Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Sen. Richard Burr joins host Donna Martinez to discuss his run for re-election to the U.S. Senate and his concerns over the use of North Carolina icon Andy Griffith in a new ad touting the benefits to seniors of the new health insurance law.

Then Jane Pinsky of the North Carolina Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform reacts to Gov. Beverly Perdue's signing of a new ethics law. Pinsky explains the key provisions and looks ahead to possible future reforms that would increase transparency and accountability by public officials.

Next, we turn to a dust-up at the state Democratic Party convention, where some delegates wanted to  formally rebuke Democratic congressmen Heath Shuler, Mike McIntyre and Larry Kissell for voting "no" on the health insurance law. Perry Woods, a Democratic political strategist, reacts to the internal controversy, as well as to the challenges Democrats face in November as the party in power.

Republican Claude Pope, chairman of the Wake County Republican Party, joins Woods and Martinez to discuss calls from Democratic strategist Brad Crone for U.S. Attorney George Holding to end the Mike Easley investigation, as well as whether or not President Obama will campaign in North Carolina as we head toward the midterms. 

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Democratic incumbent Congressman Bob Etheridge joins host Donna Martinez to discuss his run for re-election to the 2nd District seat in the U.S. Congress. Etheridge also comments on a federal judge's ruling that prevents some provisions of Arizona's controversial illegal immigration law from taking effect as scheduled, and on the leak of thousands of government documents about the war in Afghanistan.

Then Raleigh News & Observer political reporter Rob Christensen discusses the fundraising efforts of the three candidates for U.S. Senate, as well as the mood of voters and the prospect for turnover among North Carolina's congressional delegation.

Next, the focus turns to fresh polling data from the Civitas Institute. CI President Francis DeLuca reveals the latest polling of likely voters in our state, including their views of the Senate candidates.

Then North Carolina News Network News Director Rick Martinez joins Donna Martinez to explain why powerful Democratic Sen. Marc Basnight is in the spotlight over a fundraising letter. 

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Democratic Congressman David Price joins host Donna Martinez to discuss his campaign for re-election to North Carolina's 4th District seat in the U.S. Congress. Price, who has held the seat since the late 1980s except for one term in the 1990s, faces Republican B.J. Lawson in November.

Then Republican candidate Renee Ellmers, who is challenging Democratic incumbent Bob Etheridge, talks with Martinez about her run for the 2nd District seat and her views on key issues.

That's followed by a look at questions brought up by State Board of Elections investigator Kim Strach about the board's look into unreported flights made by the Beverly Perdue campaign. NewsRadio 680 WPTF and North Carolina News Network News Director Rick Martinez provides details and perspective on this story, as well as the Raleigh march by the NAACP against the new majority of the Wake County school board's decision to end busing of kids for economic diversity in schools.

Then the focus turns to the glaring disconnect on issues between Washington D.C. politicians and power brokers and the general public, as revealed in a new poll conducted for Politico. Bill LuMaye, afternoon talk show host at NewsRadio 680 WPTF, joins Donna Martinez to discuss what it means.

And finally, Martinez provides news on key political stories of the week, including Charlotte's push to win the 2012 Democratic National Convention, the latest fundraising numbers for Richard Burr and Elaine Marshall, and Vice President Joe Biden's fundraising trip to Chapel Hill.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Democratic incumbent Congressman Brad Miller joins host Donna Martinez to discuss his campaign for re-election to the 13th District seat in Congress against GOP challenger Bill Randall, as well as key issues of concern to voters.

Then Democratic political strategist Perry Woods and conservative analyst Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation spar over the political implications of the just-completed legislative session. The two discuss how both major political parties will spin the new state budget and ethics bill as they head home to campaign for re-election, which legislators showed legislative muscle during the session, and the chit-chat among legislators about a possible change in power. Gray and Woods also weigh in on the tough times for state Secretary of Crime Control and Public Safety Reuben Young, who oversees the Highway Patrol and who has been ordered to provide a deposition in a media lawsuit related to his former boss, Mike Easley.

