? The candidates for governor and U.S. Senate appear at a Bar Association forum on Saturday, with Pat McCrory and Beverly Perdue talking mostly about education and criminal justice issues and Kay Hagan and Elizabeth Dole debating issues of experience, immigration, and energy policy. McCrory’s contrast of the likely political attitudes of Andy Griffith and Sheriff Andy Taylor draws attention.
? Because of his debate appearance, McCrory misses the chance to influence a debate among mayors about bottled water. But Perdue doesn’t have to miss the nearby state Democratic convention in New Bern, where in an address to the 1,300 attendees she ties McCrory to Bush and discusses offshore drilling.