The group behind the "Lamont Williams" calls has strong ties to Hillary Clinton.

According to research by the Center for Investigative Reporting, principals in Women's Voices Women Vote have given $34,800 to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton or her political action committee since 2000, while only giving $3,600 to Barack Obama and $2,300 to John Edwards.

(In fairness, Obama did not run for U.S. Senate until 2004 and Edwards was not a national figure until his presidential campaign that year.)

The group's leadership have worked with the Clintons as well.

Founder Page Gardner served as the deputy political director for Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign, Joe Goode was a pollster for him, Mimi Mager served as a member of the Clinton transition team and John Podesta was chief of staff to President Clinton.

There are some non-Clinton connections, too, including Obama supporters William McNary and Todd Webster and Edwards supporter Chris Dresser.

Asked by The Insider about the connections earlier this week, Clinton's state organizer Ace Smith acted offended.

"You're asking me about something that has nothing to do with our campaign," he said. "This is getting to conspiracy talk."

Hat Tip: Facing South

Barack Obama is losing ground in North Carolina.

The Democratic presidential candidate was once figured to do well here, but three recent public opinion polls show Hillary Clinton closing the gap.

Raleigh's Public Policy Polling found his one-time lead of 25 points had decreased to 12. A SurveyUSA poll shows him ahead by 5, and Rasmussen Reports has his lead at 14.

Most of the loss has been among white voters, which voters attribute to the recent flare-up over Rev. Jeremiah Wright. 

"The more Obama becomes a black candidate or the candidate of blacks, the more support that we see falling off among some segments of the white population," said Duke University politics professor Kerry Haynie.

Ace Smith, Clinton's state director, said she still has an uphill battle. (N&O) 

The Hillary Clinton campaign sought Friday to pressure Barack Obama to accept the proposed debate in North Carolina.

"Unfortunately, all signs point to him trying to duck the debate," said Ace Smith, Clinton's state campaign director. "He basically wants to brush off the people of North Carolina."

Smith noted that such Democratic leaders as Gov. Mike Easley and former Gov. Jim Hunt have urged Obama to acccept a debate scheduled to be held at Raleigh's RBC Center on April 27, Rob Christensen reports. He noted the state Democratic Party, which is sponsoring the event along with CBS, has already received 20,000 requests for tickets.

"It's ironic that the campaign of hope has become: I hope I don't get any more tough questions. I hope I don't have any more debates," he said.

During a campaign appearance in Raleigh on Monday, Obama expressed disappointment with the tenor of a debate held this week in Philadelphia. Instead of focusing on issues that matter to people, Obama said the debate concentrated on peripheral campaign flaps.

Obama also said there would be little time to hold a debate in the state.

Hillary Clinton's state political director, Ace Smith, has issued a statement on a North Carolina debate.

Last week, Senator Hillary Clinton accepted an invitation to participate in a debate on April 27 sponsored by the North Carolina Democratic Party, CBS News and North Carolina State University.

Today, Senator Barack Obama said that the debate does not fit into his schedule.

Senator Obama should stop ducking a debate and explain to North Carolinians why they don't deserve to hear directly from the candidates.

Hillary Clinton's campaign opened her North Carolina headquarters this evening.

About 100 people attended the hourlong kickoff, including Wake County commissioners Lindy Brown and Betty Lou Ward, fundraiser Richard Sullivan and former Democratic Party chairman Tom Hendrickson, who owns the building near Raleigh's trendy Glenwood South area.

Hendrickson noted that the Clinton campaign brought in organizer Ace Smith to head up its North Carolina campaign, after similar efforts in California and Texas.

"They have sent us the A-team," he said. 

Spokeswoman Cary Lindauer said that the campaign will open about a dozen offices around the state in the next few weeks, beginning with Charlotte. The state headquarters will also double as the Raleigh field office.

The crowd also included Gene Conti, assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation from 1998 to 2000; Mike Schaul, a member of the N.C. Democratic Party's executive committee; and noted open space advocate Sig Hutchinson, who said he came because of his wife.

The guest who attracted the most attention, however, was Hendrickson's long-haired Chihuahua, Izzy. Several people in the campaign took turns holding the puppy during the event. 

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are sending "superstars" to North Carolina.

The San Francisco Chronicle writes that Clinton's consultant, Averell "Ace" Smith, and Obama's consultant, Craig Schirmer, are California operatives with impressive track records.

Smith led Clinton's successful efforts in the California and Texas primaries, while Schirmer helped Obama win in South Carolina and Wisconsin.

Smith's plan: "A real aggressive campaign" aimed at highlighting Clinton's readiness "to lead on day One" and outreach to voters in every precinct.

Schirmer's: Helping voters get to know Obama and getting them to the polls. "We're a big believer in strong grassroots operations."

Based on those rather vague remarks, Dome expects to see Clinton heading to rural areas, particularly around military bases, and Obama concentrating on the urban areas where GOTV can turn out big numbers.

Hillary Clinton has officially named Averell "Ace" Smith as its North Carolina political director.

In a press release this afternoon, the Democratic presidential candidate noted his successful efforts in California and Texas.

"We are going to wage an aggressive, grassroots campaign and work hard for every vote across North Carolina," Smith said in a statement. 

Dome noted Smith's appointment on Friday, but Clinton did not announce it until today. 

Previously: Smith appointment means Clinton is "serious" about N.C. 

Ben Smith says Hillary Clinton is serious about North Carolina.

The Politico blogger notes that her California and Texas director, Ace Smith, was recently named to head her Tar Heel operation.

That, he says, is "a mark that even if she only wants to talk about Pennsylvania, she's taking the rest of the calendar pretty seriously."

A Clinton adviser left North Carolina out of the states that she was expected to do well in during a March 6 conference call, and another called the state "irrelevant" in the fall campaign.

She is expected to compete in Congressional districts in the mountains and on the coast. 

The Democratic presidential campaigns for Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have named their North Carolina state directors as both teams gear up for the May 6 primary.

Clinton's campaign has tapped Ace Smith to run North Carolina operations. He held the same post in the California and Texas primaries. He previously ran the campaigns for California Attorney General Jerry Brown and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Mark Johnson reports.

Craig Schirmer, who managed Democrat Erskine Bowles' unsuccessful 2002 U.S. Senate campaign in North Carolina, will return to lead Obama's team in the state. Schirmer served as state director for Obama in Wisconsin and played a lead role during the South Carolina primary.