The South Is Different

And it's not all due to malaria.

From today's CQ Midday update:

"If poise, beauty and looking good in a swimsuit are traits desired by North Carolina voters, then Rep. Richard M. Burr, R-N.C., has scored himself quite a coup in his bid for a Senate seat. The Charlotte OBSERVER reports that in two weeks, the outgoing Miss North Carolina, Dana Reason, will join his campaign as a field representative. "I'll be the name and face of the campaign," Reason, 25, told the paper. Burr is running against former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles to succeed retiring North Carolina Democratic Sen. John Edwards. Reason was an intern in North Carolina Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole's successful 2002 Senate campaign against Bowles. "I really was impressed by his message," Reason said of Burr. "I didn't feel like I was meeting a politician, but a person." The new Miss North Carolina will be crowned June 26. "