It wasn't the Oscars, but it was a close second.

Gov. Beverly Perdue hobnobbed with other governors in the State Dining Room of the White House Sunday. Instead of Sean Penn and Kate Winslet, they heard from President Obama and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell.

Perdue, who skipped the president's inauguration to focus on work, said it was "a real privilege" to represent North Carolina.

"I don't have a bar to compare it to," she said. "It was very inviting — very beautiful, wonderful food, wonderful music, and the president spoke so eloquently. Everybody was dolled up, so it was a real special night."

Perdue sat with Govs. Dave Freudenthal of Wyoming, Brad Henry of Oklahoma and Jon Huntsman of Utah under a seating arrangement designed to bridge partisan and geographic boundaries.

She also met with other female Democratic governors, including potential Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue plans to join a meeting of the nation's governors with President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden in Philadelphia on Tuesday morning.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who is chair of the National Governors Association, is playing host to the sitting and incoming governors who can attend the meeting, Mark Johnson reports.

The topic, not surprisingly, is the economic crisis, and Perdue mentioned the upcoming confab during her own economic roundtable in Charlotte yesterday.

Hat Tip: Mary Newsom

Gov. Mike Easley is going to endorse U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, according to Tom Hendrickson, a former state Democratic party chairman who is a key Clinton supporter in North Carolina.

Easley agreed to the endorsement after returning from an economic development trip to Italy, reports Rob Christensen. Clinton is expected to fly to Raleigh on Tuesday for a joint event with Easley.

"We are excited about this opportunity," Hendrickson said.

Easley's office declined to comment.

An Easley endorsement would be the first endorsement for Clinton from a major North Carolina political figure. Three members of North Carolina's congressional delegation have endorsed Sen. Barack Obama.

Easley does not have the same sort of political machine that Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania used to help deliver votes for Clinton in that state.

But Easley is popular with rural, white, blue-collar Democrats, the sort of voters that Clinton has successfully targeted in wins in Pennslyvania and Ohio.

The Clintons have been quietly courting Easley, who is also a Democratic superdelegate, for months. Former President Bill Clinton has had numerous telephone conversations with Easley.