The latest polls show a very close call on Question 2, which would allow a casino to open in Oxford County.

Both sides have made their final arguments in recent weeks, with casino backers promising good-paying jobs and money to state government.

On the other side, CasinosNO! has raised several issues about what the bill actually says and what the company plans to do. They've brought out high level opponents, such as former Gov. Angus King.

What do you think of Question 2 on Tuesday's ballot? Will it bring good jobs to Maine or send good money to Las Vegas?

The McCain campaign shared an internal poll with the media this morning that shows the ticket of Republican Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin is surging in battleground states.

The eight-page memo, from pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies, begins with some general statements about the presidential race on Tuesday's ballot.

Here's part of his introduction:

"First, let's be clear: This is a hard election to predict.

The historic nature of the candidates on both tickets, the huge influx of unregulated money by the Obama campaign, the dour public mood, and the unique level of voter interest all suggest an historic level of turnout, not witnessed in over 40 years."

He then says that in battleground states, the race is "functionally tied."

(Maine polls give Sen. Barack Obama a sizable lead.)

Back to the pollster:

"As other public polls begin to show Senator Obama dropping below 50% and the margin over McCain beginning to approach margin of error with a week left, all signs say we are headed to an election that may easily be too close to call by next Tuesday."

He also addresses turnout:

"Turnout IS going to go through the roof.

Public Opinion Strategies has been using a 1 to 10 scale to help look at self-described interest in the election since 1993. In 1996, in our last track, 48% of voters described their interest in the election as a "10." In 2000, the last track was 54% saying "10." Remarkably, in 2004, our last track had self-described "10s" at 75% of the electorate.

Last night, 81% of voters described their interest in this election as a 10! Wow!

I now believe turnout will begin to approach levels not seen since other comparable presidential campaigns in 1960 and 1968.

In today's terms, that could mean breaking the barrier of 130 million voters!

There is simply no model that begins to know or predict the composition of the electorate at this level of turnout."

So, what do you think?

Will the national presidential race be too close to call on election night?

With less than a week to go before the election, former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift will be in Hermon on Wednesday to stump for the Republican ticket of McCain-Palin.

Swift, who spoke on McCain's behalf in Augusta during the February caucuses, is scheduled to host a press conference with House Minority Leader Josh Tardy, R-Newport, who also serves as vice-chairman of the Maine McCain campaign.

Here are the details:

WHO: Gov. Jane Swift and Josh Tardy, House Republican Leader and Maine Vice Chair for McCain-Palin

WHAT: Press conference

WHEN: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. EDT

WHERE: Pottle's Transportation, Inc.
15 Page Road West
Hermon, ME

While you're on your lunch break today, you can check out 1st Congressional District candidates Charlie Summers, a Republican, and Chellie Pingree, a Democrat, mixing it up in a debate.

The debate will be on the Internet from 12 to 1 p.m. (wmtw.com) and will also be live on television (channel 8) from 12:30-1. It's a fun format, with audience questions, Web questions, pre-taped questions from real people and some queries from a panel of reporters.

I'll be on panel, along with Justin Ellis of the Portland Press Herald and Keith Baldi of WMTW.

Fed Up With Taxes, the group behind Question 1, has raised $3.5 million to try to get people to vote "yes" on Nov. 4.

The effort is to repeal taxes on soda, beer, wine and flavored drinks that were put in place to fund Dirigo Health. The latest campaign finance reports filed Friday with the ethics commission show the Fed Up With Taxes folks getting the bulk of their money in October from:

•Coca-Cola: $655,058
•Maine Beer and Wine Wholesalers: $350,000
•Pepsi: $172,715
•Anheuser-Busch Co.: $120,000

On other other side, the "no" on 1 people -- Health Coverage for Maine -- have raised has raised just under $190,000. Their biggest contributor this reporting period was the Maine State Employees Association, which gave $10,000.

