Doug Clark said Gov. Mike Easley's exit interview was an example of why his administration has had problems.

In a post on his Off the Record blog, the Greensboro News-Record columnist said that a recent series on probation was not a "hatchet job" just because it told the public about an ongoing problem. 

"Sorry for not being nice about this, governor, but that is a legitimate news story," he writes. "It's a matter of public interest when violent criminals who ought to be locked up are allowed to run loose endangering innocent people."

Clark also criticized Easley's remark that the real solution is to restart capital punishment.

Yeah, that's it. Execute them.

Just one problem: Probationers are NOT convicted murderers. People who are convicted of capital crimes and sentenced to death are NOT put on probation.

It's just an inconvenient legal necessity to hold the death penalty until AFTER one is convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to die.

But nice try, governor.

Gov. Mike Easley said the "24/7 press cycle" has led to criticism of him.

In an exit interview with Mark Binker of the Greensboro News-Record, Easley said that the increased demand for news online had led to "gotcha" journalism.

"There's a 24/7 press cycle now," he said. "People calling all night long. They want access to the governor all the time ... So that's created a lot of competition, especially on the print side the pressure has been downsizing and original content. Original content is gotcha stories."

Easley said the Charlotte Observer and the Raleigh News & Observer had been hardest on him of state media because his administration would not release e-mails relating to personnel matters and corporate recruiting.

He said a recent series on problems with the probation system was a "hatchet job" on Correction Secretary Theodis Beck, though he argued that probationers killings are better than they used to be said the death of Eve Carson was being unfairly blamed on the system.

"Some young lady gets brutally murdered by a couple of probationers ... it's now the probation officers fault," he said. "When are we going to start holding some of these people accountable and get some of these executions going again?"

Easley said he tries to be fair to the media for his part.

"I try to keep my side of the window clean,"  he said. "My job is to be nice to other people and their job is to be nice to me. Just 'cause they're not doing theirs, doesn't mean I shouldn't do mine."

Rep. Alma Adams is in the running for a Perdue post.

The Greensboro Democrat's name has been raised several times for a possible appointment to the cabinet of Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue.

The most recent tip comes from the Greensboro News-Record's Inside Scoop column, which quotes Rep. Earl Jones, also a Greensboro Democrat.

"She probably will get offered a position by Perdue," Jones told the newspaper.

Adams had no comment, but she would be an interesting pick. During the Democratic primary, she cut a TV ad defending Perdue against charges of not opposing racism strongly enough by state Treasurer Richard Moore.

She also was one of the prominent critics of the diversity of Perdue's original transition team.

The News-Record notes N.C. Spin's claim that Adams is in the running for head of the state Department of Administration.

Update: Adams, an art professor, may also be considered for secretary of the state Department of Cultural Resources.

Previously: Names in the mix for Perdue's Cabinet

Doug Clark says Jim Hunt will stay put.

The Greensboro News-Record columnist blogs that the former governor will not take a position in Barack Obama's education department in Washington because he's needed here:

Hunt has been a mentor to North Carolina Gov.-elect Bev Perdue, and she'll need him in Raleigh a lot more than Barack Obama will need him in Washington. Perdue proclaimed herself the "new sheriff in town," but she's not new, nor has she established her authority to police the very powerful state legislature. If she hopes to make state government as honest and transparent as she promised during her campaign, she'll need some advice on how to manage the mob on Jones Street.

He adds that losing to Sen. Jesse Helms dashed Hunt's "national ambitions."

Related: College buddy of Hunt's leading Perdue's transition team.

In a new ad, Democratic Senate candidate Kay Hagan criticizes negative ads from Sen. Elizabeth Dole and notes her record on illegal immigration.

