Gov. Beverly Perdue asked for — and received — the resignation of N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Commission Chairman Doug Fox today, just hours after newspapers provided Perdue's office with a copy of a racist photo illustration sent from Fox's e-mail address following last November's election.

The e-mail included an altered photo of the White House that turned the South Lawn into an enormous watermelon patch. The phrase, "There goes the neighborhood..." was printed above the photo, Mark Johnson reports.

The e-mail was sent from Fox's law firm address on Nov. 14, ten days after Barack Obama was elected president. The message, which had been forwarded multiple times by others before reaching Fox, contained no text other than a subject line: "how true."

Fox made no mention of the e-mail in his resignation letter, instead suggesting that he was leaving voluntarily.

"I believe it is time to surrender the helm to someone new," Fox wrote.

But Perdue indicated in a statement today that the resignation was linked to the e-mail.

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Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue's campaign sent a "cease and desist" letter to an alcohol industry contributor trying to raise money for her campaign.

The campaign heard that an e-mail from Paul Criscuolo, a vice president for the nation's largest wine and liquor distributor, Southern Wine & Spirits, urged contributions to her campaign with the suggestion that her election would lead to expanded marketing opportunities for the liquor industry, Lynn Bonner reports.

"SWS North Carolina will be contributing $15,000 to Bev Perdue's campaign from employee donations," said the e-mail sent to eight people, including another SWS vice president and and two men with email addresses from alcohol broker Diageo.

The e-mail is dated Feb. 2. The day before, the liquor industry was handed a setback, when the state Alcohol Beverage Control Commission revoked its permission for free-tasting promotions at bars and restaurants.

The e-mail said that with Perdue's election, current ABC chairman Douglas A. Fox, "should be reinstated." Fox supported the bar tastings, and decided in October to allow them. The decision was reversed under pressure from Gov. Mike Easley's office.

Perdue's campaign heard the e-mail was circulating, and in mid-February had its lawyer send Criscuolo at letter telling him it was out of line.

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