Democratic Gov. John Baldacci's approval rating went up from 39 percent in the spring to 43 percent this fall in the Critical Insights on Maine Tracking Survey released Thursday.

It's still down from his high of 72 percent, a rating he got in the fall of 2003. The survey notes that since then, he's lost support across the state and "in both Congressional Districts."

When you look at the disapproval numbers, you'll see even 38 percent of Democrats disapprove of the job he's done. Then there's the 61 percent of Republicans and 40 percent of unenrolled voters who also say they disapprove.

The governor hasn't been in the news much lately. He's one of the few prominent Maine politicians who won't be on the ballot this cycle. His term ends in January of 2011 and people are already lining up to be on the November 2010 ballot when we'll vote on his successor.

So, what do you think of the job he's done in office?

A group of Maine legislators will gather in Portland today to announce their opposition to Question 2, which would allow a casino in Oxford County.

The effort is being led by House Speaker Glenn Cummings, D-Portland. He is scheduled to be joined by seven Democrats and one Republican, Sen. Karl Turner, R-Cumberland.

It's at 1 p.m. in Monument Square.

Then in Auburn at 2:30 p.m., former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman will campaign for the McCain-Palin ticket at Harriman Associates. It's being described as a business tour and media availability.

And the Critical Insights on Maine Tracking Survey released today has these numbers on the presidential race:

•56 percent said they will vote Obama/Biden, 35 percent for McCain/Palin

First Congressional District candidate Charlie Summers, a Republican from Scarborough, is getting a push from veterans -- those in Maine and a national group that will air radio ads in support of his candidacy.

The Vets for Freedom PAC, based in Washington D.C., is running ads across the country for seven Congressional candidates. The list includes six Republicans and one Democrat, according to the Summers campaign.

Summers, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves, returned from Iraq earlier this year, just prior to the June primary. His opponent on Nov. 4 is Democrat Chellie Pingree of North Haven.

The national veterans group says it will only support "pro-mission candidates" who want victory in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Closer to home, several Maine veterans, including Earl Adams, former adjutant general of the Maine National Guard, are supporting Summers.

"Charlie would be just the second Iraq War veteran to serve in Congress," Adams said in a statement. "He will take his real-life, on-the-ground experience with him to Washington to shape policies that help our men and women in uniform transition from active military duty to civilian life."

It hardly seems possible that Election Day is in just two weeks.

So where do things stand?

Here's glimpse from Rasmussen Reports:

Nationally, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama is at 50 percent, with Sen. John McCain at 46 percent, according to the daily tracking poll.

In Maine, Obama's at 51 percent to McCain's 46 percent. That dates back to Oct. 2, so it doesn't take into account McCain's push in the 2nd Congressional District, highlighted by a visit from his veep, Gov. Sarah Palin, last week.

The U.S. Senate race, featuring Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Allen has tightened with Collins leading 49 percent to 41 percent, according to internal polling by Allen and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. (Rasmussen hasn't polled that race since September.)

And, one more bit of interesting information.

The Rasmussen Report released today says:

"Fifty-three percent (53%) of U.S. voters say presidential candidates should announce at least some of their Cabinet choices before an election to help voters make a more informed decision."

Not information I'm looking for. What about you?

Gordon Smith, a lobbyist for the Maine Medical Association and spokesman for the No On 1 campaign, said today the Dirigo Health Program will be hurt if voters repeal a proposed new funding source.

"It will be wounded and it will truck along until a new day and a new revenue source," he said.

Smith and two others came to the Kennebec Journal today to ask for an endorsement of their position -- a no vote -- on Question 1, which seeks to repeal taxes on beer, wine and soda to pay for Dirigo.

The Yes on 1 effort, led by a group called Fed Up With Taxes, has effectively used television ads to tap into overall anger with the economy, including frustration with gas and home heating oil prices, Smith said.

If Fed Up With Taxes is successful, Smith said Dirigo will continue to cover those currently enrolled, but the long-term viability will be compromised.

