The Associated Builders and Contractors is praising U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole's stance on drilling.

The Washington-based group, which advocates for developers, has sent a mailer to North Carolina voters praising Dole's support for more offshore drilling.

"It's good to know someone in Washington is working to provide relief to North Carolina families," the mailer says.

It notes that a bill Dole co-sponsored would lift a moratorium on oil shale exploration in the Western U.S. and offshore drilling along the coastline.

"Not only will the proposal help reduce gas prices for North Carolina families, but it moves us toward energy independence making us safer and improving our environment," it says.

The group has previously made automated calls praising Dole on offshore drilling and criticizing Democratic rival Kay Hagan on state spending and the budget.

ABC is concerned about a bill Hagan supports that would make it easier to unionize.

The crowd at the Sarah Palin rally is pumped.

The youthful audience of college students has been cheering about once every 30 seconds since the Republican vice presidential candidate began speaking.

She's gotten large cheers at the usual applause lines — especially a line about helping students pay for college and a mention of East Carolina University's recent football win.

After Palin said that McCain wasn't afraid to use the word "victory" about Iraq, the crowd chanted "U.S.A., U.S.A." During a talk about offshore drilling, they chanted "Drill, baby, drill."

At the mention of Barack Obama's name, they've also briefly booed and chanted "Nobama" and a few individuals even yelled out "Liar."

After Palin claimed that Obama "voted to cut off the funding for our troops," one young man yelled "Show me the money!"

Later, another man yelled out "Palin for President" during a brief quiet moment.

Freedom's Watch is continuing to tie Kay Hagan to Jimmy Carter.

The Washington-based conservative advocacy group has sent a mailer to North Carolina voters linking Hagan's support for a windfall profit tax on oil companies to the former president's proposal.

"Why is Kay Hagan using Jimmy Carter's failed policies to fix the current energy crisis?" the mailer says.

Inside, it cites an editorial in Investor's Business Daily and a guest column in the Wall Street Journal by Republican Rep. John Shadegg to argue that Hagan would "make America dependent on foreign oil."

"Kay Hagan opposed offshore drilling to make America less reliant on foreign oil," it says.

Hagan initially opposed lifting a ban on offshore drilling, but later backed a failed bipartisan compromise that would have allowed some drilling and encouraged alternative energy.

Previously: Robocall targets Hagan on drilling.

A robocall praises U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole on offshore drilling.

The Associated Builders and Contractors' Free Enterprise Alliance is making automated calls to Norh Carolina voters noting that the Salisbury Republican voted to allow offshore drilling.

"America needs energy independence," a woman says in the recorded call. "That's why Senator Dole cosponsored the Gas Price Reduction Act, opening more offshore areas to harvest domestic energy, lift the moratorium on oil shale exploration in the Western states, and reduces our dependency on foreign sources."

Both Dole and Democratic rival Kay Hagan backed a failed bipartisan compromise bill that would allow offshore drilling and promote alternative energy. The Gas Price Reduction Act was a Republican-backed alternative that would have gone further on oil exploration.

The Washington-based group has made two other calls targeting Hagan over earmarks and the state budget. A lobbyist for construction contractors, it is concerned about Hagan's support for a bill that would make it easier to unionize.

After the jump, the script.

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A new robocall targets Kay Hagan on offshore drilling.

Freedom's Watch, a Washington-based conservative advocacy group, is making automated calls to North Carolina voters about the Democratic Senate candidate's stance on energy.

"Do you think we should return to the energy policies of the 1970s, with Americans facing skyrocketing energy costs and increasing reliance on foreign oil?" a male narrator says. "Kay Hagan apparently does. Her energy plan uses Jimmy Carter's failed policy of 30 years ago!"

The robocall also says that Hagan opposed "new domestic energy production" that would make the U.S. less reliant on foreign oil.

Hagan opposed offshore drilling this summer, but she switched positions in August, backing a Senate bill that would lift the ban as part of a broader package to promote alternative energy and conservation.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole previously opposed offshore drilling in North Carolina, but switched positions in June and also backed the compromise bill.

