The N.C. Coalition for Lobbying and Governmental Ethics Reform has a new executive director, Jane Pinsky, who has a long history as a lobbyist.

Since coming to North Carolina in 1989, Pinsky has lobbied for a number of public and private organizations, including AAA of the Carolinas and the N.C. Foundation for Nursing.

Pinsky also has lobbied the federal government on behalf of the American Nurses Association and the National Women's Employment Project, and she served as deputy director for NARAL, formerly known as the National Abortion Rights Action League.

The coalition was formed more than two years ago to push for more stringent lobbying, ethics and campaign finance laws.

Lawmakers have acted on many of the coalition's goals, partly in response to the scandals involving former House Speaker Jim Black, who is serving a five-year prison sentence for public corruption.

Ad campaign airborne

A blimp for Ron Paul was scheduled to launch from Elizabeth City this morning.

Bearing advertising for the Republican presidential candidate, the blimp was to take off at 8 a.m.

From North Carolina, it will head to Washington and New York, with stops in Boston and New Hampshire later this month.

The blimp features slogans that read "Who is Ron Paul?" and "Ron Paul Revolution."

Liberty Political Advertising, which supports Paul but is not affiliated with his campaign, is leasing the blimp from AMS.

"Since the Wright brothers were here in 1903, Elizabeth City has been the jumping-off place for many aviation firsts," Wayne Harris of the Albemarle Economic Development Commission said in a statement.

"What better place to launch such an innovative advertising campaign for a presidential candidate?"

Taft runs for Kerr seat

Kathy A. Taft is running for state Senate.

A member of the State Board of Education, Taft announced Friday that she would run for the seat of retiring Sen. John Kerr, a Goldsboro Democrat.

Taft, a Democrat, was appointed to the state board in 1995 by Gov. Jim Hunt. She previously served on the Pitt County Board of Education.

Snow Hill Mayor Don Davis, a Democrat, is also running.

Paper picks Edwards

John Edwards has picked up an endorsement from Valley News Today, a daily newspaper in Shenandoah, Iowa.

The paper, in Friday's edition, said Edwards is the "least polarizing" of the top Democratic candidates and would give Democrats their best chance of winning in the general election.

"If given the opportunity, we believe the former senator from North Carolina will work tirelessly to fight for the little guy as he has done for the past 30 years," the paper wrote.

Community colleges

Martin Lancaster, president of the state's community college system, had a smile on his face last week as the state board elected as his successor Craven Community College President Scott Ralls.

Lancaster had been pummeled for his support of admitting illegal immigrants to community colleges. On Thursday, he looked relieved at the thought of passing the baton to Ralls next year.

When asked his reaction after the vote, Lancaster said, "The king is dead. Long live the king."

'I guess we just got throw'd out of the place. ... I've done a good job.

I've honored my agreements, and I don't know if the smell is paper mill or politics. You tell me.'

- Randy Parton, brother of Dolly Parton, talking to WRAL after the city of Roanoke Rapids released records showing Parton paid for booze and Las Vegas shows with public money meant to get a theater started

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