Reaction by Adam Searing of the N.C. Health Access Coalition to President Barack Obama's health care speech:

"It reminded me of Dean Smith's old 'Four Corners' offense: Tough to beat, but easy to understand.

"The president was very clear: You keep your insurance if you like it. You have affordable options if you don't. We will control costs. I think he made the most convincing case of the night when he explained why we cannot fail to act. That was the critical part of the speech. He said there are too many Americans counting on reform. As I've traveled around North Carolina, I've met many people who can't afford coverage and who desperately need change."

North Carolina gets low grades for mental health.

The state needs to make its mental health system less complex, make its psychiatric hospitals safer, and promote practices shown to improve patients' conditions, said said Deby Dihoff, executive director of NAMI North Carolina.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness gave the state a "D" for its mental health care system in a report released Wednesday. "D" was the national average, Lynn Bonner reports.

"Nobody has it right," Dihoff said.  "I do know that we can improve our grade."

The state needs housing for the mentally ill, peer support services and treatment for people who have both mental illnesses and substance abuse problems, Dihoff said.

The state has already reduced the money it expected to spend this year on mental health because of the fiscal crisis,  said Rep. Verla Insko, a Chapel Hill Democrat. And more cuts are coming.

Dean Smith, a former Cherry Hospital patient who was beaten by hospital employees, said the hospitals don't have enough money and that state policies have "perpetuated a climate of abuse and neglect."

"The hospitals need staff trained to understand the symptoms of mental illness," said Smith, who was featured in The News & Observer series on the mental health system. "Then staff needs to be trained to respond in helpful, healing ways."

Insko said she expects improved hospital oversight because Lanier Cansler, the head of the state Department of Health and Human Services, is looking to reorganize the office that oversees state institutions and hire a professional hospital administrator to run it.

Forget the organization, the grassroots effort or the disenchantment with Republicans.

The reason Barack Obama carried North Carolina may have had more to do with basketball.

At least that's the take in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated.

The issue includes an article on Obama's interest in basketball, and argues that it helped him engage voters in basketball-crazed states like North Carolina and Indiana.

The story recounts Obama's pick-up game with the UNC team, and his endorsement by Dean Smith. It tells of Obama playing H-O-R-S-E with a boy in Indiana.

It then goes on to note that Obama narrowly carried both states.

"Basketball might well have made the difference," reads the article.

Gov. Mike Easley and First Lady Mary Easley handed out the annual North Carolina Awards Monday evening to leaders in public service, science, fine arts and literature.

Author Charles Frazier, philanthropist Ann Goodnight, former Gov. Jim Martin and former UNC mens basketball coach Dean Smith are among the recipients.

The awards recognize leaders in the state in each of those fields, and this year is the 45th presentation of the gold medalion suspended from a red, white and blue ribbon. The state legislature created the awards in 1961, and the first set was handed out in 1964.

Past recipients include poet Maya Angelou and singer/songwriter James Taylor.

Below, a complete list of winners and their achievements.

Has Barack Obama sought North Carolina authenticators?

A recent article in The New Republic about the Democratic presidential candidate's campaign strategist, David Axelrod, included this observation about his strategy to overcome race:

Axelrod believed the other crucial vehicle for winning his candidate the votes of Cleveland's white residents was what he's called "third-party authentication" — in other words, endorsements from respected individuals or institutions that whites put a lot of stock in. "David felt there almost had to be a permission structure set up for certain white voters to consider a black candidate," explains Ken Snyder, a Democratic consultant and Axelrod protégé .

In recent weeks, the Obama campaign has sent e-mails to North Carolinians from legendary UNC-Chapel Hill basketball coach Dean Smith and musician James Taylor, who also held a series of concerts for him.

Former Gov. Jim Hunt has also been a major surrogate, appearing at several events.

In addition, he's picked up endorsements from five major mainstream newspapers — the third-party authenticators specifically mentioned in The New Republic article.

Dean Smith has endorsed Barack Obama.

The legendary UNC-Chapel Hill basketball coach, who previously campaigned for John Edwards, announced in an e-mail to Obama supporters today that he was backing the Democratic presidential candidate.

"I have written that when coaching a team, you must be prepared to make changes to meet new challenges and obstacles," he said. "We must be prepared to do the same as a nation." 

He added that Obama is "a patriotic American, a committed Christian" and "a good family man." 

Could Dean Smith beat Sen. Elizabeth Dole?

The legendary UNC-Chapel Hill basketball coach did the better against the Republican incumbent than any of the Democrats tested so far except Gov. Mike Easley.

That's according to the latest poll from Democratic firm Public Policy Polling. It found that in a Smith-Dole matchup, 41 percent would vote for her and 35 percent for him. Twenty-four percent were undecided.

(No crosstabs were available on N.C. State fans polled. Duke fans, however, favored Frank Lautenberg.)

To add fuel to a rather tiresome fire, the poll also showed Dole with a 45 percent approval rating and a 40 percent disapproval rating.

More after the jump.

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The N.C. Democratic Party edited Wikipedia entries on Auditor Les Merritt, Sen. Katie Dorsett and UNC basketball coach Dean Smith.

A new software program called Wikiscanner revealed the edits, which previously were anonymous.

The changes to Merritt's are the most interesting. Someone using a computer at the state party's headquarters reworded criticism of Merritt's handling of a voter registration audit and added information about a controversial part-time job:

As of June 2007, Merritt has come under scrutiny because of an attempt to block a Senate Bill that would have authorized same day registration. Merritt's based his concern on a report his office produced which he quickly withdrew due to substantial inaccuracies.

The other revisions added information on Dorsett's background, noted Smith's role in Devout Democrats, a political action committee that ran ads about religious Democrats, and fixed a misspelling in former Kinston City Councilman Van Braxton's bio.

All of the changes can be viewed here.

John Edwards is bringing in the big guns for one last push before the second quarter ends.

The former North Carolina senator is calling together some of his biggest supporters, including former Gov. Jim Hunt, Raleigh attorney David Kirby and former UNC-Chapel Hill basketball coach Dean Smith, for one final push to raise money, Rob Christensen reports.

Edwards has scheduled a high dollar fund raiser for Saturday, June 30, at the home of Steve and Louise Coggins, neighbors of his summer homat on Figure 8 Island. The event will cost $2,300 for hosts, $1,000 for sponsors and $500 for patrons.

His campaign raised $14 million in the first quarter, but reportedly may have trouble matching that figure for the second quarter as it seeks to stay competitive with New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

A list of the major attendees after the jump.

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