LOW KEY BIRTHDAY: The Highway Patrol turns 80 this year and it may be a good year for a quiet celebration. Another misconduct allegation involving sex has been exposed and the patrol is not having a lot of success reversing a culture in which some troopers expected on-duty escapades as an unofficial fringe benefit. Patrol leaders asked employees to try to knock it off in honor of the patrol's anniversary.

CONS BEATING PROS: Republicans dug in on their opposition to Democratic health care reforms with U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick saying that a Democrat health care system might not have caught her breast cancer in time. Sen. Richard Burr said the plan would just shift the cost of the health care system to taxpayers. On the other side, Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan isn't ready to pick a reform plan, although she's sure one is needed.

WE'RE SAVED: A television advertisement funded by a conservative group catalogues corruption scandals involving Democrats. The group proclaims that it's here to rescue America from "radical socialism." A 30-second spot will probably just about do it.

IN OTHER NEWS: President Bill Clinton wasn't rattled by Sen. Jesse Helms inflammatory statements. Sen. Joe Lieberman is watering down an energy bill in an effort to get Republicans, including Burr, on board. State Rep. Ty Harrell has resigned his seat over questions about his campaign finance reports.

Sen. Joe Lieberman appears to be adding money for coal and nuclear power in an effort to get conservative support for a climate change bill.

POLITICO reports that staffers for Sen. Richard Burr have been meeting with Lieberman's office about the bill. Lieberman, who often finds himself at arms lengths from Democrats, says he needs to add the coal and nuclear provisions to keep the bill alive. Those changes are likely to upset the bill's liberal supporters.

Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican, was among key Republicans who criticized the climate bill that left the House earlier this year.

Lieberman believes that including greater funding for coal and nuclear energy could make the bill more attractive to Republicans and conservative Democrats. The Republicans in his group agree — but some say that increasing support for nuclear power is unlikely to be enough to win their votes.

 

"There are a lot of things that keep you from having a bipartisan bill," said Burr. "The bill is flawed, and the way, at least, it will be implemented picks winners and losers state to state."

 Hat tip: Leroy Towns

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan has joined a group of moderate Democrats.

The Greensboro Democrat announced Wednesday that she will joing the Moderate Dems Working Group, a group of 15 moderate Democrats that will meet regularly to talk about major issues.

"Working with the Moderate Dems, I look forward to finding common-sense solutions to the greatest challenges we face and breaking the political gridlock that, for too long, has characterized politics-as-usual in Washington," she said in a statement.

The group met for the second time Tuesday to discuss the upcoming budget negotiations. It's leader is Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, who was on the shortlist for President Obama's vice presidential slot.

Other members of the group include Sens. Claire McCaskill, Joe Lieberman, Jeanne Shaheen, Mark Warner and Mary Landrieu, among others.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr will look into terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction.

The Winston-Salem Republican announced today that he and Sen. Bob Casey, a Pennsylvania Democrat, are starting the Senate Caucus on WMD Terrorism.

The bipartisan group of eight senators will highlight the problem of terrorist groups obtaining nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and discuss policy responses.

"We must ensure the U.S. government continues to make the prevention of, and preparedness for, bioterrorism and other WMD threats a top priority," Burr said in a statement.

The other members of the caucus are Democratic Sens. Evan Bayh and Russ Feingold; Republican Sens. James Inhofe, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson; and independent Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Sen.-elect Kay Hagan has already cast her first vote.

Although the incoming freshman senator has not yet been sworn in, she was allowed to vote as part of the Senate Democratic caucus Tuesday.

The question: Should Sen. Joe Lieberman be allowed to remain chairman of the Homeland Security committee?

Some had argued that the Connecticut independent should be stripped of his chairmanship for making disparaging comments about President-elect Barack Obama and supporting Sen. John McCain. But Hagan said he should keep the post.

"We've gone through a rancorous campaign not only in North Carolina but across the country," she told Dome. "I am not here to divide people and parties, and I want to work across party lines. I think the worst thing to do would have been to kick somebody out of the caucus on the first day of business."

The caucus decided in a secret 42-13 vote to keep Lieberman in place but issue a statement condemning his remarks.

Hagan would not share any details about the discussion, which was held behind closed doors, but she did say it was "the most fascinating caucus" she's ever attended.

Which former Democratic vice presidential candidate - John Edwards or Joe Lieberman - would be less welcome at the Democratic National Convention?

That was the question that The New York Times put to several convention delegates. Their completely unscientific conclusion?

Lieberman, who is campaigning for Republican presidential nominee John McCain, is the bigger pariah.

"Edwards was only unfaithful to his wife. Lieberman was unfaithful to an entire party,” Massachusetts delegate Phil Johnston told the Times.

How bipartisan has U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole been?

From 2003 to 2008, the Salisbury Republican was the primary sponsor of 140 bills. Of them, 80 had no cosponsors, 27 had only Republican cosponsors and 33 had Democratic cosponsors.

Overall, her 264 cosponsors included 164 Republicans and 100 Democrats, or about three-to-two ratio. A bill to give British Prime Minister Tony Blair the Congressional Medal of Honor was the most bipartisan measure, with 30 Democratic cosponsors.

Another bipartisan bill would have phased out reduced-price lunches at public schools by increasing eligibility for free lunches. Six Republican and eight Democrats signed on.

The most frequent Democratic cosponsor was Sen. Barbara Mikulski, who signed on to seven bills, including ones to investigate Camp Lejeune's drinking water and recognize the Lumbee tribe as well as several amendments to bills.

Sen. Joe Lieberman signed onto six bills, including ones to set aside a portion of the gross domestic product for defense spending and provide job training in college. Sens. Ted Kennedy, Tom Harkin, Richard Durbin, Frank Lautenberg and Bill Nelson each signed onto five bills.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards signed onto four Dole bills, including recognizing the Lumbees and honoring Blair.

Previously: Dole's cosponsors in 2003-04, 2005-06, 2007-08.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole was fairly bipartisan in the 2003-04 session.

With the candidates for Senate touting their records of bipartisanship, Dome has been taking a closer look at the number of Democrats who signed on to legislation Dole sponsored.

In the 2003-04 session, the Salisbury Republican was the primary sponsor of 16 bills. Of them, eight had no cosponsors and eight had Democratic cosponsors.

A bill to award the Congressional Medal of Honor to British Prime Minister Tony Blair had 48 Republican cosponsors and 30 Democrats, including Sens. Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd, Joe Lieberman and Chuck Schumer.

Overall, that boosted her Democratic cosponsors to 48, compared to 66 Republican cosponsors, or about a three-to-two ratio.

Her most frequent Democratic cosponsor was fellow North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who signed on to the Blair honors, a bill to recognize the Lumbee tribe, an amendment on a Medicare bill and another amendment.

Previously: Dole's cosponsors in 2005-06 and 2007-08.