Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks at Meredith College in Raleigh on Thursday.

Joe Biden compared the presidential race to a real race Thursday.

"Everyone talks about North Carolina being the capital of NASCAR," the Democratic vice presidential candidate told about 4,000 to 5,000 people at a nighttime rally at Meredith College. "Right now, our campaigns are trading paint. That means we are banging each other. What most worries me is that the McCain campaign is getting a little loose on the road out there." 

The Delaware senator barnstormed by bus across the state, seeking to counter two recent visits by Republican Sarah Palin. He drew 1,200 people in Charlotte and 4,500 in Winston-Salem.

He argued that John McCain's campaign should stop running negative robocalls and took exception to Palin's recent comment that North Carolina was part of the "pro-American part of the country."

"There are heroes all over Amercia in every state and in every town," he said. "We all love this country." (N&O)

Meredith College is not alone in its disclaimer.

As previously noted, the Raleigh women's college posted a disclaimer on its Web site noting, we thought somewhat defensively, that it was not endorsing Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden just because it was allowing him to speak on campus.

But a spokeswoman for Meredith pointed us to similar disclaimers from Elon University and Wake Forest University before visits by Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, which are also similarly defensive.

Wake Forest's disclaimer notes that as a tax-exempt institution, it is required to avoid engaging in political activity and prohibited from making endorsements, but it can provide "a forum for speakers who express a wide variety of political views."

Elon's disclaimer says the college is promoting "freedom of thought."

"To be clear about the university’s policy on political events, Elon does not invite candidates or sponsor the rallies, but does agree to host the candidates in response to their requests," the college wrote.

In addition, the Meredith spokeswoman informs Dome that the ban on signs and banners was a request from the Obama campaign.

Meredith College wants you to know that it's not endorsing anyone.

The private Raleigh women's college is hosting an "appearance" by Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden at 7 p.m. Thursday.

But Web site asks people not to take that the wrong way:

This appearance by Joe Biden is not an endorsement by Meredith College. The College does not endorse candidates or co-sponsor events of this nature. Meredith College does not invite candidates or sponsor the rallies, but does agree to host the candidates in response to their requests, provided space is available. Campaigns pay for the cost of the venue and all other costs associated with the appearance.

Colleges and universities host campaign events all the time, so it's unusual for one to go this far out of its way to say they're not endorsing anyone.

In addition, the college is prohibiting campaign signs and banners at the event.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden's campaign says the candidate plans a Thursday tour of three North Carolina cities.

The Delaware senator will visit the Charlotte area, Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem and Meredith College in Raleigh, the Associated Press reports.

Details of the stops in the Charlotte area haven't been announced.

Biden last visited the state in September, when he appeared with party presidential nominee Barack Obama in Greensboro.

Obama and Biden have consistently campaigned in the state, and their presence has forced Republican rival John McCain to dispatch resources to North Carolina. Both Obama and McCain were in North Carolina this past weekend.

As of 2:15 p.m., 13 precincts in Wake County had reported early turnout numbers at the polls.

Precinct 1-15 had the highest percentage at 27 percent. The district is 90 percent white, 57 percent female and is located in a liberal enclave near Meredith College and N.C. State and not far from Whole Foods.

Precinct 1-29 had a turnout of 26 percent. It's 97 percent white and 53 percent female. The site is located in a middle-class neighborhood near the North Hills mall.

The precinct reporting the lowest turnout, 1-23, had received 7 percent of its voters at 1:30 p.m. The site is on the corner of Hillsborough Street and Pullen Road, mainly a neighborhood of college students. The district is 56 percent male.

The average turnout percentage for all reporting precincts was 16.8 percent. The highest number of voters at any one precinct so far was 698.

The numbers don't account for absentee and one-stop votes, which will be released at 7:30 p.m.

Richard Moore will not be sending Eliot Spitzer's donations back.

At a press conference today, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate was asked if he would return the $4,000 from the former New York governor and his wife, Silda Wall Spitzer.

He responded by noting that his rival, Beverly Perdue, has not returned contributions from former Board of Transportation member Thomas Betts.

"I would love to talk about returning campaign contributions when the lieutenant governor returns all of the DOT bundling money that she's been taking," he said.

He was then asked about his thoughts on Spitzer, who once held a fundraiser for him and had praised Moore at an event in Asheville.

"I feel very sad for his family," he said. "I think most of you know that Silda has a lot of connections to North Carolina as a native and a graduate of Meredith. I really feel for she and their three daughters. It's a sad time."

New York's (likely) next governor is a fan of Beverly Perdue's.

With Gov. Eliot Spitzer weighing a resignation in the wake of a prostitution scandal, Lt. Gov. David A. Patterson is set to become the chief executive of the Empire State.

According to campaign finance records, Patterson gave $2,500 to Perdue, a fellow lieutenant governor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate here.

She also received a donation from Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor.

Other local connections: Spitzer's wife, Silda, graduated from Meredith College in Raleigh; and Spitzer gave the keynote speech at the N.C. Bar Association meeting Asheville in June.

Spitzer once hosted a New York fundraiser for Perdue's rival, Richard Moore, according to the Charlotte Observer. According to campaign finance records, Spitzer and his wife each gave Moore $4,000 last May.

In Asheville, he praised Moore for using his position as state treasurer to fight investment firms.

"In a world where there was no enforcement," Spitzer said, according to the Asheville Citizen-Times, "we had to step in to ensure the integrity of the marketplace."

Moore was frequently compared to Spitzer for his Wall Street crusades, but both Moore and political reporters will avoid the comparison now.

Fred Smith knows about roads first-hand.

The Republican gubernatorial candidate took over as chief executive officer of Raleigh-based paving company C.C. Mangum Co. in 2004.

He recently told Dome the company gets about 30 percent of its business from public contracts.

Since 2004, the state Department of Transportation has paid C.C. Mangum about $42.4 million for 16 completed and ongoing projects in Wake, Granville, Durham, Orange, Chatham and Johnston counties.

The most expensive project is still being finished. C.C. Mangum bid $35 million for work on N.C. 54 in Durham and Wake counties and has received about $15 million for work so far.

More after the jump.

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Robin Anderson will run for Labor Commissioner.

The Raleigh attorney, who is currently chairwoman of the State Personnel Commission, announced that she would seek the Democratic nomination to face incumbent Cherie Berry.

"If elected, I pledge to work every day to help businesses and employees thrive in a safe, healthy and productive work environment," she said in a statement.

Anderson was appointed to the commission in 1999 and became chair last year. She has previously taught business law at Meredith College's MBA program and served in leadership positions at the N.C. Bar Association.

A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill's law school, she served as a clerk for state Supreme Court Justice Louis B. Meyer.