When President Barack Obama comes to Raleigh today, he will visit a state heavily invested in the health-care debate where millions are being spent to shape its outcome.

The pharmaceutical industry, working to fight off new generic competitors and Canadian imports, employs 118,000 people in North Carolina. Medical schools churn out doctors torn between careers as specialists or taking the less lucrative but sorely needed path of primary care. And major corporations such as Lowe's Home Improvement are trying to figure out how to cover their employees' medical needs.

In all, North Carolina companies and agencies with an interest in shaping the bills that may reform the nation's health-care system have spent $4.8 million this year in Washington lobbying — a jump of nearly 40 percent over this time a year ago, according to an analysis by The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer.

National pharmaceutical companies with significant interests in North Carolina have spent millions more. Together, lobbying dollars for GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Biogen and Wyeth have shot up 23.8 percent over this time last year, to $15.7 million.

GlaxoSmithKline, which spent $4.7 million in the first six months of this year, has its U.S. headquarters in Research Triangle Park. The other companies either now have or plan to build drug manufacturing plants in the state.

The lobbying boost comes as the health industry also pours thousands of dollars into lawmakers' campaign chests. The state's two senators sit on the Senate health committee that wrote significant chunks of the reform bill. Several Democratic lawmakers are viewed as sitting on the fence about reform. (N&O)

On Wednesday, the health care debate reaches a fever pitch in Raleigh at the president's town hall and a rally by opponents to his plan. Throughout the day, Dome will bring you the latest on who's there, who's not, what they're saying and what it all means.

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Beverly Perdue has received $98,500 from health care-related PACs.

Political action committees representing drug companies, health care providers, insurance companies and industry associations were the single largest group of PAC donors to the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, according to campaign finance reports.

They made up about a fourth of the $376,293 she raised from PACs since her re-election in 2004. Other politicians' campaign committees were a close second, contributing $91,933, with about a third of that coming from other Democratic senators.

The biggest donors were the N.C. Hospital Association and the NP PAC, which represents nurse practitioners. Both gave $8,000. PACs for the Asheville Anesthesia Associates and the Association for Home and Hospice Care of N.C. gave $5,000 apiece. 

Drug companies whose PACs donated included GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Roche, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Wyeth, Pfizer and Abbott Labs. Pharmacy chains such as Kerr Drug, pharmacist managers Medco Health and Caremark and the PILL PAC, which represents pharmacists, also gave.

Perdue also received money from trade groups: The N.C. Medical Society, the N.C. Health Care Facilities Association, the N.C. Association of Nurse Anesthetists, the N.C. Assisted Living Association, the N.C. Association of Long Term Care Facilities and the N.C. Orthopaedic PAC. 

Perdue previously worked at a hospital and has made health care one of the signature issues in her campaign.  

Gov. Mike Easley didn't have many people over for lunch in 2006, but they had him over.

According to his daily schedule, the governor only had one visitor to the Governor's Mansion for lunch: Michael Burbidge on Aug. 2, two days before he was installed as bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh.

In addition, Easley met with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson — now a Democratic presidential candidate — for breakfast on Feb. 6.

That's not to say that Easley ate alone, however.

On April 24, he attended a presentation and lunch at a Bristol-Meyers Squibb site in Dublin with top company executives and U.S. Ambassador James C. Kenny.

He had another lunch visit the following day at a Wyeth facility in Dublin, and a roundtable lunch on April 27 at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Brussels, Belgium.

And on Nov. 3, he and budget advisor Dan Gerlach had lunch with former school president Father Edward Malloy at DeBartolo Hall during a visit to the University of Notre Dame, shortly before attending a function on values and politics. Gerlach is a Notre Dame alumnus.

That night, he and Gerlach had dinner with former school president Father Theodore Hesburgh at the Morris Inn on campus, and he went to a pre-game brunch the following day.

Hat Tip: Andy Curliss