U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler was one of three dozen lawmakers who had been persuaded by lobbyists for a drug company to read the lobbyists' talking points into the Congressional Record.

A spokesman for Shuler acknowledged the language was provided by lobbyists for a subsidiary of Swiss drug maker Roche, the Asheville Citizen-Times reports.

Shuler's statement supported language in the House health care reform bill that would give biotechnology firms 12 years of exclusive rights to new biologic drugs they develop and would promote developing generic versions of the treatments. Biologic drugs are complex medicines made using living organisms.

Doug Abrahms, spokesman for Shuler, said the Waynesville Democrat "received and relied on" the statement provided by Genentech lobbyists. He said Shuler has long supported the biotechnology industry, which has a strong presence in North Carolina."

Abrahms declined to comment on whether it's proper to use language provided by an advocate. Some critics said using statements provided by lobbyists exemplifies the too-cozy relationship between corporate interests and members of Congress.

THOSE PESKY SUBPOENAS: Federal investigators are looking into more possible payoffs of state officials and land developments tied to former Gov. Mike Easley. (N&O)

BANKS VS. BUREAUCRATS?: Charlotte's lawmakers fare better in a ranking of business-friendly legislators. (N&O)

T FOR TROUBLESOME: A Tennessee Valley Authority report contradicts U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler's version of events. (Asheville C-T)

Speaking to students at a private school in Asheville Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler said Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not the evil boogeywoman some on the right like to make her out as.

"She's the most misunderstood person in Washington," said Shuler, who often breaks with the House leadership to maintain his status as a conservative Blue Dog Democrat.

According to the Asheville Citizen Times, Shuler told students about a meeting he had with Pelosi during his first term when he told her never to ask him to vote against his constituency.

"She’s held true to that promise," he said. Pelosi is a devout Catholic and Shuler advised against trying to "get in a Bible discussion with her." He also recalled a time when his daughter, Island, was a baby and started crying on the floor of the House.

"She [Pelosi] raced down, picked her up and took her to her mother Nikol," he told the students. "Her grandma instincts kicked in."

The National Republican Congressional Committee quickly — and figuratively — dogged on the former Redskins quarterback for speaking nice about the often maligned Democratic leader.

"Heath Shuler is the one who's 'misunderstood,'" NRCC spokesman Andy Seré said. "He may call himself a Blue Dog, but Shuler’s lavish Pelosi-praise has revealed him to be little more than a lap dog for the most liberal speaker in U.S. history. She may have let him off the leash this weekend in a vain attempt to salvage his re-election bid, but his political affair with Nancy Pelosi is destined to land him in the doghouse with Western North Carolinians."

In last weekend’s House health reform vote, three of North Carolina’s conservative Democrats opposed the bill, despite an anti-abortion amendment designed to curry favor among Democrats who oppose abortion rights.

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan declined Tuesday to say how she would have voted on the House bill, Barb Barrett reports.

"Our bill is going to be quite different from that bill," said Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat. "I would rather support what’s coming out of the Senate and see what we can get from a compromise position."

The House Democrats who voted against the bill were Reps. Heath Shuler of Waynesville, Mike McIntyre of Lumberton and Larry Kissell of Biscoe.

But Hagan does not favor the anti-abortion amendment, which would have restricted health insurance companies' ability to fund abortions if they compete for federal subsidies. Women seeking coverage would have to purchase their own insurance riders.

Hagan espoused the position that other moderate Democrats have favored, which is that health reform ought to keep the status quo regulations, which now prohibit federal funding of abortion.

"My preference would be not to change anything from the standpoint of the way we currently handle any sort of federal regulation," Hagan said Tuesday. "We don’t need to make any other changes."

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is doing a little victory dance over former state Sen. Cal Cunningham's decision not to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr next year.

