The N.C. Military Foundation spent $49,000 on lobbying in 2007.

According to state and federal lobbying disclosure forms, the nonprofit started by Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue to promote defense spending in North Carolina spent about a quarter of its consulting budget on lobbyists in its first full year.

With a tight budget, the group relies heavily on outside consultants, including two lobbyists, Jimmy Broughton and Mark Harkins. Executive Director Will Austin also does some lobbying of state government, and lobbyist John Mashburn also did some work in 2007.

The lobbyists are a bipartisan group.

Broughton is a former chief of staff to Republican Sen. Jesse Helms, Mashburn was general counsel to Republican Sen. Judd Gregg, Harkins was chief of staff to Democratic Rep. Brad Miller, and Austin was an assistant to Democratic Sen. John Edwards.

Broughton, Harkins and Mashburn work for Raleigh firm Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice.

In 2007, the foundation reported spending $9,340 for Broughton and Austin to lobby the state government, and $40,000 for Broughton, Harkins and Mashburn to lobby the federal government.

That year, it spent about $212,000 on outside consultants.

Who is consulting for the N.C. Military Foundation?

The nonprofit started by Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue in 2006 to promote defense spending in North Carolina runs on a tight budget, relying on outside consultants.

Here's a quick sketch of their major consultants:

Retired Major Gen. Mike Davidson: Former assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Gen. Hugh Shelton.

Hon. Mike Walker: Former acting Secretary of the Army in 1998 and Undersecretary of Defense.

Meg Ryan O'Donnell: President of Winning Strategies, a Raleigh communications firm.

Jimmy Broughton: Former chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms and federal lobbyist with Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice.

Mark Harkins: Former chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Brad Miller and lobbyist with Womble Carlyle.

As lobbyists on military issues, Broughton and Harkins also work for Blackwater Worldwide, a controversial security contractor based in Moyock.

Executive Director Will Austin says he met with Blackwater in the past, but the foundation does not typically promote specific military contractors, instead focusing on the state's overall military friendliness.

"We don't have a relationship with them," he said.

* Mark Harkins, former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Brad Miller, has joined Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice as a senior government relations adviser. (Roll Call)

* State Rep. Alma Adams says she'll answer some lingering questions about the N.C. Legislative Black Caucus Foundation's books "sometime in October." (Capital Beat)

* U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler wants to keep the friendly skies PG-13 with a bill that would prevent showing violent movies like "The Last King of Scotland" in certain parts of the plane. (AC-T)

* Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, John Edwards' one-time senatorial jogging partner, has endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential bid. (Indianapolis Star)

U.S. Rep. Brad Miller’s chief of staff, Mark Harkins, has hit the revolving door after working 15 years on Capitol Hill.

Harkins will join the Washington, D.C., office of N.C.-based law firm Womble Carlyle, working in federal and state government affairs, reports Barb Barrett.

He previously worked for Reps. David Price, Tim Valentine and other members of Congress.

Ryan Hedgepeth, Miller’s legislative director, will replace Harkins as chief of staff.

Heather Parsons, who has worked on science and technology issues, will become Miller's new legislative director.