On the CNN site via the Heritage Foundation.
Jesse Helms died at 1:18 a.m. today.

As usual, when it comes to first analysis of complicated stuff, delivered straight and clear, Mark Binker takes the cake. He's written a good round up of the State of the State Budget. Take a look.

RALEIGH — House and Senate negotiators have agreed to a $21.3 billion budget that delays two anticipated tax cuts for one year to ensure North Carolina does not fall into a deficit.

House Speaker Joe Hackney and Senate leader Marc Basnight outlined the budget agreement Thursday afternoon, saying that a few tweaks remained but an official, unalterable agreement would be locked in before the calendar turned to July 4.

What better way to start off a vacation than a...boring history lesson? I must have gotten my wires crossed somewhere. I was really excited about this a few minutes ago...oh well, I've started this thing, so I have to finish it, or I'll toss and turn all night.

Over the years that the Continental Congress met and hashed out the details that became our Constitution, North Carolina sent several delegates to be our voice. But I decided (for now) to focus on the three who were in attendance on our first birthday and were signatories of the Declaration Of Independence, namely Joseph Hewes, William Hooper and John Penn.

The U.S. jobless report for June is breaking front page news everywhere today.

WASHINGTON - Employers cut payrolls by 62,000 in June, the sixth straight month of nationwide job losses, underscoring the economy’s fragile state.

Of course, that's not news at all to folks in North Carolina's 8th District where we've lost 62,000 jobs ourselves since Robin Hayes took office.

In fact, if there's even anyone in this bellwether District that never saw this recession on the horizon, it's my opponent, Robin Hayes.

Hayes said the national economy is on the rise. "The economy around the country is very, very strong. Growth continues."

Can you even imagine?

NOTE: Sent to the front page by Dan B. Happy 4th of July.

Candid one on one interview with WECT-TV 6 in Wilmington NC.

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Frontpaged by James. If any of you are following the situation in Wilmington with Senator Boseman, you've already seen first-hand the Anatomy of a Smear being perpetrated by allies of the Dark Side. Well worth watching, even though you have to sit through a short commercial.

I love when I get to post a Weekend Wound Up on Thursday morning, especially since the clients I write for are closed today! And just in case you need a place to celebrate tomorrow, you're welcome at my house. The shindig starts at 4 and wraps at 7. It's a potluck (with barbecue and sweet tea provided). Bring a side dish or a dessert, your bathing suit, and maybe a lawn chair ... hope to see you here. Address is Four-fifty-one Lakeshore Lane. Chapel Hill.

Flaming liberals, moderates, conservatives, Libertarians, unaffiliateds, whatever, you're invited! The 4th of July is one day we can share our common ground in freedom.

As we celebrate our Independence this week, please, don't forget Joseph Patrick Dwyer, Hometown Hero.

Thanks to Max for this excellent link.

When you live in or around North Carolina's 8th Congressional District, you will sometimes hear that Robin Hayes is a nice guy. What you never hear is that Robin Hayes is a really bright guy. While it is difficult to single out the dumbest thing the man has ever said, we can narrow it down a bit and this week we celebrate the third anniversary of Robin Hayes' claim that Saddam Hussein and people like him were involved with the attack on America on September 11, 2001.

Saddam Hussein and people like him were very much involved in 9/11," Rep. Robin Hayes said.

Told no investigation had ever found evidence to link Saddam and 9/11, Hayes responded, "I'm sorry, but you must have looked in the wrong places."

Earlier I pledged to be part of the movement to counter the right's attempt to demonize Michelle Obama the way they did Hillary Clinton. You can imagine what my inbox looks like as alert after alert fills the box. Most of it is positive and I've read some of the most wonderful posts about Michelle Obama. I'll cover some of those later today.

Here's something that caught my eye from the LA Times.

John McCain has been trying hard of late to link Barack Obama with Jimmy Carter in the public consciousness, hoping that the "ineffectual" label that many voters affix to the former president will prove transferable.