A liberal talk show host took aim at Sen. Richard Burr last night.

The Winston-Salem Republican was once again harshly criticized by MSNBC liberal talk host Rachel Maddow — a sign of his increased visibility as he runs for re-election.

Maddow, who previously criticized the senator for holding up President Obama's veterans appointee, called him "bank-run Burr" for having told his wife to take money out of an ATM during the banking crisis last fall.

Her guest, N.C. Democratic Party chairman David Young, said Burr "helped frame our case" for the 2010 Senate race, which has no announced Democratic candidate yet.

"I was shocked ... at the selfishness of somebody who would use insider information ... that he got in Washington ... to enrich himself," he told the host.

If Burr wasn't on notice before yesterday, he is now.

The 2010 Senate race is heating up.

Drawing on recent remarks made by Sen. Richard Burr, the left-leaning Web site Huffington Post has posted a banner headline on its home page: "The senator who wants a run on banks."

It also features a less-than-complimentary photo of Burr, though it does not mention his name, party affiliation or state.

Update: N.C. Democratic Party chairman David Young will appear on "The Rachel Maddow Show," a liberal talk show on MSNBC, to talk about the flap.

Producers had also tried to book former Gov. Mike Easley.

A liberal group is running TV ads urging Sen. Kay Hagan to support President Obama's budget.

Americans United for Change, a liberal advocacy group that receives backing from labor unions, will spend at least $700,000 on ads in nine states, including North Carolina.

The states "just happen to be represented by some of the more conservative Democratic senators," MSNBC's First Read reports. 

The ad is one of at least three TV and radio ads in North Carolina. The other two target U.S. Reps. Bob Etheridge and Mike McIntyre, two conservative Democrats.

Hagan recently joined a group of moderate Democrats and has written a letter to the Senate Budget Committee protesting Obama's proposed cuts in farm funding.

After the jump, the script. 

Hat Tip: Mark Binker

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Two liberal bloggers came the closest to predicting North Carolina's presidential race.

Nate Silver, a statistics nut who runs the Web site FiveThirtyEight.com, and Kirk Ross, who writes the Exile on Jones Street blog about the legislature, both predicted Barack Obama would win the state. Silver said by 0.6 percentage points; Ross by 0.5 to 1.5 points.

The actual margin, according to uncertified results from the State Board of Elections, was 0.3 points.

The two were among 16 bloggers, pundits, professors and consultants who predicted an Obama win in the Tar Heel state, according to an informal tally by Dome the week before the election.

Because of the narrow margin, the 13 who predicted a McCain win (including the Eight Ball) shouldn't be too ashamed, except maybe the four conservatives who predicted a win by three or more points — Sen. Richard Burr, Red State editor Erick Erickson, blogger Ed Morrissey and editor Fred Barnes.

And no points go to the five mainstream sources who refused to make a prediction (Rothenberg Political Report, Congressional Quarterly, Cook Political Report, New York Times and MSNBC.)

Analysts think the Senate race is Kay Hagan's to lose.

A quick survey of the major political observers in the days leading up to the election show that they either rank the race as a toss-up or say it favors Hagan slightly:

N.C. consultant John Davis: Hagan win

UNC-Chapel Hill prof Leroy Towns: Hagan win

Democratic consultant Gary Pearce: Hagan win

Winston-Salem Journal managing editor Ken Otterbourg: Hagan win 

Liberal N.C. blogger Kirk Ross: Hagan win

Conservative N.C. blogger Dan Gearino: Hagan win 

Magic Eight Ball: Hagan win 

Five Thirty Eight: Likely Democrat

Washington Post: Sixth Most Likely to Switch Parties

Rothenberg Political Report: Leans Hagan

University of Virginia prof Larry Sabato: Leans Democrat 

Congressional Quarterly: Leans Democrat

Cook Political Report: Toss-up

New York Times: Toss-up

MSNBC's Chuck Todd: Nailbiter

N.C. State politics prof Andy Taylor: Dole win

Analysts say North Carolina is a presidential toss-up.

A quick survey of the major political observers in the days leading up to the election shows an even split, with several refusing to predict:

Liberal blogger Markos Moulitsas: Obama by seven points

Republican strategist Ed Rollins: Obama by three points

Newsweek editor Eleanor Clift: Obama by three points

Talk show host Bill Maher: Obama by three points

Arianna Huffington: Obama by two points

Roll Call editor Mort Kondracke: Obama by one point

Five Thirty Eight's Nate Silver: Obama by 0.6 of a point

Liberal N.C. blogger Kirk Ross: Obama by 0.5 to 1.5 points

University of Virginia prof Larry Sabato: Obama win

Republican firm CAJ Consultants: Obama win

N.C. consultant Gary Pearce: Obama win

UNC-Chapel Hill prof Leroy Towns: Obama win

N.C. consultant John Davis: Obama win

Conservative N.C. blogger Dan Gearino: Obama win

Facing South's Chris Kromm: Leans Obama

Conservative columnist George F. Will: Obama win "not startling"

Rothenberg Political Report: Toss-up

Congressional Quarterly: No Clear Favorite

Cook Political Report: Toss-up

New York Times: Toss-up

MSNBC's Chuck Todd: Nailbiter

Magic Eight Ball: McCain win

Winston-Salem Journal editor Ken Otterbourg: McCain win

Republican consultant Karl Rove: McCain win

N.C. consultant Carter Wrenn: McCain win

N.C. State politics prof Andy Taylor: McCain win

Washington Post blogger Chris Cillizza: McCain by two points

Politico editor Charles Mahtesian: McCain by two points

"Hardball" host Chris Matthews: McCain by two points

NPR analyst Juan Williams: McCain by two points

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr: McCain by three to six points 

Red State editor Erick Erickson: McCain by three points

Conservative blogger Ed Morrissey: McCain by three points

Conservative editor Fred Barnes: McCain by five points

Analysts don't know who will win the governor's race.

