U.S. Sen. Richard Burr will look into terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction.

The Winston-Salem Republican announced today that he and Sen. Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, are starting the Senate Caucus on WMD Terrorism.

The bipartisan group of eight senators will highlight the problem of terrorist groups obtaining nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and discuss policy responses.

"We must ensure the U.S. government continues to make the prevention of, and preparedness for, bioterrorism and other WMD threats a top priority," Burr said in a statement.

The other members of the caucus are Democratic Sens. Evan Bayh and Russ Feingold; Republican Sens. James Inhofe, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson; and independent Sen. Joe Lieberman.

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan was sworn in Tuesday.

The Greensboro Democrat, one of the election season's unlikeliest candidates, became the second woman and the first Democrat since John Edwards to represent North Carolina.

Shortly before the ceremony, she joined fellow senators on the floor in her seat, next to freshman Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.

With office assignments not yet made, she remains in a cramped space in the basement of the Dirksen building, where she held a reception for visitors.

Stopping by the office reception were North Carolina residents and lobbyists, including representatives from the Farm Bureau, the Sierra Club and Womble Carlyle, a Winston-Salem law firm.

Hagan has requested spots on the armed services and banking committees. (N&O) 

Kay Hagan had about five minutes Tuesday to prove to U.S. Senate Democrats that she could be a winner in North Carolina.

During her speech in the closed-door caucus meeting in Washington, she talked about education, about fiscal responsibility and about what North Carolina needs in its next senator, said Sen. Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat who watched the speech.

"You have a very limited time to get your message across," Casey said. "She did it succinctly, with a lot of enthusiasm. … She's a very dynamic candidate."

Casey, a freshman senator, has been in Hagan's place before. He beat well-financed incumbent Republican Sen. Rick Santorum in 2006, Barb Barrett reports.

Hagan has her own tough race, against "rock star" Sen. Elizabeth Dole, a Salisbury Republican.

"I can understand some of what she's going through," Casey said in an interview. He, too, spoke to a caucus luncheon as a candidate — an opportunity not given to every Senate challenger.

"That's not an easy group to impress," Casey said of the caucus. "These are people who've been elected to the Senate and hear a lot of speeches."

Casey had met Hagan before and called her a "top-tier challenger."

"She has a lot of energy," he said. "She gives a very positive and forward-looking message, and I think she'll be a very effective candidate." 

U.S. Rep. David Price has a new Iraq bill.

A week after the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved his bill to bring private contractors under the federal criminal code, the Chapel Hill Democrat is about to introduce more legislation today tackling the Bush administration’s work in Iraq.

He wants to establish a "diplomatic surge" in Iraq, forcing President Bush to set up a special regional security envoy, write a new Middle East diplomatic plan and push the United Nations to get involved as well, Barb Barrett reports.

The bill is part of larger efforts by Democrats to force Bush's hand on narrow aspects of the war in Iraq. Congress' push to withdraw troops has largely failed, leaving Democrats searching for new ways to influence the administration’s work.

"The focus of the debate in Congress has been on ending the war, and rightly so," Price said in a statement. "But no matter what else happens, there is a great need for intensive diplomatic efforts to protect our interests in the region and give Iraqis the best chance to succeed as our troops begin to come home."

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated Price's hometown.

More after the jump.

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One of Gov. Mike Easley's former campaign consultants is a certified "maverick," according to Details magazine.

An article in a recent edition of the men's fashion magazine anoints Jay Reiff among "27 agents of change," including hip hop CEO Damon Dash, fashion designer Tom Ford and um, Ryan Seacrest.

Reiff, a consultant for state Treasurer Richard Moore, gets props for leading Democrat Bob Casey to victory over Sen. Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania in November, in part by reading up on the hardball tactics of Lee Atwater.

Reiff's approach — taking the fight to Republicans on their own turf — is seen as essential for the Democrats in 2008, especially in red states like North Carolina, where he helped Democratic governor Mike Easley cruise to victory in '04 by playing up Easley’s undying love for Nascar. "But it's got to be genuine," says the Carhartt-wearing Reiff. "You can't fake it."

Especially since no true-blue Details reader would throw on a pair of Carhartt coveralls — unless it was in some irony-drenched Ashton Kutcher-in-a-trucker-hat kind of way.