Gov. Beverly Perdue has signed a pact with her counterparts in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

The South Atlantic Alliance will help each state protect its coastal resources and help communities react to disasters such as hurricanes. The states would pool resources to help with economic development, environmental protection and disaster preparedness.

The alliance was Perdue, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.

"All four governors realize that we are facing considerable challenges to sustain our coastal resources for future generations," Beverly Perdue said in a news release. "This alliance will enable us to work together to protect our ocean environment and the health and economic well-being of the people dependent on those resources. 

U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre has acknowledged his association with a secretive Christian group in Washington that seeks to influence national and international political figures.

The group, alternately known as The Family, The Foundation or The Fellowship maintains a three-story house called The C Street House that hosts prayer meetings and receptions and is where several Washington lawmakers live, The Wilmington Star-News reports.

The house is registered with the IRS as a church.

McIntyre, a Lumberton Democrat, was responding to press queries following a Salon.com article that named 23 senators, representatives and previous political leaders who have been associated with the C Street House or counseled by the organization.

Though the group says it exists to help lawmakers better understand the teachings of Christ, recently the group has been associated with the sex scandals of three elected officials - Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and former Rep. Chip Pickering, R-Miss.

McIntyre's Washington office sent an email statement about his association with the C Street House: "For several years, I have attended a one-hour weekly Bible study lunch at the C Street House with other Members of Congress who do not live there. This time has always been an opportunity to share our faith and discuss Scripture over a meal. I have never sought counsel from any group associated with or that happens to meet at the house, nor have I been lobbied by any such group."

Carter Wrenn says South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford easily tops any politician in North Carolina for sheer moxie.

Even John Edwards.

Wrenn, a longtime Republican political consultant, writes on his Talking About Politics blog that Sanford should get this year's Academy Award for political scandals. He recounts the whole sordid tale of the South Carolina governor's trip to Argentina to see his mistress - and Sanford's claim that it has not prevented him from doing his job, and doing it well.

"There's not a politician in sight in North Carolina who can match that," Wrenn writes. "Not even John Edwards."

The tale of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford leaving the state and not saying where he was going should have sounded a tiny bit familiar to Dome readers.

Gov. Beverly Perdue and First Gentleman Bob Eaves left for a few days vacation in February and refused to tell the pesky news media where she was going.

That may be about the only similarity. Unlike Sanford, Perdue: went on the trip with her spouse, told her staff where she actually was going, told her security detail and told Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, who was officially in charge during Perdue's absence.

Perdue spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson still won't reveal the specific "somewhere warm" to which Perdue traveled but did on Thursday eliminate one possibility: "It wasn't Argentina."

Maybe North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue should consider joining South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford in Argentina.

Her polling numbers have already headed South, Rob Christensen reports.

A new poll conducted for the Civitas Institute show Perdue has an approval rating of 36 percent of those surveyed, compared with 38 percent who have an unfavorable opinion and 22 percent who have no opinion.

"For a sitting governor to have their personal approval rating turn negative this quickly, indicates serious voter discontent with the current administration," said Francis De Luca, the executive director of the conservative think tank.

The survey of 600 voters was conducted June 15-18 by Tel Opinion Research of Alexandria, Virginia. Perdue announced she was supporting $1.5 billion in new taxes to meet the state’s budget shortfall June 17.

Perdue fared even worse in a poll conducted by the Public Policy Polling, a Democratic-leaning poling firm. It showed Perdue with 30 percent approval, 53 percent disapproval, and 17 percent not certain.

The Insider/Advantage Poll conducted by the Atlanta-based Majority Opinion Research shows Perdue with a 36 percent approval and 57 percent disapproval rating, with 8 percent not sure.

Gov. Beverly Perdue said it was "no joke."

At this point, it couldn't be.

In recent weeks, Perdue has frequently used a line about how she would drive to South Carolina to get the stimulus money Republican Gov. Mark Sanford said he didn't want.

Like a Catskills comedian working a room for the 100th time, Perdue used the line again during tonight's State of the State speech.

"It was no joke when I said if South Carolina's governor didn't want his federal recovery funds, as bad a driver as I am, I would drive a pickup truck down and I would get his share of the money," she said.

She also again offered to show residents of the Palmetto State how their neighbors to the north handle "tough times."

The Charlotte Observer has its own post-mortem on Pat McCrory.

The hometown newspaper of the Republican gubernatorial candidate put forward its own five reasons for his primary win this weeekend. (See Dome's thoughts here.)

He got national backing. McCrory caught the attention of national party leaders, with figures such as South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford encouraging him to run.

Voters didn't like their options. Polls taken before McCrory got in showed that half of Republicans were undecided. The other candidates were not well-known.

He had a solid base. McCrory was well-known in the Charlotte media market, home to a third of the state's Republican electorate. He won 80 percent of Mecklenburg County.

He raised money quickly. He transferred $400,000 from his mayoral campaign, then managed to raise $1.2 million in three months thanks to connections in Charlotte and statewide.

He had executive experience. As a seven-term mayor, McCrory was used to the media spotlight. He used his background to good effect in debates and ads.

Fred Smith won a straw poll in Henderson County.

At the Henderson County Republican Party's annual Lincoln Lunch Saturday, the Republican gubernatorial candidate received 81 votes, the Burlington Times-News reports.

Former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, who is from Hendersonville, received 36. Salisbury attorney Bill Graham came in third with 14 votes and Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory picked up 10 votes.

A spokesman for Smith said that he also won recent straw polls in Rutherford and Catawba counties.

Voters in the straw poll also picked U.S. Sen. Richard Burr to be John McCain's running mate.

He got 43 votes, followed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee with 22, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice with 12, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford with 11 and former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney with 10.

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated Graham's support. 

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr got two veep points and lost one.

First, the North Carolina Republican gave a speech for likely Republican presidential nominee John McCain at the Louisiana state convention.

"John is consistent and John McCain is fair," Burr said. "John McCain is stubborn, John McCain is real. You know just where you stand with him." 

Meantime, the Kansas City Star included him on a list of potential vice presidents, noting he "has some buzz going for him in the party, but is unknown outside."

A similar article in the Washington Post, however, failed to mention Burr. 

It focused instead on Haley Barbour, Charlie Crist, Mike Huckabee, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Condoleezza Rice and Mark Sanford.