Campaign season is kicking into high gear.

Among the most read posts on the Dome blog this week were items about the race for governor and president, though the top spot was an oldie.

1. DVD Return: An item from last week about N&O subscribers receiving a DVD about "radical Islam" continued to get hits thanks to comments both pro and con.

2. Quo Status: A fact-check finds an ad accusing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beverly Perdue of pushing the "status quo" button inaccurate. It really pushes her buttons.

3. Michelle, My Belle: The wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama visits Greensboro and Charlotte. We're officially a battleground state now, folks.

4. It's Pat: Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory has an eight-point lead in a new poll, but some find its numbers suspicious. They overrepresented Scots-Irish, we hear.

5. Report Card: A national reform group gives North Carolina a B-minus for its campaign finance disclosure laws. With all this running, the candidates did well in gym, though.

The news was partly the news this week.

Two posts about the Dome blog and the News & Observer itself made the most-read list this week.

1. Swift Vote: A Texas home builder who bankrolled "Swift Boating" in 2004 is paying for ads attacking Beverly Perdue. Coming soon: Ads attacking her Vietnam service?

2. Complaint Department: Dome readers air their grievances about bias on the blog. Some say we're too conservative, others want to swear more.

3. Face Off: Gubernatorial candidates Perdue and Pat McCrory face off for the third of three debates. Mike Munger buys some chiles for his punk sauce.

4. Clarion Call: New York-based Clarion Fund to distribute DVD about "radical Islamic threat" to N&O subscribers. Don't worry — there's no late fee.

5. O Brother, Obama: Bluegrass singer Ralph Stanley endorses Democrat Barack Obama. Surprisingly no footage from his turn as a Klansman will be used in campaign ads.

Gov. Mike Easley's shoulder was in the news this week.

Three posts about the governor's surgery made the most-read list this week thanks to links from the front page of the N&O and Wonkette.

1. Bump Lump: Easley said he realized he needed surgery after a famous fist bump. He'd rather be in the emergency room with Barack Obama than the front of the bus with John McCain...

2. Doctor's Orders: Easley's doctor says he'll have to avoid "strenuous activity" until next year. Luckily for him, the legislature's already out of session.

3. Juvenile Justice: The state auditor found that some recipients of juvenile justice money had conflicts of interest. And no, they weren't promoting delinquency.

4. No Show: After speaking at the last three, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole will skip this year's GOP convention. She's busy washing that man right out of her hair.

5. Like a Surgeon: Easley's doctor said he was out of surgery and not feeling any pain. Apparently, he hasn't gotten the bill for the co-payment yet.

Everyone had an opinion this week.

A judge opined on a lawsuit, a senator gave his thoughts on a campaign and a candidate made a snarky remark on his rival's methods.

All were among the most-read posts this week:

1. No Moore Lawsuit. A Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit alleging state Treasurer Richard Moore withheld public records. About three months too late for Moore's taste.

2. Chuck's Fired Up. New York Sen. Charles Schumer says Democratic Senate nominee Kay Hagan is "on fire." And a group he leads has $6 million of gasoline.

3. No Bail Out. State lawmakers declined to bail out the health plan after the House and Senate couldn't agree. Hey, at least they agreed on the budget.

4. Silly Seasoning. Republican gubernatorial nominee Pat McCrory complains that a Beverly Perdue staffer is recording him. At least he got $50 out of it.

5. No Futures. The U.S. House decides to look into suggestions by Rep. Bob Etheridge to curb excessive speculation on oil futures. Does that include TV pundits?

Advertising was much in the news this week.

The most-read posts on Under the Dome from last Sunday to noon today included some serious spending on television advertising, and problems with ads already airing.

1. Six-Million-Dollar Woman? A national Democratic group reserves as much as $6 million in air time to target U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole in the fall. Time to buy a Tivo?

2. McCrory's Strip Stake. A Charlotte strip club owner gave Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory a donation, which the campaign won't return. No word on whether it was in fistfuls of $20s.

3. Some Plane Talk. Dole's campaign mistakenly included footage of a French plane in a TV ad about saving U.S. military bases. At least they got the red, white and blue part right.

4. Postponing Payday. Gov. Mike Easley's delay in signing the state budget meant some state workers would not see their raises right away. Mary Easley's doing OK, though.

5. Bully for You. A Christian conservative group helps defeat an anti-bullying bill because it includes references to sexual orientation. Talk about the bully pulpit...

It was a week for follow-ups.

The most-read posts on Under the Dome from last Sunday to noon Friday included several updates on news items from the recent past.

1. The Eason Ultimatum? The N.C. Department of Agriculture says it never threatened the job of a staffer who refused to lower the flag, though an e-mail said he might be fired. Is that a penultimatum?

2. Billions and Billions. The N.C. Senate signs off on a $21.4 billion budget that includes more than $850 million in capital construction projects. We'd settle for a rounding error.

3. Roman Holiday. N.C. Commerce secretary Jim Fain billed the state only $1,218 for his part of a state trip to Italy in April. Heck, some people spend almost that much to see the Russian ballet.

4. You Never Call Anymore. Nearly five million North Carolina phone numbers have been placed on the federal "Do Not Call" registry since it started. Now, can we do something about our e-mail spam?

5. About Schmidt. Gov. Mike Easley's office is looking into the rehiring of a Department of Transportation employee who was fired after a racial confrontation. We have nothing funny to say about that.

The state's first couple were much in the news this week.

The most-read posts on Under the Dome from last Sunday to noon Friday touched on the activities Gov. Mike Easley and his wife. Also, a certain fictional sheriff and the presidential candidates he may or may not have supported.

1. Hail Mary: N.C. State University gives First Lady Mary Easley a promotion and a $79,000 raise. Or, about one and a half trips to Estonia.

2. McCarolina?: Republican presidential nominee John McCain leads Democrat Barack Obama, 45 to 41 in a poll. Time for another pickup game at UNC?

3. Straight Shooter: The same poll shows voters think the sheriff of Mayberry would vote for McCain and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beverly Perdue. But how would Matlock vote?

4. Bestest Governor: The National Education Association names Easley "America's Greatest Education Governor." Now, about those teacher pay raises...

5. Berger's Beef: Senate minority leader Phil Berger says the Easleys' trips overseas "raise questions" about their judgment. Next time, bring back a T-shirt for him.

State spending was in the news this week.

The most-read posts on Under the Dome from last Sunday to noon today included gatherings with the contradictory goals of cutting spending and boosting state worker pay. Also, both state budget writers and an imprisoned legislator have less to spend.

1. Take Back Our State: More than 1,000 activists rally in front of the legislature to hear Bob Dole tell jokes and Pat McCrory keep the beat. But no rim shots.

2. Give Back Our Raises: More than 200 state workers rally at — wait for it — the legislature to ask for a 3 percent raise in the state budget. Talk about the beat of a different drummer.

3. Hands Off Our Pension: Meanwhile, a group representing state workers spends some of their money on a full-page ad in the N&O. Dome stays employed for another week.

4. Cut Back Our Spending: The taxman tells lawmakers they'll have $70 million less to spend. Good news for those at No. 1 above, bad news for those at No. 2?

5. Cut Back My Spending: Disgraced former House speaker Jim Black pays a $1 million fine for taking cash in bathrooms. He'll have to cut back at the prison commissary.