Edwards' 'Home' takes him on tour

John Edwards' new book, "Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives," will go on sale Tuesday, and the former North Carolina senator plans a major promotional tour.

Edwards is scheduled to be on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday as well as appearing on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart. He will appear later in the week on Charlie Rose's show on PBS.

But here's the question. Will he hit the big time on Oprah Winfrey's program, like his wife Elizabeth did in September with her memoir, "Saving Graces"?

Edwards, who was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004 and is considering a run for the presidency again in 2008, plans a 15-city tour that will include stops in Greensboro and Charlotte on Nov. 18 and Raleigh on Nov. 20.

The Raleigh event, sponsored by Quail Ridge Books, will be held at Jones Auditorium at Meredith College and will cost $2. Admission is free with purchase of the $29.95 book.

The new book, being published by HarperCollins, is heavy on photographs and stories of 60 people's childhood homes. There are stories about growing up from movie director Steven Spielberg, architect Maya Lin, football coach Barry Switzer, Army Gen. Tommy Franks and many others.

It also includes Edwards' modest mill village house in Seneca, S.C., that was highlighted in his 2004 presidential campaign to emphasize his working-class roots.

Writing books has become a new form of reaching voters -- telling your story in a different format.

Before his 2004 campaign, Edwards wrote "Four Trials," which traces his career as a Raleigh trial lawyer.

Sanford moves on

Jo Anne Sanford, chairwoman of the N.C. Utilities Commission, is leaving the job by the end of the year to start a small law practice in Raleigh.

Sanford, a former deputy state attorney general, has served on the commission since 1995 and became its leader two years later. The commission has oversight of utilities such as telecommunications and electric and natural gas service.

Sanford said she has been happy leading the commission but wanted to make a change.

"You want to leave when you feel good about what's going on, and I feel I need to leave when I've got a lot of energy and interest in other things," she said.

She said she wasn't certain where the legal practice would lead her, but she said she does plan to partner with longtime friend and neighbor Jim Johnson to do consulting work.

Johnson is a lobbyist who used to be director of the legislature's Fiscal Research Division.

Sanford said she did not know who might succeed her at the commission.

Familiar voice as host

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue is having a major Raleigh fundraiser this week, and among the more brow-raising hosts is former GOP congressional candidate Carolyn Grant.

Grant's voice could be heard last week on automatic recordings going into households urging voters to defeat Democratic U.S. Rep. Brad Miller and elect his Republican challenger, Vernon Robinson. Grant lost to Miller four years ago, in a bitter race.

Grant is a former Democrat who ran for mayor and served on the state Board of Transportation under Democratic Gov. Jim Hunt. She is one of 28 hosts of the event, each giving $4,000, at the event to be held at the home of Jean and Lawrence Shuping on Thursday.

Others include former state Democratic leader Barbara Allen, former Ambassador Jeanette Hyde, former American Bar Association president A.P. Carlton, state Sen. Vernon Malone, state Rep. Linda Coleman and Raleigh public relations exec Ken Eudy.

The event is expected to raise at least $180,000 for Perdue, who plans to seek the Democratic nomination for governor in 2008. Also expected to run is state Treasurer Richard Moore.