GOING CHILLY: Former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin didn't appreciate having to share a campaign bus with U.S. Sen. Richard Burr when she was stumping the state. Palin is scheduled to appear at Ft. Bragg next week to promote her book, which could make for an awkward moment if Burr shows to get a book signed.

POLITICAL PRENUP: Presidential candidate John Edwards offered to quit his campaign and endorse President Barack Obama in exchange for a guaranteed spot on the ticket. Hillary Clinton got the same offer. This reminds us of a time when Edwards' political value meant more than a cheap joke, such as this one.

LIGHTWEIGHT GOVERNOR: At a women's health conference, Gov. Bev Perdue shared stories about her days as a lawmaker when she would scarf a whole bag of Doritos. On a stage in front of a crowd, Perdue challenged her transportation secretary, Gene Conti, to slim down. Woe to any Perdue cabinet members who still smoke.

IN OTHER NEWS: Former Gov. Mike Easley's campaign manager appeared before a federal grand jury this week. Members of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are heavy political contributors. An African American artist unveiled a portrait of U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms.

A longtime aide and the former campaign manager for former Gov. Mike Easley did on Wednesday what he didn't do last month: Answer questions from authorities probing his old boss.

Jay Reiff, Easley's campaign manager in 2000 and 2004 who also was on Easley's administrative staff at different points, was at the federal courthouse where a grand jury met as part of an ongoing and secret probe of Easley, the Democratic governor who left office in January, J. Andrew Curliss reports.

Reiff, who also managed former Treasurer Richard Moore's gubernatorial campaign, emerged after a couple hours inside, but did not speak to reporters. His lawyer, Michael Weisel, said that Reiff "in response to a subpoena, appeared before the grand jury and fully and completely answered all their questions for several hours." He said it was "regarding the Easley investigation."

Weisel went on to say that it would be inaccurate to say Reiff had not cooperated with last month's state elections board probe, though Reiff did not appear and elections chairman Larry Leake expressed frustration that the board's subpoena power did not extend to Virginia, where Reiff was working on a campaign.

Weisel said Reiff "fully and completely cooperated" with the elections probe and "made himself available to be called but, in fact, was not called."

Leake could not be immediately reached for a response.

Voters would rather Republicans run the show at the legislature, according to a poll released this week by the conservative Civitas Institute.

Of those surveyed, 40.7 percent said they would vote for a Republican legislator if the election were held today, compared to 37.8 percent for a Democrat. And 21.5 percent were undecided.

The poll's margin of error is 4 percent.

Civitas said it was only the second time in four-and-a-half years of polling that Republicans received more support in the poll. The previous such result was in March 2006, just after the State Board of Elections finished hearings on then-House Speaker Jim Black's campaign. The more recent poll of 600 likely general election voters was held Oct. 20 and 21, the week before the elections board held hearings on former Gov. Mike Easley's campaign.

THOSE PESKY SUBPOENAS: Federal investigators are looking into more possible payoffs of state officials and land developments tied to former Gov. Mike Easley. (N&O)

BANKS VS. BUREAUCRATS?: Charlotte's lawmakers fare better in a ranking of business-friendly legislators. (N&O)

T FOR TROUBLESOME: A Tennessee Valley Authority report contradicts U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler's version of events. (Asheville C-T)

Supporters of publicly financed elections are using revelations from the State Board of Elections hearings into former Gov. Mike Easley to push their cause.

In publicly financed elections, taxpayer dollars provide candidates with money for advertising and campaigning. To qualify, candidates must demonstrate they have a minimum base of support and must agree to spending limits and restrictions on fundraising.

Municipal elections in Chapel Hill, appellate judge races and some Council of State races use the system. 

That's exactly the type of election the state needs in the wake of revelations that Easley's gubernatorial campaign planned to funnel money through the N.C. Democratic Party to circumvent the state's campaign finance limits, said Chase Foster, director of N.C. Voters for Clean Elections.

"More and more, North Carolina leaders see Voter-Owned Elections as the obvious answer to the rising cost of elections,” Foster said in a news release.

Foster released a scorecard tracking votes on publicly financed elections bills. Foster said the scorecard shows that lawmakers are increasingly supportive of the election changes.

A bill that would create a pilot program for more publicly financed municipal elections cleared the House this year. The Senate approved a bill that would expand the program to more Council of State races.

Opponents to such elections say taxpayers would be forced to fund political speech, and that political contributions would instead be given to special interest groups to spend.

N.C. Republican Party Chairman Tom Fetzer says he believes the genesis for the current run of corruption in state government began in 1977, when the state changed the Constitution to allow governors to serve two consecutive terms.

That prompted the legislature to end its practice of limiting leaders leaders of both chambers to serving only one term, Rob Christensen reports. Powerful lawmakers could then hold onto power.

"I trace the end of good government back to 1976 when Jim Hunt changed the Constitution to succeed himself," Fetzer told News and Observer editors and reporters Wednesday. (Hunt was elected in 1976 but the Constitution was changed in 1977.) "I would personally advocate that we pass a constitutional amendment to get the governor back to one term."

Fetzer said he was saddened to see the campaign finance investigations surrounding former Democratic Gov. Mike Easley, noting that he often chatted with Easley while hitting balls on a public driving range off Yonkers Road on Sunday afternoons.

"On a personal level," Fetzer said, "I like Mike Easley. I think he has made some horrible mistakes. I think he and State of North Carolina are going to pay a price for those mistakes. I think that is sad."

   Comments (8)

TO THE POLLS: More than 20 local races will be decided in the Triangle tomorrow. (N&O)

BLAZING AN UGLY TRAIL: Former Gov. Mike Easley's case before the State Board of Elections may make it easier to hold candidates liable for what their campaigns do. (News & Record)

A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA: Three state agencies will get back $34 million withheld earlier this year to make sure the budget balanced. (AP)

News & Observer photographer Shawn Rocco has compiled a photo gallery of images from the final day of the State Board of Elections hearings. 

Bob Hall, whose complaint led to the State Board of Elections hearings this week, praised the board's decision.

Hall, executive director of Democracy N.C., said the board sent a strong message that it is illegal to try to funnel contributions through a political party.

It’s a sad day when evidence justifies referring a governor for criminal investigation, but it’s in the best interest of the public and of the thousands of candidates who are acting properly for the State Board to make it clear that no one is above the law.  In another unanimous vote, the Board recommended that the General Assembly amend state law to require the candidate to personally bear the cost of fines imposed as a result of election law violations if the candidate’s campaign committee is too broke to pay. Again, the Board sends a strong message that candidates must be held accountable for the conduct of their campaign.