Senate spouse Brooke Burr has sent out invitations for her husband's annual birthday bash.

The event this year is on his actual birthday, Nov. 30, at the Forsyth Country Club in Winston-Salem, Barb Barrett reports.

Her husband, Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, faces re-election next year.
The Birthday Bash event began 10 years ago, Brooke Burr wrote in her e-mail to friends.

"In the years since, it has become a major fundraiser for the campaign and a special way for women of North Carolina to show their support for Richard," she wrote.

By tradition, women serve as hosts ($500, with three guests) or sponsors ($250, with one guest). They can invite even more guests for $75 a person. Money goes toward Burr's re-election campaign.

Special guests include former Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and her husband, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

"Thanks for your past support and I hope I can count on you to be with us to celebrate Richard's birthday on November 30th," Brooke Burr wrote. "I am sure you know the importance of this election and this event."

Burr will be turning 54.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr said he panicked when he first learned of the banking crisis.

The Winston-Salem Republican told the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce that he called his wife, Brooke, and told her to withdraw money from the bank after talking with former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

The remarks, first reported by the Hendersonville Times-News, have since been picked up by The Hill, a Washington-based newspaper, and various political blogs:

"On Friday night, I called my wife and I said, 'Brooke, I am not coming home this weekend. I will call you on Monday. Tonight, I want you to go to the ATM machine, and I want you to draw out everything it will let you take. And I want you to tomorrow, and I want you to go Sunday.' I was convinced on Friday night that if you put a plastic card in an ATM machine the last thing you were going to get was cash."

Burr also said that he does not think the current economic problems — which he termed a depression — would have a U-shaped or V-shaped recovery, as past recessions have had.

"Those are the only things they talk about," he said. "Either it’s a lack of imagination or some belief that you can make everything fit into those two. Let me suggest to you today, I think we are in a Nike swoosh."

Brooke Burr had an unusual button on Saturday.

Attending the Sarah Palin rally in Raleigh, the wife of Sen. Richard Burr was wearing a large pink campaign button that read "Palin-McCain." 

Typically, the vice presidential candidate's name is second, it was pointed out.

Burr said that she had not even noticed that, although she figured the pink color was a reference to Palin. She said a campaign worker had given her the button. 

Sarah Palin caught some pizza with a few new friends.

After a rally at East Carolina University tonight, the Republican vice presidential candidate stopped in at the new Boli's on the Boulevard restaurant in Greenville.

Joining her to eat pizza and watch the presidential debate: U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory and Sen. Richard Burr and his wife Brooke.

The three dozen customers at the restaurant were about evenly matched by the traveling press corps and assorted handlers from the McCain campaign.

The politicos drank from two pitchers of Budweiser while they watched the debate on Fox News on the eight televisions in the restaurant.

The press corps was not allowed to get close, although McCrory and Burr came ove rto answer a few questions.

McCrory said Palin was "extremely down to earth" and was having fun on the campaign trail.

"I'm having pizza with the future vice president," he said. "Is that not an experience or what?"

Some high profile Republicans will greet Gov. Sarah Palin in Greenville.

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr; Burr's wife, Brooke; House Minority Leader Paul Stam and his wife, Dottie; Pitt County Republican Chairwoman Kim Hendrix; and Trent Woods Mayor Chuck Tyson.

Former Estonia ambassador Aldona Wos, who is hosting a fundraiser with Palin later this month, is also expected to be at the Pitt-Greenville Airport.

There's also a McCain campaign volunteer, Bill Tarpenning of Wilmington.

Linda Creech, a pediatric occupational therapist from Ayden, showed up at the airport with a Nikon camera with a telephoto lens, hoping to take some shots from the inside of the General Aviation building.

Early reports are that the East Carolina University auditorium, which seats between 8,000 and 10,000, will be full for the event.

Update: Ferrell and Linda Blount will not be attending. 

Cindy McCain is in Raleigh today attending a fundraiser for her husband, Sen. John McCain.

The fundraising luncheon was at the home of Dean Painter, a Raleigh businessman who lives on Haymarket Lane, reports Rob Christensen.

The lunch cost $2,300 per person or $10,000 to be a host. The luncheon, which was closed to the press, was organized by Louis DeJoy, a Greensboro businessman, who was a key fundraiser for President George W. Bush.

This was the second trip to Raleigh this summer for Cindy McCain. She also attended the funeral of former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms.

Update: Frank Donatelli, deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee, said at a press conference this afternoon that Cindy McCain spoke about Sunday's interview with pastor Rick Warren, the invasion of Georgia and other issues.

Brooke Burr, wife of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, also spoke, and Donatelli gave a general overview of the campaign.

Cindy McCain turned down an interview request from NBC 17, and the McCain campaign would not answer questions about the fundraiser.

"This was such a short trip," Donatelli said. "She was literally in and out."

Between 100 and 150 people attended the event.