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U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan was among a dozen Democratic senators who spent last weekend in Miami Beach raising money from lobbyists for oil, drug and other corporate interests. 

Hagan was one of the attendees at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's winter retreat at the Ritz Carlton South Beach Resort, according to an invitation to the event obtained by Politico's Ben Smith. The event's program listed a couple receptions and large blocks set aside for "informal conversations with Senators."

As Smith notes, the Senators were meeting with an interesting group.

Across the table was a who's who of 108 senior Washington lobbyists, including the top lobbying officials for many of the industries Democrats regularly attack: Represented were the American Bankers Association, the tobaco company Altria, the oil company Marathon, several drug manufacturers, the defense contractor Lockheed, and most of the large independent lobbying firms: Ogilvy, BGR, Quinn Gillespie, Heather Podesta, and Tony Podesta.

To be fair, Republicans are also planning a similar Florida retreat in the spring where contributors can play golf, go fishing or mingle with Republican senators.

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan’s approval rating is 29 percent, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by Public Policy Polling, found that 42 percent of N.C. voters disapprove of Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat. As PPP's Tom Jensen notes, 90 percent of the voters who disapprove of Hagan's performance were also opposed to the Democratic health care plan, which suggests her current unpopularity may be tied to that issue.

"Hagan won in a Democratic year and her popularity has declined with voters turning away from her party," Jensen wrote on PPP's blog. She'd probably lose if she had to run for reelection this year ... but things may be back in good shape for her party by 2014."

The poll of 678 North Carolina voters was conducted Jan. 15-18 and had a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points.

As expected, the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed for a week the votes on N.C. judges Albert Diaz and James Wynn.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the committee, asked this morning to hold the nominations over for a week, a request allowed under committee rules. Sessions has traditionally been asking for a week-long hold on all judicial nominees, reports Barb Barrett.

Diaz, of Charlotte, and Wynn, of Raleigh, were nominated last fall for the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, a step below the U.S. Supreme Court. The men had their hearing before the committee in December, and both are supported by U.S. Sens. Kay Hagan and Richard Burr.

The Senate Judiciary Committee now would vote on Diaz and Wynn in a week, or at the next committee businesss meeting. If recommended, they then go before the full Senate for confirmation.

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan said partisan tactics delay important legislation.

Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, was talking to Greensboro blogger and writer Ed Cone. Hagan said that Republicans have delayed an unprecedented number of bills with parliamentary tactics, which often require a cloture motion, in which Senators have to vote to end debate.

Nominations. We just had Judge Jim Wynn and Al Diaz go before a judicial hearing, yet their nominations have not come to the floor. When you're looking at voting on cloture motions on nominations that have already taken place, they ultimately win, I want to say by 98-0, but that's the process that is taking so long.

People right now, they want jobs, they are worried about jobs, the are worried the economy, they are not understanding that we have to go through a cloture motion before we can bring up a nominations bill, which I do think is unnecessary. 

U.S. Sen Kay Hagan, a Democrat from Greensboro, borrowed the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday to inspire and thank N.C. Central University students for their community service as they broke ground for a new Habitat for Humanity house in Durham.

Hagan lauded the NCCU community service program, which requires students to log in 100 hours of volunteer work to graduate, reports Anne Blythe.

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle," Hagan said, borrowing the words of King.

She praised the dozens gathered for using the holiday as a "day on, not off," and told them she was "fighting hard" in the nation's capital for North Carolina's black farmers who, for years, were denied federal agriculture loans and assistance that went to whites.

The state's U.S. Senators and U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx are promoting a Mount Airy granite company as the right choice to fabricate the granite for the National Sept. 11 memorial and museum.

U.S. Sens. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan and Foxx sent a letter to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the chairman of the memorial's commission, urging him to select the N.C. Granite Corporation.

"The North Carolina Granite Corporation has a proven track record and is no stranger to sites of national significance," the NC members wrote to Bloomberg. "For example, Mount Airy granite was selected in the construction of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., in addition to other historically significant projects."

Foxx, a Banner Elk Republican; Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican; and Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, said the contract would be a boon to the 135 workers employed by the company and the Mount Airy community. It would also ensure that the rock would be cut, sanded and finished in the U.S.

The Mount Airy quarry, the largest open face quarry in the world, has operated for more than 100 years.

CONTAMINATION UNSOLVED: The source of contaminated fish in Badin Lake, scene of a long-running dispute over Alcoa's now-closed aluminum smelter, remains unknown nearly a year after state officials warned the public.

Alcoa has acknowledged contamination from its plant, 45 miles northeast of Charlotte. The company says there is no proof it is responsible for the tainted fish that led to a state warning in February.

Environmentalists, meanwhile, say a state investigation is dead in the water.

Toxic fish are only part of Alcoa's struggles with its community. In a rare move, Gov. Bev Perdue wants the state to take over the aluminum maker's hydroelectric operations on 38 miles of the Yadkin River. (Charlotte Observer)

CENSUS GEARS UP: A U.S. Census worker, one of a small army of federal employees who will soon launch a house by house count, is using a radio booth to urge Latinos to get over their fears of being counted. (Charlotte Observer)

HAGAN'S FIRST YEAR: At the end of her first year in office, U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat, has earned a reputation as someone whose vote is closely counted by party leaders and outside groups trying to push a policy debate. (Greensboro N&R)

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan featured a portrait of her family on her Christmas card.

"Wishing you joy and peace throughout the Holidays and the New Year, from our family to yours," reads the card which was signed "The Hagans."

Hagan is a Greensboro Democrat.

Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor, says the prospects look good for Judges James Wynn of Raleigh and Albert Diaz of Charlotte to be confirmed to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Tobias, who studies the appeals court, said the quick and easy hearing on Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee bodes well for the nominees, reports Barb Barrett.

Wynn and Diaz were nominated Nov. 4 by President Barack Obama, supported by Democratic U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan and Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, and then whisked to a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in six weeks.

“Obama’s consultation with both N.C. senators, the cooperation between the senators and the impressive nominees were critical,” he said. “North Carolina will finally have the representation it deserves on the court.”

The 15-member 4th Circuit Court handles appeals from five states. North Carolina has historically been underrepresented on the court.

The Senate Judiciary Committee likely won’t make its recommendation on Wynn and Diaz before next year. The full Senate then would vote on their confirmation.

State Rep. Verla Insko plans to attend a White House reception next week that is being held to recognize state lawmakers working on health care reform.

Insko, a Chapel Hill Democrat, is one of 40 lawmakers participating in the White House State Legislators Working Group on Health Care Reform, according to a news release.

The group of about 40 state lawmakers from around the nation plan and initiate state-level activities in support of President Barack Obama’s health care reform efforts. In North Carolina, state legislators held community meetings to discuss health care and met with Sen. Kay Hagan and their members of Congress to discuss the cost to states of delaying health care reform.

Rep. Pricey Harrison, a Greensboro Democrat, also plans to attend the Dec. 15 reception.