That's followed by Martinez' look at other top political stories, including more medical troubles for former Vice President Dick Cheney, the judge's ruling on former John Edwards mistress Rielle Hunter's claim on profits from a book by former Edwards aide Andrew Young, and an appeal of a state fine by former North Carolina lobbyist Don Beason.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Gov. Beverly Perdue flexed her political muscle this week by calling out the Highway Patrol over a spate of tawdry behavior and vowing to fire any trooper who doesn't comply with the expected code of conduct. Host Donna Martinez is joined by Rick Martinez, news director of the North Carolina News Network, stategovernmentradio.com and NewsRadio 680 WPTF, who explains what happened at Perdue's press conference and the reaction of Patrol management to her dictate for a reorganization plan. Rick also discusses the political theater that occurred when state Sen. Fletcher Hartsell (R-Cabarrus) issued a subpoena to UNC-TV and the latest legal woes for former Sen. John Edwards.

Then Republican congressional candidate B.J. Lawson talks about his effort to unseat Democratic incumbent David Price for the 4th District seat in Congress. Lawson lost to Price in 2008. That's followed by a conversation with Terry Hardison of the Constitution Party of North Carolina about the group's push to gather the 82,000 signatures needed to qualify for the North Carolina ballot.

And finally, Martinez delves into the dramatically changing voter registration landscape in our state. Bob Hall of Democracy North Carolina joins Martinez to discuss his group's findings about the shift to "Unaffiliated" as well as legislative prospects for ethics reform and an expansion of public financing of campaigns. 

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Investigative journalist Diane Dimond joins host Donna Martinez to discuss what her sources are telling her about John Edwards' life and career in the wake of his separation from wife Elizabeth over his affair with Rielle Hunger. Dimond says Edwards is trying to dodge a courier seeking to serve him with documents for a deposition in the Rielle Hunter/Andrew Young case and is also hoping to avoid indictment on campaign finance violations.

Then former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory discusses his role in last week's grassroots uprising against a legislative attempt to expand North Carolina's public financing program for statewide election campaigns. He also talks about his political future. That's followed by a look at the legacy of Sen. Jesse Helms, who died on the 4th of July two years ago. Helms' longtime political strategist Carter Wrenn shares his remembrances and discusses the differences in politics from his early days with Helms, to today.

And finally, former federal prosecutor Kieran Shanahan explains a recent Supreme Court ruling on "honest services" that freed Kevin Geddings from prison. Geddings served roughly three years for secretly profiting from his role as a North Carolina lottery commissioner. 

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Bill Randall joins host Donna Martinez to discuss his runoff win over Bernie Reeves, which gave him the Republican nomination for District 13 in the U.S. Congress. Randall describes what's ahead in the next four months as he seeks to unseat Democratic incumbent Brad Miller in November.

Then Chris Fitzsimon of N.C. Policy Watch and Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation offer perspective on Democrat Elaine Marshall's decisive runoff win over Cal Cunningham and Marshall's desire to knock off Republican Richard Burr in a race that national Democrats have their eyes on. The two also discuss results of the Republican congressional runoffs and spar over this week's key political developments, including new N.C. Sen. Majority Leader Martin Nesbitt's failed attempt to expand publicly funded election campaigns, the role of 2008 Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory in helping scuttle Nesbitt's effort, NC GOP Chairman Tom Fetzer's continued pressure on the State Board of Elections to investigate Gov. Perdue's campaign finances, the role of Democratic powerhouse Organizing for America in this fall's North Carolina elections, and criticism of President Obama for his frequent golf outings during the Gulf of Mexico oil spill crisis. 

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

What was 2nd District Congressman Bob Etheridge thinking when he took hold of a young man with a camera who tried to engage him on a Washington DC sidewalk? Democratic strategist Perry Woods and Republican strategist Ballard Everett join host Donna Martinez to discuss the political fallout of the Etheridge confrontation, which was caught on tape and spread rapidly on the Internet. Is Etheridge's apology enough to mitigate the impact on his race against Republican Renee Ellmers -- a race that is now garnering national attention and fundraising?

Woods and Everett also assess Tuesday's primary runoff races for the U.S. Senate (Marshall vs. Cunningham), the 8th Congressional District (Tim D'Annunzio vs. Harold Johnson) and the 13th Congressional District (Randall vs. Reeves).

