Rivals will team up for NCSU course

State Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek and former Raleigh Mayor Tom Fetzer are teaming up to co-teach a course on practical politics at N.C. State University.

The odd couple instruction team was the idea of Andy Taylor, chairman of the school's political science department.

Maybe they can talk about Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole's re-election campaign, because Fetzer is expected to be one of her strategists and Meek is searching for a Democrat to run against her.

The other day, when Meek traveled to Fetzer's Republican political consulting firm to discuss the course, Meek was amused to find a large digital photo of the banner that hung outside Democratic Party headquarters which said "Democrats Kicked" with a drawing resembling a donkey.

Fetzer said he keeps the photo in his office for motivation.

Why Holmes took money

Rep. George Holmes, a Republican from Yadkin, did not return phone calls from Dome over the past week on why he wrote more than $79,000 in checks to himself from his campaign account.

But here's what he told the Winston-Salem Journal about taking the money: "Why not? It's legal," he said. "That money was given to me."

Holmes wrote himself three checks in the weeks before a law limiting personal use of campaign funds took effect. The last payment from the account to Holmes was Sept. 27. The law kicked in Oct. 1.

The check for $33,000, dated Sept. 14, states the purpose was for "past campaign expenses." He didn't list a reason for the other withdrawals.

Subcommittee post?

U.S. Rep. Brad Miller, a Raleigh Democrat, is a strong candidate to become chairman of either the research or energy subcommittees of the House Science Committee when Congress convenes in January.

Spokeswoman LuAnn Canipe said Miller is "very excited about it."

On the research subcommittee, Miller would likely deal with issues regarding science education and funding from the National Science Foundation, a major source of revenue for professors' work at Triangle research universities.

On energy, Miller would build on his work seeking alternative energy sources, Canipe said.

Miller also serves on the Financial Services Committee, but he isn't up for a subcommittee chairmanship there.

A call from Obama

Incoming state Rep. Ty Harrell of Raleigh got a congratulatory call the other day from Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who is exploring a possible presidential bid.

"He said he had heard about me through mutual friends, had heard about my election and was very happy about that," Harrell said.

Harrell said Obama was interested in racial minorities who win in white majority districts. Harrell, who is black, defeated state Rep. Russell Capps in November.

Harrell said Obama apologized for not being able to accept an invitation to campaign for Harrell during the election. But Obama said he planned to come to North Carolina this spring and wanted to get together, Harrell said.

State delays disability rule

The state is putting off enforcing a prohibition against paying legal guardians to care for disabled relatives through a special Medicaid program. The state Department of Health and Human Services allows legal guardians, usually parents, to be paid to work with their children under a Medicaid program designed to keep disabled people out of institutions.

The state had planned to gradually end the practice starting Feb. 1 but announced last week that it would wait until April 1. The extra time will allow families to think more about how they will comply with the new rule and give state officials time to consider modifications.