Poll gives Obama solid lead in N.C.

Sen. Barack Obama is way up in the latest tracking poll of likely Democratic voters in North Carolina.

The results of a survey by Public Policy Polling released Tuesday showed Obama with 55 percent to 34 percent for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The results came after two high-profile speeches by Obama: one on Iraq in Fayetteville and another in response to video of his minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, condemning America.

The automated poll of 673 likely Democratic primary voters was conducted Monday.

The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. The Democratic polling firm is based in Raleigh.

A poll by the group March 17 showed Obama ahead, 44-43.

Tom Jensen with Public Policy Polling told Dome one reason behind the 21-point lead for Obama in its latest poll is that the firm is now calling voters who cast ballots in the 2004 primary, 2006 primary or the 2006 general election.

Jensen called that the "circus turnout model," saying it has worked better in other high-interest races in Wisconsin, Texas and Ohio.

"I think part of the bump is due to that because it reflects folks who don't usually vote in primaries being drawn to Obama," he wrote in an e-mail message.

NEA ad exalts Perdue

The National Education Association has introduced a new radio ad in North Carolina.

The NEA, in a release, said the ad "urges the N.C. State Board of Education to continue its work on bringing 21st Century Skills into the classroom."

But the ad's main focus appears to be Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, a Democratic candidate for governor who has been endorsed by the NEA's chapter here, the N.C. Association of Educators.

"You can find her on the carpet during circle time," says the ad, according to a script provided by the NEA. "And in the computer lab. And sitting at a teacher's desk.

"In every classroom across North Carolina, you can find Bev Perdue's imprint."

The 60-second ad goes on to talk about Perdue's work for Smart Start, to raise teacher salaries and to help more students afford to attend college.

It ends by urging listeners to call Perdue to tell her "to keep fighting to make North Carolina's schools great and our children's futures bright."

Dan Kaufman, a spokesman for the NEA, said the ad is "not a political or campaign ad" for Perdue. He called it a "grass-roots lobbying" ad that was paid for by dues money. He said the NEA did not coordinate the ad with the Perdue campaign.

"This is totally separate," he said.

Kaufman said the ad will run statewide for about two weeks.

Easley and e-mail

Gov. Mike Easley announced Tuesday that a panel he has formed to review policies concerning the retention of e-mail messages under the state's public records law will hold its first meeting Thursday morning.

Easley also announced the panel's members: Ned Cline, former managing editor of the Greensboro News & Record; DeWitt F. "Mac" McCarley, the city attorney for Charlotte; Staci Meyer, chief deputy secretary for the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources; George Bakolia, the state's chief information officer; Bryan Beatty, secretary of the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety.

Franklin Freeman, one of Easley's top aides, will lead the panel. Easley had previously announced that Ferrel Guillory, director of the Program on Public Life at UNC-CH, will also serve on the panel.

David Lawrence, a professor at the UNC School of Government and an expert on public records laws, will serve as an adviser to the panel.

Brent Woodcox, a spokesman for the N.C. Republican Party, raised questions about the panel's members. He said none of them is a registered Republican. Woodcox said three members of the panel are registered as independents.

Woodcox said Easley, a Democrat, should "get voices from all sides of the aisle" if he wants the panel's recommendations to have credibility.

Libertarian in debate

Mike Munger will be at a debate in October.

The Libertarian candidate for governor has been invited to a debate at Queens University in Charlotte in early October with the Republican and Democratic candidates.

It will the final statewide debate for the nominees. According to Munger, it is the first time that a Libertarian gubernatorial candidate has been allowed to debate.

In a recent e-mail message to Dome, Munger joked that he was disappointed by the invitation, since it upended his plans for his fall campaign.

"The entire strategy of the Munger for Governor campaign was built on a single premise: Cry and whine like a French soccer player over being kept out of the debates," he wrote.