A House budget subcommittee voted to cut state funding for Mary Easley's job Thursday.

By a one-vote margin, the education appropriations committee approved an amendment to eliminate $105,000 in state funding for the Millennium Seminar series and a public safety leadership center run by the former first lady.

Two of the three Democratic co-chairmen of the committee joined with Republicans on the 7-6 vote on the measure, which will now be part of the broader budget debate.

University officials have called on Easley to resign amid questions about how she was hire din 2006 and intense criticism of her $170,000 salary.

Easley has refused to step down, saying she has done a good job. (N&O)

Former President Bill Clinton today delivered a solemn message at N.C. State University, calling for people to become personally involved in solving the problems of the world.

"I don't think it's good enough anymore to define citizenship as being a good, honest worker and taxpayer and someone who votes," Clinton said. "I think we all have to ask ourselves what can we do to advance the public interest and advance the interdependent world."

The former president described a world beset by economic and political instability and inequality and environmental unsustainability. He hammered on the theme of interdependence, which he called "the fundamental fact of the 21st century."

Clinton spoke as part of the NCSU Millennium Seminar series, organized by Mary Easley, wife of former Gov. Mike Easley.

The speech came before a crowd of about 6,000 mostly students, staffers and faculty members in Reynolds Coliseum. U.S. Reps. David Price, Bob Etheridge and Brad Miller also attended, as did state legislators and elected officials.

More on the speech here. 

Former President Bill Clinton will hold a fund raiser in Raleigh later this month for U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler.

Clinton will be in town on January 26th to speak at N.C. State University's Millennium Seminar Series at Reynolds Coliseum, Rob Christensen.

The Clinton visit is widely seen as a thank-you to Gov. Mike Easley, who endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary last year. For his part, Shuler said he would back whoever won his district and endorsed Clinton after the May 6 primary.

First Lady Mary Easley heads the seminar series.

After his morning speech, Clinton will attend a fund raiser for Shuler with ticket prices ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. The location has not yet been decided.

Six days after the United States inaugurates a new president, a former one will come to Raleigh.

N.C. State University announced this morning that former President Bill Clinton will speak on campus on Jan. 26 as part of its Millennium Seminar Series, Lorenzo Perez reports.

Clinton's address, titled "The Way Forward," is scheduled to focus on the country's future following the 2008 presidential election, according to a news release from the university.

The event, scheduled to be held on campus in Reynolds Coliseum, will be free and open to the public.

The Millennium Seminar is run by Gov. Mike Easley's wife, Mary. Previous speakers have included former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley.

Former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley was in the Triangle Monday, touting education in Chapel Hill and analyzing Russia in Raleigh.

Bradley, the former presidential candidate and basketball star, cautioned that it was in the U.S. interests to maintain a working relationship with Russia, despite its military invasion in Georgia, Rob Christensen reports.

"The truth it is in our  long-term interests to work with them to reduce nuclear weapons, to control nuclear proliferation, to combat Islamic terrorism , and to to stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power," Bradley said in a brief interview between speeches.

Bradley spoke at Stewart Theater as part of the Millennium Seminar series.

"Mary Easley hit me pretty hard," said Bradley, referring to the First Lady who oversees the series. Bradley said he waived his usual speaking fee.

Earlier in the day, he was a surrogate for the presidential campaign of Barack Obama speaking at Chapel Hill.

More after the jump.

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Bill Bradley's trip to North Carolina was set up in the spring.

The former New Jersey senator will speak at N.C. State's Millennium Seminar Series and he will also campaign on behalf of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

The seminar series is run by First Lady Mary Easley.

N.C. State spokesman Keith Nichols said that Bradley was booked in the spring and will only speak on the conflict in Georgia and Russia. He said it is "up to the speaker" if they want to do other events while in North Carolina.

Bradley is receiving about $350 for hotel and transportation and an honorarium of $5,000 paid for by funds raised for the series. His transportation costs do not include travel to and from the Obama event in Chapel Hill.

"We do not subsidize campaign events," Nichols said.

Paul Cox, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, said that Bradley has been campaigning for Obama since the spring.

He said former Democratic Party executive director Ed Turlington, who has worked for Bradley in the past, got in touch with the Obama campaign to suggest that he do a campaign event while in town.

Bill Bradley will talk up Barack Obama today.

The former New Jersey senator and pro basketball player will speak at the UNC-Chapel Hill student union at 2:30 p.m. today.

He is one of the first major surrogates to appear in North Carolina during the general election season, although Obama had a roster of notable politicians speak on his behalf during the run-up to the May primary. 

Bradley's trip was not entirely for campaign purposes, however.

He is in town to speak on Russia and the Georgian conflict at N.C. State's Stewart Theatre at 6 p.m. The speech is free and open to the public.

He will kick off the college's Millennium Seminar Series, which is run by First Lady Mary Easley.