U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield has $231,643 in his campaign account, according to federal election records.

Butterfield, a Wilson Democrat, received $66,929 in individual contributions and $207,812 from political action committees through September.

Contributors include Arthur R. Collins of Arlington, Va., president of Public Private Partnership ($2,400); lawyers Thomas Taft Sr., Thomas Taft Jr. and Jonathan Taft of Greenville ($2,400 each); the National Beer Wholesalers Association PAC, ($5,000) and the American Association for Justice PAC ($5,000).

Democrat Chad Larkins has not reported raising any money in the race.

Insurance executive and Beaufort County Republican Ashley Woolard has announced his plans to run for Congress against Democratic U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield next year.

Earlier this week, Woolard, 34, told the Beaufort County Republican Men's Club that his campaign would have three major focal points: "Jobs, Jobs, Jobs," Woolard said, according to a news release. "Kids will stay in school if they know that a job is waiting.  More of them will stay out of trouble if they know that staying straight will allow them access to jobs."

Woolard is a graduate of Washington High School and East Carolina University. After graduation, Woolard joined his family business, the Woolard Insurance Group, where he serves as vice-president.

Woolard was chairman of the Beaufort County Republican Party from March 2007
until March 2009.

No, not the kind you're thinking about.

In this case, we're talking about what's known as "the other white meat."

Seven of North Carolina’s members of Congress have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect the pork industry from its economic troubles by buying $100 million worth of meat for the USDA’s federal food assistance programs.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, they say the recession and the recent swine flu outbreak have hurt the industry. The lawmakers thanked Vilsack for his push earlier this year to call the swine flu virus H1N1 to disassociate it from pork products, but they said the impacts of the scare have hurt the industry.

The letter notes that USDA already has announced $30 million in purchases through the end of the fiscal year, reports Barb Barrett.

“We asking for additional help with the economic crisis the U.S. pork industry currently faces,” the letter reads. “Without your assistance, we are putting thousands of rural jobs and businesses at risk.”

The N.C. lawmakers are Democratic U.S. Reps. Bob Etheridge, Larry Kissell, Mike McIntyre, Brad Miller and G.K. Butterfield, along with Republican U.S. Reps. Howard Coble and Walter Jones. Fifty-five other lawmakers also signed the letter.

They want Vilsack to use $100 million to buy pork for federal food assistance programs, with an emphasis on sow meat to reduce breeding stock.

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U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield and the head of ElectriCities traded words over an proposal to curb carbon emissions through a cap-and-trade system.

Graham Edwards, CEO of ElectriCities, told the Elizabeth City Rotary Club that cap-and-trade would drive up energy costs dramatically, the (Elizabeth City) Daily Advance reports. 

In a cap-and-trade system, carbon emissions would be limited, but companies could buy and trade allowances. ElectriCities supplies power for 32 cities and towns and Graham said the system could drive electricity costs up as much as 55 percent over 20 years.

Butterfield, a Wilson Democrat, was "disappointed" by those comments, and he wrote a letter to the newspaper.

"Studies by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office found that 40 percent of American households would see little or no cost increase, and that the remaining households would see a maximum increase of 50 cents per day even before discounting the savings achieved from improved energy efficiency," Butterfield said. "A study by the non-partisan Energy Information Administration resulted in similar findings."

Asked about Butterfield’s response, Edwards acknowledged Congress was planning offsets to benefit some portion of residential customers but he didn’t know the details. He explained his projections concerned only wholesale electric costs.

"We don’t look at the residential or the individual rates," Edwards said.

President Barack Obama has named two men to lead efforts in rural North Carolina for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Aaron Martin will serve as North Carolina State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency at the USDA. There, he will help provide loans for equipment, seed and fertilizer, and work to get disaster relief to farmers, Barb Barrett reports. The Farm Service Agency also obtains commodities to help low-income families through food aid programs.

Martin was most recently the district director of the Farm Service Agency for the western region of North Carolina. He also served as a crop disaster specialist and FSA director in Clay County.

Obama also named Randal Gore to be North Carolina state director of Rural Development for USDA. The division manages more than 40 housing, business and community programs to improve quality of life in rural areas.

Gore was area director of Rural Development in Asheboro for 11 years, and served as a multifamily housing specialist in Greensboro from 1990-1994. He previously was a vocational teacher at Whiteville High School and West Brunswick High School.

Gore donated $250 to Obama's presidential campaign and $250 to U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield's most recent campaign, according to federal election records.