"In my opinion, Dirigo would be in a death spiral," he said. "It's ironic that the very people who say it's been unsuccessful because it doesn't cover enough people are denying us the resources to open enrollment and grow Dirigo."

This week, both candidates running for the 1st Congressional District stopped by the Kennebec Journal to meet with the editorial board and ask for an endorsement.

As a reporter, I sit in on these meetings just in case anyone says anything outrageous (they never do) and usually, to write a news story.

And while Republican Charlie Summers of Scarborough and Democrat Chellie Pingree of North Haven talked about their differences, they are both hearing the same thing from voters.

People are disgusted with Washington.

Summers, who has talked with people at work as part of his 30 jobs across the district effort, said he too has little patience for "the silliness of politics."

"When you see people in their everyday setting and talk to them there, they are much more likely to open up to you," he said.

What have they said?

"They are angry about what they see in Washington today, in terms of the bailout," he said. "They feel like the politicians aren't taking care of Wall Street or Main Street, they are taking care of their own interests down there."

Pingree, who said "the public has had it," said if Democrats win the White House and increase their majorities in the House and Senate, they will have a big responsibility to lead.

"If we elect a Democrat to the White House and we have bigger majorities in the House and the Senate, and we don't fix this stuff, we won't deserve to govern," she said. "People won't have confidence in us again."

She continued:

"I think this is the country potentially turning over its trust in sort of a last ditch effort to say OK, uncle, we can't afford this, we can't survive this."

Meghan McCain, Sen. John McCain's 23-year-old daughter, will be in Orono, Bangor and Auburn today.

She was in Boston on Thursday, according to the Boston Globe. If you want to find out more about her, check out her blog at www.mccainblogette.com.

Today's posting is titled "I am not President Bush."

The visit comes just one day after vice-presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin held a rally in Bangor. Despite the Republican National Committee's decision to spend less in Maine, the McCain campaign is continuing efforts to win the state's 2nd Congressional District.

Here are the details of Meghan McCain's visit to Maine:

ORONO

WHO: Meghan McCain

WHAT: Lunch With Supporters

WHEN: Friday, October 17, 2008 at 12:30 p.m. EDT

WHERE: Pat's Pizza
11 Mill St.
Orono, ME 04473

BANGOR

WHO: Meghan McCain

WHAT: Meet and Greet

WHEN: Friday, October 17, 2008 at 1:50 p.m. EDT

WHERE: Bangor Victory Center
543 Broadway
Bangor, ME

AUBURN

WHO: Meghan McCain

WHAT: Meet and Greet

WHEN: Friday, October 17, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. EDT

WHERE: Gritty's Brew Pub
68 Main Street
Auburn, ME 04210

I'd like to talk to some of the people who make up the largest voting bloc in Maine -- those who don't enroll in a political party. Some like to be called independents, others prefer the term unenrolled.

According to the stats I got from the Secretary of State's Office last month, there are 330,657 registered voters in Maine who didn't enroll in any of our three recognized parties.

That number is followed by Democrats 299,664; Republicans 253,469 and Green Independents 25,676.

I'm curious to find out why so many people who are politically engaged (ie they at least register to vote) decide not to join up in any organized way.

Feel free to post here or e-mail me at scover@centralmaine.com. Please include your phone number so I can give you a call.

With the Nov. 4 election just three weeks away, all the campaigns are shifting into high gear.

Here's a sample of what's going on:

Wednesday: 1st Congressional District candidate Charlie Summers, a Republican, will be hosting a campaign event in Bath with U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. They'll be speaking at 4:45 p.m. on a boat dock with Bath Iron Works in the background.

Thursday: Vice-presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin will be in Bangor at the airport's Hangar 11 at 40 Wyoming Ave. Doors open at 8 a.m. and the GOP is warning people to get there early.
It's also a ticketed event, so if you're planning to go, you should pick up a ticket at Republican offices in Bangor, Lewiston, Portland, Machias or Caribou. You can also get them in Augusta at party headquarters on Higgins Street.

