NC ink:

Charlotte’s Jim Morrill had this story on the "odd couple" topping the GOP ticket – Pat McCrory and Robert Pittenger.

The N&O's Rob Christensen writes about two Republicans who didn’t win – Fred Smith and Bill Graham – and why.

The AP’s Gary Robertson says it’s an historic year for women candidates in NC’s statewide races.

McClatchy’s Lisa Zagaroli says some NC Congressional races are already heating up.

And W-SJ's Paul O’Connor posts an obituary for the State Highway Trust Fund transfer scheme.

Tube time:

You can catch more O'Connor with Greensboro's Mark Binker and me on UNC's Legislative Week in Review, re-airing today.  I'll post a link here when I get one. 

And NCNN's Matt Willoughby and I joined Kim Gennardo on NBC-17's At Issue today, talking about sin taxes and the transportation bond. That's here.

Out there:

SFChron’s Zachary Coile looks at how last week’s marriage ruling in CA could affect turnout in November. (Via Char-O.)

The AP’s Jocelyn Noveck and Beth Fouhy say Clinton’s women supporters are mourning what looks like the end of the road. 

Meantime, WaPo’s Matthew Mosk and Chris Cilizza say Dem rainmakers are already working on reunification plans behind the scenes. 

On a lighter note, John McCain talked up the advantages of “oldness” on SNL last night.  Here’s the AP story, and here’s the clip.  The GOP nominee was even funnier at the Weekend Update desk, where he encouraged Dems to keep on fightin' till the convention and beyond. 

Elsewhere:

Really interesting: LA Times’ Maura Dolan talks to CA’s Chief Justice Ronald George about his majority vote on last week’s marriage ruling.

And big congratulations to Charlotte’s Tommy Tomlinson on his Nieman Fellowship.   He downplayed it a bit in this morning’s column, but it’s a big deal.  Good luck!  

Comments? Drop me a line.

Not all that much happened (in session, at least) at the legislature today.  It’s too early for many bills to have moved through committee to reach the floor…and from here at least, it doesn’t look as though many will.

I wish I had a nickel for every time today I ran across a lobbyist on a cell phone, explaining to some anxious client that “X issue is already in the budget, so introducing a duplicate bill would just complicate things.” 

Sure, we get the same message from the leadership every session:  “We’re here to adjust the budget, we’re making good progress, and we expect to be done on time.”  But this time, it’s pretty clear that said leadership has lit the afterburners under the rank and file: they’re here to a) do the budget and b) go home.  Period.

There’s at least one good explanation for that:  Five Senators (Dems Kay Hagan, Bev Perdue, Walter Dalton, Janet Cowell, and Rep. Robert Pittenger) are fighting statewide races. Several are facing extremely well-funded opponents. But legislative rules preclude them from accepting contributions from PACs or lobbyists while the GA’s in session.  By and large, that’s where the big checks come from, so you know they’re counting the days.

Community Colleges

The fallout continues from NC Community College President Scott Ralls’ decision to stop admitting illegal immigrants into his system’s degree programs.

The timing on this one doesn’t make a lot of sense. The Homeland Security folks have yet to issue a final recommendation on it, but their initial response was that there was nothing illegal about the system’s former, looser policy. Ralls’ change gives NC the most restrictive entry requirements in the US. WUNC’s Dave DeWitt explains all that here.

Governor Easley was flat-out critical of Ralls today. After a speech in Raleigh, he told NCNN’s Matt Willoughby that the change in policy was “poor leadership.” Willoughby says he asked Easley whether he was talking about Ralls. Easley replied, “The community college president and board are the ones that made that decision.”  

So why this, and why now? As far as anyone could tell me, there was no external pressure on Ralls to make this decision. The primary was over, and the general is months away.  The only plausible explanation I’ve heard is that Ralls’ decision was an attempt to head off legislation aimed at making the policy change law.

But either way, smart money says someone’s bound to run a bill on it.  As it turns out, news tonight is that Guilford Dem Pricey Harrison says she’s introducing a bill to force the system to return to more liberal entry requirements.  Somehow, I’m betting we’ll be hearing a lot more about this one.

DOMA redux

We’re also liable to be hearing a lot more about gay marriage in NC soon, thanks to today’s CA Supreme Court ruling against a voter initiative law defining marriage as between one man and one woman.  CA has a “domestic partnership” alternative, but the judges found it to be unequal to traditional marriage, so they threw out the law as a violation of the rights of gay and lesbian citizens.

Conservatives have been warning voters for years about the "threat" to marriage posed by “activist judges,” but they haven’t had a lot to work with of late. Till today, that is. The CA ruling radically alters the landscape – and frankly, it’s a big present with a shiny red bow for NC conservatives concerned about lackluster turnout in November.  Expect to hear more than you ever wanted to on this issue for the next 6 or 7 months.

Making Bond?

One more big issue looming on the horizon is the prospect of a state transportation bond. Everyone – Rs and Ds alike – seems to agree we need one. But no one agrees on what it ought to look like:  how many billions, how many years, how to spend it and on what.

