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Consider this contrast: In the first two months of 2007, Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia spoke at as many public events as Easley did the entire year.

"[Easley] is certainly not typical in his number of public appearances, and it's because he prefers to lobby, to negotiate, to work over the phone," said Franklin Freeman, a top Easley aide who served as chief of staff to Hunt. "It's just how he has found himself to be most effective, and he is most effective at it."

Away from Raleigh

Easley often prefers to work from home, be it the Executive Mansion in Raleigh or his home in Southport. He spends many weekends in Southport, often leaving Raleigh on Thursday, coming back on Monday, or both.

Easley's schedules for 2007 show only 10 Fridays over the course of the year with even a single event or meeting, other than a morning conversation with two aides that is always printed on the schedule. Chunks of each day are blocked off as "Hold for Governor: appointments, phone calls," with none listed.

Mondays last year were not much different; all but a dozen of them show no meetings or even photo opportunities other than his 9:15 a.m. "staff meeting" with top aides Freeman and Susan Rabon.

John Merritt, a former top aide, said Easley does spend a lot of time in Southport. But that, he argues, does not mean Easley is not engaged.

"Do we get our 40 hours a week out of Mike Easley?" Merritt asked. "We get 60 or 80. Go down to the waterfront in Southport or out on a boat or out hunting, and you won't find him. He's working."

Easley bristles when asked about his schedule.

"I don't know how you come up with the presumption that if I'm not physically in [Raleigh] that things aren't happening or going on," he said. "Look at results."

Courting companies

Others are not convinced.

Regional economic development groups complained in a survey last year by State Auditor Les Merritt, a Republican, that Easley was reluctant to personally court companies considering moving to North Carolina. The criticism echoes complaints by some state officials that, more than once, Easley committed to appear at an economic development announcement, only to bail out an hour before.

Easley said that he doesn't like to meet with CEOs for the sake of it but that he has worked hard to recruit business to the state, with good results.

"We're doing as well as anybody in the country," said Dan Gerlach, a senior adviser to the governor.

Sen. Tony Rand, a Fayetteville Democrat and Senate majority leader, acknowledged that some view Easley's style as "weird."

"It's individual to him," Rand said. "It's how he operates, but we all operate a different way."

Even when Easley does make an appearance, he often decides to go at the last minute. Last month, he gave a 20-minute speech to nearly 1,000 business leaders at the N.C. Chamber's annual meeting. Easley thanked the audience for supporting his education agenda and challenged them to keep going.

It was a rousing speech that drew a standing ovation. But Easley's presence that day wasn't a sure thing. He was not featured in the event's glossy color program because he didn't confirm his attendance in time.

His style fostered a deafening silence after a News & Observer series highlighted the mental health reform failures. More controversy followed when Easley and his staff gave different versions of who fired the spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Human Services.

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