After the jump, the script.

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Another robocall targets Kay Hagan on illegal immigration.

Freedom's Watch, a Washington-based conservative advocacy group, is making automated calls to North Carolina voters that say the Democratic Senate candidate is soft on illegal immigration.

"We all know illegal immigration is a serious problem across America, and in North Carolina, we're playing host to as many as 500,000 illegal aliens," a male voice says. "So what does Kay Hagan think about that? She opposes a program to find, track and deport criminal illegal aliens."

The caller then says Hagan has "major concerns" with the 287(g) program, which allows sheriff's deputies to begin deportation proceedings on illegal immigrants, a process normally handled entirely by the federal government.

Hagan has said that she supports enrolling all North Carolina counties in the program, but she has also argued that the federal government should pay for immigration enforcement, not the states.

She's also said it creates a "patchwork" of uneven enforcement, calling it a "Band-Aid solution."

Update: A spokesman for Freedom's Watch said they made a "substantial" number of calls.

He said they were considering a second call on energy issues, especially offshore drilling.

After the jump, the script.

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A new mailer from the Republican Governors Association is attacking Beverly Perdue's record.

The mailer, which repeats the "Status Quo" button motif from its television ads, argues that the Democratic gubernatorial candidate is responsible for "job killing tax increases," "crippling debt" and "lost jobs."

"North Carolina is going in the wrong direction," the mailer says. "And career politician Bev Perdue promises 'I will do exactly what's been done before.'"

As noted previously, that statement is taken out of context, as Perdue was talking about creating an independent panel to look into offshore drilling.

To back up its claim that North Carolina has "one of the highest tax burdens in the Southeast," the mailer cites the N.C. Family Policy Council, a group that advocates for "traditional family values."

How much oil is off North Carolina's coast?

No one knows for sure, but the Minerals Management Service recently estimated based on exploration done in the 1970s and 1980s that between one half and 3.5 billion barrels of oil lie off the coast of Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia.

Not all of that oil would be available under the most likely scenarios, since the states or the federal government could limit offshore drilling within sight of the shoreline. Between one-tenth and seven-tenths of a billion barrels of oil is within 50 miles of shore.

How long would that oil last?

According to the Energy Information Administration, U.S. consumers used about 5.5 billion barrels of crude oil and petroleum products in 2007. (See "Refinery and Blender Net Inputs" on this chart. To be exact, subtract "Exports" one column over, though it doesn't make much difference.)

In other words, the oil offshore from North Carolina and its neighboring Atlantic Coast states amounts to between 26 and 231 days' worth of U.S. oil consumption.

Of course, it would mean a huge increase in U.S. drilling.

According to the same chart (see "Field Production"), U.S. production of crude oil in 2007 was 1.8 billion barrels, so the South Atlantic oil amounts to between 79 days and almost two years' worth of current domestic oil production.

CONCORD — One thing North Carolina's two main gubernatorial candidates agree on: Economic development will be a top priority of the next governor.

Republican Pat McCrory and Democrat Beverly Perdue spoke to more than 230 people at the N.C. Economic Developers Association conference at the Concord Convention Center, Jim Morrill reports.

"As mayor and as governor, a major priority will be jobs, jobs, jobs," said McCrory, the mayor of Charlotte. "The number one goal of the governor is to sell the state."

McCrory outlined a 10-point plan for development, including new and traditional energy initiatives, a 50-year transportation plan and stopping what he called the "ridiculous internal competition" between regions.

He said one of his top priorities will be replacing the Yadkin River bridge on Interstate 85.

Perdue, the current lieutenant governor, said she would push for development in all 100 counties. She toputed her role in keeping the state's military bases open said North Carolina should be on the forefront of developing a "green" economy with wind and solar power.

And a one-time opponent oil drilling off the N.C. coast, she said, "Yes, there's a real role for off-shore drilling in the future."