Bush donor to get ambassador nomination

A top Republican fundraiser from Winston-Salem may be the next U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands.

James Culbertson will be nominated by President Bush for the job, the White House announced Tuesday. Culbertson was a "Ranger" for Bush in 2004, putting him in the top tier of fundraisers in the president's campaign.

Culbertson has been involved in Republican politics for decades, first volunteering for the state GOP party in the early 1970s, then starting his own company, Financial Computing Inc., according to Texans for Public Justice, which tracks Texas politics.

He was a major fundraiser for Sen. Elizabeth Dole and led Bush's state fundraising efforts in 2000 and 2004.

He and his wife, Germaine Culbertson, have given about $37,000 to federal Republican candidates since 1994, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that tracks spending in politics.

Last year, Culbertson was the North Carolina campaign chairman for presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani.

Merritt's move draws fire

A state senator from Asheville, his son's Hooters Pro Cup racing team and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina are at the center of a dispute over who has the right to police the state ethics laws.

The case surrounding Sen. Martin Nesbitt, an Asheville Democrat, has led to a bill that would prohibit the state auditor from investigating the recently overhauled ethics statutes.

"The Nesbitt case illustrates the danger of a the misapplication of a complicated law," said Perry Newson, executive director of the state ethics commission. Nesbitt waived confidentiality and allowed Newson to discuss the case.

State Auditor Les Merritt, a Republican, released a report Tuesday in which he explains why he thinks Nesbitt should have disclosed on ethics filings that he worked with his son's racing team. Nesbitt was an unpaid crew chief.

Until recently, the team was sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield, the state's largest insurer. Lawmakers frequently deal with legislation affecting the health-care industry and insurers.

Merritt's report details how Nesbitt and his son own a business that owns a warehouse that Nesbitt's son used as collateral for a loan for the racing team.

But the N.C. State Ethics Commission has told Nesbitt that he is not required to report his son's financial dealings because he is no longer a dependent.

"When he doesn't like [the ethics commission's] opinion, he says, 'I'm going to apply my own law,' " Nesbitt said of Merritt.

Pittenger quits the Senate

Robert Pittenger is resigning from his state Senate seat so he can spend more time on his campaign as the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor.

Republicans are expected to name former Sen. Bob Rucho to replace Pittenger.

"Senator Rucho could be here and give full attention to my constituents and do a great job," Pittenger said just hours after sending his resignation letter to Gov. Mike Easley. "Campaigning is a statewide challenge. It requires a certain amount of attention and effort."

Walter Dalton, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, says he does not plan to resign from his Senate seat.

"There are still some major issues that need to be addressed," Dalton said.

Among them, Dalton explained, are bills against gang violence, on economic development in rural areas and on child health insurance expansion.

Conservative perfection

The American Conservative Union has ranked two North Carolina representatives tops.

U.S. Reps. Patrick McHenry and Virginia Foxx both scored 100 percent on the conservative group's annual congressional ratings -- two of 62 representatives to land among its "best and brightest" for the 2007 session.

At the same time, four congressional Democrats -- Reps. David Price, Brad Miller, Mel Watt and G.K. Butterfield -- scored 0, landing among the group's "worst of the worst."

The ratings were based on votes on a minimum wage increase, stem-cell research, the Iraq war, Amtrak funding, earmark reform, border security, support of Planned Parenthood and energy policy, among other things.

Sens. Richard Burr and Elizabeth Dole each scored 92 percent.