Martin gave U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan $500 and U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler $500 in the most recent campaign, according to federal election records. He has given U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge $3,000 since 2007.

North Carolina Democratic U.S. Reps. G.K. Butterfield of Wilson and David Price of Chapel Hill voted this afternoon to protect ACORN'S right to receive federal funding.

U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, a Charlotte Democrat, voted present, Barb Barrett reports.

The rest of the delegation supported the measure, put forward by Republicans who are attacking the national community development organization.

This week, YouTube videos showed frontline employees at a handful of ACORN offices offering advice to two young undercover activists posing as a prostitute and her pimp.

According to Republican estimates, ACORN has received $53 million in federal funding in the past 15 years. The vote in the House passed 345-75.

On Monday, the U.S. Senate voted to prohibit ACORN from receiving federal funding in the spending bill that covers the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development.

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, a Democrat, voted yes in the 83-7 vote. U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican, did not vote.

BOWTIE PASTA: Maggiano's in Durham was among the many restaurants Raleigh Rep. Ty Harrell has dined at the expense of his campaign account. Those expenditures have led to an audit by the State Board of Elections and an ethics investigation in the House. Harrell, who is being divorced by his wife, has moved in with a friend. Problem is, the friend lives outside Harrell’s district. Hint: the state-issued legislative license plate is a dead give away.

BACK AWAY FROM THE CHILDREN: President Barack Obama’s plan to give students across the nation a back-to-school pep talk generated quite a furor among parents who worried that the president was trying to indoctrinate the nation’s youth. The administration did walk back a proposed lesson plan that asked children to talk about how they could help the president. In the end, the speech was as useful for adults (set goals, take care of yourself) as it was for children.

PAGING SECRETARY MARSHALL: Secretary of State Elaine Marshall officially became a candidate for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate this week, or so we were told, since Marshall didn’t return reporters’ calls. Note to candidates: If you want to be heard, you have to speak.

IN OTHER NEWS: Leaders at the state Republican Party are in the middle of a spectacular mess, with the chairman cautioning the vice chairman not to berate the staff in public and the vice chairman accusing the chairman of racism. Gov. Beverly Perdue and key cabinet members got flu shots. U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield says campaign contributions won't affect an ethics investigation into embattled New York Rep. Charlie Rangel.

U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield says that campaign contributions from New York Rep. Charlie Rangel won't affect an ethics probe.

Butterfield, a Wilson Democrat, is one of three members of the House ethics committee who has received campaign contributions from Rangel. The committee is investigating Rangel, a Democrat, over what appears to be under-reported income from a rental property as well as other issues.

The contributions are not new, but the story has been appearing in news reports and blogs a lot lately.

Nothing has changed, Butterfield spokesman Ken Willis told Dome, who previously said that Butterfield's "integrity is not for sale, and certainly not [for] $5,000."

Willis told Dome last week that "The donations were made well before the investigation began and will have no bearing on his decision."

North Carolina Public Television is planning a call-in show on health care that will be brought to you by the letters "D" and "R."

UNC-TV intends to air the live show 9 p.m. Tuesday. All members of the state's congressional delegation have been invited. So far, Democratic Reps. David Price, Bob Etheridge, Brad Miller and Mel Watt have accepted, according to a UNC-TV spokesman. Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican confirmed his participation Thursday afternoon.

Sen. Kay Hagan (D), and Reps. G.K. Butterfield (D), Howard Coble (R), Virginia Foxx (R), Walter Jones (R), Sue Myrick (R), Mike McIntyre (D) and Heath Shuler (D) have declined the recently issued invitations.

Reps. Larry Kissell (D) and Patrick McHenry (R) have not yet responded.

Perhaps UNC-TV should sweeten the pot with a few tote bags and mugs.

Update: Post includes updated list of who has decided to participate. 

Amid heckling and boos Tuesday night, North Carolina held its first congressional health-care forum since the issue has become a national flash point.

Congressman G. K. Butterfield was continually interrupted by jeers as he voiced support for President Barack Obama's health-care plan that seems to have increasingly polarized the country in recent days, Rob Christensen reports. Tuesday's two-hour forum in a steamy Rocky Mount middle school gymnasium was marked by frequent sharp exchanges.

"Read it!" shouted one man, speaking of the House health-care reform.

"How do you know I haven't read it?" Butterfield shot back.

He was pummeled with questions about whether the health- care legislation would benefit illegal immigrants, about whether he would give up his own congressional health insurance plan, whether he would vote for something unconstitutional, and whether it would allow abortion.

Butterfield, a career judge, maintained his composure. (N&0)