Legislators' grades weighted - heavily

The N.C. Association of Educators, an organization of mostly teachers, released its grades for legislators Thursday.

The report card notes how legislators voted on bills NCAE wanted and gives a final grade.

The grades don't necessarily have much to do with the votes, though.

Senate leader Marc Basnight voted for all the bills the NCAE wanted, as did budget writers Linda Garrou and Charlie Dannelly. Yet those senators, all Democrats, got C-minuses. Identical voting records earned other senators A's or even an A-plus.

A written explanation of the grades says they're not based just on votes. Legislators are judged on other factors - whether NCAE considers them accessible, reliable, and if they promote NCAE's positions in committees, for example.

As for the Senate budget writers' grades, perhaps that shouting match they had last year with NCAE lobbyists didn't help at report card time.

Republican Sen. Jerry Tillman voted for three bills the NCAE wanted, voted against three, and got a C. Sen. Debbie Clary, a Republican, voted for three of the six and got an F.

Guess we all knew teachers just like some kids more than others.

A Rose Garden party

Two Democrats from North Carolina - neither of them on board with the health reform bill - were invited to the Rose Garden ceremony Thursday to glad-hand with PresidentBarack Obama.

Obama signed the new jobs bill, which provides tax credits to businesses that hire unemployed workers and extends the federal bridge and roads construction program.

On hand were Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, along with fewer than two dozen other members of Congress. Among them were U.S. Reps. Bob Etheridge of Lillington and Larry Kissell of Biscoe.

Kissell has said he'll oppose the health reform measure expected to be decided this weekend. Etheridge still counts himself undecided, though he made a plea for some kind of reform Wednesday on the House floor.

Obama has been doing what he can to bring the House total to 216, and a little perk like a White House invitation sends a signal to House members that the president has their backs. The invitation tells Etheridge, Kissell and any other wavering North Carolina Democrats that the administration supports them.

In the Rose Garden, Obama began his short remarks with a push for the health bill. Most in the audience - including Etheridge - applauded. From where Dome was standing among the press pool, it looked as though Kissell did not.

Look who's talking: Rielle Hunter broke her silence with an interview and photo spread in GQ magazine. If her goal was to get people talking about her, she succeeded with the come-hither pose on her child's bed and subtle digs at Elizabeth Edwards and Andrew Young.

Whole truth: Americans for Prosperity got dinged on an ad about health care reform that it is running in the state. Two independent, nonpartisan fact-checkers said the ad was completely false and was slinging misinformation about what the Democratic proposals would do. The libertarian group disputes those findings, and the ad kept running.

Closing argument: Gov. Bev Perdue and a group of top state education leaders were grilled by the federal panel that will decide how to dole out billions in federal education dollars. Did she make the grade?

In other news: Cal Cunningham and Ken Lewis are gaining ground on Elaine Marshall in a new poll on the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan said it's time for a confirmation vote on two North Carolina judges who were nominated to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation, got a shout-out on Rush Limbaugh's show.

By staff writers Lynn Bonner, Benjamin Niolet and Washington correspondent Barbara Barrett