Also Thursday, the Maine Public Broadcasting Network is hosting a debate at 8 p.m. between U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, a Democrat, and his Republican challenger John Frary. It will be broadcast live and will be held at Page Commons on the Colby College campus.

Thursday & Friday: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI will make various campaign stops with U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, who's running for the Senate. On Friday, they'll be hosting a town hall meeting at 10:30 a.m. in the Statehouse Welcome Center and a Conversation for Change event at noon in the Colby College Fairchild Room at Dana Dining Hall.

The next in a series of scheduled debates between incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins and U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, a Democrat, is scheduled for Tuesday at the University of Southern Maine.

Here's what the Portland Press Herald wrote about it:

Co-sponsored by the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, News 8 WMTW and the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel, the debate is free and open to the public and is scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. at Hannaford Lecture Hall on the university's Portland campus.

The entire debate will be streamed live on wmtw.com, with portions of live coverage airing on News 8 WMTW during the station's noon newscast. From 12:30 to 1 p.m., the remaining half-hour will be broadcast live on Channel 8.

Audience members will be asked to submit questions as they enter the hall, and online viewers can submit questions through pressherald.com beginning today. The candidates will also field questions from a panel of journalists.

After a couple of days of speculation, the Maine McCain campaign announced late Thursday that Todd Palin, husband of Republican vice-presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin, will be in Maine this weekend.

The events are open to the public. Still waiting for the national campaign to put out the official details, but here's what the Maine folks are able to release:

Saturday

Who: Todd Palin

What: Barbeque/meet and greet with supporters

Where: Moosehead Trail Trading Post

428 Oxbow Road (Route 100)

Palmyra

When: Doors open at 2:00 p.m.

Sunday

Who: Todd Palin

What: Barbeque/meet and greet with supporters

Where: Harry's Motor Sports

640 Main Street

Presque Isle

When: Doors open at 12:00 p.m.

The Sen. John McCain presidential campaign is apparently considering the logistics of a visit by Republican vice-presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin and a possible separate visit by her husband Todd.

"I know the McCain professionals are looking to see the logistics for a Todd Palin visit and a Gov. Palin visit," said Rep. Josh Tardy, R-Newport. "It shows how close this thing is really."

Tardy, vice-chairman of the McCain campaign in Maine, said nothing's official yet, and that things change by the hour with the national campaigns. But he thinks both Palins will be well received in the 2nd Congressional District, the new target of concentrated efforts by the McCain campaign.

"It builds momentum and morale," Tardy said.

All in an effort to move those undecided voters into the Republican column.

U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine, stopped by the Kennebec Journal Tuesday to talk about his policies and the campaign against Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

He covered a wide range of topics, from the $700 billion bailout to health care to the war in Iraq. You can check the KJ or Morning Sentinel on Wednesday for a story on his meeting with our editorial board.

When it comes to the political side of the race, Allen said he's within eight points of Collins and he's feeling good about his chances.

"She's under 50 percent," he said. "In August, we were 25 points down. Do the math. We're moving very, very fast."

Internal polling numbers from the campaign are consistent with those released earlier this week by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which pegged the race at 49 percent Collins, 41 percent Allen.

Allen said his television ads are swaying voters because he's focused on the economy, jobs, health care, energy and Iraq.

"We are speaking much more clearly and forcefully to the needs people have in Maine, the fears they have, the hopes they have right now, than she is," he said. "That's why we're moving so fast."

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released new poll numbers today that show U.S. Rep. Tom Allen gaining on Sen. Susan Collins in the race for her Senate seat.

Collins had been ahead by 15 points or more, but the committee says Allen's work on the campaign trail is paying off. It now shows Collins ahead 49 percent to 41 percent, with 10 percent undecided.