Then Martinez revisits excerpts of her interviews with Marshall, Johnson, Randall, and Reeves as the June 22nd election approaches and all the candidates make a final push for votes.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Politics and the justice system intersected multiple times this week. Stategovernmentradio.com News Director Rick Martinez joins host Donna Martinez to discuss Monday's evacuation of Gov. Beverly Perdue and her staff from the Raleigh capital following the receipt of a letter that contained an unidentifiable powder. The substance was later determined not to be toxic material.

Martinez also talks about the unusual twist related to the murder investigation of state Board of Education member Kathy Taft, the lawsuit filed by 8th congressional district Republican candidate Tim D'Annunzio against opponent Harold Johnson, and the cash-seeking court filing of John Edwards' former mistress Rielle Hunter.

Then Carolina Journal Managing Editor Rick Henderson discusses developments in the Mike and Mary Easley cases. It was learned this week that the former governor has taken a leave of absence from his law firm, while former First Lady Mary Easley's attorneys say NC State has denied her due process by dismissing her challenge of her dismissal from the university.

Then the topic turns to the fight for control of the General Assembly. John Rustin of the N.C. Free Enterprise Foundation analyzes voter registrations of key competitive legislative districts and discusses the challenge that faces 10 appointment incumbents who will face voters for the first time in the fall.

That's followed by a discussion with Chuck Stone of North Carolina Families First about the group's continuing effort to challenge Democratic incumbent Congressman Larry Kissell from the Left by qualifying former Kissell aide Wendell Fant for the fall ballot. Stone explains why the SEIU-funded group is so upset with their fellow Democrat.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The Republican runoffs for Congress in District 13 and 8 heat up as the June 22nd runoff approaches. District 13 candidate Bernie Reeves joins host Donna Martinez to discuss plagiarized material Reeves found on Randall's website. Randall then responds, telling Martinez a staffer who is no longer with his campaign lifted material without his knowledge and that he takes responsibility it.

Then Carolina Journal reporter David Bass joins Martinez to discuss the charges and counter-charges in the GOP runoff in District 8. NC GOP Chairman Tom Fetzer has called candidate Tim D'Annunzio unfit for office and D'Annunzio has fired back, calling on Fetzer to resign. Bass also assesses the District 12 runoff between Greg Dority and Scott Cumbie, which has been rather quiet, and the dust-up in the 7th District general election race in which the GOP primary losers are criticizing winner Ilario Pantano.

Martinez then talks with Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate Mike Beitler about his campaign and views. Josh Ellis, capital reporter for stategovernmentradio.com discusses with Martinez the ill-fated appointment of John Tote as the state's mental health director, two bills introduced by state Sen. R.C. Soles that would benefit his longtime Democratic political ally Rex Gore, and this weekend's NASCAR race, which will feature House Speaker Joe Hackney in a special role.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Secretary of State Elaine Marshall joins host Donna Martinez to discuss her June 22 Senate runoff against former state Sen. Cal Cunningham and Marshall's areas of policy disagreement with Cunningham.

That's followed by an assessment of the Marshall/Cunningham runoff by Barlow Herget of StateGovernmentRadio.com and Francis DeLuca of the Civitas Institute, including the role of the national Democratic Party's money  and influence in the race. The duo also discuss Sen. Richard Burr's easy GOP primary win and how the fall general election race is shaping up, no matter who the Democratic nominee turns out to be, in light of the reported $5 to $6 million Burr has on hand. Herget and DeLuca also weigh in on the two U.S. House runoffs -- District 8, where Tim D'Annunzio and Harold Johnson are vying for the chance to take on Democratic incumbent Larry Kissell, and District 13,where Bill Randall and Bernie Reeves are fighting it out for the right toc hallenge Democratic incumbent Brad Miller. Then Herget and DeLuca react to news that half-dozen or so state legislators lost their primaries this week,what the losses say about the frustration of base voters in both major parties,the nonpartisan Court of Appeals races that were on the primary ballot, and the half dozen convicted felons who ran unsuccessfully for sheriff.

Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling discusses with host Donna Martinez the latest polling data on North Carolina's U.S. Senate race, as well as Gov. Perdue's approval rating in relation to fellow governors, and prospects for N.C. Democrats to retain control of the General Assembly.

