VOTE HAUNTS: Nearly two weeks after U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell bucked his party and voted against health care legislation, Democrats in his district are seething. The talk is that Kissell may face a serious primary challenge. (Charlotte Observer)

PORTRAIT PLEASES: Rene Dickerson was nervous as he prepared to unveil his portrait of the late U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms. The cloth over the painting dropped, and the room gasped. The crowd broke into long applause. (N&O)

RESERVES AMPLE: North Carolina state government has at least $620 million at its disposal so far to close any budget hole this fiscal year, the state's budget director says. So far, revenue is down $95 million, a fraction of the multi-billion dollar shortfall faced last year. (AP)

In last weekend’s House health reform vote, three of North Carolina’s conservative Democrats opposed the bill, despite an anti-abortion amendment designed to curry favor among Democrats who oppose abortion rights.

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan declined Tuesday to say how she would have voted on the House bill, Barb Barrett reports.

"Our bill is going to be quite different from that bill," said Hagan, a Greensboro Democrat. "I would rather support what’s coming out of the Senate and see what we can get from a compromise position."

The House Democrats who voted against the bill were Reps. Heath Shuler of Waynesville, Mike McIntyre of Lumberton and Larry Kissell of Biscoe.

But Hagan does not favor the anti-abortion amendment, which would have restricted health insurance companies' ability to fund abortions if they compete for federal subsidies. Women seeking coverage would have to purchase their own insurance riders.

Hagan espoused the position that other moderate Democrats have favored, which is that health reform ought to keep the status quo regulations, which now prohibit federal funding of abortion.

"My preference would be not to change anything from the standpoint of the way we currently handle any sort of federal regulation," Hagan said Tuesday. "We don’t need to make any other changes."

U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell's vote against health care reform legislation ranked as one of the toughest votes in the House, and also one of the most bizarre, according to Washington Post blogger Chris "The Fix" Cillizza.

Cillizza gamed out the five toughest votes for the bill and the same ranking among the votes against it. Kissell, a freshman from Biscoe, was second in the latter category.

"As for Kissell, his 'no' vote is close to inexplicable given the heavy black population in his district (28 percent)," Cillizza wrote, "and the fact that the president carried it by five points last November."

Kissell represents one of the few truly competitive districts in the nation.

U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell has $244,952 in his campaign account, according to federal campaign finance records.

Kissell, a Biscoe Democrat, raised $99,000 from individuals and $305,000 from political action committees.

Contributors included Anne B. Wilkins of Cary, a consultant ($2,000); Ronald J. Bernstein of Durham, chief executive of cigarette company Liggett Vector Brands ($2,000); the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association PAC ($5,000) and the American Health Care Association PAC ($5,000).

Four Republicans are competing for the party's nomination to challenge Kissell and the race has generated lots of money already.

Businessman Lou Huddleston has raised $57,641 from individuals and loaned himself $45,125. He has $102,000 in his account.

Tim D'Annunzio, who owns a skydiving business, has loaned himself $303,000 and raised $8,400. Hamlet resident Darrell Day has raised $30 and loaned himself $3,000.

Republican Thomas Sweeney has not reported raising any money.

Here's a summary of what members of Congress had in their campaign accounts through September 2009. The remaining members of the state's delegation will be added to the list.

G.K. Butterfield: $231,000.

Howard Coble: $525,000.

Bob Etheridge: $1 million.

Virginia Foxx: $1.1 million.

Walter Jones: $127,766.

Larry Kissell: $244,000. Businessman Lou Huddleston has raised $57,641 from individuals and loaned himself $45,125. Tim D'Annunzio, who owns a skydiving business, has loaned himself $303,000 and raised $8,400. Hamlet resident Darrell Day has raised $30 and loaned himself $3,000. Republican Thomas Sweeney has not reported raising any money.

Patrick McHenry: $158,000. Iredell County Commissioner Scott Keadle has loaned himself $250,000 to challenge McHenry for the Republican nomination.

Mike McIntyre: $824,917. Republican Will Breazeale has received $3,800 in individual contributions and has $400 in his campaign account.

Brad Miller: $148,000. Challenger William Randall II has not reported raising any money.

David Price: $218,000. Republican challenger Frank Roche has raised $10,879, mostly through individual contributions. Republican George Hutchins has loaned himself $5,000.

Heath Shuler: $1.1 million.

Mel Watt: $140,000.

Republicans continue to line up to challenge 8th District Democratic Congressman Larry Kissell.