A quick survey of local and national political observers in the days leading up to the election shows that there's little agreement beyond the fact that it's a close race:

N.C. State politics prof Andy Taylor: Perdue win 

Democratic consultant Gary Pearce: Perdue win 

Congressional Quarterly: Leans Democrat

Cook Political Report: "Toss-up"

Rothenberg Political Report: "Toss-up"

MSNBC's Chuck Todd: "Nailbiter"

Washington Post: "Third Most Likely to Switch Parties"

N.C. consultant John Davis: McCrory win

UNC-Chapel Hill prof Leroy Towns: McCrory win

Chuck Todd says North Carolina is worth watching Tuesday.

In a state-by-state analysis on MSNBC, the channel's political director has this to say:

North Carolina: Is there a more relevant battleground state than the Tarheel state? Not only is the presidential close, but the senate and governor's races are also nailbiters. The Dem ballot is really fascinating as none of the top three slots are being filled by white males. And, believe it or not, the Republicans feel best about their chances in the governor's race (a campaign they usually lose) than the senate or presidential. A Democratic victory in the senate race would really be historic as it would be the first time since the days of Sam Ervin that the party will have won a senate seat in a presidential year. Democrats also have a shot at a House pickup in the 8th District. But keep an eye on Republican Pat McCrory. If the Charlotte mayor wins in this environment, he'll instantly become a player in national Republican politics. 

A new ad from the campaign of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole criticizes Democratic Senate candidate Kay Hagan for attending a fundraiser hosted by members of an atheist group.

What the ad says: The ad shows images of Dole and Hagan. Dole: "I'm Elizabeth Dole and I approve this message." Announcer: "A leader of the Godless Americans PAC recently held a secret fundraiser in Kay Hagan's honor." A clip of Godless Americans PAC executive director Ellen Johnson on MSNBC: "There is no God to rely on." Another Johnson clip: "There was no Jesus." A clip of Bill O'Reilly on Fox News: "But taking ‘under God’ out of the Pledge of Allegiance — you're down with that." Godless Americans PAC member David Silverman: "We're down with that." O'Reilly: "'In God We Trust' — are you going to whip that off the money?" Silverman: "Yeah, we would." Announcer: "Godless Americans and Kay Hagan. She hid from cameras. Took godless money. What did Hagan promise in return?" The ad then shows an image of Hagan as an unidentified voice says "There is no God!"

The background: On Sept. 15, Hagan attended a fundraiser in Boston hosted by author Wendy Kaminer and her husband, Woody Kaplan.

Both are leaders of the Secular Coalition of America, which advocates for atheists and humanists in public policy. Kaplan also sits on the advisory board of the Godless Americans political action committee, which advocates for non-believers.

It is not clear that Kaminer is a leader of the PAC.

Kaplan was listed as one of ten chairs of the Hagan fundraiser, along with Sen. John Kerry, former Austrian ambassador Swanee Hunt and several other Boston-area businesspeople. Another 25 people were listed as hosts.

The fundraiser was advertised on the Democratic Web site ActBlue in August. After Dole criticized Hagan over the fundraiser in late August, Kaminer and Kaplan’s names were removed from the invitation on ActBlue.

The Godless Americans PAC Web site says that it supports candidates who are atheists and supports the separation of religion and government, including a "Godless pledge."

The news clips are of other members of the Godless Americans PAC on MSNBC's "Scarborough Country" in 2004 and 2005 and Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" in 2004. The unidentified woman’s voice at the end is Johnson's from a Washington rally in 2002.

Is the ad accurate? It is true that Hagan attended the fundraiser in question, but the ad is misleading in several ways. The fundraiser was not a secret. The people shown in the news clips were not involved with the fundraiser. And some viewers might be led to believe that the unidentified female voice  at the end of the ad is Hagan's.

— Barbara Barrett and Ryan Teague Beckwith

Democrats have a massive edge in early voting here.

According to a post on MSNBC's First Read blog by erstwhile North Carolina parachutist-journalist Carrie Dann, over 340,000 North Carolinians had cast ballots as of this morning through absentee or one-stop voting.

Of 270,000 in-person voters since "One Stop" opened last Thursday, over 60% were registered Democrats, compared to only 20% Republicans. (The remainder: mostly unaffiliated voters, who make up about 20% of the state's electorate.)

Of the 66,000 civilians who have mailed in absentee ballots, Republicans have outnumbered Democrats by a margin of about 2-1.

Still, registered Democrats make up 55% of those who have already cast votes for the North Carolina general election, while registered Republicans account for less than one in three ballots already cast.