The John Locke Foundation attracted some national attention this week, thanks to a “hit piece” The New Yorker published on founding JLF chairman and current board member Art Pope. The article quoted JLF President John Hood and Vice President for Research Roy Cordato. A News & Observer “Under the Dome” blurb mentioned JLF in previewing the New Yorker piece. Greensboro News & Record columnist Doug Clark responded to the article with a column citing JLF and Hood. (Pope spends millions to support think tanks like the John Locke Foundation — which infuriates some liberals by advancing ideas they don’t like. Meyer says Pope has set up “a multimillion-dollar conservative-opinion empire aimed not at winning just one election cycle but at transforming the political debate for generations.” I’m at a loss to understand what’s wrong with that. Thinkers like the JLF’s John Hood have enlivened and diversified the debate in North Carolina on a range of issues. So have his counterparts on the left, such as Chris Fitzsimon at NC Policy Watch. This newspaper’s opinion pages have included articles by both Hood and Fitzsimon and their colleagues. That’s good for readers.) N.C. Senate Republicans promoted Hood’s own column on the topic. Speaking of Hood, the Independent Weekly quoted him in a story about the American Legislative Exchange Council. Hood continues his contributions to National Review Online’s primary blog, “The Corner,” with observations on topics such as the political challenges ahead for Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney. The John Locke Foundation attracted attention for a second story involving Pope. A Durham Herald-Sun editorial on a proposed Institute for Constitutional Law at N.C. Central University cited Pope’s support for JLF. In other news, the Charlotte Observer quoted N.C. Education Alliance Director Lindalyn Kakadelis in an article about enrollment changes within the Charlotte-Mecklenburg public schools. JLF Vice President for Outreach Becki Gray spent time on the road, on the radio, and on television this week. She granted two interviews to WTSB Radio about top state government stories and returned to the N.C. Spin set for another round as a guest on that statewide syndicated television show. Gray also discussed this year’s legislative session in a presentation to the Davidson County Republican Party. Wilmington-area radio listeners had a double dose this week of Director of Communications Mitch Kokai. He discussed the economics of pirates, the N.C. Supreme Court, the Obama jobs plan, and Gov. Beverly Perdue’s verbal gaffes during an appearance with Chad Adams on the WLTT Radio morning show. The following morning, Kokai joined Curtis Wright on WAAV/WFNC to discuss Perdue’s gaffes and community college remedial courses. The Daily Tar Heel quoted Kokai in an article about the chances that North Carolina voters will support a marriage amendment to the state constitution in May 2012.