A few months ago, you wouldn't exactly call it Democrat Beverly Perdue's crowd: Charlotte's business leaders all gathered this afternoon at the Charlotte Chamber.

Among them was Perdue's erstwhile opponent, Republican Mayor Pat McCrory, who surely got the majority of votes from this hometown crowd, Jim Morrill reports.

But Perdue, who announced a handful of job training and economic development initiatives, appears to be building bridges in the city. Perdue narrowly carried Mecklenburg County, but largely on the strength of the Barack Obama vote.

Her remarks today capped visits earlier in the day to the big banks and an unemployment office. Last month she was here to announce the move of GMAC's headquarters to Charlotte and open a regional governor's office — the city's first.

"We've seen a lot of her in the first three months," said Charmber President Bob Morgan.

More after the jump.

   Comments (5)

MEBANE — Four N.C. governors were among the hundreds of mourners who said farewell today to one of their predecessors, Bob Scott, who died Friday at 79.

Under gray skies and a steady drizzle, Scott was laid to rest next to his father, the late Gov. Kerr Scott, Jim Morrill reports.

The overflow crowd at Hawfields Presbyterian Church included Gov. Beverly Perdue, former Govs. Jim Holshouser, Jim Hunt and Mike Easley, and former U.S. senators Bob Morgan and Lauch Faircloth.

But Scott was remembered not just for his political achievements but for being a man who never forgot where he came from.

In the church where he was baptized, Scott's widow, Jessie Rae, recalled how her husband used to insist on coming back for services every Sunday when they lived in Raleigh.

"Robert said we had to do it for our children so they'll stay connected to the community," she said.

The small country church filled an hour before the 11 a.m. service, which Scott designed himself. The pastor said the former governor wanted an "uplifting and cheerful" service whete people sang "with gusto."

Scott was eulogized by two grandsons. But others brought their own memories.

"He was a down-to-earth fellow," said Hunt. "No pretentions about him."