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How closely tied are North Carolina's Congressional Republicans to their presidential nominee?

It's much harder to say than it was for the Democrats. The GOP did not have superdelegates, so its members were not required to cast a high-profile vote in their primary.

John McCain had already sewn up the nomination by the time North Carolina voted, so he did few events here to gauge local ties with.

Still, there are a few tea leaves to read. Here is a list, from closest to least close:

Richard Burr: Longtime friend in Senate. Headed platform committee, spoke at convention. Frequent advocate on TV for McCain. Mentioned as long-shot vice presidential pick. Wife spoke at fundraiser. Gives speeches at campaign headquarter openings, speaks on conference calls. Co-sponsored four bills. Received $2,500 donation in 2006 from McCain's leadership PAC. Mentioned as potential Cabinet pick.

Virginia Foxx: Endorsed Mitt Romney in primary. Spoke on recent McCain conference call. Member of the Palin Truth Squad.

Sue Myrick: Skipped national convention. Endorsed Fred Thompson in primary. Member of the Palin Truth Squad.

Elizabeth Dole: Ran against McCain for presidential nomination in 2000. Skipped national convention. Co-sponsored four bills. Husband Bob speaks at campaign headquarter openings. Some Dole backers lobbied for vice presidential pick. Tied to McCain in liberal attack ads.

Patrick McHenry: McCain friend Tim Pawlenty appeared at McHenry fundraiser. Publicly called for conservatives to unite behind McCain in mid-February, but reportedly said McCain nomination would make conservatives "physically ill." Spoke on recent McCain conference call.

Robin Hayes: Received $1,000 donation in 2000 from McCain's leadership PAC. McCain friend Tim Pawlenty appeared at Hayes fundraiser. Skipped national convention.

Walter Jones: Made no endorsement in primary.

Howard Coble: Skipped national convention. Endorsed Mitt Romney in primary.

MINNEAPOLIS — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole isn't up here in Minneapolis, though her husband has been making the rounds. Former Sen. Bob Dole stopped by the delegation on the convention floor Wednesday evening, then returned Thursday morning for breakfast.

He told reporters that the couple considered whether she should come up for the week. At first, he said, they considered having her fly up for just one night, Barb Barrett reports.

"But that doesn't look good," Bob Dole said. "I think she made the right choice in staying."

How is she spending her time? Elizabeth Dole's schedule shows various visits this week to tout federal programs and visit constituents. But, her husband said, she's also been making a whole lot of calls to counterbalance the millions of dollars being spent by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

"She spends as much as seven hours a day on the phone asking for money," Bob Dole said. "This is not a good year for Republicans; let's face it."

MINNEAPOLIS — Just 36 African-American delegates are at the Republican National Convention this week. Four are from North Carolina.

So it was no surprise that the delegation tackled race at this morning's breakfast, especially in a year with an African American on the presidential ballot — albeit for the other side, Barb Barrett reports.

State GOP chairwoman Linda Daves told delegates the party should do more to reach out to African Americans, but she praised the black attendees in the delegation. Among them are Tim Johnson, chairman of the Buncombe County GOP party, and Ada Fisher, who has just been elected to the Republican national committee for the state.

Also attending as a guest is William Owens, Jr., of Fuquay-Varina, who stumped at this morning’s breakfast for his new, $17 book, "Obama: Why Black America Should Have Doubts."

"I want to say to my white Republican brothers and sisters, if you ever want to understand why African Americans are supporting Obama, you should read this book," he told the group. Owens said that once America deals with racism, then blacks can get past a "victim mentality."

Former Sen. Bob Dole also was at the breakfast, and he reminded reporters that he was the Senate majority leader when the Martin Luther King bill passed declaring a national holiday.

"That wasn't Ted Kennedy; it was Bob Dole," Dole said. But he, too, said the Republican party needs to do more to recruit people of color.

"We can't be one color, one ethnicity," Dole said. "This party, we've got to be a party of diversity."

