James Romoser has his list of potential Democratic Senate candidates.

The Winston-Salem Journal reporter's list mostly tracks names floated by Dome recently, although he adds a name we overlooked: Walter Dalton.

Dalton is a moderate Democrat and a good campaigner. After serving in the N.C. Senate, he was elected last year to be lieutenant governor, a job with high visibility but little real power.

* Probation supervisor in Harnett County assigned regional managers to spend two days investigating an overturned potted plant in her office.

* Legislative aide for Sen. David Hoyle who joined the "steno pool" in 1959 celebrates a half-century of working at the General Assembly this week.

* Liberal columnist Chris Fitzsimon notes that 75 percent of the 78,000 state employees make less than $50,000 a year, 26 percent less than $30,000. 

* Winston-Salem Journal reporter James Romoser signs off (for now) on his always entertaining Trail Mix blog, citing lack of, you know, elections. 

Barack Obama says he regrets remarks he made last week about small-town residents.

The Democratic presidential candidate talked with James Romoser of the Winston-Salem Journal, who reports on his blog that Obama defended the core of what he was trying to say.

At a fundraiser in San Francisco, Obama had said that people suffering economically in small towns "get bitter" and "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment" to explain their frustration.

He told Romoser that wording was unfortunate.

"Well look, if there — obviously, if I worded things in a way that made people offended, I deeply regret that," he said. "But the underlying truth of what I said remains, which is simply that people who have seen their way of life upended because of economic distress are frustrated and rightfully so."

James Romoser also noticed Edwards' failure to congratulate Obama last night.

In a post on his blog Trail Mix, the Winston-Salem Journal reporter notes that only after finishing what was "indistinguishable from a victory speech" did Edwards add, "Thank you for second place."

He says he asked Ed Turlington about the omission:

Turlington, the national chairman of Edwards’ 2004 campaign who is advising the current campaign, said he hadn't noticed it and wouldn't conclude too much from it. But it certainly does fit with the pugnacious style of Edwards, who often brags that he will never “give in” during a fight.

Over on Hunter's Tavern, WUNC reporter Laura Leslie also caught the omission. 

"There was no concession in his 'concession' speech," she writes. 

Ferrell Guillory doesn't think John Edwards is out yet.

According to James Romoser's Trail mix blog, the UNC-Chapel Hill professor and former political reporter says that Iowa is just a "relatively small Midwestern state," though Edwards has an "uphill climb." 

...if he can continue raising money, and if he can continue engaging directly in debate with senators Obama and Clinton, he still has some time to let people take a look at his potential as a Democratic nominee and as a possible president. 

The Winston-Salem Journal has launched a political blog.

Trail Mix, written by Raleigh-based reporter James Romoser, will focus on North Carolina's 2008 elections, including governor and U.S. Senate as well as John Edwards' bid for the White House.

For now, Romoser is blogging from Iowa, as he follows Edwards.

Managing Editor Ken Otterbourg notes on his blog that Romoser should make a good blogger.

James is scary smart, and a great observer and analyzer. There are a zillion political blogs out there. We hope ours will be distinguished by its quality of content, not just the sheer quantity of links being dumped onto a site. I hope you will check it out and let James know what you think.

Welcome to the fray, James.