for Democracy),” she said.

• Usually when I wander into someone’s legislative office, they have pictures of them standing with political heroes or allies. So I’m sitting in Watt’s office and he’s getting done criticizing the president’s Iraq strategy and I look up to see a picture of President Bush and Watt and their wives at a White House Christmas Party.
  “I live the president on a personal level… we’re not enemies.”

More here tomorrow night.

So I’m sitting in the U.S. House press gallery Tuesday night, watching the federal honorables take their only three controversial votes of the day. I focus in on Rep. Howard Coble as the Speaker and the clerk struggle to make themselves heard over the din of an unruly chamber.

At the end of the Speaker’s spiel on the bill - honoring the Florida Gators for their BCS victory - Coble leans over a chair, inserts a small plastic card into a slot on the back and pushes a button. It was an obviously practiced move that took all of a second or two.

The bill, one could argue, was hardly the most important piece of legislation to move that day. However, the act is important. It is at once at the core of a Congressman’s job – to vote on business before the legislature – and the official duty on which they spend the least time, despite voting on dozens and dozens of bills in a given month.

A few more random thoughts, quotes and observations from my day on the hill:

• Although he didn’t know it, a reader who recently e-mailed John Robinson provided our first reader-supplied question of the trip. The question: why did Coble vote against HR 2, which would raise the federal minimum wage. His answer:

  “I don’t think a very minor increase in wage has any real impact for those who are suffering financially . . . . Many of them are youngsters, high school kids. And small business people tell me that even though it’s a small increase that many times they’ll be forced to got from five employees to three employees. So I just don’t believe it address the problem of people who are at the bottom of the financial poll.”

  Coble did note that he had so far gotten one piece of negative correspondence on that vote so far, addressed to “You damned SOB…”

• If you’re wondering how it is that Congress can seem like its off in its own little world, it’s because, well, it is. Congressmen and their staffers can get three squares a day, go to the dry cleaners, get a hair cut and a shoe shine and never leave their security perimeter, which encompasses the Capitol Building as well as the office buildings that flank it.

• People look at you funny here if you don’t have a Blackberry. I think they all look odd walking about staring in the direction of their feet.

• Democrats are still getting used to being in the majority. “It’s the little things,” one staffer told me, “like being able to book a conference room.”

• On some down time I went up and watched part of the afternoon session in the House. Basically, they were running through bills deemed not to be controversial and basically passing them with little or no rancor (and few people in the chamber, although that’s another post). There’s a fair amount that gets done up here with Democrats and Republicans cooperating. You’ll rarely see that stuff in the paper – often its technical in nature – and it’s duller than dog poop to watch on C-Span. But it’s sort of heartening to know this place isn’t as dysfunctional as it seems. It’s just looks that way when they try to do anything really important, like, say, pass a budget.

More here tomorrow Wednesday evening and next week in the paper.

Before the honorables here in Raleigh get themselves all cranked up for the new session (coming Jan. 24), I’m going to wander up to that other capital city next week and take the temperature of the Greensboro area’s Congressional critters.

Interviews have tentatively been set or are trying to get themselves scheduled with Reps. Coble, Watt and Miller as well as our two senators. Although the state purpose of the trip is to check in and see how they’re doing under the new Democratic management, with any luck I’ll get hopelessly sidetracked on even more interesting stories.

On the agenda will be some questions for the House members about why they voted how they did on the first 100 hours bills that have been running this week. And I’m thinking Iraq will come up.

But at the risk of getting the usual silence and tumbleweeds that blow through the comments link when I ask something like this, what’s on your mind? What do you want to know from our federal honorables?

As always, folks who send me a question will get it answered, at least in part, here before the main story publishes later this month.

For those interested in what those rascally House Dems up in D.C. mean by their 100 hours agenda, click here for a link.

It will be a minor miracle if they actually stick to this calendar since things in legislatures, particularly the big House, tend to get off track.

President Gerald Ford has died. He was 93. Click here for the early AP report.

I was less than eight months old when Ford took office, so I remember virtually nothing of his presidency. From my reading, his more than two years in office were a mix of the brilliant (guiding the nation past Watergate) and the boneheaded (saying in a debate "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration.").

His contemporaries sometimes disagreed with his actions – pardoning disgraced former President Richard Nixon – but in the end decided his motives were pure. He answered to Congress, in person, to explain that pardon. And as president kept up a regimen of speeches and direct chats with the media that seems unfathomable even for lesser office holders like governors and senators today.

But what I am struck by listening to the news and reading up on him tonight is that he is remembered by and large as a fundamentally decent man. He did not need to be eloquent - though he sometimes was - or flawless - and he wasn’t – or universally beloved – he was a politician after all. But he was steady and straightforward in a time of crisis, judged in recent history as a trustworthy and decent steward of our democracy.

Would that all politicians could earn such an epitaph.

More: The Gerald Ford Presidential Library.

Put this story from the Washington Post on your politics radar:

Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) suffered a "possible stroke" today, and the prognosis for his recovery remains unknown, according to his office.

