KEYNOTERS ANONYMOUS: The state Democratic Party holds its annual fundraiser, gabfest and politicking party, the Vance-Aycock dinner this weekend in Asheville. After a nail-biting delay, organizers finally announced the keynote speaker, Jean Carnahan, who served as a U.S. Senator from Missouri for two years. After last year's dinner, which featured an appearance by then-candidate Barack Obama, this year's event promises to be a veritable "Who's That?" of Democratic politics.

AROUND THE WORLD: State Sen. Steve Goss, a Boone Democrat, had to correct his campaign finance reports this week to reflect that he did not incur $19,000 worth of mileage reimbursements in a four-month period. That amount of driving would have taken the senator around the world nearly twice. Hope he gets good gas mileage.

BRING IT ON: The State Board of Elections announced plans to hold a hearing into the campaign finance irregularities of former Democratic Gov. Mike Easley. Gov. Beverly Perdue was quick to issue a statement welcoming the hearings. The statement seemed designed to accomplish two goals: 1) re-inforce Perdue's pledge to keep government clean. 2) Remind voters that she is not Easley.

IN OTHER NEWS: Treasurer Janet Cowell updates her office's ethics policy. New laws take effect, including one that legalizes affairs for couples who are all-but divorced. The Wake County Democratic chairman cautions would-be seekers of a state House seat that keeping the job is going to require some serious fundraising.

Former U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan will be the keynote speaker at the annual Vance-Aycock dinner this weekend. 

Carnahan's selection is notable partly for when it was announced: four days before the dinner, which serves as a fundraiser, rally and party for state Democrats.

Democratic Party chairman David Young said he was proud to have Carnahan speak at the 49th Vance-Aycock dinner.

"Her remarkable achievements, leadership, and dedication to improving the lives of working families are an inspiration to all of us."

Senator Carnahan, the first woman to represent Missouri in the U.S. Senate, was appointed to the seat in 2001 after her late husband, Gov. Mel Carnahan, was killed in an airplane crash along with their son Randy and a campaign advisor just three weeks before the 2000 election. Missouri voters elected Governor Carnahan over John Ashcroft to the Senate posthumously.

Prior to serving in the Senate Carnahan served as Missouri's First Lady from 1993 to 2000. She was an advocate for on-site day care centers for working families, for childhood immunization, and for abuse centers, the arts, and Habitat for Humanity.

Carnahan’s son Russ is currently a U.S. Representative her daughter Robin is currently Missouri’s Secretary of State and running for the U.S. Senate in 2010.

Here's a mostly complete list of Barack Obama's surrogates in North Carolina for the general election:

Vice presidential candidate Joe Biden and his wife Jill; Michelle Obama; Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius; U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan, former Govs. Jim Hunt and Ray Mabus; former Sen. Bill Bradley; former Sen. Jean Carnahan; U.S. Reps. Bob Etheridge, David Price, Brad Miller, G.K. Butterfield and Jim Cooper; Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee; Secretary of State Elaine Marshall; former Agriculture Commissioner Britt Cobb; state Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand; state Rep. Dan Blue; retired Gen. Wesley Clark; Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Lambert; Maj. Gen. Scott Gration; professor Sarah Sewall; veterans Paul Bucha, John McCary and Jon Kuniholm; musicians James Taylor, Jay-Z and Tift Merritt; actresses Alfre Woodard, Jurnee Smollett, Tatyana Ali, Ellen Pompeo, Danielle Panabaker and Edie Falco; members of the cast of "The Wire"; actors Kal Penn and Harold Perrineau; comedian Chris Rock, and Nascar driver Junior Johnson. The daughter of Jackie Robinson was scheduled to come but did not make it.

Previously: Obama's surrogates in the primary.

Jim Hunt is campaigning again for Barack Obama.

The former governor will join former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus for two stops in Wilson and Goldsboro today. (Mabus has separate stops in Kinston and Lumberton.)

Though he stayed neutral in the Democratic primary, Hunt has campaigned vigorously for Obama in recent weeks, appearing at a James Taylor concert, speaking at the Raleigh Farmer's Market and attending a town hall meeting and a fundraiser.

