With the health care debate entering a key phase in Congress, both sides are turning up their grassroots lobbying efforts in North Carolina.

An arm of the Democratic National Committee has been holding grassroots meetings across the state, seeking to mobilize the army of supporters that helped President Barack Obama carry the state last November. Meanwhile, conservative opponents of Obama’s health care plan is beginning to organize, reports Rob Christensen.

The North Carolina Chapter of Americans for Prosperity is planning to hold two rallies next week to oppose what they call "harmful government-centered health care reform proposals in Congress" and to demand free-market solutions.

The featured speakers are Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, the GOP nominee for governor last year and possible future candidate, as well as Steve Lonegan, who lost the Republican nomination for governor of New Jersey earlier this year.

Lonegan, a former mayor of Bogota, New Jersey, is a conservative activist who heads the New Jersey chapter of Americans for Prosperity.

The "Patients First Tour" will hold a rally on July 21 at the RBC Center in Raleigh with a reception at 6:15 p.m. and a dinner at 7 p.m. On July 22, the group will hold an event at the Jesse Helms Center at Wingate.

But just as in last year’s presidential campaign, conservatives appear to be playing catch up to the better organized Obama forces.

More after the jump

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"Does North Carolina have a law where Congressmen are required to live in the districts they represent?" — Dome reader mdougyr

No. No state does.

The U.S. Constitution is the sole arbiter of qualifications for U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate and president, said Don Wright, general counsel for the State Board of Elections. That means no state laws can further limit who can run.

Article I, Section 2 lays out the qualifications:

No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen.

As Wright notes, that does not say anything about districts.

U.S. Rep. Walter Jones of Farmville was elected in 1994 while living outside the Third District, although the boundary was later redrawn to include his home.

Vernon Robinson of Winston-Salem and Rory Blake of Charlotte both ran unsuccessfully outside their districts in 2006. As with other candidates, they were criticized for not living in the district, but they were not barred from running.

The same is not true for state lawmakers, however.

Under Article II, Sections 6 and 7, state senators and representatives must reside in their districts for at least one year before being elected. 

Got a question? E-mail dome@newsobserver.com or post it in the comments below. 

North Carolina voters feel that President Barack Obama is off to a good start, according to the results of a poll released this week by the Civitas Insititute.

Civitas surveyed 600 registered voters from Feb. 16-19. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

65 percent of those surveyed said they strongly approve (36 percent) or somewhat approve (29 percent) of the job Obama is doing as president. Only 16 percent strongly disapprove (11 percent) or somewhat disapprove (5 percent).

That's a bump for Obama since the Civitas poll in January, which found that 60 percent strongly approved or somewhat approved of the job he was doing.

North Carolina residents are not feeling as favorable toward new U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, or the rest of Congress.

The survey found that 41 percent strongly approve (12 percent) or somewhat approve (29 percent) of the job Hagan is doing, while 16 percent disapprove.

Only 40 percent strongly approve (10 percent) or somewhat approve (30 percent) the job Congress is doing, while 46 percent disapprove.

A majority of North Carolina residents support the federal economic stimulus package.

The latest Elon University Poll found that 52 percent of those surveyed support the stimulus package, while 39 percent disapprove of the package.

When asked who they trusted to do the "best job" dealing with the main issues facing the country, 46 percent said President Barack Obama, 21 percent said congressional Republicans and 10 percent said congressional Democrats.

"While North Carolinians are pessimistic about the economy, they are pinning their hopes on President Obama to lead them through the crisis," said Hunter Bacot, director of the poll.

The poll surveyed 758 North Carolina residents from Feb. 22-26. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

Update: A poll released earlier in the week by the Civitas Institute found that 50 percent of North Carolina voters support the stimulus package, while 36 percent are opposed to the package.

Civitas surveyed 600 registered voters from Feb. 16-19. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. 

North Carolina may have a 13-member delegation for the near future.

Although the state is growing rapidly, a recent report by Election Data Services said that it may not add another Congressional seat after the 2010 Census.

"Change for the State of North Carolina is more tentative; it would pick up a seat in two of the mid-term projection models, but would fail to increase in both the long-term and short-term population models," the service wrote.

After the 2000 Census, North Carolina added its 13th seat, which U.S. Rep. Brad Miller, a Raleigh Democrat, was then elected to fill in 2002.

