U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, wants to help 46 poultry farmers in his district who have lost their contracts with a major chicken processing company.

When Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation filed for bankruptcy last year, its growing contracts with farmers were terminated. Etheridge today introduced legislation that gives temporary financial help to poultry farmers who lose contracts through no fault of their own, reports Barb Barrett.

He estimates the bill would help nearly four dozen poultry farmers in Chatham, Lee, Cumberland and Harnett counties. Etheridge said many are in danger of losing their farms.

"I introduced this legislation because these farmers should immediately be eligible for disaster assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” Etheridge said in a statement.

“I will not stand by as rural America’s poultry producers are left abandoned by this economic downturn. We have a tool to help them and this legislation would give them a strong chance to get back on their feet.”

Former state Sen. Cal Cunningham is sounding more and more like a U.S. Senate candidate.

The Lexington attorney recently sent out a letter to potential backers letting them know that he is continuing to look closely at seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat held by Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year, Rob Christensen reports.

"It is my goal to see if we can put together an issue-based, professional, independent and progressive campaign that would make you proud," Cunningham wrote in the letter.

"Before I ask you for your support," Cunningham wrote, "I need to make sure I can look you in the eye, show you a path for victory and tell you where I stand on the issues that really matter in the lives of our citizens."

Cunningham, who recently returned from Iraq as an Army lawyer, has been moving around the state exploring a possible Senate bid.

Also looking at the race is Kenneth Lewis, an Obama fund raiser from Durham. Other names being mentioned include N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, U.S. Reps. Mike McIntyre and Bob Etheridge and former state Treasurer Richard Moore.

The triangle region would receive more than $10.6 million in earmarked money from the spending subcommittee in Congress les by Chapel Hill Democratic Rep. David Price.

The House Committee on Appropriations passed the homeland security bill Friday. The earmarks are spending projects directed to home districts. The spending bill for th 2010 fiscal year must still pass the full House, and then goes to the Senate.

Nearly half of Price's total, $5 million, would go to a new joint center at UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University, Barb Barrett reports. The N.C. Collaboratory for Bio-Preparedness would conduct suveillance of biological threats for the state. Democratic U.S. Reps. Brad Miller, of Raleigh, and Bob Etheridge, of Lillington, also sponsored the earmark.

Price also sent: $3.5 million to Research Triangle Institute, a non-profit organization, for a cyber security testing project; $1 million to LOGTECH in Chapel Hill, which provides Department of Defense training; $1 million to the N.C. Emergency Operations Center and $165,000 for the N.C. Division of Emergency Management.

It's time to refresh the old cup of Senate tea leaves.

The Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in 2010 continues to be completely wide open, though it's increasingly clear that most of the major state officials will pass on it.

Here's the latest conventional wisdom:

THE LAST BIG HOPE: Washington Democrats and national political pundits continue to search for a brand name. U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre is still toying with a run, and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall has lately dipped her toe in the water. A definitive "no" has not come from state Sen. Dan Blue yet.

DARK HORSES: Former state Sen. Cal Cunningham leads the pack of dark horses, though former Obama fundraiser Kenneth Lewis can't be counted out. Marshall's legislative liaison, Robert Wilson, told the Insider he was flirting with the idea, but he never returned Dome's calls and he would not likely run against his boss.

WHO'S NOT RUNNING: U.S. Reps. Heath Shuler, Bob Etheridge and Brad Miller, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, Attorney General Roy Cooper, state Sen. Malcolm Graham, state Reps. Grier Martin and Tricia Cotham, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, and Elizabeth Edwards have all said no. Of course, so did Kay Hagan in 2008.

In Dome's view, Marshall may actually make a run for it: 1) She's interested, since she ran for Senate in 2002; 2) she wouldn't lose her day job (unlike McIntyre or Blue); and 3) at 63, this is probably her last chance to do it. 

That said, Cunningham has a good biography and seems to be exciting the netroots. 