By the GOP's count (which looks an awful lot like a list compiled by Dome), Cunningham is the 10th Democrat who has looked at the Senate race and decided to take a pass, Rob Christensen reports. Here is the Republican's list: Attorney General Roy Cooper, Rep. Heath Shuler, Rep. Mike McIntyre, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, Raleigh Mayor Charles Meeker, state Rep. Grier Martin, state Rep. Tricia Cotham, former state Treasurer Richard Moore, and state Sen. Malcolm Graham.

"Once again," said Republican spokesman Colin Reed, "the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and national Democrats have suffered a serious setback in their efforts to land a top-tier candidate in North Carolina."

Likely disagreeing with that sentiment are the two announced Democrats, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Durham lawyer Kenneth Lewis. U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge and Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy are looking at the race.

Update: Also disagreeing with Reed was DSCC communications director Eric Schultz.

"Aside from Senator John Ensign, Senator Burr has the lowest approval rating of any Republican in the United States Senate. That’s because he’s beholden to the special interests in Washington. He will face a formidable opponent next November."

Here's a summary of what members of Congress had in their campaign accounts through September 2009. The remaining members of the state's delegation will be added to the list.

G.K. Butterfield: $231,000.

Howard Coble: $525,000.

Bob Etheridge: $1 million.

Virginia Foxx: $1.1 million.

Walter Jones: $127,766.

Larry Kissell: $244,000. Businessman Lou Huddleston has raised $57,641 from individuals and loaned himself $45,125. Tim D'Annunzio, who owns a skydiving business, has loaned himself $303,000 and raised $8,400. Hamlet resident Darrell Day has raised $30 and loaned himself $3,000. Republican Thomas Sweeney has not reported raising any money.

Patrick McHenry: $158,000. Iredell County Commissioner Scott Keadle has loaned himself $250,000 to challenge McHenry for the Republican nomination.

Mike McIntyre: $824,917. Republican Will Breazeale has received $3,800 in individual contributions and has $400 in his campaign account.

Brad Miller: $148,000. Challenger William Randall II has not reported raising any money.

David Price: $218,000. Republican challenger Frank Roche has raised $10,879, mostly through individual contributions. Republican George Hutchins has loaned himself $5,000.

Heath Shuler: $1.1 million.

Mel Watt: $140,000.

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler has $1.1 million in his campaign account through the end of September.

Shuler, a Waynesville Democrat, has received $366,000 since he was elected in 2008, according to federal campaign finance records.

Shuler received $178,236 from individual contributions and $171,050 from committees.

Contributors include Vincent Ney of San Antonio, president of payday lender GECC ($2,500); William Quinton of Powder Springs, Ga., president of C.W. Matthews Contracting; Independent Community Bankers of America PAC ($5,000) and a PAC of the American Resort Development Owners Association ($5,000).

Shuler, a member of the House's Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, also received $5,000 contributions from PACs for rail companies Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail company and CSX as well as the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

The House ethics committee on Thursday cleared Rep. Heath Shuler of any wrongdoing for his role in a land deal.

Shuler, a Waynesville Democrat has been dealing with questions about whether he used his office improperly to influence the Tennessee Valley Authority over a land swap. The House ethics committee cleared Shuler and was the third investigative body to find no wrong-doing, Shuler's office notes. In a statement, Shuler said he was ready to move on with his job of representing his constituents.

Throughout my personal and professional life I have always held myself to the highest possible ethical standard. I maintained that standard through all my interactions with the TVA relating to Blackberry Cove. I have never and will never attempt to use my office for personal gain and look forward to continuing to work on behalf of the people of Western North Carolina.

Apple farmers begin the season intending to produce fresh apples, but weather can spoil the apples and those plans.

U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler met with about 50 growers at Jimmy Nix & Sons packing house in Edneyville Monday. The Waynesville Democrat said he only learned about the proposed change last week, and he wants to make sure Henderson County apple growers have a voice in the process.

"Now is the time for us to organize together and come up with an alternative," Shuler said.

The Washington Post reported this morning that U.S Rep. Heath Shuler, a Waynesville Democrat, is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over a land-swap deal in eastern Tennessee.