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GOING CHILLY: Former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin didn't appreciate having to share a campaign bus with U.S. Sen. Richard Burr when she was stumping the state. Palin is scheduled to appear at Ft. Bragg next week to promote her book, which could make for an awkward moment if Burr shows to get a book signed.

POLITICAL PRENUP: Presidential candidate John Edwards offered to quit his campaign and endorse President Barack Obama in exchange for a guaranteed spot on the ticket. Hillary Clinton got the same offer. This reminds us of a time when Edwards' political value meant more than a cheap joke, such as this one.

LIGHTWEIGHT GOVERNOR: At a women's health conference, Gov. Bev Perdue shared stories about her days as a lawmaker when she would scarf a whole bag of Doritos. On a stage in front of a crowd, Perdue challenged her transportation secretary, Gene Conti, to slim down. Woe to any Perdue cabinet members who still smoke.

IN OTHER NEWS: Former Gov. Mike Easley's campaign manager appeared before a federal grand jury this week. Members of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are heavy political contributors. An African American artist unveiled a portrait of U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms.

A longtime aide and the former campaign manager for former Gov. Mike Easley did on Wednesday what he didn't do last month: Answer questions from authorities probing his old boss.

Jay Reiff, Easley's campaign manager in 2000 and 2004 who also was on Easley's administrative staff at different points, was at the federal courthouse where a grand jury met as part of an ongoing and secret probe of Easley, the Democratic governor who left office in January, J. Andrew Curliss reports.

Reiff, who also managed former Treasurer Richard Moore's gubernatorial campaign, emerged after a couple hours inside, but did not speak to reporters. His lawyer, Michael Weisel, said that Reiff "in response to a subpoena, appeared before the grand jury and fully and completely answered all their questions for several hours." He said it was "regarding the Easley investigation."

Weisel went on to say that it would be inaccurate to say Reiff had not cooperated with last month's state elections board probe, though Reiff did not appear and elections chairman Larry Leake expressed frustration that the board's subpoena power did not extend to Virginia, where Reiff was working on a campaign.

Weisel said Reiff "fully and completely cooperated" with the elections probe and "made himself available to be called but, in fact, was not called."

Leake could not be immediately reached for a response.

Gov. Mike Easley liked to call on his trusted campaign advisor Mac McCorkle.

That didn't sit too well with Easley's former campaign manager, Jay Reiff, who was trying to get Treasurer Richard Moore elected governor. 

See, McCorkle was a consultant for then-Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, who was in a heated rivalry with Moore for the Democratic nomination for governor. 

McCorkle, who was called to testify before the State Board of Elections on Tuesday, said that at some point, Reiff called foul. 

"I think they were strategically worried about my relationship to Gov. Easley and wanted to distance me from Gov. Easley," McCorkle testified. "That was in the midst of campaign war." 

McCorkle was it a tough spot because Easley apparently had him on speed dial.

"I think he initiated more of of the calls than I did," McCorkle said.

Endorsements didn't help in 2000.

The last time that there was an open race for governor, Lt. Gov. Dennis Wicker squared off against Attorney General Mike Easley in the Democratic primary.

In that race, Wicker was endorsed by the N.C. Association of Educators and the N.C. Academy of Trial Lawyers as well as major black political groups: the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association, the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People and the Simkins PAC in Greensboro.

(The Sierra Club endorsed both Easley and Wicker.)

According to a May 24, 2000, article in the News & Record, Easley won over many black voters with an intensive campaign that included poll workers in T-shirts that promised cheaper prescriptions and smaller schools and radio ads and mailers featuring Harvey Gantt.

Easley's campaign manager was Jay Reiff, who is now working for Richard Moore.

Who's polling for the gubernatorial candidates?

Justin Guillory at Public Policy Polling has a good rundown of the pollsters hired by four of the five candidates.

On the Democratic side, state Treasurer Richard Moore has hired Peter Brodnitz of Benenson Strategy Group, pollster to Gov. Tim Kaine and U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, both of Virginia.

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, meanwhile, has gone with Fred Yang of Garin-Hart-Yang, pollster for Gov. Mike Easley, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.

(Small world watch: Moore manager Jay Reiff also worked for the Casey campaign.)

On the Republican side, Salisbury attorney Bill Graham has chosen John McLaughlin of McLaughlin & Associates, who has worked for U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former U.S. Sen. George Allen.

State Sen. Fred Smith picked Whit Ayres of Ayres, McHenry and Associates, which has worked for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.

Former Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr is not conducting polls.

One of Gov. Mike Easley's former campaign consultants is a certified "maverick," according to Details magazine.

An article in a recent edition of the men's fashion magazine anoints Jay Reiff among "27 agents of change," including hip hop CEO Damon Dash, fashion designer Tom Ford and um, Ryan Seacrest.

Reiff, a consultant for state Treasurer Richard Moore, gets props for leading Democrat Bob Casey to victory over Sen. Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania in November, in part by reading up on the hardball tactics of Lee Atwater.

Reiff's approach — taking the fight to Republicans on their own turf — is seen as essential for the Democrats in 2008, especially in red states like North Carolina, where he helped Democratic governor Mike Easley cruise to victory in '04 by playing up Easley’s undying love for Nascar. "But it's got to be genuine," says the Carhartt-wearing Reiff. "You can't fake it."

Especially since no true-blue Details reader would throw on a pair of Carhartt coveralls — unless it was in some irony-drenched Ashton Kutcher-in-a-trucker-hat kind of way.