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr had his three minutes of fame Monday.

The Winston-Salem Republican spoke for about that long at the Republican National Convention, though he was upstaged by the media's attention to the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.

Considered a smart, hard-working policy wonk by his colleagues, Burr is relatively unknown outside his home state. He's been a supporter of Sen. John McCain's since the early days, but he did not get a prime-time speaking slot or make a short list of potential vice presidents.

Instead, he ws charged with co-chairing the platform committee, a job with long hours and little glamour.

In his speech, he said that the this year's Republican Party was welcoming to Libertarians, Democrats, conservatives, moderates and even liberals.

"We have cohesive principles," he said. "This platform is a testament to the American spirit." (N&O)

The pundits may have been stumped, but three North Carolina delegates to the Republican National Convention correctly guessed the Republican vice presidential nominee: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Marshall Hurley, a Greensboro lawyer, said he saw Palin's name in the news about a year ago and began reading up on her. He listed her in a Charlotte Observer survey of delegates earlier this month when asked who John McCain should pick, reports Mark Johnson.

"I don't have any claim to clairvoyance," Hurley said, adding that he's thrilled with the new GOP ticket.

Timothy Johnson, of Weaverville, also listed the "Governor of Alaska."

Jackie Wieland, of Greensboro, said in the survey that McCain should pick someone not expected by the media and public" and offered six options: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, businessman Steve Forbes,
Sen. Joseph Lieberman and Palin.

"This really energizes the party," Wieland said Friday. "A lot of my girlfriends who were Hillary supporters were seriously thinking about McCain, so I'm hoping this will push them over (to his side)."

Frank Donatelli said he's not taking North Carolina for granted.

The deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee said today that the party and presidential candidate John McCain will ramp up spending in the next few weeks.

"We're going to be spending resources here," he said. "We're going to be having a voter identification and turnout program. We're going to be opening numerous offices around the state."

He said that the party will coordinate turnout with other statewide GOP candidates.

At a press conference in Raleigh this afternoon, Donatelli said that McCain will be opening more than it's current three offices "certainly after the convention, but not waiting until then." 

The Republican national convention will be held from Sept. 1-4 in St. Paul, Minn.

"You can't take North Carolina for granted," he said. "It is true that it has gone Republican in presidential elections, but it's not so Republican that you don't have to work here and bring the candidate and do your voter turnout and advertise and all that."

"We're going to do what's necessary to win," he added. 

Will U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole be a no-show at her party's big bash in St. Paul?

The National Journal is reporting that Dole, of Salisbury, is on the fence about whether to attend the Republican national convention, which begins over Labor Day weekend, Barb Barrett reports.

Dole is in a tough battle for re-election against Democratic state senator Kay Hagan and might want to spend time campaigning.

But Dole also is one of the bona-fide rock stars of the GOP, the type of speaker who could rally the faithful at the daily state delegation breakfasts.

She also is a former presidential candidate herself, running briefly in 2000. And she’s the wife of popular former Sen. Bob Dole — who also is a former presidential candidate.

Elizabeth Dole had a prime-time television speaking role at the last GOP convention in New York City, where she praised President Bush and talked in support of traditional marriage, freedom of religion and the sanctity of life.

Several other Republican senators also have not committed to attending the convention.

Dole's spokeswoman has not yet been reached for comment about Dole's plans.

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, North Carolina's other Republican, will be in St. Paul. He is the Senate co-chairman of the GOP platform committee.

Update: Dole will not be in St. Paul, confirms her spokeswoman, Katie Hallaway.

"She’s got a busy week scheduled in North Carolina," Hallaway said. "When there are breaks in the Senate schedule, she spends as much time as possible in North Carolina."

Hallaway said nothing should be inferred about Dole missing the convention — either about the senator's support for McCain or any opinion about the security of her re-election in November.

Dole will be visiting with businesses, organizations and other constituent groups, but Hallaway said the schedule is not yet finalized.