POLITICAL BRIEFING

PAT’S BACK--After rejoining the presidential sojourn last week with appearances in Wisconsin, Minnesota and California, Republican Patrick J. Buchanan plans to start focusing his attention on a Southern state--North Carolina. . . . Despite taking a break from the campaign trail in late March and virtually conceding the GOP nomination to President Bush, Buchanan would like to win at least one primary, and North Carolina’s May 5 contest is his latest target. . . . The conservative commentator is hoping history repeats itself. In 1976, then-conservative commentator Ronald Reagan revived his challenge of President Gerald R. Ford with a North Carolina victory. Although Ford held on to win the nomination, Reagan’s strong showing in the rest of the ’76 primary campaign helped lay the groundwork for his successful bid in 1980.