If you’re a transportation advocate, you’re no doubt hoping the bond makes it onto November’s ballot, when you can probably count on a lot of fairly friendly Dem voters.  But things aren’t looking good for the short session (see above). From what I’ve heard so far, there’s more than enough disagreement on the basic terms of the bond to push it into the longer session next year. 

Last but not least…

Kudos to all my colleagues at WUNC for a slew of awards in the Society of Professional Journalists’ “Green Eyeshade” regional competition.

• Jessica Jones in Non-Deadline News for "James Ahearn"
• Leoneda Inge in Feature Reporting for "CSI"
• The State of Things in Courts and the Law for "Business of Prosecution"
• Laura Leslie in Political Reporting for "Meade's Chair"
• Susan Davis in Consumer Reporting for "Genetic Testing"
• NC Voices in Continuing Coverage for "Diagnosing Health Care"
• Eric Hodge in Best Newscast for "8 AM Newscast 8/31"
• Laura Leslie in Best Blog for "Isaac Hunter's Tavern"

And maybe most importantly, a huge "thank you" to editor Brent Wolfe who assembles and ships all those awards entries in his copious spare time. 

We won’t know exactly what we’ve won till the awards banquet in late June -- but I have to admit I’m really excited the Tavern is getting a nod at any level.  (A year and a half ago, when I started this thing, I wasn't sure anyone would even read it.)

Congrats also to NC public radio stations WFDD and WFAE, both of whom are also up for awards.  It’s a big competition, and a big honor. Way to go, guys!

Comments? Drop me a line.

“This is who we are.  This is our moment.”

In Grand Rapids, MI, tonight, John Edwards finally picked a side, endorsing Barack Obama: 

“This is our time to take down these walls to close our divides and build one America that we all believe in. If you want that, if you believe in that, then join me in helping send Barack Obama to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 

“Because what all of us believe - what all of us believe – is, in this America that we love so much, no matter who you are, no matter who your family is, and no matter what the color of your skin, none of those things will control your destiny. And that that one America that I’ve talked about is not only possible, but it will be achieved under President Barack Obama starting in January of 2009.”

The big question is whether Edwards’ 19 pledged delegates (from IA, SC, and NH) will come with him.  If they do, it’ll be a significant bump for Obama's already substantial delegate lead.

Will Edwards' nod help solve Obama's widely-touted "blue-collar voter" problem?

What does Elizabeth think? (She was conspicuously absent tonight.)

Will Obama pick Edwards as his VP?  If he did, would Edwards accept?

What do you think?

Fire it up

Ten legislators, including State Senate budget co-chair Kay Hagan, bailed on this afternoon’s budget briefing in favor of a more meaningful event:  the annual House-Senate Pit Crew Challenge. Every year, teams from the two chambers suit up, complete with ball caps and kneepads, to see who can change the tires on a stock car faster. 

It’s billed as a celebration of the importance of tourism to NC’s economy. Yeah, sure, whatever.  On the ground, it's about bicameral rivalry, pure and simple.  Wake Democrat Grier Martin hit it on the head.

It gives us an opportunity to vent some of our competitive instincts and desire to pound the other house into submission through a hopefully friendly competition.

(As opposed to, say, the budget?)

I told the crew here that if they really wanted to see us goin’ for blood, come back after we’d done the budget.  Then we’d really be mad at each other.

As it turned out, the House ate the Senate’s lunch.  It wasn’t even close this year: the Senate team’s time to change all four tires was 1:22, compared to :52 for the House.

After the contest, Brunswick Republican Bonner Stiller ascribed some of the credit for the House team's win to its preponderance of Republicans.  (The House had 3 Rs and 2 Ds, the opposite of the Senate.) 

Off to the side, in the shade, the losing Senate team kept to themselves as they stripped off their royal blue coveralls.  Buncombe Democrat Martin Nesbitt was philosophical.

We got beat. That happens in racing.  Remember, in racing every weekend they start 43 cars and there’s 42 losers. That’s what I love about this sport – it’s all about competition.

Nesbitt is a true ringer – he’s the crew chief for his son’s racing team. But, as he puts it, “I’m usually tellin’ people what to do, not down there doin’ it.”

Republican Roundup

The House and Senate Republican leadership rolled out their session agenda today.  I’m sure you’ll be shocked to know it involves lower taxes, more charter schools, and a host of social issues largely guaranteed never to see action this short session, like the “marriage protection amendment” and a fetal murder bill.

Not that there weren’t a few surprises.  The GOP is backing a multi-billion dollar transportation bond as well as more money for mental health reform, albeit not through new taxes.  House Minority leader Skip Stam also said he wants more funding for programs for the developmentally disabled.

But the biggest surprise at this morning’s presser was a cameo appearance by the GOP gubernatorial candidate, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory.  He says he came to Raleigh to foster alliances between legislative and (he hopes) executive Republicans. 