Then candidate Brad Jones explains why he's challenging Richard Burr for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. That's followed by a spirited discussion between Democratic strategist Perry Woods and Dallas Woodhouse of Americans for Prosperity. The duo debate the possibility of an indictment of John Edwards for campaign finance violations, Rielle Hunter's tell-all GQ interview, Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Durham, Gov. Beverly Perdue's efforts to entice the movie industry to the state, questions from state legislators over the prolonged wait for income tax refunds and the role of cronyism in securing government jobs.

Host Donna Martinez discusses the investigation of the brutal killing of state Board of Education member Kathy Taft with Rick Martinez, news director of the N.C. News Network, stategovernmentradio.com and NewsRadio 680 WPTF.

Then Democrat Marcus Williams tells Donna Martinez about his run for the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. Richard Burr for the U.S. Senate. That's followed by a spirited debate about the Senate race with Jack Nichols, chairman of the Wake County Democratic Party and Republican Chad Adams, former Lee County commissioner. Nichols and Adams also weigh in on several N.C. congressional races that look to be dogfights, as well as former Easley aide Ruffin Poole's effort to delay his April trial on corruption charges and speculation over a possible John Edwards indictment.

Sen. Richard Burr joins host Donna Martinez to discuss why he's running for re-election to the U.S. Senate and the push by national Democrats to take over the seat.

Then the focus turns to news that former House Speaker Jim Black will leave prison early, that state Sen. R.C. Soles has received a fine for shooting a man on his property last summer, and that a secret recording may vindicate former state Sen. Tony Rand, who has been accused of insider trading in relation to a company whose board he chaired.

Martinez gets reaction to the developments from Rufus Edmisten, former N.C. Secretary of State and Attorney General, and Francis DeLuca, Executive Director of the Civitas Institute. Edmisten and DeLuca also weigh in on Gov. Perdue's call for an appraisal of the state-controlled liquor system, and they assess the most interesting legislative and congressional races leading up to the May 4 primary election.

Host Donna Martinez talks with Asheboro City Councilman Eddie Burks, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by fellow Republican Richard Burr. Then the subject turns to the public squabble over campaign finance and airplane travel between the state Democratic Party and the state Republican party.

Cash Michaels of the Carolinian and Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation weigh in on whether the charges from the parties are substantive or simply political gamesmanship. They also discuss Gov. Beverly Perdue's stubbornly low job approval number, the impact of her hiring of Britt Cobb as the new chief of staff, the large number of primary opponents facing North Carolina's members of congress this year, and the abortion funding issue that may play a bigger-than-expected role in the fall's local elections.

Martinez also provides an update on the legal troubles of state Sen. R.C. Soles and an unexpected political announcement from state Sen. Julia Boseman.

Democratic political strategist Perry Woods and Wake County Republican Party Chairman Claude Pope join host Donna Martinez to discuss the state Board of Elections investigation into Gov. Beverly Perdue's campaign finances, news that State Auditor Beth Wood is behind on her Wake County property taxes, and a fake campaign Web site that brings into question the ethics of political campaigning.

They also review some of the candidate filings to date for several hotly contested N.C. General Assembly seats and U.S. House seats, and discuss the unexpectedly tough GOP primary facing Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has lost the support of the man known during the 2008 presidential campaign as "Joe the Plumber."

Then state Rep. Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg) explains to Martinez his concerns about whether or not some state legislators accurately represented a supposed technical correction to a budget bill last summer that turned out to be much more consequential than many legislators thought at the time.

And finally, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cal Cunningham joins Martinez to talk about his effort to win his party's nomination to challenge Republican Richard Burr in the fall.

Mike Munger, the 2008 Libertarian candidate for governor, joins host Donna Martinez to discuss the request he received from the State Board of Elections for his campaign travel records. Airplane travel made by Munger and other gubernatorial candidates is under the microscope in the wake of the board's investigation into the campaign travel of former Gov. Mike Easley. Martinez also is joined by Chris Fitzsimon of N.C. Policy Watch and Dallas Woodhouseof Americans for Prosperity for a discussion of the role money will play in the N.C. GOP's efforts to win back the General Assembly, the anticipated spring trial of former Easley aide Ruffin Poole on 51 federal counts, Andrew Young's assertion that Elizabeth Edwards has threatened to sue him for helping break up her marriage, and taxpayer-funded lobbying by local governments, state universities and community colleges.

