Getting a lot of attention today is a new study about Oregon’s Medicaid program. Basically several years ago Oregon wanted to greatly expand the program but didn’t have enough money to cover everyone they wanted. As a result they held a lottery. This created a perfect natural experiment on the effect of Medicaid coverage. The [...]

If you have a moment today, please consider calling a couple voters in support of one of these important initiatives. It’s really easy and a lot of fun, and you can make a really big difference with just a few minutes of your time.

You can visit the Firedoglake Ballot Initiative Phone Bank here: http://fdl.platform.webstrong.com/dna/login

This morning, Just Say Now is proud to announce a new tool to put marijuana reform directly in the hands of activists: online phone banking to identify supporters of marijuana reform before November’s election.

There are thousands of voters in Arizona, California, Oregon, and South Dakota who we need to vote for marijuana reforms. We’re targeting calls to young voters and “surge voters” – people who turned out in 2008 but who are not yet likely to vote in the midterm elections.

People have been wondering why the “progressive” Earl Blumenauer would willingly participate in Matt Bai’s hatchet piece on Social Security in the New York Times. Bai says that Blumenauer “sides with the White House” in the belief that “Democrats need to do something now about the federal debt,” starting with “cherished entitlement programs.” Blumenauer says [...]

A mercenary firm in Oregon offered to provide “security” on election day in case voters “get out of control,” Danger Room reports

Not shocking really, as that is all the rave these days among, you know, Americans. It is just that Senator Smith is in a tough reelection in Oregon, and he obviously understands the benefits of tying himself to Obama far outweigh any association with Senator McCain. Watch his new ad.

Oregon, as you may know, is a mail-in ballot. Which means, according to PPP, Obama may have already won. He was polling at 59% yesterday, with 74% of respondents in. Interesting stuff in the brave new world of mail-in ballots.Meanwhile, in Kentucky, as state where the Eastern half has very similar demographics to those of West Virginia, Sen.

ARG conducted two polls over the past few days and found Obama with a small lead in Oregon, 50% to 45%, and Clinton with a West Virginia like 65% to 29% lead in Kentucky. For more information and analysis, go here.

In this case he was against closing it (1980s), before he was for closing it (1990s), before he was against closing it again: