The old Jim Hunt crowd gathered in Raleigh on Friday for the groundbreaking of the library that will bear the former governor's name and for lunch at the Park Alumni Center at N.C. State University, Rob Christensen reports.

The crowd included a who's who from Hunt's 16 years as governor, including Jim Phillips, former chairman of the UNC Board of Governors; former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Burley Mitchell; Norris Tolson, a transportation secretary under Hunt; former Ambassador Jeanette Hyde; Hunt's former spokeman and strategist Gary Pearce; former Human Resources secretary Lucy Bode; former Cultural Resources secretary Betty McCain; former aide Ed Turlington, and former state Democratic chairwoman Barbara Allen.

Just to name a few. 

And what would a gathering of politicians be without a little fund raising? 

At the lunch, Hunt announced a $20 million fund raising campaign to help cover some of the costs of the library that will also serve as headquarters for the Institute for Emerging Issues, the think tank Hunt created.

"This is a marvelous opportunity," Hunt said. "It really is."

Hillary Clinton's campaign released the names of its North Carolina steering committee, ranging from poet Maya Angelou to Hugh Shelton, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The list was announced at a teleconference held by Tom Hendrickson, a former state Democratic chariman; former Ambassador Jeanette Hyde, and the Rev. Brenda Stevenson of Charlotte.

"I know Hillary has the diplomatic skills," said Hyde, who was appointed ambassador to Barbados by President Clinton. "She has the knowledge. She has traveled around the world. I beleive she can help mend some of the problems we have in the world."

The endorsements include many people long associated with the moderate, pro-business wing of the state Democratic Party and with Govs. Jim Hunt and Terry Sanford.

Clarification: Hunt is not on the steering committee, but some of his associates are.

More names after the jump.

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