Sen. Richard Burr is introducing an amendment to the economic stimulus package that would end Congress' automatic pay increases.

"As the law is currently written, Congress has to hold a vote to disapprove an automatic pay raise. As you can guess, these votes don't happen too often," Burr wrote on his Senate blog.

He added, "With every American family tightening belts in these tough times, Congress needs to follow suit."

Burr's office doesn't know whether his amendment will get a vote in the Senate.

But he isn't alone in his suggestion. Two House members, Republican Ron Paul of Texas and Democrat Harry Mitchell of Arizona, have introduced legislation blocking the pay increase next year. Mitchell also tried to get it inserted into the House version of the stimulus bill.

And just last week, fellow Sen. Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat, re-introduced legislation forcing Congress to take a public vote on its increases. Feingold has long opposed the automatic pay hikes, and he says he has returned them to the Treasury since he was sworn-in in 1992.

Burr did not turn down the most recent pay increase. In January, he and other rank-and-file members of Congress received a $4,700 increase to bring their annual salaries to $174,000.

Burr's office says his amendment would apply to pay increases going forward.

Democrat Larry Kissell ran his congressional campaign last year against Republican Rep. Robin Hayes, a multi-millionaire, with this subplot: common man versus the plutocrat.

With Kissell about to take office representing the 8th House District, his first act is a pledge not to keep the automatic $4,700 cost-living pay hike for members of Congress that went into effect in December, reports Rob Christensen.

Kissell has signed on as a co-sponsor of a bill offered by Republican Rep. Ron Paul of Texas that would revoke the cost of living increase.

"During these difficult economic times, it just isn’t right for Congress to give itself a pay increase while so many people are struggling to make ends meet, and so many others are out of work altogether,” said Kissell, a former high school social studies teacher.

Somebody out there still likes John Edwards.

The New York Times, on its Web site, has an interactive feature to let readers cast their votes about Barack Obama's options for some of his cabinet posts.

Edwards is currently the seventh most popular choice for attorney general. He trails the likes of Chris Dodd and Ron Paul, but is ahead of folks like Hillary Clinton, Ralph Nader and Eliot Spitzer.

A Republican challenger to U.S. Rep. David Price is running T.V. ads thanks to help from Ron Paul.

Cary resident B.J. Lawson has raised more than $460,000 from more than 3,000 individuals in North Carolina and around the country, according to a campaign spokeswoman.

He raised more than $177,000 in a single day of fundraising, thanks in part to an e-mail sent to supporters of Paul, a Texas Congressman and former Republican presidential candidate.

The fundraising success has allowed Lawson to air a television ad, something typically not seen in races against Price, who has represented the heavily liberal district since 1987, losing only one race.

The Lawson campaign is airing the ad, which criticizes Price for supporting the recent Wall Street bailout, on several stations on Time-Warner Cable, including MSNBC, News 14 Carolina and B.E.T., according to campaign media consultant Gail Marold.

"The economy is still crashing," a narrator says. "This election, fire David Price. Vote Lawson for Congress."

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are not the only presidential candidates making their way to North Carolina.

Ron Paul, a Texas congressman who is still seeking the Republican nomination for president, is coming to North Carolina on Friday for two public events.

Paul will speak at 3:30 p.m. at Carrol Hall at UNC-Chapel Hill. The event is open to the public, but tickets are needed.

Paul also will speak at 6:30 p.m. at Reynolds Theater at Duke University. Free tickets can be picked up at the theater box office in the Bryan Student Center. Tickets can also be ordered online, but there will be a $3 processing fee.

Ron Paul's e-mail for U.S. Rep. Walter Jones worked.

According to an article by Congressional Quarterly, the Farmville Republican did pretty well by renting access to the Republican presidential candidate's list of North Carolina donors.

Paul also sent an e-mail last week soliciting help for Jones, CQ reports:

Jones said he already has raised about $5,000 from Paul supporters, which is not an insubstantial figure in a relatively inexpensive market. Jones had raised $192,185 through the end of December, and his rival for the GOP nomination, Joe McLaughlin, had collected $78,278.

Both Paul and Jones oppose the Iraq war. 

Barack Obama leads by double digits in the latest Elon poll.

In a survey of 764 North Carolinians taken Feb. 18-21, Obama was the choice of 45 percent of Democrats, while Hillary Clinton was the pick of 31 percent. Twenty-two percent said they didn't know or it was too early to tell.

On the Republican side, all-but presumptive nominee John McCain was the choice of 62 percent, while Mike Huckabee got 24 percent and Ron Paul 3 percent. Ten percent said they didn't know or it was too early to tell.

In the gubernatorial race, Beverly Perdue led by 40 percent, with Richard Moore at 28 percent and 32 percent undecided; while Pat McCrory led by 28 percent, Fred Smith at 12 percent, Bill Graham at 10 percent, Bob Orr at 6 percent and 44 percent undecided.

Elon University's pollsters use live operators and do not screen for likely voters. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.6 percent.

Ron Paul is raising money for U.S. Rep. Walter Jones.

The Republican presidential candidate sent out an e-mail to supporters today asking them to donate to Jones' re-election campaign.

He writes that "not every Republican" is happy about the Farmville Republican's stances, leading to a primary challenge from former Onslow County Commissioner Joe McLaughlin:

He faces a primary challenge, backed by those who do not want oversight of the administration. They do not appreciate the hard questions that he has asked about the war in Iraq, his stance on preserving individual liberties, and his commitment to upholding the sovereignty of the United States by rejecting bogus "free trade agreements."

Paul then directs supporters to an online donation site.

The final line of the e-mail notes that it was paid for by Jones' re-election committee. Jones has praised Paul's campaign, but he has not officially endorsed anyone.

After the jump, the text of the e-mail.

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U.S. Rep. Walter Jones is not endorsing anyone.

The Farmville Republican's chief of staff, Glen Downs, told Dome that he is officially on the sidelines of the presidential race until the nomination is decided.

"Senator McCain is awfully close to mathematically having it sewn up, and Congressman Jones is going to be an enthusiastic supporter of the Republican nominee," he said.  

As noted earlier, the Elizabeth City Daily Advance reported that Jones was endorsing U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, but Downs said that's not accurate.  

"He has very purposefully said kind things about Congressman Paul," he said. "They're personal friends. I think he's said 'If he was on the ballot, I would vote for him.' But he's not endorsed anybody."

Downs also said that McCain has already come a long way toward answering Jones' questions about border security. 

U.S. Rep. Walter Jones is not ready to endorse John McCain.

The Farmville Republican told the Elizabeth City Daily Advance that he is supporting Ron Paul's bid for the presidential nomination:

Interviewed following a ribbon-cutting event in Camden County Tuesday, Jones acknowledged that Paul's hopes for the White House are fading and that McCain appears to be the presumptive Republican nominee.

But McCain still has some fence-mending to do with conservatives, particularly on immigration, Jones said.

Jones said he will support whichever Republican ends up as the nominee, but he wants to hear from McCain about his position on illegal immigration.

Hat Tip: N.C. Republican Roundtable