What do former Gov. Mike Easley and "Nick Danger" have to do with each other? Jack Nichols, chairman of the Wake County Democratic Party and Chad Adams, a Republican and former Lee County commissioner, join host Donna Martinez to discuss deposition testimony from a former Easley staff member about a private e-mail account - screen name Nick Danger, spelled backward - from which Easley conducted state business. Public records requests from news organizations have not turned up e-mail from the "Nick Danger" account.

Nichols and Adams also spar over Karl Rove's fundraising efforts on behalf of Sen. Richard Burr, Sen. Kay Hagan's attendance at a Miami Beach event that included more than 100 lobbyists, members of North Carolina's congressional delegation who face unusually tough re-election fights this fall and the involvement of state Sen. Julia Boseman in a case that will be heard by the N.C. Supreme Court.

Then award-winning North Carolina journalist Cash Michaels joins Martinez to talk about his new documentary film, Obama in NC: The Path to History, which chronicles the key role North Carolina played in then Sen. Barack Obama's quest for the White House. Michaels talks about former Gov. Jim Hunt's advice to candidate Obama, the dynamics at play in North Carolina's brutal primary race between Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton, and the connection between a young Barack Obama and former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt.

Public Policy Polling's Tom Jensen discusses with host Donna Martinez North Carolina's political landscape in the wake of Scott Brown's Massachusetts Senate win. Jensen believes some of the state's Democratic congressional incumbents are now vulnerable due to changing political winds.

Then Democratic political strategist Perry Woods debates conservative Republican Internet blogger Bob Lee about President Obama's State of the Union address, the Democrats' quest to defeat Sen. Richard Burr, the growth of voter registrations as unaffiliated rather than Democrat or Republican, John McCain's primary challenge from N.C. State alumnus and former congressman J.D. Hayworth and the legal implications for John Edwards from material published in two tell-all books.

The Mike Easley investigation took a consequential turn this week as Ruffin Poole, former general counsel to Easley, was indicted by a federal grand jury. Rick Henderson, managing editor of Carolina Journal, joins host Donna Martinez to discuss the 51-count indictment, which alleges that Poole used his influence to intervene for others in exchange for a variety of gifts and benefits.

Then Democratic political consultant Perry Woods goes head to head with conservative Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation over the political implications of the so-called "Massachusetts Miracle" in which Republican Scott Brown won the U.S. Senate seat held for decades by the late liberal icon Ted Kennedy. Woods and Gray also look back at year one for President Barack Obama and Gov. Beverly Perdue.

That's followed by a conversation with longtime Democratic political consultant Gary Pearce - once an advisor to John Edwards - about the new book "Game Change," which skewers John and wife Elizabeth over the behind-the-scenes behavior during his presidential campaign.

A blockbuster book about the 2008 campaign exposes unflattering, behind-the-scenes details about the key Democratic and Republican players, including John and Elizabeth Edwards' relentless push for the White House despite his affair with Rielle Hunter.

Democratic watchdog Joe Sinsheimer and Chris Hayes of the Civitas Institute join host Donna Martinez to discuss the revelations found in Game Change, written by journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. The guests also weigh in on news that an independent panel can't find the missing Mike Easley travel records that may hold answers to investigators' questions, potential trouble for the former head of the DMV, the impact of the retirement of state Sen. R.C. Soles on the Senate and comments about the fiscal insecurity of the country made by Newt Gingrich in Raleigh.

Rick Martinez also welcomes Democratic senatorial candidate Ken Lewis to discuss his quest for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Sen. Richard Burr in the Fall.

Rick Henderson, managing editor of Carolina Journal, joins host Donna Martinez to discuss the indictment of state Sen. R.C. Soles (D-Columbus) on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious bodily injury. 

Will Soles' legal trouble help the Republicans take back the General Assembly from the Democrats? Wake County Democratic Party Chairman Jack Nichols and his counterpart, Claude Pope, chairman of the Wake County Republican Party, weigh in on the Soles story.

He will also discuss Democratic prospects for beating Sen. Richard Burr, the implications of Karl Rove's scheduled fundraiser for Burr, the impact of the upcoming health insurance vote on members of North Carolina's congressional delegation and the Democratic National Committee's plan to limit the power of the superdelegates.