The same poll gives Democrat Barack Obama a commanding lead over Sen. John McCain with 52 percent to 35 percent.

The poll of 600 likely voters was taken September 30 to October 2 by the Mellman Group and has a 4% margin of error.

Maine House Minority Leader Josh Tardy, R-Newport, said Friday that the McCain campaign will have a "significant presence" in Maine, particularly in the 2nd Congressional District.

In a phone interview, Tardy said those who live in the massive district that includes Waterville, Lewiston/Auburn, Downeast and northern Maine, will see more television ads and possibly campaign appearances by Sen. John McCain or his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin.

On Thursday, the McCain campaign announced that it would no longer fight Democratic Sen. Barack Obama in Michigan and would be shifting money elsewhere. Among the places mentioned was Maine.

"You think about sort of the demographics and that Congressional District 2 is just loaded with sportsmen and women," Tardy said. "They have a lot in common with Gov. Palin."

Despite double-digit leads for Obama in July and August, a more recent Rasmussen poll pegged the race at 50 percent for Obama and 46 percent for McCain.

Republicans are hoping to pick up at least one of the state's electoral votes because of Maine's unusual system. With four electoral votes to award, Maine gives two to the statewide winner, but each Congressional district can award one as well.

Tardy said a close race nationally means every electoral college vote will count.

"It could very well come down to one electoral vote," he said. "It's a precious commodity."

We ran an Associated Press story today out of Washington that said Republican Sen. John McCain is shifting money to Maine as part of a new strategy to win the presidential election.

He's given up on Michigan and will instead focus on competitive states, including what the AP called "a new push in Maine."

Jen Webber, spokeswoman for the Maine Republican Party and the coordinated campaign for all Republicans in Maine, said this morning that it's an exciting development, but that she's still getting the details herself.

Two weeks ago, a poll from Rasmussen indicated the presidential race in Maine was tightening. Despite double-digit leads for Democratic Sen. Barack Obama in July and August, the more recent poll pegged the race at 50 percent for Obama and 46 percent for McCain.

Republicans are hoping to pick up at least one of the state's electoral votes because of Maine's unusual system. With four electoral votes to award, Maine gives two to the statewide winner, but each Congressional district can award one as well.

For McCain, that means a push in the 2nd Congressional District may be rewarded with an electoral vote, even if he can't carry the whole state. However, Maine has never split its electoral votes, even though this system has been in place since 1972.

Is this the year we'll see a split?

Maine Attorney General Steve Rowe will host a vice-presidential debate watch party tonight at the Portland presidential campaign headquarters for Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, 1037 Forest Ave. Suite 103.

The party starts at 8:45 p.m., according to the Obama folks. This is the only scheduled debate between Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a Republican, and Sen. Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Also tonight, volunteers in Waterville, Bangor and Portland will be calling people before the debate to recruit more helpers and get people registered to vote.

So, where will you be watching the debate? And, who do you think will win?

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, spoke late this afternoon on the floor of the Senate to express her support for the retooled $700 billion bailout.

Collins said it is worth supporting "to prevent catastrophic consequences for our entire economy."

Collins, who is facing a challenge from U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine on Nov. 4, said she pushed for changes to the proposal so it would include taxpayer protections, limitations on CEO pay, and oversight.

She talked about small business owners, young couples, auto dealers and older workers who have watched their retirement savings lose value.

"I share the anger of many of my constituents over this crisis," she said. "I subscribe to many of the principles they invoke."

Earlier this week, Allen voted to support the House version that failed.

The presidential campaign of Democratic Sen. Barack Obama has launched a Campus Voter Registration Challenge where Maine colleges are competing to see which school can register the most voters by Oct. 14.

So far, the results show Colby College in the lead with 40 points and 296 total voters registered. Points are awarded based on the highest percentage of students registered, according to the Web site.

To see the scorecard, go to the campus challenge web site.