GRADE STIMULUS: A Goldsboro middle school was lambasted this week for its plan to award extra test points — enough to raise a letter grade — in exchange for cash contributions for the school. The lesson for students: Hard work, perseverance and positive attitude will be rewarded. And if that doesn't work, a nice crisp $20 couldn't hurt.

CHOPPED LIVER; The race for the Democratic nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Richard Burr got lots of attention this week. Lexington lawyer Cal Cunningham is out. U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge is going for a new fence-sitting record. Two others are thinking about it. All the buzz about candidates who aren't running can't be flattering to the only two people who are: lawyer Kenneth Lewis and Secretary of State Elaine Marshall.

SHE'S BACK: Gov. Bev Perdue got a big bump in her job approval, apparently because of her refusal to release violent inmates despite a court ruling. Perdue has been hitting the public events pretty hard and making big announcements. A few more ribbon cuttings and another stand at a jail-house door and Perdue might just be liked again.

IN OTHER NEWS: Sen. Martin Nesbitt appears to have a lock on the job of Senate majority leader...The state's pension fund is beginning to recover from a financial slump...Barack Obama's campaign was the source of the tip that John Edwards got $400 haircuts.

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge has still has not issued a statement on whether he will challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr next year.

But Dome would be shocked if he announces for the Senate. The word in Democratic circles is that Etheridge has decided to seek re-election to his House seat.

Etheridge has been heavily courted by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee since last spring as the strongest potential challenger to Burr. But Etheridge has always been politically cautious and has passed on Senate races in the past. And he recently gained a coveted seat on the House Ways and Means Committee.

The Lillington Democrat has already told the senatorial committee his decision, but they asked him to put off an announcement for a day or two.

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Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy says he hopes to decide by the end of the month whether to enter the U.S. Senate race.

"I'm still talking to people," Foy said. "It's been an education for me to find out what people are thinking about."

He said the main concern is that people are worried about the economy.

"A lot of people are concerned about what kind of representation we have," Foy said. "We are an emerging dominate state and have weak federal representation."

The most daunting aspect of a Senate race, Foy said, was the millions of dollars that would have to be raised.

So far two Democrats have entered the race to challenge Republican Richard Burr: Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Durham lawyer Kenneth Lewis.

Secretary of State Elaine Marshall has assembled a veteran team of political consultants to help her in her bid for the U.S. Senate.

Her pollster is Celinda Lake of Washington, who has worked for candidates ranging from former President Bill Clinton and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Harvey Gantt's 1996 Senate campaign, Rob Christensen reports. Lake, who is regarded as expert in framing in issues for women, also worked for Marshall's unsuccessful 2002 Senate campaign.

Her media consultant is Doc Sweitzer of Philadelphia, whose clients have included Al Gore' 1988 presidential campaign and New Jersey Governor Jim Florio's race. He has extensive experience in working for North Carolina Democrats including state Treasurer Richard Moore and Congressmen Robin Britt, Bill Hefner, Martin Lancaster, Brad Miller and Steve Neal.

Marshall's general consultant is Thomas Mills of Chapel Hill, who has worked for the Kerry-Edwards campaign, for Congressman Larry Kissell and Eva Clayton and Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy among other candidates.

Marshall is one of two Democrats who have announced for the seat held by Republican Sen. Richard Burr. Lawyer Kenneth Lewis has also announced his candidacy.

Is it possible that North Carolina voters aren't happy with Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, but still like him a lot better than any of the Democratic alternatives?

That seems to be the message from the latest survey by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm that surveyed 683 voters from Oct. 2-4.

Burr's approval rating was just 36 percent. That's down slightly from last month's survey, which had Burr's approval rating at 38 percent.

But when voters were asked about possible match-ups with some of the possible Democratic candidates, Burr easily came out on top. Here's a look at what the survey found:

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Sen. Richard Burr has at least a 10-point lead over his challengers, according to a new Rasmussen poll.

The Rasmussen Reports poll found of 500 likely voters found Burr ahead of longtime Secretary of State Elaine Marshall 48 percent to 38 percent.

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, who has been courted for the race, trails by 48 to 34 percent.

Burr leads Durham lawyer Kenneth Lewis, who like Marshall has officially declared for the race, by even more — 48 percent to 32 percent.

