Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee appeared in Raleigh to fire up GOP volunteers for a final get-out-the-vote push toward Election Day.

"This race is very much a 'game on' situation," he said.

Polls show Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama tied in the race for the state's 15 electoral votes, Lynn Bonner reports.

A few hundred people crammed into the basement of state Republican Party headquarters to see one of the candidates who ran for the Republican presidential nomination this year.

Huckabee drew applause for anti-abortion and gun-rights positions, or as he put it "the sanctity of life" and "the Second Amendment."

He compared Democrat Barack Obama's tax plan to welfare, saying it would take money from people who work and give it to people who don't.

"The government under this plan is acting as if it's a charitable organization," he said. "None of us is interested in hurting poor people. You do not create jobs by taxing the people who provide them."

Obama has said his tax plan would raise taxes on people who make more than $250,000 a year, while people making less than that would see no change or receive a tax cut.

Mike Huckabee will be in North Carolina Wednesday.

The former Republican presidential candidate and talk-show host in training will campaign for John McCain at the Raleigh and Charlotte campaign offices at 1 and 4 p.m., respectively.

He'll also hold an event at Hef's Bar and Grill restaurant in Charlotte at 4:30 p.m.

"North Carolina is an important state and we are counting on a strong showing there. Join me in making certain John McCain wins North Carolina," Huckabee wrote in an e-mail to supporters.

That same day, Democrat Barack Obama will be campaigning in Raleigh.

LAKE MINNETONKA, MINN — Novartis sponsored one of the swankiest events yet for the North Carolina delegation at lunch today. Delegates rode buses to Lake Minnetonka outside Minneapolis to dine at a local country club overlooking the blue waters. Some signed up for boat tours.

They were greeted with mimosas, Bloody Mary’s, wine and a buffet brunch that included eggs benedict, made-to-order waffles, pastries and fruit, Barb Barrett reports. A groaning dessert table included sweets emblazoned with cartoon elephants.

Although convention parties have been somewhat subdued this week because of Hurricane Gustav and new ethics rules governing elected officials, they still go on. They range from the delegation breakfasts and luncheons to elaborate, invitation-only affairs featuring the likes of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee playing late into the night with his band.

Today, Novartis officials talked up the company’s new $600 million vaccine plant being built in Holly Springs. There were posters of the construction and artistic renderings of the final plant, which should start production in 2010.

"We thank you for hosting this lunch," said Sen. Richard Burr in his remarks. "But more importantly, we thank you for investing in North Carolina’s future in bricks and mortar and jobs created."

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and lieutenant governor candidate Robert Pittenger talk about how Huckabee used the Heimlich maneuver on Pittenger on the show "Fox & Friends" Monday.

Speaking to N.C. GOP convention delegates Saturday, former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee had kind words for the presumptive Democratic nominee, the first African American to be his party's standard bearer.

"I think we all, Democrat and Republican, as Americans we can all celebrate that we've gotten to the place where that could happen," said Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor. "Let's not take that from him or from the country."

Republicans, he added, "would be foolish between now and November trying to demonize (Obama). "But I think Republicans would be more foolish not to distinguish between (his) change and the change we need."

Huckabee went on to praise the Republican nominee, his former rival, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Jim Morrill reports.

"He's a man of integrity, he's a man of honor, he's a man of conviction," he said.

Robert Pittenger, the former state senator from Charlotte running for lieutenant governor, was eating lunch at Saturday's GOP convention next to Rep. Howard Coble when Coble cracked a joke.

Pittenger started laughing and part of his lunch lodged in his throat, Jim Morrill reports.

Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, on other end, heard the commotion and rushed over, performing a Heimlich maneuver that cleared Pittenger's throat. Pittenger left the dais as Huckabee, the luncheon's keynote speaker, returned to his seat.

"To me this is just typical Mike Huckabee," Pittenger said later. "He's just a decent fun guy who cares about people."

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole may take political tips from Mike Huckabee, but she's sure not following his diet advice.

According to a press release from the N.C. Republican Party, Dole will hold events Saturday at the state GOP convention, beginning with an 8 a.m. meet-and-greet in her hospitality suite with the former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate.

"Sen. Dole's day begins at 8 a. m. with a coffee and doughnut breakfast in her hospitality suite located in the Biltmore Room," the release notes.

Huckabee, you'll recall, is the famously thin author of the diet-tips book "Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork." Doughnuts, meantime, are the favorite food of Homer Simpson.

In Dole's defense, no one — with the possible exception of Martha Stewart — eats a doughnut with a knife and fork.

Either way, Dole will be sharing her diet tips — and political thoughts, presumably — with conventiongoers at 10:45 a.m. in the Guilford Ballroom at the Koury Convention Center.

Former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was such a crowd pleaser when he spoke to the GOP convention in New Bern two years ago that he has been invited back for an encore performance.

Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, is scheduled to speak to the Republican Convention at their luncheon on June 7th at the Koury Center in Greensboro, Rob Christensen reports.

The last time he addressed state Republicans, Huckabee was a virtual political unknown. But since then, Huckabee ran a surprisingly strong — and underfinanced campaign for president — before eventually withdrawing in favor of Arizona Sen. John McCain earlier this year.

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. 

Barack Obama leads by double digits in the latest Elon poll.

In a survey of 764 North Carolinians taken Feb. 18-21, Obama was the choice of 45 percent of Democrats, while Hillary Clinton was the pick of 31 percent. Twenty-two percent said they didn't know or it was too early to tell.

On the Republican side, all-but presumptive nominee John McCain was the choice of 62 percent, while Mike Huckabee got 24 percent and Ron Paul 3 percent. Ten percent said they didn't know or it was too early to tell.

In the gubernatorial race, Beverly Perdue led by 40 percent, with Richard Moore at 28 percent and 32 percent undecided; while Pat McCrory led by 28 percent, Fred Smith at 12 percent, Bill Graham at 10 percent, Bob Orr at 6 percent and 44 percent undecided.

Elon University's pollsters use live operators and do not screen for likely voters. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.6 percent.