In this age of shouting partisan pundits, U.S. Rep. David Price has a reputation for being, um, calm in his manner and speech. He is, after all, a former political science professor, Barb Barrett reports.

Apparently his town hall meetings are calm too.

Calm enough, at least, that Price told a Washington Post columnist that his town hall this week apparently didn’t warrant television coverage.

Columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. wrote today that many Democrats told him their meetings with constituents looked very little like the shouters who have been broadcast on TV. Dionne said the electronic media apparently "went out of their way to cover the noise and ignored the calmer ... encounters."

The most disturbing account came from Rep. David Price of North Carolina, who spoke with a stringer for one of the television networks at a large town-hall meeting he held in Durham.

The stringer said he was one of 10 people around the country assigned to watch such encounters. Price said he was told flatly: "Your meeting doesn't get covered unless it blows up." As it happens, the Durham audience was broadly sympathetic to reform efforts. No "news" there.

U.S. Reps. Bob Etheridge and Patrick McHenry faced mostly friendly and smaller audiences Wednesday in seperate town hall meetings held within their districts.

The State's Congressional delegation continue their summer recess tour of their districts. On Tuesday, Rep. Sue Myrick held a town hall in Charlotte that drew 1,200. By contrast, Etheridge and McHenry saw smaller crowds.

McHenry's meeting was a sequel to an earlier town hall in Mooresville that drew an overflow crowd. For McHenry part II, only 200 people, a fraction of the earlier meeting showed, reports the Mooresville Tribune.

One woman asked McHenry how to combat the "trickery" the Democratic Party is using to promote its health care package. The woman said the Democrats' most recent attempt at political chicanery was to exploit the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy, who was a key promoter of the plan.

McHenry replied by saying that by a ratio of 2-to-1, Americans are against House Bill 3200.

"How many people want this plan?" McHenry asked the audience. Only about 15 people raised their hands.

"How many would rather have no health reform at all than to support this plan?" the congressman asked.

And the remainder of the crowd raised their hands.

Etheridge's meeting after the jump.

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U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick has announced three health care reform town halls later this month.

She'll talk with constituents:

- August 25 at Weddington High School Auditorium, 4901 Monroe Weddington Road, Matthews, 6:30 p.m.

- August 26 at J.V. Washam Elementary School Gymnasium, 9611 Westmoreland Road Cornelius, 7 p.m.

- August 27 at Gaston Day School Auditorium, 2001 Gaston Day School Road, Gastonia, 7 p.m.

The Republicans and others have been criticizing the Democratic congressmen for not holding town hall forums on health care.

Now the Democrats are going after GOP Sen. Richard Burr for attending a GOP town hall rally next month which requires a $50 admission charge or $250 for the VIP reception, Rob Christensen reports.

“Whether it’s a $2,000 steak dinner with health industry lobbyists or a $50 town hall rally, clearly you’ve got to pass through a velvet rope if you want to get to Richard Burr,” said state Democratic Party Executive Director Andrew Whalen. “North Carolina deserves a U.S. Senator to whom they can talk without paying the price of admittance.”

The Sept 1 town hall at the State Fairgrounds is designed to raise money for the Wake County GOP.

The health-care debate attracts such intense interest that more than 250 people were turned away Wednesday night from a forum held on the Central Carolina Community College campus in Lillington.

Part of a series of town hall meetings sponsored by the State Employees Association of North Carolina to build public support for President Barrack Obama's proposal to change health care in America, Wednesday's meeting overflowed its location after U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, announced he would be participating, Rob Christensen reports.

Those who made it inside seemed roughly equally divided on the issue. There were some scattered laughs and hoots, but the meeting was far more sedate than the contentious forum held Tuesday night in Rocky Mount by U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield.

The Lillington crowd's concerns generally involved whether the nation could afford a major health care program when it already is in debt, how Obama's proposal would affect small businesses, and why the proposal was so complex that it was difficult for a nonprofessional to understand. (N&O)

Congressman Bob Etheridge will be joining the State Employees Association of North Carolina town hall meeting on health care tonight in Lillington.

Things could get a little lively because some organizations opposed to President Barack Obama’s proposed changes in health care are urging their members to attend the town hall meeting at Central Carolina Community College Multipurpose Building, Rob Christensen reports.

Congressman David Price is scheduled to attend a SEANC town hall meeting on Thursday in Durham at N.C. Central University’s Miller Morgan Building. SEANC is holding a series of town hall meetings across the state designed to build public support for the president’s proposals.

Update: The location for tonight's meeting with Price has been changed to B.N Duke Auditorium, 1801 Fayetteville St., Durham.

Gov. Beverly Perdue has signed five executive orders and a campaign pledge.

In her first working day in office, Perdue issued six orders she says will make state government more efficient and ethical.

PUBLIC CAMPAIGNS: Establishes a governor's task force for the development of an endowment to fund positive gubernatorial campaigns.

REFORM DOT: Prohibits Board of Transportation members from voting on individual projects, or, if they vote, requires them to swear they have no financial interest.

OPEN BOOK: Directs the Office of State Budget and Management to develop and maintain a searchable and public Web site that shows state grants and contracts.

DROP-IN VISITS: Pledges to make regular, unannounced inspections of state facilities and conduct statistical performance reviews of state agencies.

BUDGET COMMISSION: Establishes a citizen oversight panel to ensure government programs are using tax dollars efectively and efficiently.

TOWN HALLS: Affirms governor's commitment to participate in at least four live town halls televised across the state and launches an "electric town hall."