* The parent company of the Winston-Salem Journal is closing its Washington bureau, which wrote, among many other things, this article last year.

* Asheville Citizen-Times Jordan Schrader reports that Gov. Beverly Perdue left a message Speaker Joe Hackney after seizing the rainy day funds. 

* Greensboro News-Record's Mark Binker finally gets a long-awaited ethics opinion on donations to the N.C. Legislative Black Caucus Foundation.

* First Lady Michelle Obama visits Fort Bragg, meets with city council members, local civics and business leaders at a Fayetteville event. 

Michelle Obama is coming to Fayetteville.

The White House press office just sent over this brief description of her upcoming visit, which was something of an open secret:

On Thursday, March 12th, Mrs. Obama will tour Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina, meet with military spouses, and speak to community organizations that provide support to the soldiers and their families.

Obama was a frequent visitor to North Carolina during the presidential primary and general election.

* Cigar-smoking restaurateur says he has no regrets about opening two smoke-free places in Fayetteville, though one customer wanted to fight.

* WUNC reporter Laura Leslie notes that Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton's daughter, Elizabeth, has been a registered lobbyist for eight years.

* Republican consultant Carter Wrenn gives some more advice to Senate Republicans about how to hold the governor's feet to the fire on probation problems.

* Liberal commentator Chris Fitzsimon notices a "puzzling" entry on a list of politicians who should be considered for the U.S. Supreme Court: Mike Easley.

David Young is going on a listening tour.

The former Buncombe County commissioner, currently the odds-on favorite for Democratic Party state chair, will head to seven cities to meet with local organizers and volunteers.

After a stop in Fayetteville Tuesday, Young will be in at the state Democratic Party headquarters in Raleigh at noon around the opening of the legislative session. 

He'll be at Foster's Market in Durham at 8 a.m., then at the Chapel Hill Library at noon tomorrow, followed by stops in Greensboro, Winston-Salem and Charlotte. (A full schedule is here.) 

Young has the backing of outgoing chair Jerry Meek and Gov. Beverly Perdue, among others. Since he announced last week that he was running, two other candidates have dropped out. 

Barack Obama's crowds in North Carolina have gotten bigger.

Below are crowd estimates from events held during the primary and general election by the Democratic presidential candidate.

In all, they total 194,050, although presumably some people attended more than one rally.

Before Election Season:

Durham, Nov. 1, 2007: 4,000

Before Primary (57,550):

Fayetteville, March 19: 150
Charlotte, March 19: 2,500
Greensboro, March 26: 2,400
Raleigh, April 17: 2,000
Greenville, April 17: 8,000
Wilmington, April 28: 6,000
Chapel Hill, April 28: 18,000
Winston-Salem, April 29: 2,000
Hickory, April 29: 2,500
Raleigh, May 2: 5,000
Charlotte, May 2: 9,000

On Primary Day:

Raleigh, May 6: 2,000

After Primary (133,000):

Raleigh, June 9: 500
Raleigh, Aug. 19: 2,500
Charlotte, Sept. 21: 20,000
Greensboro, Sept. 27: 20,000
Asheville, Oct. 5: 28,000
Fayetteville, Oct. 19: 10,000
Raleigh, Oct. 29: 25,000
Charlotte, Nov. 3: 25,000

John McCain has made few visits to North Carolina.

While Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has spoken to crowds totaling 169,050 in almost all of the major metropolitan areas of the state, McCain has come here only a handful of times.

McCain has also held mostly smaller speeches and meetings instead of the larger rallies held by Obama, though as Election Day neared he's held more rallies.

In all, McCain has spoken to about 17,900 people.

Before Primary:

Charlotte, May 5: McCain gave a speech on foreign policy before a crowd of 200 at the Charlotte Chamber.

Greensboro, May 5: McCain gave a speech on his judicial philosophy before "a large crowd of students" at Wake Forest University.

After Primary:

Montreat, June 29: McCain met privately with Rev. Billy Graham and his son Franklin at their retreat, Little Piney Cove.

Wilmington, Oct. 14: McCain gave a speech at a rally of 2,500 at Cape Fear Community College.

Concord, Oct. 18: McCain spoke to 7,000 at a rally in Concord.

Fayetteville, Oct. 28: McCain spoke to 8,200. 

Marc Ambinder makes an interesting observation:

Who was conspicuously absent at John McCain's event in Cumberland Co. tonight?

Elizabeth Dole.

The county went for GWB in '04 -- the state hasn't gone for a Democratic candidate since Carter.

She didn't think that appearing with her nominee would help her chances to keep the Senate seat. Or she didn't go out of her way to get there.

Cindy McCain said her husband knows the personal costs of war.

Introducing him at a rally in Fayetteville today, she said that he took his stands on the Iraq war and the surge knowing that it would affect his two sons.

She pointed to a woman in the audience who had a sign with two Blue Stars, denoting that her children were in the military.

"I'm a two-star Blue Star mom too! Thank you!" she said. 

Gov. Tom Ridge then took the stage, telling the crowd of more than 8,500 that McCain would promote strength and security. He also stressed that the next president could nominate up to three Supreme Court justices.

He also noted the applause and excitement of the crowd. 

"If I didn't know better, I'd say we were at the Duke-Carolina basketball game with all this enthusiasm," he said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham then spoke, arguing that McCain would win North Carolina.  

"He's going to win North Carolina because he fits North Carolina like a glove," he said. "I'll beat Michael Phelps in swimming before Barack Obama wins North Carolina."

Signs from the McCain rally at Fayetteville:

John McCain, A Real American Hero

Raising McCain

Obama before u share the wealth, share your own

Blue Devils for McCain

Parents for Palin

Entrepreneurs for McCain

I'm Joe the Plumber

Unborn Babies for McCain

Experience Matters Vote McCain

Proud to be an American

All American Hero

You Betcha

McCain Es Nuestro Heroe

I work hard so Obama can give it to someone who doesn't

Hello, My Name is Joe

John McCain had a "Top Gun" worthy entrance in Fayetteville.

The Straight Talk Express drove straight into the Crown Coliseum floor and McCain, his wife Cindy, former Homeland Security head Tom Ridge and Sens. Lindsey Graham and Richard Burr stepped off.

The theme music: "Highway to the Danger Zone" from the movie "Top Gun."