Perdue back in the saddle

Last week Gov. Bev Perdue got away from it all at a publically undisclosed location -- she told a reporter only that she was going somewhere nice and warm, as we noted in a snarky editorial that also observed that things in Raleigh were pretty warm, too, what with Republicans giving her a regular roasting, and suggesting she might want to hurry on back to the hot seat.

Since Friday, however, it's been All Perdue All the Time. Starting Friday morning with an 8:50 a.m. news release about the state's getting $545 million in federal funds for high speed rail and another about an electronics manufacturer bringing 155 jobs to Durham County, she has been in full speed ahead mode. There was also a late morning news release about the appointment of a new State Poet Laureate (Cathy Smith Bowers) and a mid-afternoon announcement about her plans to attend the Monday opening of the new International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro, another release on the rail funding that night just before 10 p.m. Saturday morning there was an announcement of a 10 a.m. press conference to deal with the winter storms, and frequent appearances on television that showed her out and about in the snow and ice, and yet another news release around 4 p.m. about Perdue's declaration of a state of emergency. Sunday, there was another Perdue release at midday about a mid-afternoon weather briefing, and that evening she was on the news saying state offices would be open first thing Monday. Perdue herself was in Greensboro Monday morning for the formal opening of the museum.

Looks like she got right back into that hot seat. Shoot, she's made more public appearances in one weekend than Mike Easley made in some entire months.