That’s kind of a new one for the NCGOP – “unity” isn’t really its strong suit.  Can McCrory make it happen?  He seems to think so.

Mayor Pat got a tepid welcome from Dem leaders, not surprising given his campaign tirades against Raleigh’s “culture of corruption.”  Dem Gov nominee Bev Perdue said McCrory is as welcome on Jones St. as any other citizen.  House Speaker Joe Hackney said much the same thing, adding dryly, “I ran into him twice and said hello both times.”

Basnight’s B-Day

Tuesday was Pro Tem Marc Basnight’s 61st birthday.  The card he got from the building admin folks was a picture of a big lion with the punchline, “It’s good to be king.”

Cringe-inducing or not, it’s kind of accurate this year.  His protégés are in line for no less than four statewide offices in Nov.:  Bev Perdue for Governor, Kay Hagan for US Senate, Walter Dalton for Lt Gov, and Janet Cowell for Treasurer. 

Sounds good?  Well, sort of.  Once you add in the retiring John Kerr, there’s four open Dem seats (not counting the Sen Prez) to two GOP - former gubernatorial hopeful Fred Smith and their own Lt Gov nominee, Robert Pittenger.  Personally, I don’t think the Dems are in much danger of losing control of the Senate, but they could lose the wide margin they’ve enjoyed this session – and that means less leeway on tough votes for Dems in risky districts.

Comments? Drop me a line.

Thirty minutes till the short session is gaveled in, and the halls and courtyards are an anthill of lawmakers, staffers, lobbyists, and power brokers.  It's like the start of a new school year, but with a lot more suits.

Mayor Rock Star?

The first celebrity appearance of the session: GOP gov nominee Mayor Pat McCrory is in the building today. He stopped by the Republicans' press conference this morning to commend their legislative platform.  (More detail on that later.)

The Mayor had some very nice things to say about former rival Sen. Fred Smith, who introduced him to the GOP caucus, but he forgot to mention his ticketmate, Lt Gov nominee Sen Robert Pittenger.  Whoops. (Dome has more here.)

Get that man an office

It's not exactly typical for gubernatorial candidates to hang out at the legislature, but it sounds like the Mayor's planning to spend quite a bit of time here in the next few weeks. 

McCrory says he wants to build relationships not just with GOP lawmakers, but Dems and Independents, too. (Note: we don't have any of the latter, at least not by official affiliation.)   He also says he'll be back next week with anti-gang legislation.

Sorry no post yesterday--it's been a long few weeks, and I'm about pundit-ed out, so to speak.  Which is why I'm on vacation for a few days till session starts next Tuesday.

Here's to a few days of not following politicians around. :)

Meanwhile, in case you missed it, Frank Stasio and I had a little fun with the primary post-mortem on the State of Things on Wed.  My story on the governor's race winners is here.

Find the legacy

Governor Mike Easley's final budget comes out Monday. So what's he pushing in the last year of his term?  You'll probably find out in the Sunday papers, thanks to an advance briefing by budget chief Dan "Media-Friendly" Gerlach (who actually earns the sobriquet, by the way).

Back Monday night...

Comments? Drop me a line.

It's Perdue...who's speaking soon, I hope.

Latest margin is 55%-41% with 53% reporting.

So Obama's already giving his speech, which means my night just got shorter.  I'm watching it here at Perdue party HQ, where the audience is straining to hear and cheering here and there.

Perdue hasn't spoken yet - they haven't called her race.  But signs are coming in, and so are a whole lot more people, so I'm guessing it'll be soon.

Note in the men's bathroom at Perdue's Raleigh Hilton party:  "Thanks, Perdudes."  (No, I did not independently verify that.  But it's from a good source.)

Obama stops for a beer at the Raleigh Times. Maybe he was celebrating picking up another NC superdelegate, Jeannette Council.

That's 7 for Obama, 2 for Clinton. 

I’m sitting in a mostly empty ballroom at the North Raleigh Hilton, location of the Perdue festivities. Five guys are getting their bluegrass on up on stage.   They’re really good.

Folks are trickling in...the party starts at 7:30.  While we’re waiting...

Pundits ‘r us

As of this time tomorrow, NC will be a rapidly fading speck in the rearview mirror of the national media.  But for a while there, it was one heck of a  ride for the NC Press Corps.

I haven’t been able to keep up with everyone, but here’s some highlights:

• Dome’s Ryan Teague Beckwith rocked the new breakfast show on CSpan2.
• NBC17’s Kim Gennardo actually told Chris Matthews something he didn’t know.
• I did a bunch of public radio stuff – NPR shows, the BBC, etc.
• But the N&O’s Rob Christensen wins the pundit parade: he’s been on MSNBC (8 times), CNN, Jim Lehrer, CSPAN, NPR, and XM.  (Of course, he has a little more incentive – he’s flogging his new book.  The timing couldn’t be better.)

After Perdue speaks, I’m headed over to Obama’s shindig at NC State. Will update through the evening as making radio permits – stay tuned!

Comments? Drop me a line.