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GOING CHILLY: Former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin didn't appreciate having to share a campaign bus with U.S. Sen. Richard Burr when she was stumping the state. Palin is scheduled to appear at Ft. Bragg next week to promote her book, which could make for an awkward moment if Burr shows to get a book signed.

POLITICAL PRENUP: Presidential candidate John Edwards offered to quit his campaign and endorse President Barack Obama in exchange for a guaranteed spot on the ticket. Hillary Clinton got the same offer. This reminds us of a time when Edwards' political value meant more than a cheap joke, such as this one.

LIGHTWEIGHT GOVERNOR: At a women's health conference, Gov. Bev Perdue shared stories about her days as a lawmaker when she would scarf a whole bag of Doritos. On a stage in front of a crowd, Perdue challenged her transportation secretary, Gene Conti, to slim down. Woe to any Perdue cabinet members who still smoke.

IN OTHER NEWS: Former Gov. Mike Easley's campaign manager appeared before a federal grand jury this week. Members of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are heavy political contributors. An African American artist unveiled a portrait of U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms.

A longtime aide and the former campaign manager for former Gov. Mike Easley did on Wednesday what he didn't do last month: Answer questions from authorities probing his old boss.

Jay Reiff, Easley's campaign manager in 2000 and 2004 who also was on Easley's administrative staff at different points, was at the federal courthouse where a grand jury met as part of an ongoing and secret probe of Easley, the Democratic governor who left office in January, J. Andrew Curliss reports.

Reiff, who also managed former Treasurer Richard Moore's gubernatorial campaign, emerged after a couple hours inside, but did not speak to reporters. His lawyer, Michael Weisel, said that Reiff "in response to a subpoena, appeared before the grand jury and fully and completely answered all their questions for several hours." He said it was "regarding the Easley investigation."

Weisel went on to say that it would be inaccurate to say Reiff had not cooperated with last month's state elections board probe, though Reiff did not appear and elections chairman Larry Leake expressed frustration that the board's subpoena power did not extend to Virginia, where Reiff was working on a campaign.

Weisel said Reiff "fully and completely cooperated" with the elections probe and "made himself available to be called but, in fact, was not called."

Leake could not be immediately reached for a response.

Gov. Mike Easley liked to call on his trusted campaign advisor Mac McCorkle.

That didn't sit too well with Easley's former campaign manager, Jay Reiff, who was trying to get Treasurer Richard Moore elected governor. 

See, McCorkle was a consultant for then-Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, who was in a heated rivalry with Moore for the Democratic nomination for governor. 

McCorkle, who was called to testify before the State Board of Elections on Tuesday, said that at some point, Reiff called foul. 

"I think they were strategically worried about my relationship to Gov. Easley and wanted to distance me from Gov. Easley," McCorkle testified. "That was in the midst of campaign war." 

McCorkle was it a tough spot because Easley apparently had him on speed dial.

"I think he initiated more of of the calls than I did," McCorkle said.

Democratic campaign maestro Jay Reiff has taken a job with the National Education Association, helping the teachers group with its political efforts in mid-Atlantic and midwestern states.

"There's a little irony in this," said John Wilson, NEA's executive director and former president of the N.C. Association of Educators. Wilson is a longtime supporter of Gov. Beverly Perdue, and Reiff managed the campaign of Perdue's Democratic primary opponent last year, then-State Treasurer Richard Moore.

Reiff will work with NEA affiliates in N.C., Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Kentucky and Ohio in analyzing elections, identifying candidates to endorse and helping elect them. Virginia, where Reiff previously worked as a Democratic strategist, elects a governor this year.

"I suspect Jay will be spending a lot of time assisting our Virginia affiliate with that race," Wilson said.

Reiff ran former Gov. Mike Easley's successful campaigns in 2000 and 2004, as well as U.S. Sen. Bob Casey's campaign in Pennsylvania in 2006.

Wilson appointed Reiff to temporarily fill the job for several months, after which the job will be opened to applications under union rules, Wilson said. Reiff can apply and will be in the best position to be hired because he has been in the post, Wilson said.

Public Policy Polling doesn't need a publicist.

So far this year, the Raleigh firm has gotten more than enough attention from the statewide campaigns for U.S. Senate and governor.

