* Washington columnist Stuart Rothenberg thinks U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell "could see a steep drop-off" in 2010 from certain "demographic groups."

* U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx wins "Defender of Liberty" award for 100 percent voting-record rating in 2008 from American Conservative Union.

* Hundreds of protesters gather at the legislative building to argue against higher taxes; speakers include Mary Katharine Ham and Joe the Plumber.

* Former Republican auditor Les Merritt and former Raleigh City Councilman John Odom endorse Chad Adams for N.C. Republican Party chairman.

A conservative blogger has called Richard Moore's radio ad "race-baiting."

Tar Heel native Mary Katharine Ham, who blogs on the national site Town Hall, writes that the Democratic gubernatorial candidate's barber-shop ad shows the North Carolina Republican Party "what a real race-baiting ad looks like."

"Moore's new radio ad takes place in a barber shop, and comes complete with exaggerated dialects," she writes, noting that Moore condemned the N.C. GOP's ad linking presidential candidate Barack Obama to Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

"I wonder if Obama will call on Moore to stop running it. Ha. Enjoy playing the, 'Imagine if a Republican ran this ad' game."

The state Republican Party e-mailed a link to the column to reporters this afternoon.