As in all things, the Minnesota Senate race came down to basketball today.

The lead attorneys for Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken arguing before the Minnesota Supreme Court today are from rival schools.

Coleman's attorney, Joe Friedberg, went to UNC-Chapel Hill for undergraduate and law school.

Franken's attorney, Marc Elias, went to Duke University for a master's degree and law school.

The session was slated to last 50 minutes, a little longer than an NCAA basketball game.

Hat Tip: A Dome reader

Correction: Another Dome reader, who knew Elias, points out we incorrectly stated he went to Duke for undergrad. 

CROSSOVER OVER: The legislature went into a lightning round this week. To meet the deadline required for a bill to pass either the House or the Senate, lawmakers voted on hundreds of bills and dozens of amendments. Tempers occasionally flared, as when Sen. David Hoyle begged a bill sponsor to end debate and "put us out of our misery."

EASLEY'S NOT OVER: Mike Easley may no longer be governor, but he's still in the news. A series of stories in the N&O revealed that he took flights on private jets that were not reported, that his family drove cars that belonged to a car dealership for months and that a Highway Patrolman mysteriously visited his home recently. More news is likely to come.

COOP'S JUST STARTING: Attorney General Roy Cooper dropped by the White House Monday. Long thought to be a potential candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010, he is thought to have been lobbied by President Obama to run. But the official reason for the visit was to watch the president shake hands with the championship UNC-Chapel Hill basketball team.

IN OTHER NEWS: Former Carolina Panthers safety Mike Minter may run against Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell next year. Following in Rep. Heath Shuler's cleats? .... Gov. Beverly Perdue has said she will sign a smoking ban on restaurants and public places. Has Tobacco Road reached a dead end? ... Senate leader Marc Basnight celebrated his 62nd birthday this week, but he's not sure which day. As it turns out, his birth certificate may have the wrong date. Do the conspiracy theorists know about this? ... Former Raleigh Mayor Tom Fetzer has snagged a number of high-profile endorsements in the race for N.C. Republican Party chair.

The Tar Heels are being praised on the floor of the U.S. House.

North Carolina's Congressional delegation unanimously cosponsored a resolution honoring the men's basketball team of UNC-Chapel Hill, which won the NCAA championship.

U.S. Rep. David Price, an alumnus and a professor at rival Duke University, saluted President Obama's "bipartisanship" in picking UNC on his bracket while employing a former Duke basketball player.

Another alum, Rep. Brad Miller, took a gibe at Price, noting that he has taught "at a nearby institution of lesser reputation."

"I wanted to make sure there was somebody here with absolutely unmixed loyalties who could speak in favor of this resolution," he said.

He praised the school's academic standards for athletes, noting the graduation rate for the basketball team is high.

Congress considered the resolution for 24 minutes.

More after the jump.

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Next stop for the Tar Heels: The White House.

The country’s B-baller-in-chief will host the UNC-Chapel Hill men's team on May 11 at the White House, Barb Barrett reports. The team was invited by President Barack Obama for a ceremony in honor of their NCAA championship this year.

Details about the White House event remain sketchy, but here's some background: Obama practiced with the UNC team during the 2008 presidential campaign.

His personal assistant and body man, Reggie Love, played on a championship Duke basketball team. And Obama picked the Heels to win it all in his NCAA March Madness choices.

The president traditionally honors champions in both collegiate and professional sports. The UNC women's soccer team and the Carolina Hurricanes have previously been honored at the White House.

Coach K had some advice for President Obama.

Promoting his new book on MSNBC this morning, Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski said he admires the president but hopes he'll do more.

"President Obama has a very unique thing for a leader, and that is that he has the ability to inspire," he said. "I would like to see him inspire even more and not get beaten down by the day-to-day ... negativity that's involved."

He added, in basketball terms, that Obama should "run a fast break, not hold the ball." 

At first, Kryzyzewski demurred when asked about Obama, recalling his initial reaction to the president's pick of rival UNC-Chapel Hill in his NCAA tournament bracket. (Coach K took some heat for saying Obama should focus on the economy.)

"I get in trouble whenever I say anything," he said.

But he also seemed to be over the squabble, especially since Carolina ended up winning the tournament.

"He picked the right one," he said. "He knows what he's doing."

Hat Tip: The Fix 

President Obama called Coach Roy Williams last night.

On board Air Force One, the president phoned the UNC-Chapel Hill men's basketball coach to congratulate him on the team's win over Michigan State in the NCAA championship.

"The President offered Coach Williams his congratulations and thanked him and his team for vindicating him in front of the entire country," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs in a statement.

Obama had picked Carolina to win in his NCAA bracket. He also played a pickup game with the team during last year's primary.

"The President told him he’d done a great job and asked the Coach to tell the players how proud he was of them and that he looked forward to seeing them at the White House soon," Gibbs added.

No word on what Gibbs, an N.C. State grad, thought of the game.

Gov. Beverly Perdue picks up Krispy Kreme doughnuts with blue icing to send to the governor of Michigan after Carolina beat Michigan State in the NCAA championship last night. (Takaaki Iwabu)

Gov. Beverly Perdue dropped in at the Krispy Kreme on Peace Street in Raleigh Tuesday to pack up the doughnuts with Carolina blue icing to send to Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

Perdue and Granholm wagered on last night's NCAA championship game that the loser would be photographed wearing the victor's team regalia and consuming native cuisine from the opposing state. At the Krispy Kreme, Perdue packed up the last five of 17 doughnuts (the point spread), a jersey (No. 42 - no current player, but Sean May from 2005 championship team) and a baseball cap.

Perdue, who attended the game, penned a quick note, saying she hoped that Granholm, recently ill with the flu, was feeling better and thanking her for the Detroit hospitality.

"Roses are red. Tarheels are blue," Perdue wrote. "Victory is sweet, and Krispy Kremes are, too."

Moments before Perdue's visit, Michigan native Andy Antekeier, now a Floridian but visiting grandchildren in Raleigh, showed up wearing a Michigan State sweatshirt. He was buying doughnuts to pay off a bet with his brother-in-law who lives in town.

Every state politician who submitted a bracket won.

Since the six state politicians — and President Obama — picked Carolina to win the NCAA championship, they all get points.

Still, they all got the No. 2 team wrong, choosing either Louisville, Memphis or Connecticut to also make it to the final game, instead of Michigan State.

Their bracket scores (out of 193):

Gov. Beverly Perdue: 135
Secretary of State Elaine Marshall: 134
Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin: 124
Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton: 121
Sen. Richard Burr: 118
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler: 64

Obama and Sen. Kay Hagan also picked Carolina to win.