MoveOn.org is trying to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor through a new, online phone-banking system that has cost the group $4 million nationally to develop and implement.

The liberal political action group recently opened a storefront office in downtown Asheville, and more than 400 volunteers have come in to work the phones in the group's get-out-the-vote effort, said Adam Green, spokesman for MoveOn.org.

Taylor's 11th Congressional District contains more than 10,000 MoveOn.org members, Green said, nearly one-sixth of the group's total membership in the state.

Volunteers are coming in to call other MoveOn.org members and, in turn, encourage them to use their home computers to access the group's online voter database. Green said the group is targeting "Democrats and like-minded independents who are infrequent voters," those who vote in presidential elections but not necessarily in the mid-terms.

Taylor is considered vulnerable to his Democratic challenger, Heath Shuler.

"Our top priority for North Carolina is to empower voters in that district and ask them to vote on Election Day," Green said.

4 views: next president

So who will be the next president? Four Triangle congressional candidates were asked that question Wednesday at a Cary Chamber of Commerce breakfast.

U.S. Rep. David Price, a Democrat who represents the 4th District, said he thought Arizona Sen. John McCain had "the inside track" on the Republican nomination, although he noted McCain might have some trouble with his own party.

"It is even less sure on the Democratic side," Price said. "If Hillary Clinton decides to run, she will have a lot of support. There are others, many, many, who say, 'I think she can't make it all the way.' So therefore, there will be an alternative. That field is wide open."

Price's opponent, Raleigh businessman Steve Acuff, said he thought the next president would either be former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich or Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, a Democrat.

Rep. Brad Miller, a Democrat who represents the 13th District, punted. But he said he thought the next president was sure to be "a flawed human being." He said the next president will have to have a serious health-care plan.

Miller's opponent, Vernon Robinson, said he didn't know either, but his personal favorite was U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, a national leader in restricting illegal immigration.

New NCSU lobbyist

Kevin Howell, lobbyist for Gov. Mike Easley, has been named assistant to the chancellor for external affairs at N.C. State University.

Howell, who worked in the governor's office for the past six years, will start the new job Dec. 1. The NCSU alumnus and former student body president will lobby for his alma mater on Jones Street.

Before joining the governor's office, Howell served as deputy legislative counsel for Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. He was also director of governmental affairs for the N.C. Bar Association.

Judicial races on TV

To get educated about this year's statewide judicial candidates, tune in to UNC-TV at 8 p.m. today or set your DVR to catch the first of a three-part series on the races. Today's program focuses on the race for N.C. Supreme Court chief justice, where incumbent Sarah Parker faces challenger Rusty Duke, a Pitt County Superior Court judge.

At 8:30 p.m., the show highlights the races for the N.C. Court of Appeals. Then at 8 p.m. Nov. 2, catch the final installment about the races for three associate justice positions on the N.C. Supreme Court.

If you can't tune in, go to www.ncvoterguide.org to listen to one-on-one interviews with the candidates and read a voter guide published by the N.C. State Board of Elections.