* Liberal blogger Doug Gibson outlines 10 things North Carolinians should know about the state's budget problems.

* Conservative blogger Justin Thibault says proposals to require loyalty oaths and close state Republican primaries are bad ideas.

* Washington Post blogger Chris Cillizza is still convinced that either U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre or Rep. Bob Etheridge will run for Senate. 

* Meantime, Rep. Heath Shuler's got troubles of his own, receiving criticism for the appearance of preferential treatment on water access. 

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler has shot down a Senate bid again.

Speaking at a groundbreaking in Asheville, the Waynesville Democrat said he would not run against U.S. Sen. Richard Burr in 2010, according to the Hendersonville Times-News:

"I am not running for Senate," the second-term Democrat said after a ground-breaking ceremony for a new building at the Bent Creek Experimental Forest Station in Asheville. "I am not running for Senate. I am not running for Senate. I have said that a thousand times, and I don't know why they keep coming up (with the idea). Of course they keep coming up and running polls."

Shuler previously pondered — then rejected — a run for Senate, but some Democrats had floated his name again after Attorney General Roy Cooper declined to run. 

Others who have said no to a run on the Democratic side: U.S. Reps. Bob Etheridge and Brad Miller, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, state Sen. Malcolm Graham, state Reps. Tricia Cotham and Grier Martin and Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker.

Scratch another name off the Democratic list.

State Sen. Malcolm Graham of Charlotte shot down rumors this morning that he was considering a run for U.S. Senate in 2010.

"No way," he said.

He had previously told the Fayetteville Observer he was taking "a casual look" at running against U.S. Sen. Richard Burr.

Others who have said no to a run on the Democratic side: U.S. Reps. Bob Etheridge and Brad Miller, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, Attorney General Roy Cooper, state Reps. Tricia Cotham and Grier Martin and Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr had $1.6 million in cash at the end of March.

The Winston-Salem Republican raised $702,600 during the first quarter of this year and spent only $110,712, according to campaign finance reports.

Here's how some of his potential competitors stack up:

Rep. Heath Shuler: $1.1 million

Rep. Bob Etheridge: $772,489

Rep. Mike McIntyre: $633,090

State Sen. Malcolm Graham: $46,841

State Sen. Dan Blue: $44,824

Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton: $32,305

Cal Cunningham: $8,567*

Kenneth Lewis: n/a

* Campaign account closed in 2007.

Note: As Dome regular lefaim notes below, only the three members of Congress could transfer their cash on hand to a Senate race.

Some staff changes were announced this week.

Colleen Flanagan, press secretary for U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, will leave to serve as communications director for the Democratic Party in her home state of Connecticut.

Meantime, Rep. Bob Etheridge has hired a new press secretary, Don Owens.

Owens previously worked as a legislative assistant for Rep. David Price and as director of public affairs for the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

A North Carolina native, he formerly lived in Raleigh and is a graduate of Elon University.

He replaces Joanne Peters, who now works for the Democratic National Committee.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr leads seven potential contenders.

In a survey by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, the Winston-Salem Republican had an advantage over seven Democrats when given only name, party and sometimes title.

In order from Burr's biggest to smallest leads:

Burr (48) Walter Dalton (29) Undecided (22)
Burr (44) Heath Shuler (28) Undecided (28)
Burr (47) Bob Etheridge (31) Undecided (22)
Burr (47) Richard Moore (34) Undecided (19)
Burr (44) Dan Blue (33) Undecided (23)
Burr (46) Elizabeth Edwards (35) Undecided (19)

The firm also tested former state Sen. Cal Cunningham, giving a two-sentence glowing description about his time in Iraq and as a former state senator:

Burr (42) Cunningham (34) Undecided (24)

"Although it's taking Democrats a while to get a candidate, Burr's standing is still tenuous, and getting someone with a lot of name recognition isn't necessarily that important to winning next year," said pollster Dean Debnam.

The firm did not test Durham attorney Kenneth Lewis, who has said he may run.