Gov. Beverly Perdue made a surprise visit to the troubled state mental hospital in Goldsboro today.

During the campaign, Perdue promised surprise visits to state institutions. The state mental hospitals have repeatedly run into trouble with federal regulators, Lynn Bonner reports.

Cherry had its federal money taken away because inspectors determined the hospital was unsafe.

The hospital made national news in August when inspectors discovered hospital staff largely ignored a man who sat dying in a chair for nearly a day.

Jim Hunt is campaigning again for Barack Obama.

The former governor will join former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus for two stops in Wilson and Goldsboro today. (Mabus has separate stops in Kinston and Lumberton.)

Though he stayed neutral in the Democratic primary, Hunt has campaigned vigorously for Obama in recent weeks, appearing at a James Taylor concert, speaking at the Raleigh Farmer's Market and attending a town hall meeting and a fundraiser.

In addition, his wife hosted former Sen. Jean Carnahan in Wilson for an Obama event.

In June, Hunt told Dome that he wasn't interested in a position in the Obama administration, though his schedule certainly looks like he's trying. (He's long been on the list of potential education secretaries in what turned out to be nonexistent Democratic administrations.)

Certainly, he's done more Obama events than Gov. Mike Easley, who might also be on the list.

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated the cities the two would stop in. 

Bill Clinton is coming back.

The former president will stump for his wife's presidential campaign in North Carolina on Friday, holding "Solutions for America" events in Roanoke Rapids and Rocky Mount.

The latter event will be at 9 p.m. at N.C. Wesleyan College.

On Saturday, he'll travel to Greenville, Wilson, Goldsboro, Kinston, New Bern and Jacksonville.

The Wilson event will be at 11:30 a.m. at Barton College. 

Further details on the trip are not yet available. 

All events are free and open to the public. 

Richard Moore will visit a troubled state mental hospital.

The state treasurer, who is running for the Democratic nomination for governor, will visit Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro Tuesday morning.

The federal agency that oversees Medicare and Medicaid payments has said it may suspend financial support for the state-run hospital because of problems with staff training and patient treatment.

State inspectors had found several instances in which patients did not receive timely treatment, an escape was mishandled and handcuffs improperly used.

The visit to Cherry Hospital was scheduled before the news about the problems came out, according to Moore's campaign staff.

Moore has said health care will be a focus of his campaign, but he has not said whether that includes mental health treatment.