Along with Florida, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and Washington, it is considered to be in the running for an additional seat, while states such as California, Illinois and New York may lose a seat.

Aside from the additional representation, an extra Congressional seat would also boost North Carolina's role in the presidential election process by giving the state an additional elector.

Hat Tip: Tom Jensen

U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes is among the wealthiest members of Congress, according to a Capitol Hill newspaper.

In a report released Monday, Roll Call ranked the Concord Republican No. 5 among the 535 members of the House and Senate. The newspaper estimates his net worth at about $79 million, much of it in stocks and bonds held in trust funds.

Hayes, heir to a textile fortune, has seen his wealth more than double since 2006. "According to Hayes' office, the increase, including more than $36 million in new trust funds, is the result of an inheritance. Hayes' mother passed away in 2007," Roll Call says.

Other Carolinas lawmakers in the Top 50: Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole at 19th, Democratic Rep. Heath Shuler at 35th and Democratic Rep. John Spratt at 36th.

The ranking, though, includes several caveats. Roll Call notes that lawmakers must disclose only a range for each asset and liability and do not have to report certain assets at all. They sometimes fill out the disclosure forms incorrectly.

Anti-tax activist Grover Norquist campaigned across the 3rd Congressional district Monday, saying that Republican Congressman Walter Jones had broken his anti-tax pledge.

Norquist said Jones had violated an anti-tax pledge by voting last year for major farm and energy bills, Rob Christensen reports.

Norquist said he had known Jones for years, and had sent letters and talked to him by telephone urging him to avoid voting for a tax hike.

"There were flares up in the sky that were tax increases," Norquist said.

Glen Downs, Jones' chief of staff, said in both cases the farm bill and the energy bill were major pieces of legislation, and only a small portion involved increasing revenues — involving renegotiating oil company leases in the energy bill.

"There has never been a straight up tax increase that Walter has voted for," Downs said.

More after the jump.

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U.S. Rep. David Price was North Carolina's top solo earmarker.

According to a database compiled by the nonprofit Taxpayers for Common Sense, the Chapel Hill Democrat was singlehandedly responsible for $24.3 million in earmarks in this year's spending bills.

He was followed by Reps. Heath Shuler ($14.9 million), Bob Etheridge ($11.2 million), Robin Hayes ($8.6 million) and Virginia Foxx ($7.6 million).

At the bottom of the list, Rep. G.K. Butterfield, who was responsible for just $856,000 in solo earmarks.

The list shift slightly if you include earmarks requested along with other members of Congress. On that list, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole is top with $147.8 million, followed by Sen. Richard Burr ($116.2 million), Price ($90.1 million), Hayes ($43.8 million) and Rep. Mike McIntyre ($32.6 million).

Butterfield still comes in last, with $8.2 million.

Click below for North Carolina earmarks or here for the complete spreadsheet.

The new 2008 Almanac of American Politics — a sort of political bible for Beltway junkies — landed on Dome’s desk last week smelling of fresh ink. The book is crammed with trivia.

The 1,800-page tome, published by National Journal, has details on voting records, election opponents and inside baseball on every member of Congress, Barb Barrett reports.

A few bits from the Triangle delegation:

* On Sen. Elizabeth Dole: "During the 2005-06 cycle Dole spent relatively little time in North Carolina and ended the year with only $245,000 cash on hand." The entry goes on to list all the Democrats uninterested in taking her on: Gov. Mike Easley, Mary Easley, Erskine Bowles, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, Treasure Richard Moore, Attorney General Roy Cooper and Rep. Brad Miller.

More after the jump.

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A majority of southeasterners disapproves of both President Bush and Congress.

A survey by the Elon University Institute for Politics and Public Affairs showed 57 percent of respondents disapprove or strongly disapprove of the way Bush is handling his job.

At the same time, 53 percent said they lack confidence in Congress. Forty-four percent trusted the Democrats more than Bush, 32 percent backed Bush and 15 percent said neither could be trusted.

"Citizens are clearly frustrated with both branches of government," said Hunter Bacot, director of the Elon University Poll. "But, at least in these states, it appears they blame the president more than Congress for problems in Washington."

The poll was conducted of 1,374 residents of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia from Nov. 4-8 and 12-14.

It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percent.