We discussed yesterday the phenomenon known as the political groundswell — some are earth-shaking, some a mere jostle. Former Congressman Bob Etheridge reports a groundswell for him to run for governor in the Democratic primary. He was at home in Lillington at the time, I believe.

Etheridge joins Walter Dalton and Bill Faison in the race so far — three moderate-to-conservative white male candidates. Former State Treasurer Richard Moore, if he gets in, would make four, and if Congressman Mike McIntyre runs, make it five.

We know that Congressman Brad Miller's feeling the progressive tremors; so is state Sen. Dan Blue, according to this tweet from WRAL:

Just talked to Sen. Dan Blue. He's still interested in #ncgov - says he's weighing pros and cons and will have a decision next week. #ncpol

If both Miller and Blue decide to run — well, you know, two progressive candidates from Raleigh?

Blue said he won't decide until next week. Is he waiting for Miller, whose timetable should have him announcing one way or the other by Sunday?

I spoke with a friend of Dan's last night who said he's thinking very seriously about a gubernatorial run. Blue, a former speaker of the N.C. House, ran for the U.S. Senate in 2002, losing the Democratic nomination to Erskine Bowles.

There's strong sentiment in the party that it's time an African-American candidate ran at the top of the state Democratic ticket. Of course, Harvey Gantt was the U.S. Senate nominee in '98 and '04 against Jesse Helms. But the late Ralph Campbell remains the only African-American to serve in a Council of State post — he was State Auditor — and his office was well down the ballot.

Former state Rep. Linda Coleman, D-Wake, is already in the lieutenant governor's race; if elected, she'd be the first black woman in a Council of State position. Whether Blue would be interested in lieutenant governor, I don't know. It's not much of a position unless a Republican is elected governor — then the light-gov could be top Democratic official in the state (note: unless the ground really shakes, the House Speaker and Senate President Pro Tem will still be Republicans after this year's elections).

In that circumstance, Blue would be tremendously influential and odds-on for the gubernatorial nomination in 2016. But then, if the Democratic candidate for governor loses this year, what are the chances Blue or any other Democrat could be elected lieutenant governor?

Hopefully, I don't need to tell you what the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation did to Planned Parenthood ... or about the storm of protest resulting from it. Around here, the annual Komen Race for the Cure 5K, scheduled for June 9, is the biggest road race & walk around. Or was. I know I won't be wearing my Cure T-shirts any more.

[Update: Here's a good idea from Gray Newman: Mail your shirts back to them ... at this address: http://www.bluenc.com/join-me-mailing-our-komen-t-shirts-back-them]

This morning, U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-NC, called out the Komen folks in blunt terms. Hagan isn't given to rants. This is about as close as she gets:

Greensboro, NC — U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (NC) released the following statement after Susan G. Komen for the Cure cut off grants to Planned Parenthood health clinics used for breast cancer screenings, mammograms and education.

“I am deeply disappointed that Susan G. Komen for the Cure has pulled grant funding for preventive care, screenings, mammograms and education at Planned Parenthood clinics around the country. More than 25,000 North Carolinians depend on Planned Parenthood for health and education services including breast health care that saves lives and saves families. The women who depend on this care don’t deserve to be caught in the crossfire of politically motivated attacks. Unfortunately, most of us know at least one person whose life has been affected by breast cancer. We need to use every tool in the toolbox to fight this terrible disease. I urge Susan G. Komen for the Cure to reconsider this decision for the sake of women’s health in North Carolina and around the country.”

With Erskine Bowles out of the running, the door is wide open for a Brad Miller candidacy for governor. That's my take. Miller's? He said he hasn't quite decided whether to run. "I've gotten a lot of encouragement that I haven't solicited," he says. "I'm thinking very hard about it. I know I need to make a decision very quickly."

Don't forget, he just reminded me when we spoke on the phone, that a week ago he was announcing he wouldn't run for re-election to Congress ... and his assumption in making that announcement was that he would never again be a candidate for public office.

Back in those olden days — a week ago — we chatted about the prospects out on the punditry/advocacy circuit for an ex-congressman who's expert on banking issues and voice for progressive interests. Now the subject is the Executive Mansion and leader of the Democratic Party back home in Raleigh. "I know that state government affects North Carolinians as much as what happens in Congress," Miller said.

