Gov. Mike Easley didn't have many people over for lunch in 2006, but they had him over.

According to his daily schedule, the governor only had one visitor to the Governor's Mansion for lunch: Michael Burbidge on Aug. 2, two days before he was installed as bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh.

In addition, Easley met with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson — now a Democratic presidential candidate — for breakfast on Feb. 6.

That's not to say that Easley ate alone, however.

On April 24, he attended a presentation and lunch at a Bristol-Meyers Squibb site in Dublin with top company executives and U.S. Ambassador James C. Kenny.

He had another lunch visit the following day at a Wyeth facility in Dublin, and a roundtable lunch on April 27 at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Brussels, Belgium.

And on Nov. 3, he and budget advisor Dan Gerlach had lunch with former school president Father Edward Malloy at DeBartolo Hall during a visit to the University of Notre Dame, shortly before attending a function on values and politics. Gerlach is a Notre Dame alumnus.

That night, he and Gerlach had dinner with former school president Father Theodore Hesburgh at the Morris Inn on campus, and he went to a pre-game brunch the following day.

Hat Tip: Andy Curliss