Today, Senate candidate Kay Hagan sent a news release and gubernatorial candidate Beverly Perdue sent an e-mail to supporters boasting of their leads in the weekly tracking poll.

"A new poll provides evidence that voters support Bev’s decision to run a positive campaign focused on the issues that matter most," Perdue's campaign wrote in the e-mail.

In the past, the campaigns of gubernatorial candidates Richard Moore and Pat McCrory have also sent e-mails touting Public Policy Polling results. Lieutenant governor candidate Walter Dalton has alluded to the firm's polls indirectly.

Moore's campaign manager, Jay Reiff, also sent supporters an e-mail cautioning them about reading too much into polls.

"To have an accurate poll, you need to be a stickler for the science," he wrote.

Richard Moore's campaign has responded to Beverly Perdue's swearing off of negative ads.

"This is no surprise given that the Perdue campaign had to pull their last negative ad because it was untrue and even her 'positive' TV ad has been called misleading by the Associated Press," said campaign manager Jay Reiff in a statement. "How about a pledge to tell the truth?  The fact is, as Democrats have learned about Bev Perdue’s college tuition increases, her tax cuts for the wealthy, and the SBI investigation, they are questioning whether she's ready to be governor."

How has Public Policy Polling affected perceptions of the 2008 gubernatorial race?

The Raleigh polling firm has surveyed likely primary voters in the race between Beverly Perdue and Richard Moore since July of 2006, shortly after Attorney General Roy Cooper said he would not run.

Both campaigns say it has not affected their overall strategy, although they say the poll results are closely followed by political insiders.

"It's chatter," said Perdue's deputy campaign manager, David Kochman. "The chattering class of people who really talk politics day in and day out like to talk about these things, but I don't think it influences the race a whole lot."

He said "time will tell" whether the polls are accurate.

Moore's campaign manager, Jay Reiff, said that the polls can have an effect on fundraising, since donors are often among the "high-information insiders" reading about them.

He added that automated polls are good at "picking up movement" in high-profile races where the public is engaged, but there are limits to their value.

"It's kind of like buying a disposable camera," he said. "They probably have a fairly accurate picture of something that's happening, but at the end of the day if you want a really detailed look, you want to get a good Nikon."

Richard Moore has reconciled with the Eagles.

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate announced today that he has reached a settlement with the classic rock band over its unauthorized use of "Life in the Fast Lane" in a YouTube ad.

"We apologized for using a portion of 'Life in the Fast Lane' without permission in a YouTube video," said Jay Reiff, Moore’s campaign manager, in a statement. "Our goal was to use a little creativity to inform voters and foster public debate regarding the need for transportation reform in North Carolina. We let our creativity outrun our legal headlights and we regret the error."

Moore agreed to make $25,000 donations to the Community Music School of Raleigh and N.C. Central University's music program.

Richard Moore pulled his television ads.

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate had been running several ads introducing himself to voters and lamenting bureaucracy in the state capitol.

On Wednesday, Beverly Perdue's campaign manager, Zach Ambrose, argued in an e-mail to supporters that Moore pulled the ads because his message is "not resonating with the voters."

But Moore campaign manager Jay Reiff told the Associated Press today that the reason was strategic: He wants to make sure they're ready in case the presidential race brings more attention to North Carolina's May 6 primary.

"We'd rather have money in our bank account if turnout explodes," Reiff wrote in an e-mail. "The other candidates are certainly welcome to keep spending money."

In possibly related news, Democratic pollster Tom Jensen writes that Moore's ads weren't giving him as big of a bump in the polls as Perdue's.

Richard Moore spent $1.4 million in 2007.

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate's biggest expenses last year were salaries and related payroll expenses for his campaign staff.

(He spent $1.9 million since his re-election as state treasurer in 2005.)

He paid the Benenson Strategy Group $208,442 for research, a firm owned by campaign manager Jay Reiff $138,115 for consulting, DWD Software Development of Raleigh $137,711 for account management and services, and Dixon/Davis Media Group of Washington, D.C., $93,690 to produce TV ads.

In addition, he spent $23,660 on rent for a Raleigh office. 

He also paid a Wendell man $2,547 for janitorial services.