The news isn't all great for Burr.

"Despite Burr’s early lead, however, incumbents who poll under 50% are generally considered vulnerable," the pollster said.

The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percent. 

Other Democrats looking at the race include former state Sen. Cal Cunningham of Lexington, former Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker of Sanford, and Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy.

Former N.C. Chief Justice Henry Frye has agreed to be honorary co-chairman of Kenneth Lewis' U.S. Senate campaign.

Lewis, a Durham attorney, was a law clerk for Frye, who was the first African-American to head North Carolina's judicial system, Rob Christensen reports.

"When I first met Kenneth over 20 years ago," Frye said, "he was a smart, idealistic young lawyer determined to use his legal training to break down the barriers to educational and economic opportunity facing communities across North Carolina."

'"Kenneth's legal career, as a business and community development lawyer, is a long record of using the law to find common ground between the private sector and the non-profit community," Frye said. "His experience in community development, coupled with his expertise in business law, makes Kenneth uniquely qualified to represent North Carolina in the U.S Senate."

Lewis is the first Democrat to enter the 2010 race for the seat held by Republican Sen. Richard Burr. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall has formed an exploratory committee. Other Democrats looking at the race include former state Sen. Cal Cunningham of Lexington, Congressman Bob Etheridge of Lillington, former Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker of Sanford, and Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr's approval rating remains below 40 percent, which might ordinarily be bad news for a politician, but he's still ahead of any of his potential Democratic challengers in next year's election, according to a poll released Friday.

The approval rating for Burr, a Republican, was 38 percent, according to the survey by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm. In matchups against possible Democratic opponents, Burr beat:

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, of Lillington, by 41 to 34 percent.

Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, who officially launched her candidacy this week, and former Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker, by the same margin of 42 to 31 percent.

Former N.C. Sen. Cal Cunningham by 42 to 30 percent.

Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy by 43 to 29 percent.

Durham lawyer Kenneth Lewis by 43 to 27 percent.

The survey of 600 voters was taken Sept. 2 to 8 and has a margin of error of 4 percent.

Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy traveled to Washington last week to meet with members of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and others familiar with U.S. Senate campaigns, Foy said while waiting for a plane back to North Carolina.

"I'm just trying to get a clear idea of what the possibilities are," he said. "I'm trying to consult a whole lot of people. ... It's got to be best for North Carolina."

So far, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Durham lawyer Kenneth Lewis have announced their campaigns to unseat Republican Sen. Richard Burr, reports Jesse DeConto.

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, another Democrat, is also mulling a run. Etheridge says the DSSC has been courting him to run, and former Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker also said he has been in touch with the committee. Former state Sen. Cal Cunningham of Lexington is also looking at the race.

DSSC spokesman Eric Schultz said Burr holds one of two incumbent Republican seats the committee is targeting in 2010.

"We believe Sen. Burr's especially vulnerable," Schultz said. "He's been very explicit that he doesn't want to lift a finger on healthcare or the economy."

Update: "It speaks to the lack of depth of the Democrat bench in North Carolina that more than half a dozen potential Senate candidates – including one who was personally lobbied by President Obama in the White House – have passed on a bid in 2010,” said Colin Reed, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge still isn't saying whether he intends to challenge U.S. Sen. Richard Burr next year.

But he's not saying no, either, The (Dunn) Daily Record reports. Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat was asked during a visit to the paper about whether he intends to run against Burr, a Winston-Salem Republican.

"I don’t know about that," Rep. Etheridge said with a wide grin.

He said he has been in contact with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee over the past few months.

"They’re doing a lot of talking," he said.

The paper notes that the stakes are high for Etheridge, who now sits on the powerful Ways and Means Committee in the House.

Etheridge's answer will likely help others decide whether to take a shot. Kenneth Lewis, a Durham lawyer, has announced his candidacy. But others, including former state Sen. Cal Cunningham, Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy have all expressed interest but haven't committed yet. Democrats have also been courting former Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker.

Update: Later, Etheridge told Dome that it had been at least two weeks since he had spoken to the DSCC. A follow-up question was met with, "Gotta go…"

And during a conference call on health reform last Tuesday, he was similarly vague to a reporter from a Capitol Hill newspaper.

"Today is not the day I plan to talk about it. Thank you very much, though," Etheridge said.