What the ad says: The ad shows images of Dole's ads and Hagan talking with law enforcement officers and voters. Narrator: "Now she's crossed the line. Newspapers are condemning Elizabeth Dole's shameful attacks. A lie born of Dole's desperation. Worse than dishonest. And now new lies about Kay Hagan's immigration record. The facts: Hagan voted to ban driver's licenses for illegal immigrants. Kay's been endorsed by 53 sheriffs, who know she's cracked down on a crisis Washington created. It's time for the truth. And a change." Hagan: "I'm Kay Hagan and I approve this message."

The background: The ad makes several claims about the Senate race.

EDITORIALS: Three major North Carolina newspapers wrote editorials chastizing Dole over a recent ad about Hagan's ties to a member of the Godless Americans PAC.

The Wilmington Star-News wrote that it was "shameful even by today's threshold for slime" and "smacks of desperation." The Charlotte Observer wrote that it was "a lie born of Dole's desperation in a race in which she has trailed for weeks."

And the Greensboro News-Record said it was "worse than dishonest" in depicting Hagan as "godless."

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: Starting in 2000, state Republicans pushed legislation to make it impossible for illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses.

The state Senate's Democratic leadership sent all of the bills to die in committee, but a provision in the 2001 budget made it slightly more difficult for illegal immigrants to get a license.

Other Republican bills died in committee over the next several years. In 2006, the House amended a Senate bill to make it impossible for illegal immigrants to get licenses.

Hagan voted for both bills, but she played only a supporting role in the process and did not intervene when earlier Republican measures were pushed aside.

She also cosponsored a 2008 bill requiring employers verify information on new employees and helped pass the 2007 budget, which included $750,000 to help promote a deportation program.

SHERIFFS: In late August, 53 of North Carolina's 100 sheriffs endorsed Hagan, according to the Associated Press. About two-thirds of the sheriffs are Democrats, and none of the Republican sheriffs endorsed her.

Is it accurate? It's overstated. It's true that Hagan voted to ban driver's licenses and supported other measures, but she hardly led a crackdown on illegal immigration. The claims about newspaper editorials and sheriff's endorsements are accurate.

— Ryan Teague Beckwith

Will Beverly Perdue get help from Richard Moore?

On Thursday, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate said that she might ask her former primary opponent for help managing the state's budgetary problems if elected, the Greensboro News-Record reports.

Perdue is now locked in a tight battle with Republican Pat McCrory, the mayor of Charlotte. In recent days, the two have argued over who best can handle the flagging economy and its impact on the state budget. Slowing tax collections are likely to force the next governor to find cuts, Perdue said.

"Maybe Richard (Moore) will have a role to play after the election," she said.

When asked if she was saying her former primary rival might serve in a Perdue administration, she said she had not talked to him about specifics. "I intend to have that conversation with him, because I think he's a good leader and a good man," she said.

Based on their arguments during the Democratic primary, Moore is much more fiscally conservative than Perdue, but the upcoming budget crisis may move them closer together.

Doug Clark says the "Godless" ad is beyond the pale.

In a post on his blog, the Greensboro News-Record columnist says that Kay Hagan is right to be "offended and disappointed" in an ad from U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole about her attendance at a fundraiser held by the founder of an atheist group. 

There's no question the Dole ad is a personal misrepresentation, casting aspersions on Hagan's faith in a way calculated to do her harm. In more polite times (before yesterday), that was considered beyond the pale in North Carolina, to use an Irish term.

He also writes that Dole's campaign "crossed a bright red line" when it began running the ad, which he said makes it seem that Hagan is a "champion for Godless Americans, if not an atheist herself." 

He says Dole may have "walked into a donnybrook" and would be wise to "ditch that ad immediately."  

Editorial boards of the state's major newspapers are making their endorsements in the Senate race.

Here are links to the major unsigned editorials written so far about Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole and Democrat Kay Hagan.

Raleigh News & Observer: Hagan. "She is well-informed, not just well-meaning. She is astute. Her record in Raleigh indicates she knows how to make a legislative system work. It forecasts a promising career in the U.S. Senate."

