There was a sea of fans Tuesday night, all with the same logo: a picture of a pair of hands and the slogan "Hands off My Health Care."

That was the scene at at dinner at the RBC Center, meant to generate opposition to efforts by President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats to overhaul the nation’s health care system, Rob Christensen reports.

About 350 people packed into a club room for a buffet of Mexican food, and to hear speeches and videos in which Obama’s health care proposals were portrayed as similar to nationalized health care plans in England and Canada.

Americans can expect long lines to see doctors or to get surgeries, and government bureaucrats telling them what medications they can receive, according to the portrayals.

"Politicians want to control who lives and who dies," said Dallas Woodhouse, the head of state chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a Raleigh-based conservative advocacy group.

More after the jump.

Correction: Post originally misstated when the rally was held.

   Comments (1)

Sen. Janet Cowell says she does not expect every one of her spending bills to be approved.

The Raleigh Democrat, who is running for state treasurer, is sponsoring and cosponsoring bills totaling $76 million for the current budget. 

She said that signing onto an appropriations bill is a way for a legislator to signal that she thinks it is an important issue, but in tight fiscal years such as this one she expects only a few will make it into the final budget.

"When I sign onto a bill, I'm supporting the concept and saying that under ideal circumstances this would be a good idea," she said. "The debate will happen on all of these, but at least you've got some different approaches and ideas out there." 

Cowell does not have high hopes for the one bill she is sponsoring, which would provide $2.1 million for the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences to expand an outdoor educational facility near the RBC Center in Raleigh. A similar bill did not make it into the 2006 budget either.

She said that Senate leader Marc Basnight is "intrigued" by the project because of the state's current focus on science education, but Gov. Mike Easley did not include it in his proposed budget.

"It's obviously a harder fight if the governor doesn't put it in there," she said. 

The Hillary Clinton campaign sought Friday to pressure Barack Obama to accept the proposed debate in North Carolina.

"Unfortunately, all signs point to him trying to duck the debate," said Ace Smith, Clinton's state campaign director. "He basically wants to brush off the people of North Carolina."

Smith noted that such Democratic leaders as Gov. Mike Easley and former Gov. Jim Hunt have urged Obama to acccept a debate scheduled to be held at Raleigh's RBC Center on April 27, Rob Christensen reports. He noted the state Democratic Party, which is sponsoring the event along with CBS, has already received 20,000 requests for tickets.

"It's ironic that the campaign of hope has become: I hope I don't get any more tough questions. I hope I don't have any more debates," he said.

During a campaign appearance in Raleigh on Monday, Obama expressed disappointment with the tenor of a debate held this week in Philadelphia. Instead of focusing on issues that matter to people, Obama said the debate concentrated on peripheral campaign flaps.

Obama also said there would be little time to hold a debate in the state.

Tickets are available for the Democratic presidential debate on April 27.

The debate will be held at the RBC Center in Raleigh.

A random drawing will determine who receives tickets. To apply for the drawing, visit the N.C. Democratic Party's website.

The debate will be held in partnership with the N.C. Democratic Party, CBS News and N.C. State University. Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer will moderate.

"With 134 delegates at stake, North Carolina is an important state in the Democratic presidential primary," said Jerry Meek, N.C. Democratic Party chairman in a statement. "We're getting deluged with phone calls and e-mails from North Carolinians who want to hear both candidates discuss issues critical to our state.

Barack Obama's campaign still has not agreed to the debate. 

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton would debate in Raleigh.

The North Carolina Democratic Party announced today that the two presidential candidates would face off at the RBC Center on April 27.

The 90-minute debate would be sponsored by N.C. State and CBS News. It is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., immediately following "60 Minutes."

Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer will moderate.

Update: Obama has not yet agreed to the debate.

"We have not received word from the Obama campaign, but we are confident they will agree. North Carolina has 115 delegates and 19 superdelegates," wrote Democratic Party spokeswoman Kerra Bolton in an e-mail to Dome.

Second Update: Obama's campaign confirms that the press release may be a bit premature.

"Senator Obama has debated Senator Clinton more than 20 times so far, and our campaign agreed to another debate in North Carolina that was proposed for the third week of April," wrote spokesman Dan Leistikow in an e-mail to Dome. "Unfortunately, the Clinton campaign vetoed that date.  We are still determining whether or not the later date works for Senator Obama's schedule.

The Carolina Hurricanes head coach gave to Mitt Romney.

Peter Laviolette, the Stanley Cup-winning coach of the Triangle-area hockey team, paid $500 to attend an Aug. 30 fundraiser for the former Massachusetts governor at the Wakefield home of Jim Rutherford, the team's general manager, according to campaign finance reports.

Another sort-of Cane at the event: NAI Carolantic Realty owner Steve Stroud, a board member of the Centennial Authority, which owns the Hurricanes' home, the RBC Center.

Former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, who is running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, also paid $500 to meet Romney.

"He's an exceptionally bright guy, obviously very capable," Orr said, though he noted he has not yet chosen a Republican presidential candidate.

The event's sponsors declined to say the amount raised, though campaign finance reports show Romney raised about $23,000 on Aug. 30 and 31 from about two-dozen Triangle-area residents. If so, that's about a fourth what organizers hoped to raise.

Don Beason has not been reappointed to the Centennial Authority.

The top-ranked lobbyist was not reappointed to the board that oversees the RBC Center, but it's not because of the $500,000 loan he gave to disgraced former House Speaker Jim Black, Dan Kane reports.

Beason's four-year appointment ran out June 30, and House Speaker Joe Hackney had decided months earlier to appoint Harold Hart, a Pittsboro businessman, according to Hackney's spokesman, Bill Holmes.

Hackney also decided to reappoint Michael Weeks, a former Wake County commissioner and a Democrat, to another four-year term. The appointments are part of an omnibus appointments bill that is expected to clear the legislature before it finishes its business, possibly today.

Other members of the 21-person board are appointed by the N.C. Senate, the city of Raleigh, Wake County, the Wake County Mayors Association and the chancellor of N.C. State University.