Dole strategist will help Graham campaign

Brian Nick, a strategist for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, is moving from Washington to Raleigh to help run Salisbury attorney Bill Graham's likely gubernatorial campaign in 2008.

Nick, 31, was deputy campaign manager for Dole in her 2002 campaign, became her Senate communications director, and then moved over to be the chief spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which Dole chaired.

He will join the Raleigh political consulting firm of Fetzer/Stephens as senior vice president of public affairs. Mark Stephens was Dole's campaign manager and the executive director of the senatorial committee.

Nick will also be senior strategist for N.C. Conservatives United, which is Graham's political committee. But that committee is likely to morph into Graham's gubernatorial campaign if, as expected, he announces for governor.

The move by Nick could generate more gossip that Dole does not plan to seek a second term in 2008. But Nick says that is nonsense.

"She is fully committed to running," Nick said. "Honestly, the fact that rumors come from the Democratic Party should tell you what they are worth. That is wishful thinking."

Meetings at Vinnie's

Vinnie's Steak House & Tavern in North Raleigh practically resembled a state legislative session the night Rep. Jim Black told colleagues he would not seek another term as House Speaker.

There was Black, surrounded by roughly 25 House Democrats, in one private dining room called "The Gallery."

In another private dining room called "The Caucus Room" several state senators threw a farewell dinner for their colleague John Garwood, who lost in the Republican primary.

Still another smaller private room dubbed "The Chamber" held several longtime lobbyists celebrating their annual Christmas bash.

Regular diners could view Black through a door window as he commiserated with his colleagues, but the other rooms allowed no public snooping. The lobbyists, however, did hobnob with the House Democrats, since their rooms were linked by a door. Both parties say they separated before Black delivered his news.

One of the lobbyists, T. Jerry Williams, said that Black paid a visit to their Christmas party, but he didn't tell them that he would soon no longer be speaker.

"I learned it on the 10 o'clock news," Williams said later.

Still, when all three events broke up around 9 p.m., the only folks who looked jolly were the state senators. When state Sens. Stan Bingham, Tom Apodaca and Fletcher Hartsell were asked if they gave Garwood any gag gifts, one of them joked: "Yeah, we showed up."

Elizabeth Edwards' accident

Katherine Burton was on her way to the Streets at Southpoint for some Christmas shopping Monday night when a car bumped her from behind at a stoplight on N.C. 54. Out from behind the driver's wheel stepped a concerned Elizabeth Edwards.

According to a Chapel Hill Police report, Edwards' car rolled into Burton's causing "very minor," hard-to-find damage to both cars. No one was hurt, and no charges were filed.

Burton said she didn't recognize Edwards at first, but when she introduced herself she mentioned that she was former Sen. John Edwards' wife.

Her daughter, Aysia Evans, 11, was excited.

"My daughter [said], 'That's John Edwards' wife, are we going to be in the news or on TV?" Burton said. "[Edwards] was very nice. She was right there talking and going on ... real worried was anyone hurt."