Senate leader Marc Basnight chose experts on marine policy and oil and coastal officials for a task force on offshore drilling.

The Manteo Democrat named half of the 24 members of a task force that could spend as much as $100,000 and over a year looking into the state's position on drilling off the coast.

Former UNC-Wilmington chancellor James Leutze was his pick for co-chair. Leutze is a member of the Coastal Resources Commission and former member of the Marine Fisheries Commission.

Overall, Basnight's appointees include more scientists and local officials than industry representatives.

Other appointees include professors of nuclear engineering, marine sciences, marine affairs and environmental policy; representatives of natural gas and petroleum interests; a mayor, editor and publisher from coastal towns; and a Chamber of Commerce head from the coast.

After the jump, the names and job titles of Basnight's other 11 appointees.

Related: Hackney's appointees to drilling task force

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A group of North Carolina supporters of John McCain argued today that his policies would help with the current problems in the financial industry.

On a conference call with reporters this morning, the Republican presidential candidate's senior policy advisor, Nancy Pfotenhauer, UNC-Wilmington professor J. Edward Graham and Charlotte businessman Mark Erwin said a combination of lower taxes, reduced spending and more free trade would help the economy recover.

Pfotenhauer attacked Democrat Barack Obama for not offering more specifics in his proposals for handling recent problems with Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and AIG. She said he offered only "rhetorical pablum."

"It's like saying you're for puppies, kittens and sunshine," she said.

Erwin, a former supporter of Hillary Clinton who endorsed McCain in August, said Obama's plan for a tax hike on the highest income earners and a middle class tax cut would hurt the economy, since it would hurt taxpayers who are "creating the jobs and generating the wealth."

"As I try to understand Senator Obama's economic plan, it seems to be designed for those people who failed math in school," he said.

More after the jump.

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John McCain is also registering students in North Carolina.

The Republican presidential candidate's campaign held a membership drive this week at three colleges: Duke University in Durham, Elon University in the Triad and UNC-Wilmington.

Students were given help registering to vote and joining the N.C. Students for McCain-Palin group.

Duke Students for McCain-Palin will also hold a "Country First" tailgate party on Saturday before the football game with the U.S. Naval Academy.

Seven North Carolina economists have signed onto John McCain's plan.

The Republican presidential candidate released a statement signed by over 300 professional economists in support of his "Jobs for America" economic plan.

The statement notes McCain's pledge to veto bills with earmarks, implement a line-item veto, halt non-military discretionary spending for one year, cut the corporate income tax, phase out the alternative minimum tax and support free trade agreements. It does not mention his proposed gas tax holiday, which many economists derided.

Among the Tar Heels who signed: Barry K. Goodwin and Walter N. Thurman of N.C. State, J. Edward Graham of UNC-Wilmington, Randall Parker of East Carolina University, James F. Smith of UNC-Chapel Hill and Sherry L. Jarrell of Wake Forest University.

John Silvia, an economist with Wachovia, also signed.

State Sen. Julia Boseman's house has been foreclosed on.

The Wilmington Democrat and her former domestic partner defaulted on a $1.3 million mortgage on a house near the Intracoastal Waterway, the Wlimington Star-News reports.

The house will now likely be sold at a public auction later this month.

Boseman and Melissa Jarrell, the head softball coach at UNC-Wilmington, failed to make $7,156 worth of payments on the house since Aug. 1, 2007.

According to property records, the couple purchased the house together in June of 2005, but Boseman transferred the property title to Jarrell in April, removing her name from the title.

"It is my ex-partner's house, and I haven't lived there in over two years," Boseman told the newspaper.