In addition, his wife hosted former Sen. Jean Carnahan in Wilson for an Obama event.

In June, Hunt told Dome that he wasn't interested in a position in the Obama administration, though his schedule certainly looks like he's trying. (He's long been on the list of potential education secretaries in what turned out to be nonexistent Democratic administrations.)

Certainly, he's done more Obama events than Gov. Mike Easley, who might also be on the list.

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated the cities the two would stop in. 

Kathleen Sebelius stumped for Barack Obama again this weekend.

The Kansas governor previously toured North Carolina on behalf of the Democratic presidential candidate in April during his primary battle with Hillary Clinton. She returned in June for a fundraiser for Democratic Senate candidate Kay Hagan.

On Friday, she made two stops in the western part of the state, arguing that Republican John McCain had ties to Wall Street's current problems and rallying women, the Asheville Citizen-Times reports.

"It isn't just a string of bad luck that produced the tumult that we see on Wall Street," Sebelius said at a stop in an Asheville coffee shop. "It's a stream of bad policy and a stream of deregulation of the financial services industry."

The stops were part of a ramped-up effort by Obama to bring surrogates to North Carolina. His wife, Michelle, and running mate, Joe Biden, have made recent stops, and former Missouri Sen. Jean Carnahan will visit Tuesday.

Hat Tip: Laura Leslie 

Former Sen. Jean Carnahan will again tour North Carolina.

The former Missouri senator previously visited the state in April as part of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's primary battle.

On Tuesday, she will stop in Wilson at 10:30 a.m. for an economic community meeting with former First Lady Carolyn Hunt. Carnahan's husband, Mel, and Hunt's husband, Jim, were governors of Missouri and North Carolina during the mid to late 1990s.

She'll then hold another community meeting at Print Products Etc. in Louisburg, and a meet and greet with Durham women at the home of Jean O'Barr.

The trip is part of a recent string of high-profile visits by Obama and his surrogates, including his wife Michelle and running mate Joe Biden. 

Here's a complete list of Barack Obama's surrogates in North Carolina:

Michelle Obama; Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle; Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius; U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Claire McCaskill of Missouri; U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, John Conyers of Michigan and Danny Davis of Illinois; former Mississipi Gov. Ray Mabus; former U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan of Missouri; former South Carolina politician Inez Tenenbaum; Newark Mayor Cory Booker; former UNC-Chapel Hill basketball star Sam Perkins; actor Kal Penn; actresses Sophia Bush, Alfre Woodard and Tatyana Ali, independent bands Arcade Fire and Superchunk.

Former Sen. Jean Carnahan says John McCain is out of touch.

In Hendersonville to speak on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, the former Missouri senator focused her arguments on the Republican nominee.

She said that McCain will not do as well in November among moderate Democrats and independents because he is too closely tied to Bush administration's policies. 

"He's sort of wrapped himself around George Bush," she told Dome. "He's already done that with his economic policies, and he wants to make the war last 100 years if it has to. I just don't think most thinking people are going to go along with that."

McCain has said that he could see U.S. troops in Iraq for 100 years, but only if they are not being attacked, comparing it to the military presence in Japan and South Korea. 

Carnahan had little to say about Hillary Clinton, predicting that Obama would do better than expected in Pennsylvania and come to North Carolina to "wrap it up."

"I'm cautiously optimistic that he'll make a good show there," she said. 

Dan Leistikow knows North Carolina.

The recently appointed spokesman for Barack Obama's state campaign previously worked for Sen. John Edwards' 2008 presidential campaign.

After serving as Edwards' spokesman in Iowa in 2007 and early 2008, Leistikow worked out of the Chapel Hill headquarters. After Edwards dropped out, he became Obama's spokesman in Wisconsin.

Originally from Minnesota, Leistikow worked for several years for Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and Missouri Sen. Jean Carnahan.

As North Carolina communications director, Leistikow's name will be in the news here quite a bit in the run-up to the May 6 primary. 

Not sure how to pronounce his name? Take a listen here.