* U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx says murder of Matthew Shephard was not a hate crime, but just a robbery, in floor speech today.

* Gov. Beverly Perdue's office has referred to the "swine flu" in press releases, but they've not had any internal discussion on the best name.

* National Rifle Association also opposes state Sen. Don Davis' "puppy mill" bill; earlier opposed similar House bill.

* Charlotte Observer columnist Jack Betts thinks it's "a bit of quirky irony" that former lobbyist Don Beason is being investigated.

The National Rifle Association opposes a bill on puppy mills.

The gun rights group e-mailed supporters in North Carolina today urging them to call state legislators considering a bill to regulate commercial dog breeding sponsored by two Democrats and two Republicans.

The e-mail argues the bill is "part of the same old lie" by the Humane Society of the United States, which it says wants to eventually ban all hunting in America.

"Kennel owners who own and train hunting dogs will be hauled into court under the provisions of the legislation and will be forced, at great cost, to put forward an affirmative defense pursuant to the exception," the e-mail says.

It argues that if the House bill is passed, the Humane Society will be back "with even more radical proposals like this."

The National Rifle Association can finally use the White House to raise money again, judging from a recent phone call.

The NRA is dialing up N.C. households (and, presumably, in other states, too) with apocalyptic Second Amendment warnings about President Obama but primarily to sign up new members or renew old ones. The phone bank staffer said the group is calling N.C. gun owners, though he had no way of knowing whether he was talking to one. 

The caller introduces a recorded message from longtime NRA Executive Vice President Wayne Lapierre, warning that Obama wants to tax ammunition and take a host of other steps that infringe on gun rights: "We need to get ready for that fight,"  Lapierre says.

The NRA used then-President Bill Clinton during his administration as a fundraising tool, particularly after he pushed through a now-expired ban on so-called assault weapons and the 1993 Brady Law that required a criminal background check on gun buyers and, in most states, a waiting period for gun purchases. (The Brady Law has effectively been replaced by a national criminal check system managed by the FBI.)

The group had allies in President George W. Bush and the Republicans who controlled Congress for six of the past eight years, so it wasn't very practical during that time to use the White House and Congress to stir up gun rights anxiety.

Eleven states limit Sunday hunting.

According to the National Rifle Association, a gun rights advocacy group, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey and Connecticut prohibit hunting on Sundays completely.

Four states have more limited bans.

Maryland allows it on two Sundays during deer season; South Carolina, on private land; North Carolina, on some federal installations; and West Virginia, in local counties that have approved it.

New York, Ohio and Michigan have overturned Sunday hunting bans in recent years.

A Los Angeles designer is taking one last shot at former Sen. Jesse Helms.

The North Carolina Republican is one of six people who died this year included in a set of "Gone But Not Forgotten" knitted finger puppets being sold by the New York-based shop Moss.

Four of the puppets have halos: Actor Heath Ledger, Soviet dissident Aleksander Solzhenitsyn, transcendental meditation guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. Two have horns: National Rifle Association president and actor Charlton Heston and Helms.

The Helms puppet (above left) is also shown wearing a dark business suit and glasses and holding a tiny American flag.

The hand-crocheted cotton puppets, which cost $90 for a set, are manufactured by L.A.-based finger puppet makers I Golfini Della Nonna, which is Italian for "grandmother's sweater."

Helms, a Christian conservative, might have disagreed with some of the choices of the puppet makers, but he would have been a strong supporter of putting a halo on Solzhenitsyn, whom he admired greatly and called a friend.

Update: Designer Francesca Basilico said the choices — including who got halos and horns — were made by Moss, which contracted with her to make them puppets.

She said she worked with her knitters to come up with a few details for the Helms puppet, such as the round glasses and the American flag. 

"I don't know how much it really looks like Jesse Helms," she said.  

She said she did not follow the senator's career much, but she didn't disagree with the decision either.

"I don't have a very favorable opinion of him," she said.  

A bill by U.S. Sen. Richard Burr would prevent veterans from being declared mentally unfit to own a gun.

Since the Virginia Tech shootings last year, Congress and several states have sought to tighten rules on who can legally buy a gun, but Burr's bill would prevent the federal veterans agency from declaring veterans "mentally defective" on its own.

Instead, judges, magistrates or other judicial authorities would have to do it.

Burr said that some veterans were added to the list not because they were a risk but because the Department of Veterans Affairs assigned them guardians to oversee their finances.

"This is a constitutional issue," he said. The database is for criminals, "not for folks who have trouble handling their own affairs."

The National Rifle Association and several veterans groups back Burr, but gun control-organizations argue that veterans have higher rates of suicide than non-veterans and might be more at risk. (N&O) 

Rep. Robin Hayes won a Congressional shootout — for real.

The Concord Republican was one of a group of a number of Republican and Democratic Congressmen who competed in an annual shooting contest on May 13 sponsored by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation.

According to a press release from the group, Hayes triumphed as the 2008 individual Congressional Top Gun, while Republicans overall emerged as winners.

Individual contests were also held in shooting skeet, trap and clay.

The shootout was presented by ATK and the National Rifle Association and hosted by Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's and Wal-Mart.

The National Rifle Association has endorsed U.S. Rep. Walter Jones.

The gun-rights group's Political Victory Fund endorsed the Farmville Republican for re-election to his Congressional seat and gave him an "A" rating.

"During his tenure in the House, Congressman Jones has consistently supported the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen, and demonstrated a strong commitment to the Second Amendment and our country’s rich hunting heritage," said spokesman Chris W. Cox in a statement.

The group noted that Jones' opponent, former Onslow County commissioner Joe McLaughlin, did not complete the NRA's federal candidate questionnaire.

Update: The McLaughlin campaign says it never received a questionnaire. It has contacted the NRA asking for a clarification.

The National Rifle Association endorsed Walter Dalton.

The gun rights group's Political Victory Fund endorsed the state senator in the race for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.

He was given an A rating as well. 

The group has also endorsed Republican Robert Pittenger for lieutenant governor, Democrat Beverly Perdue and Republican Fred Smith for governor and Judge John Tyson for re-election to the state Court of Appeals.

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association.

The Political Victory Fund of the gun rights group picked Perdue in the Democratic race for governor. The endorsement has been a low-key affair. Perdue, who normally trumpets her endorsements in news releases, has not made reporters aware of the NRA's support. Dome asked the NRA about it.

Andrew Arulanandam, public affairs director for the NRA said the endorsements were based on candidates record on gun issues

"We want to make sure that candidates are supportive of the rights of law-abiding gun owners while simultaneously being very tough on criminals," Arulanandam said.

Perdue's opponent, state Treasurer Richard Moore attacked Perdue over her voting record on guns.

Previously: In the Republican primary, the group endorsed Fred Smith.