U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole is about to get some outside help.

After three attack ads from third-party groups have aired, the North Carolina chapter of Americans for Prosperity will take to the airwaves next week to defend Dole.

Spokesman Dallas Woodhouse said that the minute-long ad will air on radio stations across the state. As with the others, it will be an independent expenditure not related to the campaign and is technically an "issue ad" on energy policy.

The ad features a male and a female narrator talking about high gas prices, then noting that Dole has a plan to repeal the ban on offshore drilling.

"Senator Dole has shown real leadership on the energy issue at a time when North Carolina families need it most," the male narrator says.

The group will spend about $150,000 on the ad starting Monday.

Americans for Prosperity is a 501(c)(4) organization dedicated to promoting limited government and lower taxation. It receives funding in part from Raleigh businessman Art Pope and small donors.

Script after the jump.

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James Protzman says he has toned down the rhetoric of BlueNC.

The former marketing consultant told Dome that the site intentionally adopted a harsh tone in its early days — alternating criticism with praise — as a way to gain attention in a crowded media market.

"Our early strategy was attack, attack, pat on the back," he said.

A few of Protzman's targets: George W. Bush, Blackwater, Art Pope, N&O columnist Rick Martinez, U.S. Rep. Walter Jones and Robin Hayes, right-wing commenters on Dome, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole and the UNC-Chapel Hill school of journalism.

Aside from markeitng, Protzman said he also blogs on issues that made him angry, spurring him to use strong language. He said that he is now trying to "dial back" on the curse words and offer more measured criticism of reporters and politicians.

"I regret every rant, "he said.  "It's easy to be angry about a lot of things. Sometimes out here in the blogosphere, blowing off steam is the only way to stay sane, but it often creates problems and I'm aware of that."

So much for the garage band.

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory has hired the Keith Richards of the North Carolina Republican Party.

Jack Hawke, a veteran GOP strategist, has signed on as the lead consultant for McCrory.

When McCrory entered the race last month, he declared he was going to run a garage band campaign. But after some early stumbles he has had second thoughts.

Hawke, a 66-year old Zebulon resident, managed the last successful Republican camapign for governor—Jim Martin in 1984.

He also was chief strategist for Jim Gardner’s successful 1988 camapign for lieutenant governor, helped Virginia Foxx get elected to Congess in 2004, and was state GOP party chairman for eight years, the longest of anybody in history.

He was also one of several consultants for Richard Vinroot's unsuccessful 2000 campaign for governor.

More after the jump.

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Bob Orr spent $225,600 in 2007.

The Republican gubernatorial candidate's biggest expense was a $5,000-per-month contract with Raleigh fundraising consultant E. Whitney Jones and related expenses. In all, he paid her $59,769, according to campaign finance reports.

He also spent $10,652 on cell phones, landlines and Internet access.

Rent was another major expense. For much of the year, Orr rented a suite in the office building at 225 Hillsborough St. in Raleigh. The building is owned by Variety Realty LLC, which is registered to conservative philanthropist Art Pope. 

But Orr and other tenants had to leave after Campbell University announced plans to move its law school to the building in early October. He moved to the upper floor of the Stratas & Weathers building near Raleigh's Five Points neighborhood.

His monthly rent went from $382.71 to $2,000. 

Campaign manager Dave Woolf said that rent went up because the office nearly quadrupled in size to around 2,100 square feet and now has six employees plus interns. He said the old office was temporary.

"It was virtually empty and we were just given some space to park in there," he said.

Bob Orr raised $227,873 by the end of 2007.

The Republican gubernatorial candidate raised $217,153 from large donors, including Raleigh attorney Gene Boyce, Square One Bank CEO Richard Casey and conservative philanthropist Art Pope.

He raised $3,620 from donors who gave less than $50, $1,500 from the Embarq and Coca-Cola PACs and $600 from the campaigns of state Rep. Carolyn Justus and former Wake County Commissioner Phil Jeffreys, according to a campaign finance report filed last week.