Charlotte Observer: Hagan. "We believe she offers citizens the better hope of having an effective and independent voice in the Senate. She also offers them a voice that is more closely attuned to everyday life in North Carolina."

Asheville Citizen-Times: Hagan. "North Carolina needs and deserves a senator who stays in touch with her constituents and the changing dynamics of a fast-growing state. And it deserves a knowledgeable, collaborative, but forceful voice in the U.S. Senate."

Greensboro News-Record: Hagan. "She's responsive to constituents, communicates well, works hard, comprehends complex issues, makes good decisions and is not content to be average. She can become an outstanding U.S. senator."

Winston-Salem Journal: Hagan. "Hagan, 55, is a bundle of brains and energy. A lawyer and former banker, she has been a leader in the state Senate almost since the day she entered 10 years ago."

Wilmington Star-News: Hagan. "Washington is a lot different from Raleigh, but a knowledgeable, energetic and assertive politician such as Hagan can provide strong representation."

Durham Herald-Sun: Hagan. "Her record after 10 years in the General Assembly is pro-business and pro-education, with a deep streak of practicality."

Greenville Daily Reflector: Hagan. "She brings experience to this race that lacks a national profile, but aptly demonstrates her comfort with the legislative process and the capable leadership she brings to it."

High Point Enterprise: Hagan. "Over the span of Hagan's legislative career, we've seen a state senator committed to and capable of getting things done for the people she represents — and even once represented." 

Wilson Times: Hagan. "What sets Hagan above Dole is the fact that she has spent most of her life living and working in North Carolina. She has served her constituents in Greensboro well and has assembled a team that will work to represent the interests of all North Carolinians."

Editorial boards of the state's major newspapers are making their endorsements in the governor's race.

Here are links to the major unsigned editorials written so far about Republican Pat McCrory and Democrat Beverly Perdue:

Charlotte Observer: McCrory. "McCrory would bring an urgently needed energy to the office. While we don't agree with him on every issue, he knows where he stands on most aspects of state government and why he stands there."

Raleigh News & Observer: McCrory. "Bev Perdue is a good candidate, but McCrory suits the moment. He's loaded with energy and fresh ideas. On several levels, he could be just what this state needs."

Asheville Citizen-Times: McCrory. "Though we disagree with him on some issues, we recommend McCrory because we believe he is best suited to lead the state in meeting the challenges that confront it as a result of rapid growth."

Greensboro News-Record: McCrory. "But McCrory is steadier and more assured on the issues. He takes a more meat-and-potatoes approach to leadership, a pattern that has played out more often than not in Charlotte. That's what the state needs in its next governor."

Winston-Salem Journal: McCrory. "A city-oriented governor, we believe, will help shape policies for the kind of state North Carolina is now and will be during this century."

Durham Herald-Sun: McCrory. "One of McCrory's strengths for voters in Durham and the Triangle is his familiarity with urban issues. He knows about the problems cities like Durham face, including crime, poverty and transportation."

High Point Enterprise: McCrory. "It is McCrory's demonstration in Charlotte of the kind of leadership and vision that moves people, communities and states forward - working together - that makes him stand out as the candidate who should become North Carolina's next governor."

Wilson Times: McCrory. "During the state's gubernatorial debates, several of which were skipped by Perdue, McCrory has come across as a pragmatic leader who could translate his executive experience in Charlotte to the statehouse in Raleigh."

Wilmington Star-News: Perdue. "Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue communicates a keener appreciation of what ordinary North Carolinians are going through at this difficult time, possibly because her pre-political background in education and health care put her in contact with people whose voices go unheard in Raleigh."

Greenville Daily Reflector: Perdue. "As a resident of the East, she knows the plight of towns and cities here, and recognizes that job creation and a strong investment in infrastructure and education remain the best course for this region."

Southern Pines Pilot: Perdue. "All things considered, North Carolina would be better off with a highly qualified governor who can hit the ground running and won't require a lot of on-the-job training. That candidate is Bev Perdue."