Should Johnson be unable to serve when the 110th Congress convenes in January, it could mean a 50-50 split in the Senate. Gov. Mike Rounds (R) would be tasked with appointing a successor to Johnson -- presumably a Republican. That could effectively put the Senate, which is slated to switch to Democratic control in January, in Republican hands because Vice President Cheney would cast the tie-breaking vote.
However, in modern history the Senate has never declared a seat vacant as a result of a senator's physical condition.

Sen. Elizabeth Dole had surgery to replace a hip this morning, according to her spokeswoman, Katie Norman.

“She planned to have this surgery for some time but it was a matter of finding time in her schedule,” Norman said.

Norman said the Senator is expected to recuperate over the next few weeks and be back to her duties early next year.

Update: For those who have asked: Dole is 70. And it was her right hip.

From a New York Times story today: (Registration may be required.)

New federal guidelines, along with legislation given a strong chance to pass in Congress next year, will probably combine to make the paperless voting machines obsolete, the officials say. States and counties that bought the machines will have to modify them to hook up printers, at federal expense, while others are planning to scrap the machines and buy new ones.

Dang, but this all sounds familiar. Oh, I remember now.

For all the angst that the legislature when through in deciding whether to require a paper backup, it looks like it may save North Carolina some hassle in the long run.

Update1: From the “great minds think alike” office, Nate over at our sister blog took note of the same story.

Update2: As Nate noted, the folks at NC Voter are probably happy about the paper requirement. Although, that group would like to see us all using optical scan machines. They’ve been circulating this memo, sent after the election by the SBOE, on how to deal with malfunctioning paper roles attached to the touch screen equipment.

Sen. Trent Lott, Republican of Mississippi, will be the Republican whip in the Senate when it convenes next year. To help him, he’s appointed a passel of deputy whips, including North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr.

What does a whip do? The job varies from group to group, but in general the whip is the part of a legislative organization that is the enforcer of party discipline and counter of votes. Basically, the whip figures out if party leaders have the votes to do something it wants to do. And if the votes aren’t there, it’s typically the whips that are sent to, um, explain things to the problematic members.

If you’re counting at home, there are 49 Republican Senators in the new Congress. Lott has appointed a chief deputy and seven other deputy whips. So that’s about six members per member of the whip organization.

That’s a lot of discipline right there.

Sen. Richard Durbin will be the majority whip in the new Senate. I’ve not seen hop many deputies he’s appointed.

Update: Speaking of Burr, how many successes like this can a guy take:

Nearly two years of negotiation on a bill to fight bioterrorism ended in a partial win for North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr — the Senate approved the measure, but it will probably die within days when Congress adjourns.

I was going to write a bit about High Pointer S. Davis "Dave" Phillips being appointed U.S. ambassador to Estonia.

But editorialist (and a proud High Pointer himself) Doug Clark has already done it. So click here to read what he had to say.

Journalism 201: whenever you have to pitch a story and you’re beginning with, “well, this court case involves some tenth amendment issues and a concept known as pre-emption but it really has to do with the way lending companies can treat their customers ...” the editors’ eye just sort of glaze over. Probably you're readers too.

If you're still awake, click here for my somewhat shortened story on a case that was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday. From the story:

Certain companies would be able to skirt laws designed to curb predatory lending and other shady financial dealings in North Carolina and other states if prior rulings are upheld in a case argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The case — Watters v. Wachovia Bank N.A. — pits regulators from all 50 states and consumer-protection advocates against the banking industry and federal government.

At the heart of the dispute is whether federal agencies can block states from passing and enforcing regulations on the subsidiaries of 1,900 national banks, those that have been chartered by one of four federal agencies.

If you’re still reading, bless you. And here’s some more background for you:

• Click here for a very good Washington Post story that ran in their business section this weekend. And here’s their story from today.
• There are a lot of places to find briefs in Supreme Court cases. The most reliable I have found is FindLaw. And the service appears to be free for SCOTUS cases, so you can’t beat that. Click here for the briefs in the Watters case.
• Click here to read the transcript of yesterday’s arguments. (PDF) For government junkies like me, this service is just the bee’s knees.

We’ll probably see a decision come out in the case in the Spring.

One bit of context that didn’t make it into the story: There are folks who will be in charge of financial services law in the newly Democratic Congress watching this case very closely. Both Rep. Brad Miller and Rep. Mel Watt, North Carolina Democrats on the financial services committee, have been pushing a federal predatory lending law.

One has to think that if this case goes against the state, the Congress may step in and “clarify” itself.

So President Bush winged into town yesterday, had some barbecue, pitched his education package and took home a wheelbarrow full of money for Republican Congressional candidates.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled election season.

As you may have heard, President Bush is coming to town on Wednesday.

A few weeks ago, my boss, in a fit of optimism, told readers we’d try for a one-on-one interview and asked what questions they would ask.

Well, that plan fizzled in spectacular fashion.

Within 10 minutes of making the request this morning, the very nice communications folks at the White House were on the phone saying that he’d love to chat but is on a really tight schedule that day.

