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Wake County District Court Judge Jane Gray joins host Donna Martinez to discuss her campaign for a seat on the North Carolina Court of Appeals versus Judge Ann Marie Calabria. 

Then Martinez discusses with Tom Jensen of the Democratic polling firm Public Policy Polling, the tough political environment for North Carolina Democrats and his advice that, based on strong disapproval numbers, Democrats should keep President Obama, Gov. Beverly Perdue, and Sen. Kay Hagan off the campaign trail. Then the focus turns to a court case that seeks to determine the power of the North Carolina governor.

Former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr gives a firsthand account of what took place in a Raleigh courtroom as he argued what's commonly called the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) case before the high court. The case stems from the 2002 move by then-Gov. Mike Easley to move $80 million out of the HTF to cover other state expenditures. Orr also discusses another case argued before the Supreme Court this week -- a case that challenges the state's restrictive ballot access laws for third party candidates.

Then, as the nation commemorates the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, Donna Martinez is joined by Rick Martinez, news director of the North Carolina News Network, to reflect on new details of that horrific day provided by then-Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice. Rice says she had a heated exchange with then-President Bush over whether he should return to Washington D.C. and that the secure bunker that sheltered many key officials -- including Vice President Dick Cheney and Rice -- ran short of oxygen due to so many people congregating in the area.

Finally, Donna Martinez provides an update on three televised debates that Sen. Richard Burr and Sec. of State Elaine Marshall have agreed to, as well as information on a speech by Karl Rove at UNC-Chapel Hill.