Sen. Richard Burr is the target of a new Internet ad campaign that seeks to tie his political contributions from the defense industry and the Chamber of Commerce to his vote on a bill involving how overseas American contractors handle allegations of rape.

"Did Sen. Burr Put Campaign Cash Above Victims of Gang Rape?" says the online ad that is scheduled to begin running today by Change Congress, a Washington-based group that pushes campaign finance reform.

The group is currently running ads on other issues targeting Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, and Rep. Mike Ross of Arkansas, all Democrats.

"We've had a series of campaigns that have tried to point out cases where members have voted consistent with contributors but inconsistent with their constitutuents," Larry Sessig, the co-founder of Change Congress said in an interview.

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With the Senate debate on health care reaching a critical juncture, supporters of President Barack Obama's health care proposal plan a phone bank Sunday, Oct. 11 in Raleigh.

The phone bank is being held at the Raleigh headquarters of Organizing for America, the arm of the Democratic National Committee, that is designed to generate support for the president's agenda, Rob Christensen reports.

Those making the calls will receive a pep talk by phone from Jeremy Bird, the national deputy director for Organizing for America.

Earlier this week, Organizing for America held a rally in Harnett County, the home of Congressman Bob Etheridge, a Democratic moderate who is being lobbied by both sides of the health care debate.

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U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan helped introduce a bill today that would prohibit texting while driving – though she admitted to reporters that she’s done it before.

“I bet everyone here has texted, and we all realize it’s dangerous,” Hagan said during a news conference on the bill, reports Barb Barrett.

The bill would require states to enact bans on texting while driving or risk losing federal funds.

It comes after research released by Virginia Tech University this week saying that drivers who text are 23 times more likely to get into a wreck. Other sponsors include Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Robert Menendez of New Jersey.

A handful of North Carolina tobacco farmers put on their Sunday best this morning and traveled up to Washington with the N.C. Agribusiness Council to try to change minds in the Senate about FDA oversight.

Pender Sharp, who grows 500 acres near Wilson, N.C., said the group wants to remind senators of the families and communities behind the tobacco industry.

The Senate is debating legislation that would put oversight of tobacco products within the Food and Drug Administration. It is opposed by both Sens. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan — but few others in the Senate.

So far, Sharp said this afternoon, the farmers aren't having much luck changing minds.

"Oh no, we'e not having that kind of impact," he said. "We just want to plant seeds in their minds as they engage in this debate. (We want to) put a face to the bill they’re voting on, and talk about the impacts in the community."

Sharp said the group has met with aides to senators from other Southern states that grow some tobacco, including Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Jim Webb of Virginia.

Previously: Sharp records robocall for Obama. 

U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan has joined a group of moderate Democrats.

The Greensboro Democrat announced Wednesday that she will joing the Moderate Dems Working Group, a group of 15 moderate Democrats that will meet regularly to talk about major issues.

"Working with the Moderate Dems, I look forward to finding common-sense solutions to the greatest challenges we face and breaking the political gridlock that, for too long, has characterized politics-as-usual in Washington," she said in a statement.

The group met for the second time Tuesday to discuss the upcoming budget negotiations. It's leader is Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, who was on the shortlist for President Obama's vice presidential slot.

Other members of the group include Sens. Claire McCaskill, Joe Lieberman, Jeanne Shaheen, Mark Warner and Mary Landrieu, among others.

Lots can be learned from the Center for Responsive Politics' new report on Congress' newest members.

The Washington-based non-profit website offers online campaign databases about every member of Congress, breaking down donations and expenditures and ferreting out details about industry and lobbyist support, Barb Barrett reports.

The group released data today on North Carolina's newest senator, Kay Hagan, who was sworn in Tuesday.

Among the tidbits:

* The website ActBlue was Hagan's top donor. Donations linked to the Democratic website amounted to $1.2 million among Hagan's itemized donations.

* Nearly 40 percent of Hagan's financial support came from out of state. Two states rang up more than $500,000 for her: North Carolina and California. Within North Carolina, her top geographical support came from the Triad — not surprising since Hagan is from Greensboro.

* Hagan received $10,000 each from political action committees representing such groups as steelworkers, airline pilots, teachers, firefighters and Democratic Sens. Mary Landrieu, Tom Carper, Patrick Leahy and Richard Durbin.

Details on Hagan (and all the other new House and Senate members) are available here.

Richard Burr, friend to primates and a Republican senator from Winston-Salem, helped introduce a bill today to keep chimpanzees out of the hands of scientists at the National Institutes of Health.

The bill focuses on a new primate retirement home in Keithville, La., called Chimp Haven. The sanctuary holds more than 100 chimpanzees that have previously been used in research, some of which have been exposed to HIV and hepatitis, reports Barb Barrett.

Chimps can be used for noninvasive research at the facility, but they also can, for now, be removed for further research by the NIH. The bill Burr supports would prohibit such removal.

The bill also is sponsored by Louisiana senators David Vitter, a Republican, and Mary Landrieu, a Democrat.