For me, that’s a new land speed record in rejection of an interview request.

Don’t worry though; there’ll be plenty to write about even if we don’t sit down with the Commander-in-Chief. The newsroom will be spending today and tomorrow simultaneously writing about and planning for the visit. So stay tuned.

So, official word came down today that President Bush is visiting next week, Wednesday to be precise. A blast fax sent out by the White House this afternoon lists the itinerary, which includes a stop at Falkener Elementary and the Victory Junction Gang Camp.

Joe Killian will be wrapping things up with a story in tomorrow’s paper.

It looks like W will be all over the area next week, and you should be prepared for snarled traffic of epic proportions where ever he goes.

As you may or may not know, Guilford and Rockingham counties are governed by provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. So its pending reauthorization, scheduled for this afternoon, was of interest enough for me to begin poking at a story for tomorrow's paper.

Well, call off the hounds for now. From the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Republican leaders on Wednesday postponed a vote on renewing the 1965 Voting Rights Act after GOP lawmakers complained it unfairly singles out nine Southern states for federal oversight, according to their joint statement.

"We have time to address their concerns," Republican leaders said in a joint statement. "Therefore, the House Republican Leadership will offer members the time needed to evaluate the legislation."

It was unclear whether the legislation would come up this year. The temporary provisions don't expire until 2007, but leaders of both parties had hoped to pass the act and use it to further their prospects in the fall's midterm elections.

Congressman Mel Watt, a Democrat who represents a skinny little district that reaches from Charlotte to Greensboro and Winston-Salem, is a prime mover on the House re-authorization movement. I would imagine he's not pleased.

Anyone who has read the political pages for a few years will remember stories about Congressional "fact finding" missions to places where the main facts seem to concern the yardage to the 16th green or the SPF one needs to apply.

Well, here's another one. It's a pretty comprehensive look by The Center for Public Integrity and some partner groups.

The summary:

In the summer of 2005, the Center for Public Integrity, Northwestern University's Medill News Service and American Public Media began examining disclosure documents for about 23,000 privately funded trips taken by members of Congress and staffers over a 5 1/2 -year period. While some of these trips no doubt were educational, others appeared to be thinly veiled attempts by special interests to influence lawmakers and their advisers.

The center's site didn't have too much info up regarding the honorables from NC, but Medill News Service does:

North Carolina lawmakers and their staffs took about 470 privately funded trips at a cost of nearly $1.2 million during a five-year period beginning in 2000.

All told, members of Congress and their staffs took about 23,000 trips paid for by private sponsors at a cost of $48.9 million from Jan. 1, 2000, through June 30, 2005, according to an analysis of official travel reports compiled by Medill News Service, the Center for Public Integrity and American Public Media. The data come from trip reports filed by lawmakers to congressional ethics committees.

Click here for the full story.

From the Medill piece, an info graphic:

Congressional travel, by NC Congressional office, 1/2000-8/2005:

HOUSE

• G.K. Butterfield (D-1st): 7 trips, $11,100
  
• Bob Etheridge (D-2nd): 23 trips, $90,000
  
• Walter Jones (D-3rd): 16 trips, $26,600
  
• David Price (D-4th): 31 trips. $128,300
  
• Richard Burr (R-5th) 31 trips, $75,000
  
• Virginia Fox (R-5th): 7 trips, $9,500
  
• Howard Coble (R-6th): 76 trips, $155,000
  
• Mike McIntyre (D-7th) 19 trips, $33,000
  
• Robin Hayes (R-8th) 37 trips, $66,000
  
• Sue Myrick (R-9th) 27 trips, $37,000
  
• Patrick McHenry (R-10th) 3 trips $3,500
  
• Charles Taylor (R-11th) 9 trips $32,700
  
• Melvin Watt (D-12th) 52 trips $150,000
  
• Brad Miller (D-13th) 11 trips, $21,300

SENATE

• Richard Burr: 1 trip, $1,000
  
• Elizabeth Dole: 12 trips, $20,700

By my reading, Reps. Coble and Watt are the champion trip-takers from NC, both of who represent Greensboro.

A word of caution before you get too crazy with all this: some of this travel is legit. The problem is, as the stories linked to above suggest, it's difficult to sort through which ones are actually serve the public interest and which ones are little more than legal bribes.

Why so difficult? Because Congress makes it that way. From the center's "How we did it" piece:

But when the same people or groups pay for a "fact-finding mission," that information is put on paper forms, then filed in three-ring binders or input into a computer system, and made available only in the office buildings where the records are stored.

The House of Representatives' forms are kept in a sub-basement of the Cannon House Office Building, where the public copies were often hard to read, torn and misfiled. Researchers were told it was against House rules to digitally scan the documents — they had to make photocopies instead.

The Senate travel disclosure documents are stored in a computer system in the Hart Senate Office Building, and can be searched by the name of the traveler or the senator approving the travel. But those records are not available online. So researchers went to the building and printed them out.

As always, the comment lines are open.