Any way he says it, Obama's picks please Miller

U.S. Rep. Brad Miller was impressed that President-elect Barack Obama mispronounced Peter Orszag's name.

Relaxing after a workout at the YMCA last week, the Raleigh Democrat was watching Obama on TV as he announced his pick for director of the Office of Management and Budget.

An acquaintance of Orszag's from Washington, Miller noticed that Obama got his name wrong. (It's ORR-zog, not ORR-zag.)

"I thought, 'He must not know Peter very well,' " said Miller. "That means he hired him on the basis of his reputation and his credentials, and not just because he was a buddy."

Miller said he's impressed with Obama's other picks.

"I think that he will get a very helpful debate within his own administration that will help him see pitfalls in a way that the Bush administration did not," he said.

Miller said there is some risk that the debate within Obama's Cabinet might "spill over" into the media, making the administration appear divided. But he said it's better for the president to hear alternative views ahead of time.

Miller praised the decision to keep Defense Secretary Robert Gates on the job, saying it helps with continuity from the Bush administration and sends a signal to the officer corps, which generally likes Gates.

But he was most excited about the appointment of U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton as secretary of state.

"Her intelligence is over there where the bell curve gets real skinny," he said. "She is already well known around the world. She'll have a stature -- in addition to President-elect Obama's great popularity around the world -- that will be a great asset."

Tour of Europe's markets

U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge traveled to Europe this week to check out overseas financial markets as the United States struggles to right its own financial mess.

Etheridge is looking at ways to regulate a financial instrument known as credit default swaps. Some experts think credit default swaps contributed to the international financial crisis. The market now is unregulated.

Etheridge, a Lillington Democrat, is chairman of the House subcommittee with jurisdiction over credit default swaps.

Etheridge will visit officials in Brussels, London and Frankfurt.

States 'about to the limit'

Gov. Mike Easley said states have "about got to the limit."

In an interview on BBC's "World News America" this week, Easley said states are having to cut their budgets because of the economic problems.

"Behind every one of those numbers is a face," he said. "Somebody's prescription drug, somebody's education, somebody's highway is not getting built."

Easley said during tough economic times, more people apply for government services, so the states need federal help in the short term.

He argued that the federal government should work toward a balanced budget, but only after a stimulus package gets the economy running again.

"We want to make sure that we can start building the roads, bridges, things we haven't been able to build before, the schoolhouses," he said. "These things are going to have be done anyway. The government does pay for those. It's a question of whether it's being done at a state or federal level."

Legislative leadership

State House and Senate Republicans will select their leaders at caucus meetings Sunday afternoon in Greensboro.

On the Senate side, two are challenging Sen. Phil Berger, an Eden Republican seeking a third term, to be minority leader. They are Sens. Bob Rucho of Charlotte and Pete Brunstetter of Forsyth County.

On the House side, there are no known challengers to House Minority Leader Paul Stam of Apex, who is seeking his second two-year term. Rep. Thom Tillis of Mecklenburg County is the sole announced candidate for Republican whip. The current holder of that job, Rep. Bill McGee of Forsyth County, is not seeking a second term.