The latest to join the field is Hal Jordan, a Charlotte IBM executive, who received a lot of attention three years ago when he came within 30 votes of knocking off scandal-plagued Democratic House Speaker Jim Black.

Jordan joins three other Republicans who have already announced their intentions to challenge Kissell: Lou Huddleston, a retired Army colonel from Fayetteville; Tim D'Annunzio, the owner of Sky Venture Skydiving Center in Hoke County, who has loaned his campaign $300,000, and Darrell Day of Hamlet. 

There are several reasons why there is so much interest in the race, Rob Christensen reports. The 8th District is considered one of the few competitive House districts in the state.  Congressmen are considered the most vulnerable the first time they seek re-election. Kissell knocked off Republican Robin Hayes in 2008. 

And the polls suggest that 2010 could be a Republican-leaning year.

Biden has become a leading figure in helping House Democrats prepare for next year's elections. Kissell, a Biscoe Democrat, narrowly won his seat 2008. The GOP has targeted the seat in next year's mid-term elections. Fayetteville businessman Lou Huddleston, a Republican, is running for the seat.

Dome's Barb Barrett filed a report about the event, which was held at the Cleveland Park home of William and Susie Taylor. Among those in the audience was U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, a Charlotte Democrat.

Kissell introduced Biden.

"There’s something magical about someone from a textiles background, and who was teaching high school civics a year ago, to be standing up here with the vice president. That’s a miracle. That’s what makes this country great," Kissell said.

Correction: A previous version of this post misstated Kissell's election results. Dome regrets the errors.

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BY THE POUND: The State Health Plan sent information to its 660,000-plus members giving details on its plans to hike rates for smokers and obese people. The mailing probably prompted a series of early New Year's resolutions.

BAD WATER=GOOD POLITICS: U.S. Sens. Kay Hagan, a Democrat, and Richard Burr, a Republican, have been pushing for benefits for Marines and their families who were exposed to toxic tap water at Camp Lejeune in the 1980s. Before long U.S. Rep. Brad Miller, a Democrat, was ready to introduce a House version of the bill.

NOT NOW: Gov. Beverly Perdue was one of six Democratic governors who did not sign a letter urging health care reform. Turns out there wasn't an ideological reason. Perdue was too busy on a business recruiting trip to give the letter a read.

IN OTHER NEWS: A conservative advocacy group is copying the Amway business model. U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell gets a fundraising boost from Vice President Joe Biden. John Edwards' name causes an awkward moment at the U2 concert in Raleigh.

No, not the kind you're thinking about.

In this case, we're talking about what's known as "the other white meat."

Seven of North Carolina’s members of Congress have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect the pork industry from its economic troubles by buying $100 million worth of meat for the USDA’s federal food assistance programs.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, they say the recession and the recent swine flu outbreak have hurt the industry. The lawmakers thanked Vilsack for his push earlier this year to call the swine flu virus H1N1 to disassociate it from pork products, but they said the impacts of the scare have hurt the industry.

The letter notes that USDA already has announced $30 million in purchases through the end of the fiscal year, reports Barb Barrett.

“We asking for additional help with the economic crisis the U.S. pork industry currently faces,” the letter reads. “Without your assistance, we are putting thousands of rural jobs and businesses at risk.”

The N.C. lawmakers are Democratic U.S. Reps. Bob Etheridge, Larry Kissell, Mike McIntyre, Brad Miller and G.K. Butterfield, along with Republican U.S. Reps. Howard Coble and Walter Jones. Fifty-five other lawmakers also signed the letter.

They want Vilsack to use $100 million to buy pork for federal food assistance programs, with an emphasis on sow meat to reduce breeding stock.

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Lou Huddleston, a Fayetteville businessman and Republican who is challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell next year has developed a following among the right people — the ones with money.

Roll Call reports (subscription req.) that Huddleston is expected to post a six-figure fundraising report soon. The report highlights Republican efforts to recruit miniority candidates.

At the moment, the black Republican with perhaps the best shot in 2010 is veteran and former North Carolina state House nominee Lou Huddleston (R), who is running in the 8th district against freshman Rep. Larry Kissell (D)…party operatives on Capitol Hill have warmed to the retired Army colonel and defense industry consultant…After announcing in August, Huddleston is expected to file a six-figure fundraising report later this month. 

Kissell, a Biscoe Democrat, has recently been the beneficiary of a fundraising push by Vice President Joe Biden.