To Paul Stam, it was more of a mixed bag.

As for Tony Rand, well, he has no regrets.

Berger, the Senate minority leader, said he was frustrated in the recent legislative session by the Democratic majority's use of the rules to have its way. He said that bills were "pretty much decided" before they reached the Senate floor and that the 2008 state budget was "written behind closed doors."

"It's pretty much the same way it's been in other years," said Berger, an Eden Republican.

Stam, the House minority leader, said Republicans were successful in blocking tax increases on small businesses to pay for a high-risk insurance pool and blocking an anti-bullying bill that included references to sexual orientation.

"Basically, they were unwilling to pass any new taxes because we had the votes," said Stam, an Apex Republican.

Stam was upset, though, that Democrats didn't allow votes on a proposed constitutional amendment to limit eminent domain and a tax credit for special-needs children to attend private school or be home-schooled.

"They just don't bring our bills up for a vote," he said.

Rand, the Fayetteville Democrat who serves as Senate majority leader, was not sympathetic.

"The Republican Party has existed for 148 years," he said. "I suspect it can wait until January for anything we didn't do."

Debating debates

Meanwhile, Stam largely gave House Speaker Joe Hackney, an Orange County Democrat, high marks for the way he ran the House.

But he said there were still about seven instances when the Democratic leadership called for a vote on a bill or amendment without debate, including major votes such as the 2007 state budget and bills on the death penalty.

"Under [former Speaker] Jim Black, that would have happened about 70 times," Stam said. "There's been a vast improvement, but the majority is still using its ability to stifle debate."

Hackney said he strove to let the Republican minority have its say on bills.

"The few times debate was cut off these two years, it was a vote of the members of the House to cut it off, which is, of course, in the rules," he said.

Dean biodiesel bus rolling in

Democratic national chairman Howard Dean will be in North Carolina on Friday as part of a national voter registration drive.

Dean, the former Vermont governor and presidential candidate, began the 50-state tour last week in President Bush's hometown of Crawford, Texas.

Dean is traveling in a biodiesel bus in an effort to mobilize voters for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and other Democratic candidates.

Dean will be in Raleigh at 9 a.m. Friday. Details of locations are still being worked out.

Dems pack $1,000 fundraiser

Former state Democratic chairman Wade Smith raised big bucks for Barack Obama last week.

Smith, a leading Raleigh defense attorney, hosted a fundraiser at his home, featuring Obama senior advisor Valerie Jarrett. She was introduced by Democratic Gov. Mike Easley.

Among those attending were former Gov. Jim Hunt.

Smith said it was one of the largest and most enthusiastic fundraisers he has ever held, with more than 100 people jammed into his house. But he was not certain how much was raised.

The event was organized by John Crumpler, a Raleigh businessman long active in Democratic politics.

Admission was $1,000 a person. But to be a host, a person had to either give or agree to raise $10,000 for the Obama Victory Fund.

Water under the bridge

From the Letting Bygones Be Bygones Department:

Canton Mayor Pat Smathers gave Walter Dalton, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, $250 on June 20, according to campaign finance reports.

That would be about a month and a half after Dalton beat Smathers for the nomination.