RAND OUT: State Sen. Tony Rand is quitting the Senate. The news that the chamber's chief Democratic enforcer and most formidable political gamesmen is leaving likely thrilled liberal Democrats and conservatives alike. Rand is one of the great characters in state politics and the legislature just got a little more boring.

HOW MANY IS THAT: Gov. Bev Perdue's communications director David Kochman has resigned as her approval numbers remain in the sub-basment. From her days as lieutenant governor, Perdue has had four communications directors in six years, making the job a little bit like being the drummer for Spinal Tap. With luck, Perdue's approval rating will go above 11.

REP. HYPERBOLE: U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx said the Democrats' health reform proposals are more dangerous than terrorists. Republicans may have more to fear from Foxx's own mouth than anything Democrats have to say.

IN OTHER NEWS: President Barack Obama has nominated two North Carolina judges to the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has had only six Tar Heels since 1801. With the election of a new mayor in Charlotte, Pat McCrory will be out of elected office, but his loss to Perdue is apparently still gnawing at him, so don't expect McCrory to be out of politics. N&O political cartoonist Dwane Powell has retired after 35 years of skewering politicians.

For the first time in 20 years, Pat McCrory voted in a Charlotte election and didn't see his name on the ballot.

Charlotte Observer columnist Tommy Tomlinson spent some time with McCrory on Tuesday as the Republican's tenure as mayor comes to a close. The paper is giving McCrory the full sendoff, including a photo gallery of him over the years. Here's a notable section of Tomlinson's column.

He expected to be voting on this day from Raleigh, as governor. He ran last year as a veteran mayor with a nationwide profile, a moderate Republican record and good hair. He took a whipping from Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue. He couldn't even carry Charlotte.

McCrory says Perdue spent more money on the ground and Barack Obama had long coattails. He says he's over it. But then he says he might run again. In a 45-minute stretch, he mentions the governor's race eight times. "That's a tough knot in the stomach," he says. 

Unfortunately for Pat McCrory, the election for governor won't be held today.

According to a new poll, McCrory has a 14 point lead over Beverly Perdue in a hypothetical rematch of last year's election. The poll, conducted for the conservative-leaning Civitas Institute asked 600 voters who they would pick in a gubernatorial election between Perdue, a Democrat, and McCrory, a Republican.

McCrory got 46 percent and Perdue 32 percent. Another 22 percent were not sure.

"It’s pretty clear that many voters in North Carolina are now having buyer’s remorse," said Civitas Institute Senior Legislative Analyst Chris Hayes.

The hypothetical re-match may not be too far fetched. 

The poll also asked if voters would re-elect Perdue if the election were today.

The poll found that 55 percent said no, 26 percent said yes and 19 percent were not sure.

The poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, was conducted by Tel Opinion Research of Alexandria, Virginia from July 14 to 17.

THINGS CHANGED: Though they once dismissed talk of big tax increases, state Democratic leaders reached what they thought was a budget deal this week. Just as lawmakers and weary staff members began to envision an approaching end to the session, Gov. Beverly Perdue shredded the deal and sent negotiators back to the meeting room.

LOOKING AHEAD: Lots of folks were dreaming about their political futures this week. Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory, like Rocky Balboa, is contemplating a rematch. Legislative Republicans all but began writing campaign literature for next year about the Democrats' tax increases. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall tried to build buzz on a possible challenge to U.S. Sen. Richard Burr.

HEALTHY DEBATE: Pharmaceutical company ads praised our U.S. senators on TV. At the RBC Center, hundreds enjoyed a Mexican food buffet and tales of a nightmarish future brought on by President Barack Obama's health care reform plan. The president's campaign apparatus awoke within the state. So apparently there's a big health care debate going on in Washington.

IN OTHER NEWS: State residents were shocked to learn this week that UNC-Chapel Hill has a bloated administration. Bill Harrison threw in the towel and announced he would retire as the state schools CEO, clearing the way for elected Superintendent June Atkinson to run the schools. A bill on its way to becoming law eliminates the waiting period to become a member of "private clubs," the technical definition of most bars across the state. Best to go get that drink before the new sin tax kicks in.

Could Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory be thinking about a rematch against Gov. Beverly Perdue?

McCrory, a Republican, has hardly kept a low profile since losing the governor's race to Perdue. But in answering some questions for The Charlotte Observer, McCrory sounded more like a candidate launching a shot at his Democratic opponent. The Observer's Julia Oliver asked McCrory about the impact new taxes could have on Charlotte.

Raising taxes at the local level is as harmful as raising taxes at the State level; they lead to fewer jobs. I will not consider a tax increase and will have to make the tough decisions to reduce the size of government spending. In October 2008, then Lt. Governor Perdue said, "I don't believe you can raise taxes in an economy with folks struggling the way they are." I agree.

Republican strategists and many Democrats said after the November election that Perdue got a big bump with voters from President Barack Obama. And Perdue's polling numbers are way down these days. Of course, the election is not for three more years and Perdue has plenty of time to turn her popularity around.

Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory hasn't ruled out another shot at governor.

When asked if he was considering running for the office in 2012, McCrory said he is keeping his options open, but he said it was too early to decide, Kevin Kiley reports.

McCrory lost the race last year against Beverly Perdue by less than 5 percentage points.

Wake County Commissioner Paul Coble took the rumor that he might run for governor in 2012 so seriously that he couldn’t stop laughing.

"They haven’t even sworn in Bev yet," Coble said. "My comment is: 'Stop the madness.'"

Coble did acknowledge that some folks have asked him if he is interesting in running for governor in four years, Rob Christensen reports.

He is a former Raleigh mayor and a member of one of North Carolina's most famous political families. His uncle is the late Sen. Jesse Helms.

With one governor still in office (Mike Easley) and another about to take office (Beverly Perdue), Coble said it way too early to be thinking about the next governor’s race.

"People always want to know what you are going to do next," Coble said. "Next I'm going to celebrate Christmas. It's way too far out to speculate on the future."

Is U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry considering higher office?

An article in the Lenoir News-Topic over the weekend quotes anonymous McHenry aides speculating that his win over Daniel Johnson this year may have positioned him for a future run:

With McHenry having likely faced his last credible challenges, either from GOP or Democratic circles, speculation has begun about his political future. Those close to McHenry privately say that a run for North Carolina governor in 2012 is one possibility, though a challenge to Senator-elect Kay Hagan in 2014 could be a more likely scenario.

The same senior aides, who spoke on a condition of anonymity, note that a gubernatorial run may hinge on whether Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory opts for a rematch against Bev Perdue. In their estimation, McHenry's relative youth and previous electoral success have positioned him as a leading voice as the state GOP charts its political future.

The article also quotes McHenry calling the attention "flattering" but dismissing the talk.  

A former N.C. College Republicans president who worked his way from the state House of Representatives to become the youngest member of the U.S. House, McHenry is clearly ambitious. 

But he might be better served staying put, rising through the ranks in the House and becoming, as former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay once put it, "the next Tom DeLay."