Perdue and Moore race to embrace Obama

The Democratic candidates for governor are scrambling to get close to Barack Obama.

Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue's campaign put out the word late Wednesday that she has endorsed Obama in the Democratic race for president.

Mac McCorkle, an adviser to Perdue's campaign, said she decided to endorse now that North Carolina has become a battleground state.

"She thinks both candidates are exceptionally well-qualified but will be voting for Obama," he said.

Meanwhile, state Treasurer Richard Moore said Thursday that he had lunch with Obama and his wife, Michelle, on July 28, 2004 -- the day after Obama gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention that gave rise to his national political career.

"That is something I will never forget," Moore told reporters. "They were both on cloud nine."

Moore had earlier announced his endorsement of Obama.

Spitzer's money still good

Moore was asked Thursday about his connections with another national political figure -- disgraced New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer

At a news conference, Moore was asked whether he would return a $4,000 contribution his campaign received from Spitzer and his wife, Silda Wall Spitzer.

Moore said he will not. He said that Perdue has not returned contributions from Thomas Betts, who stepped down from the state Board of Transportation after it was disclosed that he tried to raise money for Perdue from people affiliated with a theater project in Roanoke Rapids.

"I would love to talk about returning campaign contributions when the lieutenant governor returns all of the DOT bundling money that she's been taking," he said.

Spitzer once held a fundraiser for Moore and had praised Moore at an event in Asheville.

"I feel very sad for his family," Moore said.

Labor group backs Moore

UNITE HERE endorsed Moore on Thursday.

The state chapter of the labor group was formed recently by the merger of Unite and the Union of Hotel and Restaurant Employees. It formerly represented workers from the closed Pillowtex factory in Kannapolis.

Harris Raynor, the southern regional director for the group, praised Moore's "intelligence expertise" in business and capital as treasurer.

DMV official gone

One of two Division of Motor Vehicles officials being investigated over a controversial hire is no longer with the agency.

Purnell Sowell was the supervisor of the License and Theft Bureau's Charlotte district office. DMV spokeswoman Marge Howell said all she knew was that he had left the DMV two days ago.

Sowell, 49, would only say that he is seeking legal advice regarding his exit from the DMV. He had worked nearly 21 years for the state and had an annual salary of $71,867.

Sowell served on an interview panel that was to evaluate candidates for an emissions specialist job.

The position went to James Burgess, a former purchasing clerk at Progress Energy who was a childhood friend of bureau director John Robinson. Passed over was a state Highway Patrol mechanic, Hal Bunn, who had been teaching service station mechanics to do emissions inspections for nearly a decade.

A State Bureau of Investigation inquiry determined that the normal hiring process had not been followed, prompting the DMV to put Sowell and Jimmy Edwards, the license and theft bureau's deputy director, on investigative leave.

This week, Robinson announced his retirement effective June 14, while Burgess gave his two-week notice. DMV officials said they are not aware of any wrongdoing by Robinson or Burgess.

Marking school integration

Eddie Davis is trying to bring more attention to the 50th anniversary of the integration of public schools in North Carolina, which he says is 1957-58 when three districts in the state allowed "a handful of black students" to attend previously all-white schools.

Davis, a Democratic candidate for superintendent of public instruction, sent a letter this week to Gov. Mike Easley and other members of the Council of State asking them to use their meeting next month to pass a resolution honoring the "students who taught us the lessons of inclusion a half century ago."

Davis also asked that the Council of State work with the legislature and the State Board of Education to invite "living integration pioneers" to Raleigh in June to honor their actions.

(Jim Morrill of The Charlotte Observer contributed to this report.)