* U.S. Sen. Richard Burr praises Sen. Ted Kennedy's bipartisanship, saying he wishes every bill was co-sponsored by him.

* Gov. Beverly Perdue will speak at funeral services for state Sen. Vern Malone at Martin Street Baptist Church in Raleigh tomorrow.

* If Congress moves to impeach federal Judge Jay Bybee over the torture memos, Reps. Howard Coble and Mel Watt will be on the committee.

* U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan takes umbrage at the U.S. trade representative saying there's no need to reconsider the NAFTA trade agreement. 

* Another popular, longtime North Carolina mayor — Raleigh's Charles Meeker — considers hanging up his hat after this year. Or not.

* Former Sen. John Edwards' political star may have dimmed, but other members of his constellation are shining on in Washington.

* U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell's "Buy American" requirement for Homeland Security uniforms made it into the final version of the stimulus package.

* State Rep. Alma Adams is pushing a bill that would create a two-track system for sex ed: Abstinence-only and comprehensive.

* Washington political predictor Stuart Rothenberg ranks U.S. Sen. Richard Burr's 2010 re-election race as "narrow advantage for incumbent party."

* Health care consultant Adam Searing suggests one way legislators could cut costs at the State Health Plan: Remove themselves from it's coverage.

* President Obama says he wants to modify "Buy American" provisions in the stimulus bill, presumably including one by freshman Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell.

* State Sen. Neal Hunt takes another run at the windmill with a bill that would call for at-large elections of several seats on the Wake County school board.

* Charlotte Observer editor Jack Betts says that legislative Republicans hoping for more bipartisanship should drop the old "Democrat Party" shtick.

* Former Buncombe County commissioner David Young wins race for chairmanship of N.C. Democratic Party on the executive committee's first ballot Saturday.

* Freshman Rep. Larry Kissell gets "Buy American" provision for rail and security workers' uniforms added to $819 billion federal stimulus package.

* Sen. Richard Burr, Rep. Patrick McHenry whip for GOP; Rep. Heath Shuler whips for Blue Dogs; Rep. Mike McIntyre whips for House Democrats.

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge will focus on trade matters and oversight issues in his first term on the influential Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives.

Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, is the first North Carolinian named to the committee since 1953. The committee is the source of all tax bills and has jurisdiction over Medicare and Social Security, Barb Barrett reports.

Etheridge was named today to the subcommittees on Trade and Oversight.

The oversight panel will give Etheridge a position to help shape the economic recovery plan being pushed by President-elect Barack Obama. Etheridge this week wrote Obama asking him to including Etheridge's school construction proposal in the plan.

On the trade subcommittee, Etheridge said he wants to not only enforce current agreements but make sure new agreements support North Carolina's workers and products.

Dear TV news talking head:

Welcome to North Carolina! We're not used to seeing your kind around here, especially during presidential election years. Heck, the last time North Carolina was a "battleground state" was April of 1865 — when General Sherman's troops came through!

By now, you can confidently rattle off the names of crucial neighborhoods in Cleveland, Miami and Philadelphia with ease, but you may be a little nervous talking about North Carolina. To help you along this election season, we've come up with a quick list of talking points:

RED STATE: North Carolina is typically a red state when it comes to presidential politics. The last time we went for a Democrat was Jimmy Carter in 1976. (To drive this point home, you can remind people that Sen. Jesse Helms was from here.)

PRIMARY FIGHT: This state was crucial in the primary battle between Obama and Hillary Clinton. Obama won the state and, by some accounts, ended Clinton's hopes for a comeback. The primary also left him with a network of supporters here.

ISSUES: With several military bases and a growing Hispanic population, Iraq and immigration once looked like big issues. But these days, it's all about the economy and jobs. The sale of Wachovia and ongoing discontent with free trade are a major factor.

NICKNAMES: Officially, this is "The Old North State." (It's even our state song, though you'd be hard pressed to find someone who knows it.) You'll probably be better off referring to it by our unofficial nickname, The Tar Heel State. (That's two words: Tar Heel.)

TRIVIA: We have 15 electors. We claim Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson as natives, though all three were elected from Tennessee. Two of our recent senators — Elizabeth Dole and John Edwards — ran for president. 

Oh, and there's no such place as Raleigh-Durham. They are two separate cities. (You may be confused because of Winston-Salem or the fact that our airport has that name.)

We hope that helps and we look forward to seeing you soon — maybe in 2012?

— Under the Dome 

A mailer criticizes U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole's record on trade.

The glossy eight-page mailer from Majority Action, a liberal 527 group, argues that free trade agreements like NAFTA and CAFTA have led to losses in North Carolina's manufacturing sector.

"After 43 years in Washington, the only job Elizabeth Dole hasn't done is protect ours," it says. "She's sending North Carolina jobs overseas instead."

Inside, the mailer argues that "China was a Third World country when Dole went to Washington," but it has grown into a manufacturing giant because of free trade.

It also says that Dole voted to give tax breaks to companies that outsource, though it does not list any specific bills to back up its claim.

Sarah Palin says she supports free trade, respects U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms' years of service and is ready to serve as president if needed.

After the jump, her interview with Rob Christensen.

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Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is hitting John McCain over the closure of North Carolina textile mill.

In a new TV ad airing in North Carolina, the Obama campaign ties the closure of Maiden-based Carolina Mills factories to McCain's support for free-trade measures.

"Workers once proud to make their thread for American flags have their futures outsourced to Asia," a narrator says in the ad. "Washington sold them out with the help of politicians like John McCain."

Facing competition from Chinese factories, Carolina Mills laid off 2,600 workers at 17 plants in recent years.

Today, the company has been restructured as an investment firm with a stake in several manufacturers that employ a total of 200 workers in North Carolina.

Chairman of the Board George Moretz was not aware of the ad until contacted by Dome this afternoon.

"Being a lifelong Republican, it intrigues me that the Democrats are using our company as a resource for their ads," he said. "But I would agree that trade policies have been detrimental to us."

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole has a long resume.

As a former debutante who grew up in 1950s North Carolina, she broke with tradition to become a two-time Cabinet secretary, head of the American Red Cross, wife of a presidential candidate then candidate herself and U.S. senator.

Even in the current anti-Washington climate, Dole thinks her experience running major organizations will resonate with voters. (N&O)

Still, she's remained a back-bencher in her first term, a senator more likely to co-sponsor major legislation than author it, more likely to join a group of negotiators than lead it. She's now being criticized for her effectiveness in Washington.

Dole has blocked some international trade deals until they included provisions to shield local textile companies from overseas competition. She led an effort to protect military families from predatory lending and she forced the Navy to provide information on toxic water at Camp Lejeune.

But her star turn at the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee ended miserably and she's been frustrated at efforts to get the Lumbee tribe recognized. (N&O)