It sounded to me like a former state legislator ... who's been in Washington for the last decade ... getting pumped up to come back — but we'll see. At any rate, Miller would enter a Democratic primary for governor as the clear progressive favorite against Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton and Rep. Bill Faison. And if former state Treasurer Richard Moore gets in, he'd make a trio of moderate-to-conservative candidates against Miller.

MoveOn.org just sent along its "Go Brad, Go" sentiments —

Following the news that North Carolina Governor Bev Purdue is not running for reelection and Democrat Erskine Bowles has no intentions of running, MoveOn released survey results showing that their North Carolina members overwhelmingly want Rep. Brad Miller to run. Over 87% of MoveOn's members that took part in the survey said they want Rep. Brad Miller to run for North Carolina's Governor. MoveOn has 147,000 members across the state of North Carolina.

Below are a handful comments from North Carolina MoveOn members reacting to the survey.
- "Brad should certainly consider it; we need a strong, effective Democrat who supports education, jobs and the middle class," said Adrienne, a MoveOn member from Raleigh.

- "Brad's such a stellar people's representative that it would be a tragedy to lose him from the NC political scene," said Leslie, a MoveOn member from Greensboro.

- "Brad should run because he's honest, trustworthy and fights hard for what he believes in. I have the utmost respect for him and am thankful for what he has done for North Carolina," said Merrill, a MoveOn member from Greensboro.

Full email below.

————— Forwarded message —————

Dear MoveOn member,
North Carolina Representative Brad Miller, one of the top Wall Street reformers in the nation, just announced that he's not running for re-election because redistricting had him set to face another Democrat in a primary. North Carolina Governor Bev Purdue also just announced that she won't be seeking re-election.

Miller hasn't decided whether or not to run for governor, but public opinion could influence his decision. We're curious what MoveOn members who live in the area think. Please take a minute to complete our brief, two-question survey on the race.
Click here to weigh in on whether Brad Miller should run for governor.

Brad Miller authored the bill in Congress that would break up the big Wall Street banks and prevent future bailouts. He also fought to make it easier for North Carolinians to "Move Our Money" from big banks that gamble away our money to smaller community banks. So please let us know whether you'd like to see him run for governor.

Thanks for all you do.

—Adam R., Wes, Elena, Marika, and the rest of the team

So, reading my mail and after a couple of conversations while I was moving around today:

Lt. Walter Dalton is in the race for the Democratic nomination for governor. Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx is looking it over. Erskine Bowles is making calls, testing the waters. A progressive group is pushing hard for Brad Miller, who didn't rule it out this morning. (And why would he — rule it out, I mean?) State Treasurer Janet Cowell issued a statement that she plans for run for re-election as treasurer and won't be in the gubernatorial field.

• Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton

Heard that former State Rep. Cal Cunningham is looking at another run for Lit. Gov. He lost a primary for U.S. Senatre in 2010 to Elaine Marshall. [Corrected to put Cunningham in the correct prior primary campaign instead of the one my faulty memory had him in.] I expect we'll see a lot of people looking at the Lt. Gov. race — Deborah Ross, Jennifer Weiss, Grier Martin, other redistricted into legislative seats with each other and/or to Republican-heavy districts they can't win. Should be wide open.

If you're thinking of running for governor, my advice: Announce first, figure out how later. The cell towers are burning up.

This is from Walter Dalton an hour ago:

“I believe that our future economy and better jobs depend on our historic commitment to education. After all, education is in North Carolina’s DNA — it's what sets us apart and it's what will determine our future. However, you can’t make progress if you are pointed in the wrong direction. Pat McCrory and the Republican leadership are facing the wrong way by cutting teachers, reducing scholarships and abandoning economic development. They are doing lasting damage to our state. I’ve dedicated my career to improving education at all levels and making North Carolina a great place to do business.

“Today, I'm announcing that I am running for Governor. Lucille and I love this state and we understand tough political races. I am the only candidate who has run and won statewide and I look forward to waging an aggressive campaign. Elections are about choices. As a state we must decide the direction in which we will turn. With this campaign, I choose to look ahead to a brighter future. I choose progress. I choose a future where public education is the foundation of our economy.”

www.walterdalton.org