While we haven't broken down the results by precinct, we do have some county-based comparisons based upon Obama's sweep of the district, and the last presidential election. Here goes:

I did some empirical research. B.J. did a pretty miraculous job. Consider that:

I was pleased to receive the following endorsement today from Dr. Larry Burk, a radiologist with whom I worked at Duke:

Friends and former colleagues,

Many folks I encounter on the campaign trail share my concerns about the economy and our financial system. In light of our challenges, I'm often asked why I'm so cheerful and optimistic about the future.

The reason I'm excited about the future is that I've come to appreciate that we actually do live in a world of abundance. The economic trials we're experiencing, if handled properly, will ultimately reveal our potential to again prosper as a free society, a strengthened constitutional republic, with strong communities knitted together by the contributions of many.

The terrorists we must fight are not crouched in caves thousands of miles away.

The terrorists we must fight are threatening us with financial weapons of mass destruction that are destroying our economic system.

Our campaign is flourishing across a broad base of people, all of whom share the desire for good government. Advancing a federal government that lives within its means and respects its Constitutional limitations is not a partisan message, nor a message that discriminates.

It's been reported that our campaign has attracted the attention of some bloggers associated with fringe hate groups. Let me make this perfectly clear: there is no room in our campaign, or our message, for hatred or bigotry.

As we celebrate Independence Day, it's a great time to reflect on how dependent we've become on a federal government that knows and respects no boundaries. The statistics are stunning, and best shown by the simple chart to the right. The red bars show government spending growing 4 times faster than the economy, from 12% prior to the New Deal, to 43% today.

As we close out the National Day of Prayer, I was reflecting on the excellent experience my oldest daughter and I had this past Sunday joining folks at Abundant Life Church in Hillsborough for their Faith in Action Day. The motto for Faith in Action Day is simple: "Don't just go to church, BE the church."

Regular readers and fellow patriots know that one of the most important things we can do in pursuit of a better future is to reach out and make a difference in our own communities. Highlighting efforts such as Durham Nativity School and Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate has been one of the true pleasures of this campaign.

Our legislators in Washington spend a lot of time and taxpayer money talking about the great things our federal government does for us. This recent release from Rep. David Price's Web site illustrates how he was able to bring $14.5 million "back" to our District to fund a variety of projects, for a variety of purposes.