CARY, N.C. - Sparring over education, Gov. Mike Easley on Monday compared challenger Patrick Ballantine's record on education to Saddam Hussein's record on civil rights. By the end of the day, Easley's rhetorical flourish - which highlighted an hourlong debate on education issues - had Ballantine's campaign demanding an apology. Ballantine, a Republican, came hard after Easley in a lively televised forum held at SAS Institute. He argued the Democrat is not the education governor he promised to be when he won election four years ago. In a retort that raised eyebrows in the crowd, Easley responded: "If Patrick Ballantine...