Ice may be thawing between U.S. Reps. Virginia Foxx and Barney Frank.

Foxx, as Dome readers know, is a conservative Banner Elk Republican who is prone to getting her name in print, on blog posts, in the punchline of late night monologues — you get the idea — for blurting hyperbole that tends to outrage the left.

And Frank is the liberal, openly gay Massachusets Democrat.

And so it's not too surprising that Politico reports that a few months ago, Frank got so annoyed with Foxx's endless questioning that he just walked out of a committee meeting.

This week, though, Frank and Foxx had some friendlier banter. We heard the conversation went something like this:

Foxx: "You’re looking particularly disheveled tonight."

Frank: "Well, my partner is the one who keeps me sheveled, and he’s been out of town."

(Please imagine Foxx’s reaction to that. Truly, it would have been priceless.)

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RAND OUT: State Sen. Tony Rand is quitting the Senate. The news that the chamber's chief Democratic enforcer and most formidable political gamesmen is leaving likely thrilled liberal Democrats and conservatives alike. Rand is one of the great characters in state politics and the legislature just got a little more boring.

HOW MANY IS THAT: Gov. Bev Perdue's communications director David Kochman has resigned as her approval numbers remain in the sub-basment. From her days as lieutenant governor, Perdue has had four communications directors in six years, making the job a little bit like being the drummer for Spinal Tap. With luck, Perdue's approval rating will go above 11.

REP. HYPERBOLE: U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx said the Democrats' health reform proposals are more dangerous than terrorists. Republicans may have more to fear from Foxx's own mouth than anything Democrats have to say.

IN OTHER NEWS: President Barack Obama has nominated two North Carolina judges to the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has had only six Tar Heels since 1801. With the election of a new mayor in Charlotte, Pat McCrory will be out of elected office, but his loss to Perdue is apparently still gnawing at him, so don't expect McCrory to be out of politics. N&O political cartoonist Dwane Powell has retired after 35 years of skewering politicians.

Here's a summary of what members of Congress had in their campaign accounts through September 2009. The remaining members of the state's delegation will be added to the list.

G.K. Butterfield: $231,000. 

Howard Coble: $525,000.

Bob Etheridge: $1 million.

Virginia Foxx: $1.1 million.

Larry Kissell: $244,000. Businessman Lou Huddleston has raised $57,641 from individuals and loaned himself $45,125. Tim D'Annunzio, who owns a skydiving business, has loaned himself $303,000 and raised $8,400. Hamlet resident Darrell Day has raised $30 and loaned himself $3,000. Republican Thomas Sweeney has not reported raising any money.

Patrick McHenry: $158,000. Iredell County Commissioner Scott Keadle has loaned himself $250,000 to challenge McHenry for the Republican nomination.

Brad Miller: $148,000. Challenger William Randall II has not reported raising any money.

David Price: $218,000. Republican challenger Frank Roche has raised $10,879, mostly through individual contributions. Republican George Hutchins has loaned himself $5,000.

Heath Shuler: $1.1 million.

In a blistering editorial Thursday morning, The Charlotte Observer took U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican from Banner Elk, to the woodshed for comments she made on the House floor earlier this week that Americans had more to fear from the Democrats reforming health care than from any terrorist attack.

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx is a visible reminder of the Forrest Gump saying, "Stupid is as stupid does." Foxx has made so many gaffes since her first election to Congress in 2004 that it's more than just mildly embarrassing for North Carolina. It's find-an-island-to-ship-her-to embarrassing. And it's becoming how-can-voters-keep-electing-her embarrassing.

The editorial then goes on to recount a litany of statements and actions by Foxx it characterizes as either hypocritical or dumb, and then urges voters in her 5th district, which stretches from the Piedmont to the mountains, to turn her out of office in 2010.

Count that as a strong negative endorsement from the state's largest newspaper a year before the election. Maybe the congresswoman should reply with a box of chocolates.

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Banner Elk Republican, this morning said Americans have more to fear from the Democratic health bill than from terrorists, reports Barb Barrett.

