Bob Orr's daily constitutional

Bob Orr sometimes seems to be running for the head of the law review.

The Republican gubernatorial candidate is well-known among the press corps for his ability to cite the state constitution on almost any political issue.

Perhaps that's from his time teaching constitutional law or his years on the state Supreme Court or his recent stint as head of the N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law.

But it doesn't play well on the campaign trail, and in recent weeks Orr has cut back.

Still, he can't always resist. Orr made it 28 minutes into a 30-minute debate on UNC-TV last week. Then, in response to a question about the state budget, he let it slip.

"The state constitution requires that North Carolina have a balanced budget," he said.

A key test for Orr at tonight's WRAL debate: Can he make it through the debate without mentioning the constitution? Dome will be watching.