In addition, he loaned his campaign $5,000.

At the same time, Orr spent $225,660 on rent, staff salaries, gas, phone bills and fundraising letters.

That left him with $2,212 in cash on hand.

Two former Republicans lawmakers have settled a dispute left over from the GOP primary wars last year.

Former Rep. Stephen LaRoque of Kinston has apologized to former state Rep. Art Pope of Raleigh, who he had accused of buying legislators by pouring money into contested Republican primaries, Rob Christensen reports.

"In the heat of a hard fought campaign and contested election outcome, I misspoke," LaRoque said in a letter. "Art Pope has not been engaged in buying legislators or their votes. I did not mean to imply that Art Pope had done anything wrong."

After LaRoque issued the apology, Pope said he had instructed his attorney, Raleigh City Councilman Phillip Isley to drop a defamation suit.

Pope, a wealthy businessman, helped finance a direct mail campaign, that was critical of LaRoque and several other lawmakers who were tied to former House Speaker Richard Morgan.

The mailing were done by the Republican Legislative Majority of North Carolina, an advocacy group funded by Pope-led companies.

Campbell University is moving its law school to downtown Raleigh.

The Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law will move to 225 Hillsborough St., a building owned by a company held by former state legislator Art Pope, according to a letter from Jimmy Barnes of NAI Carolantic Realty to tenants.

Campbell President Jerry M. Wallace visited the building this afternoon, along with other school officials and a photographer, tenants said.

Current tenants include the N.C. Sheriff's Association, the N.C. Technology Association, the Bob Orr gubernatorial campaign and several nonprofits that Pope helps fund: the N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law, the Civitas Institute and Americans for Prosperity's state chapter.

According to the letter, the sale is expected to be final by early March, and renovations will begin next summer.

Bob Orr has raised more than $100,000 since January.

But he's also spent much of it on consulting fees and staff salaries, according to his most recent campaign finance report on the State Board of Elections Web site.

In his fundraising, the former Supreme Court justice has tapped a number of lawyers, including former Supreme Court Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake, UNC-Chapel Hill law professor Ronald Link and prominent Cary attorney Brent Barringer.

Former state legislator Art Pope, who helped start the advocacy group where Orr used to work, gave $2,000, and his wife, Katherine, gave $3,000.

But Orr has also spent $79,500, including $25,000 to a Raleigh firm owned by E. Whitney Jones for advice on fundraising and $12,800 to Keyes Management of Asheboro.

That left him with $27,726 on hand at the end of the June reporting period.

Michael Weisel is considering running for treasurer next year.

The Raleigh attorney, who ran for state treasurer a decade ago, Weisel, 49, said he is talking with past supporters and family members about seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat now held by Treasurer Richard Moore, Rob Christensen reports.

Moore is running for the Democratic nomination for governor.

In 1996, Weisel mounted an unsuccessful challenge in the Democratic primary against long-time State Treasurer Harlan Boyles. Weisel had entered the race after Boyles had announced his retirement, only to see Boyles change his mind and run.

Weisel has a background in finance, having worked as an executive and porfolio mananger for Kemper Financial Services and Wells Fargo Bank among others.

He is also well known in Democratic circles having served as Wake County Democratic chairman. Last year, Weisel worked as a legislative counsel to House Speaker Pro Tem Richard Morgan, a Moore County Republican. He also handled an election complaint brought by Morgan by former state Rep. Art Pope, who was involved in a political committee that financed ads that helped defeat Morgan.

The N.C. Republican Roundtable has a round-up of presidential endorsements.

Here are the highlights: 

Mike Huckabee: Former U.S. representative and state party chairman Bill Cobey, among others.

Rudy Giuliani: Political donor and former state Rep. Art Pope.

Fred Thompson: National Republican Party committee member Linda Shaw of Greensboro. 

Sen. John McCain: U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, former Gov. Jim Martin, former state party chairman Ferrell Blount, among others.

For the complete list, go here.