Rep. Pricey Harrison has asked for an investigation into Blue Cross and Blue Shield's campaign against the public option health care proposal.

Harrison, a Greensboro Democrat, has asked the Attorney General and N.C. Department of Insurance to look into whether the insurer violated the state's do-not-call registry with a robocall and whether it is proper for the insurer to use premiums to pay for mailers, reports Mark Binker of the Greensboro News & Record.

"We are a fully taxed medical services and hospital corporation," Borman said, adding that the company paid $162 million in federal, state and local taxes last year.

However, the fact the company paid taxes does not make it a for-profit company, said Adam Searing, a health policy expert with liberal-leaning advocacy group The North Carolina Justice Center.

"They are a nonprofit organization," Searing said. "They are organized under a special part of the nonprofit corporation law in North Carolina. They have a nonprofit board."

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.

One poll says North Carolinians are increasingly opposed to health care reform proposals advanced by Democrats.

Another poll says more than half of state residents support those proposals. A third national poll says 45 percent of Americans oppose President Barack Obama's health care plan.

Dome isn't an expert on these sorts of things, but it's a safe bet that how the questions were asked and how the polls were conducted has something to do with the difference. Here's a quick roundup of what the October polls asked and what respondents said. Percentages may not add up to 100 because of rounding.

Civitas Institute: (600 North Carolina voters) "Do you approve or disapprove of the health care plan being proposed by Barack Obama and Congress?" 49 percent opposed, 40 percent supported, 10 percent no opinion.

Elon University Poll, (703 state residents) "As you are likely aware, the public option is a health insurance option provided by the federal government...so, with this in mind, would you [support or oppose] health insurance legislation that would offer a public option?" 54 support, 38 percent oppose and 7 percent don't know.

Public Policy Polling (766 American voters) "Do you support or oppose President Obama’s health care plan, or do you not have an opinion?" 42 percent support, 45 percent oppose and 13 percent no opinion.

The State Employees Association of N.C. has launched a Web site and mail campaign intended to counter Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C.'s efforts on health care.

SEANC's campaign is a reaction to a mailer by Blue Cross, which urged people to lobby U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan to oppose the public option for health insurance included in Democratic health reform bills. The flyer followed a premium increase by the company, which didn't exactly help their message.

SEANC says, "Stop," with its Web site, stopbcbs.com.

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Support for Democratic health care reform proposals is slipping, according to a poll released by the Civitas Institute.

According to the poll conducted Oct. 20-21, just over 49 percent of 600 likely voters said they disapproved of the current plan while about 40 percent supported it. About 10 percent had no opinion.

In Civitas' September poll, 47 percent of voters opposed the plan while 47.6 percent supported it.

The poll asked: "Do you approve or disapprove of the health care plan being proposed by Barack Obama and Congress?"

It had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

The Pitt County Board of Commissioners voted to send a letter to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina chastising the state's largest insurance provider over a mailer intended to whip up opposition to a public-run option to private health insurance.

The (Greenville) Daily Reflector reports the commission voted Monday to send the letter.

The county buys insurance coverage from Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Commissioner Tom Johnson said the company should not use taxpayer money from Pitt County to send a partisan mailing, which included a card meant to put pressure on Sen. Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat who is still considering her position on the public option issue.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield spokesman Lew Borman told Dome that the insurer wants health care reform, but believes the public option will hurt consumers. 

"Our point was these post cards won't have a significant impact on premiums, but we think some of the proposals in Washington could have a significant impact," Borman said. "We feel like we have an obligation to our customers to raise these questions."

That mailer has led some to send letters in support of the public option. The State Employees Association of N.C. is planning to hold a news conference Wednesday to announce a new Web site and campaign intended to counter Blue Cross.

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Banner Elk Republican, this morning said Americans have more to fear from the Democratic health bill than from terrorists, reports Barb Barrett.

According to a YouTube clip posted by liberal media watchdog Media Matters, Foxx said in a House floor speech:

“I believe that the greatest fear that we all should have to our freedom comes from this room -- this very room -- and what may happen later this week in terms of a tax increase bill masquerading as a health care bill. I believe we have more to fear from the potential of that bill passing than we do from any terrorist right now in any country.”

A full House floor vote on the health care bill could come as early as Friday.

With the U.S. House expected to shortly begin debate on health care legislation, most North Carolinians believe some form of reform is needed, according to a new poll released this morning, Rob Christensen reports.

Three out of four Tar Heel residents believe the current system health care system in the United States needs reform, according to the Elon University Poll.

But North Carolinians are divided about what type of changes are needed. The survey found that 54 percent would support health insurance legislation that would include a public option and that 51 percent would use a public option if it became available.

State residents were even more divided on a national insurance plan in which the federal government pays most of the medical and hospital costs for all citizens with 47 percent favoring and 47 percent opposing it.

"Obvious from these results is that citizens recognize that the health system is in need of reform, but like most Americans, are divided over how to do it," said Hunter Bacot, director of the Elon University Poll.

The survey found that the percent of people who said they had some form of private insurance had dropped from 83 percent to 73 percent during the past year. The polls was conducted Oct. 26-29 and surveyed 703 North Carolina residents. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge will hold a tele-town hall on Wednesday at 7 p.m. to discuss the health care plans before Congress.

Second Cistrict residents who want to participate in the call-in can sign-up by visiting Etheridge's Web site by noon Tuesday.

REMEMBER WHEN: Between hazy memories and conflicting stories about repairs to former Gov. Mike Easley's home, the State Board of Elections hearings offered plenty to talk about this week. The hearings gave a glimpse into the type of people who drive big time politics: one Easley supporter said he couldn't remember anything about two $50,000 checks he wrote to the N.C. Democratic Party.

BOUNCE BACK: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina sent a mailer to members urging them to rail against the public option for health insurance. The mailer backfired, leading recipients to lobby for the option. Next time, the insurer might consider using a little reverse psychology.

ALMOST READY: U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, a Democrat who has been reluctant to stake a position on health care reform, already supported a public option provision similar to the one being advanced in the Senate.

IN OTHER NEWS: Elizabeth Edwards told a Washington-area television station that her marriage to John Edwards could be considered "a great love story." Patricia Gerrick, former chief investment officer for the state pension fund, asked her employees to help with her daughter's homework.