Secretary of State Elaine Marshall says it would take serious cash, $15 million or so, to mount a serious challenge to U.S. Sen. Richard Burr next year.

Marshall, a Democrat, told Hotline on Call, a National Journal blog that she is planning a second trip to Washington to meet with party officials and donors to "test the waters"

"Let's face it, it's hard to run a campaign in North Carolina," Marshall said. "You can't do it without some outside money. So these are the things I'm assessing."

Marshall has joined a Facebook group urging her to run.

"Elaine Marshall has never shied away from a challenge," the page explains. "Join our group to urge Secretary Marshall to run for U. S. Senate." 

Previously: Potential candidates for Senate 2010.

During this two-week battle for power on the Energy and Commerce Committee, U.S. Rep. John Dingell of Michigan has been more open than U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman of California.

Dingell has been more willing to give interviews on the matter. He publicly announced a long list of supporters and slammed Waxman as a "left-wing Democrat" who doesn't understand manufacturing, Barb Barrett reports.

Waxman has stayed fairly quiet. And while he is close to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another California representative, she didn't disclose publicly whom she supported either.

It was generally expected that Dingell would receive support from moderate and conservative Democrats, along with members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Waxman was expected to win the backing of more liberal members.

Tough to say whether the differences in the candidates' style on transparency translates to caucus members' transparency on the vote itself, but let's review:

Reps. Mel Watt and Mike McIntyre both publicly supported Dingell. U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler was on his whip team. Both McIntyre and Shuler are conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats.

Rep. G.K. Butterfield serves on Energy and Commerce under Dingell and was reportedly lobbying for him as well. Watt and Butterfield serve in the Congressional Black Caucus.

Reps. Brad Miller and David Price, along with Rep.-elect Larry Kissell, all declined to say who they supported.

(Butterfield, it should be said, also declined today to reveal his vote.)

The National Journal ranked Price in March as being more liberal than 90 percent of the House; it ranked Miller as being more liberal than 78 percent of House.

Rep. Bob Etheridge, a conservative Democrat who isn't a Blue Dog, hasn't yet responded to requests for comment on his vote.

Will U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole be a no-show at her party's big bash in St. Paul?

The National Journal is reporting that Dole, of Salisbury, is on the fence about whether to attend the Republican national convention, which begins over Labor Day weekend, Barb Barrett reports.

Dole is in a tough battle for re-election against Democratic state senator Kay Hagan and might want to spend time campaigning.

But Dole also is one of the bona-fide rock stars of the GOP, the type of speaker who could rally the faithful at the daily state delegation breakfasts.

She also is a former presidential candidate herself, running briefly in 2000. And she’s the wife of popular former Sen. Bob Dole — who also is a former presidential candidate.

Elizabeth Dole had a prime-time television speaking role at the last GOP convention in New York City, where she praised President Bush and talked in support of traditional marriage, freedom of religion and the sanctity of life.

Several other Republican senators also have not committed to attending the convention.

Dole's spokeswoman has not yet been reached for comment about Dole's plans.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, North Carolina's other Republican, will be in St. Paul. He is the Senate co-chairman of the GOP platform committee.

Update: Dole will not be in St. Paul, confirms her spokeswoman, Katie Hallaway.

"She’s got a busy week scheduled in North Carolina," Hallaway said. "When there are breaks in the Senate schedule, she spends as much time as possible in North Carolina."

Hallaway said nothing should be inferred about Dole missing the convention — either about the senator's support for McCain or any opinion about the security of her re-election in November.

Dole will be visiting with businesses, organizations and other constituent groups, but Hallaway said the schedule is not yet finalized. 

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr would not be the first vice president with that name.

The third vice president of the United States, who served under President Thomas Jefferson, was Aaron Burr. Unfortunately, he is best remembered for having killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel.

The two Burrs are related. In fact, Richard is the first Burr to have served in Congress since his predecessor.

Burr has long said that the former vice president is a "distant cousin."

"Yes, we're related," he told the National Journal in 2004. "But there are no direct descendants of Aaron Burr left. My ancestor is one of his brothers."

In an interview with the Winston-Salem Journal, he said he was proud of the connection, and his father, David, once served as president of the Aaron Burr Association.

In a May interview with the Durham Herald-Sun, Burr was asked if how much interest he would have in running for vice president.

"None," he replied, laughing.

The new 2008 Almanac of American Politics — a sort of political bible for Beltway junkies — landed on Dome’s desk last week smelling of fresh ink. The book is crammed with trivia.

The 1,800-page tome, published by National Journal, has details on voting records, election opponents and inside baseball on every member of Congress, Barb Barrett reports.

A few bits from the Triangle delegation:

* On Sen. Elizabeth Dole: "During the 2005-06 cycle Dole spent relatively little time in North Carolina and ended the year with only $245,000 cash on hand." The entry goes on to list all the Democrats uninterested in taking her on: Gov. Mike Easley, Mary Easley, Erskine Bowles, Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, Treasure Richard Moore, Attorney General Roy Cooper and Rep. Brad Miller.

More after the jump.

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Democratic insiders say former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards’ prospects of winning the Democratic presidential nomination are diminishing.

An unscientific survey of 165 Democratic insiders — consultants, congressional staffers, etc — by the nonpartisan National Journal found that 71 percent thought that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton has the best chance to win the nomination.

Clinton was followed by Illinois Sen. Barack Obama (19 percent). Only 5 percent thought Edwards has the best chance. That is down from 12 percent for Edwards in an April survey.