According to a YouTube clip posted by liberal media watchdog Media Matters, Foxx said in a House floor speech:

“I believe that the greatest fear that we all should have to our freedom comes from this room -- this very room -- and what may happen later this week in terms of a tax increase bill masquerading as a health care bill. I believe we have more to fear from the potential of that bill passing than we do from any terrorist right now in any country.”

A full House floor vote on the health care bill could come as early as Friday.

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx has $1.1 million in her campaign account, according to federal campaign finance records.

Foxx, a Banner Elk Republican, has received $322,000 during the current election cycle. Of her contributions, more than $252,000 were from individuals and more than $70,500 were from political action committees or other campaigns, records show.

Notable contributors include Richard V. Higgins of Taylorsville, president of gel-coating maker HK Research ($2,400); Robert Luddy of Wake Forest, president of kitchen ventilation company CaptiveAire; a political action committee of American Crystal Sugar Company of Moorhead, Minn., ($5,000) and a PAC of the National Beer Wholesalers Association in Alexandria, Va., ($2,500).

Federal elections records list no opponent for Foxx's seat.

Four U.S. House members from North Carolina signed a letter calling for the firing of an education official charged with advocating school safety.

The letter to President Barack Obama was signed by 53 Republicans who say that Kevin Jennings is unfit because he has been "promoting homosexuality and pushing a pro-homosexual agenda in America’s schools," according to a copy of the Oct. 15 letter published by The Hill.

Throughout his career, Mr. Jennings has made it his mission to establish special protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered students to the exclusion of all other students. The totality of Mr. Jennings’ career has been to advocate for public affirmation of homosexuality. There is more to safe and drug free schools than can be accomplished from the narrow view of Mr. Jennings who has, for more than 20 years, almost exclusively focused on promoting the homosexual agenda.

The signers from the state delegation are Sue Myrick (R-Charlotte), Walter Jones (R-Farmville), Patrick McHenry (R-Cherryville) and Virginia Foxx (R-Banner Elk).

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ONE MORE QUESTION: U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx has introduced a bill that would requires U.S. Census takers to try to find out how many illegal immigrants are in the U.S. We're guessing some answers to that question might just not be truthful.

BILLIONS AND BILLIONS: The state lottery director wants to add another national super jackpot game to complement Powerball. The move would be the first step toward creating a near-nationwide big jackpot game that would appeal to those who think the Powerball odds are too fair.

BIG SPENDER: State Sen. R.C. Soles Jr., a Columbus County Democrat, spent the second most of any competitive candidate — more than $830,000 — to win his Senate seat last year. That was BEFORE he shot someone. No telling what the figure might be next time.

IN OTHER NEWS: Margaret Harper, who ran twice for lieutenant governor and was a pioneer among female political figures in North Carolina, died at 92. The Triangle region buys 40 percent of all lottery tickets sold in the state. The Attorney General won't appeal Superintendent June Atkinson's right to run the state school system.

A bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx requiring the Census to try to count illegal immigrants would only affect the Congressional districts of a few states.

In an e-mail message to Dome, Foxx spokesman Aaron Groen said Foxx is concerned with the rule of law and fairness.

"Our immigration laws should be respected and enforced and every vote should be of equal value," Groen said.

States with a high per capita number of illegal immigrants are over-represented in Congress. North Carolina has a high number of illegal immigrants, but it doesn't compare to the per capita numbers of states such as California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada and could have an unfair representation in Congress, Groen said.

U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx has introduced a bill that would require the U.S. Census Bureau to count illegal immigrants.

Foxx's Fairness in Representation Act would require census takers to try to determine how many of the people living in the nation are illegal immigrants. Currently, the census does not distinguish between citizens or illegal immigrants, according to Foxx's office.

"Accurately counting the number of illegal immigrants in our country is a matter of equity and justice for American citizens and those legally present in the U.S.," Foxx said. "This bill is a commonsense proposal to require the Census Bureau to ask about citizenship status on the same census form that already asks recipients’ race, age, and sex."

The census is required by the U.S. Constitution to determine the apportionment of members of Congress.

A spokesman for Foxx said her legislation seeks to prevent unfair distortions in the distribution of House of Representative seats among the 50 states caused by large populations of illegal immigrants in certain areas.