Massachusetts on Wednesday August 27, 2008

Archive of Massachusetts on Wednesday August 27, 2008

Patrick takes center stage, heaps praise
By , The Boston Globe (registration)
DENVER - Three years ago Deval Patrick was a political unknown, but last night the Massachusetts governor stepped onto a prime-time national political stage to extol the historic candidacy of his friend, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, and took shots at the man standing between Obama and the White House, John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee.
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Mass. law cuts uninsured to lowest in country
By Christine McConville, Boston Herald
Health-care advocates are cheering the latest U.S. Census data, which shows that Massachusetts has the nation's lowest rate of uninsured residents.
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Health insurance venture propels Commonwealth to top of the list
By Stephen Smith, The Boston Globe (registration)
Massachusetts has the highest rate of residents with health insurance in the nation, according to a federal report released yesterday that provides fresh evidence of success in the state's bold experiment to insure nearly everyone.
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Massachusetts delegates stand tall with Hillary Clinton
By Dave Wedge, Boston Herald
DENVER - Several Bay State backers of Sen. Hillary Clinton including House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi and Senate President Therese Murray will cast "symbolic" votes for the failed presidential candidate tonight, even as the Democratic Party struggles to unite behind Barack Obama.
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Gov. Patrick praises friend, candidate
By Martha T. Moore, USA Today
DENVER — Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick shared his own Chicago upbringing as an "American story" of upward mobility with the Democratic convention and praised his friend Barack Obama on Tuesday for his plans to improve education.
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Deval Patrick shares his 'American story'
By Dave Wedge, Boston Herald
DENVER - Gov. Deval Patrick brought his powerful personal story to the Democratic convention stage last night in a speech that used his struggles and successes as proof that quality education can turn lives around.
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John McCain-Mitt Romney dream ticket - for Democrats
By Dave Wedge, Boston Herald
DENVER - Massachusetts Democrats are pleading with John McCain to pick Mitt Romney as his running mate, knocking the former Bay State governor as the best ticket to a GOP flop in November.
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Possible McCain running mate Romney kicks dirt at Obama
By Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press
DENVER -- Call him Mitt the Attack Dog. Bloomfield Hills' own Mitt Romney -- who in January argued that John McCain might be too pessimistic for Michigan -- was in the host city for the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, building up McCain and blasting Barack Obama as an underexperienced tax-and-spend liberal.
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Students may get loan help soon
By Jay Fitzgerald, Boston Herald
The head of the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority is "hopeful" that the authority can soon sell about $400 million in bonds so it can provide student loans to state residents.
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Logan's high-flying food courts
By Nicole C. Wong, The Boston Globe (registration)
Think fancy food court is an oxymoron? Not at Logan International Airport.
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Bay State home prices still sliding
By Kimberly Blanton, The Boston Globe (registration)
July house prices in the Boston area suffered the largest decline since the current housing market downturn began two years ago, while statewide prices had the biggest drop since 1987.
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State SAT scores rise in all 3 parts
By Peter Schworm, The Boston Globe (registration)
SAT scores for Massachusetts high school graduates rose this year on all three sections of the college entrance exam, far outpacing the national average.
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Democratic delegates speak from the convention

DENVER — Stateline.org asked delegates at the Democratic National Convention, gathered here to nominate a presidential candidate, to turn their focus closer to home and answer the question: What serious issue in your state would you like the next president to address?

From the faltering economy and health care costs to education needs and the mortgage crisis, the delegates expressed a wide range of serious concerns that they hope the next president will tackle. Go to Convention Watch and look for "Delegates speak" and other convention coverage updated throughout the day.
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Census - Uninsured down, poverty up
By Christine Vestal and Pauline Vu, Stateline.org Staff Writers
The U.S. Census Bureau annual report on poverty shows modest gains in median income in 2007 and a decrease in the number of people who lack health insurance. But the number of Americans living below the poverty line rose to 37.3 million, despite six years of economic growth. Experts predict the picture will be worse this time next year.
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Three governors face possible Senate picks
By John Gramlich, Stateline.org Staff Writer

Stateline.org's coverage from the 2008 national conventions. Updated throughout the day.

Barack Obama’s selection of Joseph R. Biden Jr. as his running mate in November’s presidential election has put a third governor on notice that he or she may be called upon to name a new U.S. senator once the next commander-in-chief is known.
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Conventions to look at primary process
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer
DENVER — As Democrats converge here this week to formally nominate Barack Obama as their presidential candidate, both parties are working behind the scenes to prevent a repeat of states’ helter-skelter scramble for early primary dates.
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Arkansans find convention bittersweet
By Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org Staff Writer
DENVER — After the murder of the state party chairman, Bill Gwatney, Arkansas' delegates honor his memory at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

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Ark. delegation coping with death of leader

Aug. 26, 2008, 4:00 p.m. EDT
DENVER - The trip to Denver has been bittersweet for Arkansas' Democratic delegates. They just buried their party chairman, Bill Gwatney, last week. He was fatally shot Aug. 13. Read more in Arkansans find convention bittersweet.

--Stephen C. Fehr

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Why presidential elections matter to states
By Stephen C. Fehr, Stateline.org Staff Writer
Democrats and Republicans will gather in Colorado and Minnesota to nominate their candidates for president amid uncertainty in the states on the economy and other issues.
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2008 state elections: What's at stake?
By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer

(Updated 4:20 p.m. EDT, Aug. 20, 2008)

The historic battle for the White House may be grabbing most of the headlines, but plenty of state races and major ballot measures also could be nail-biters this November — and the results could have national implications. Stateline.org today is launching a new 2008 interactive guide to help voters keep track of the 11 gubernatorial, 11 attorneys general and seven secretary of state races and some 130 statewide ballot measures.

Power rates spike in some states
By Daniel Petty, Special to Stateline.org
Consumers already grappling with high food, gasoline and heating oil prices in many states now face another financial burden: skyrocketing electricity bills.
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Measures could bring youth to state races
By Leah Szarek, Special to Stateline.org

Lawmakers in Colorado and Hawaii aim to ramp up political participation by younger candidates with November ballot measures to lower the qualifying age for some state offices.
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Purple states: The playing field expands
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

For the first time in more than a decade, the list of battleground states in the presidential election is expanding, and Barack Obama’s campaign war chest is one reason why. Meanwhile, the list of toss-up states continues to grow.
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Should murder accomplices face execution?
By John Gramlich, Stateline.org Staff Writer
An execution last month in Mississippi and another scheduled for this month in Texas have reignited a debate over whether the death penalty should be given to those who participate in killings — but do not personally carry them out.
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2008 state-by-state summary
By The Stateline.org Staff

(Updated 11:15 a.m. EDT, Aug. 6, 2008)

Here’s Stateline.org's state-by-state rundown of significant legislative action in 2008.
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First-term govs largely successful
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

Midway through their first terms, the governors of the class of 2006 are short one member and have accumulated lots of battle scars. But most are avoiding the voter discontent directed at Congress and the presidency.
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State by state, it's still a tight race
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

Finally, the last primary votes have been cast, and Barack Obama and John McCain are jousting with each other. But even as Obama opens up double-digit leads in two national polls, the election is still poised to be decided in a half-dozen toss-up states.
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Govs find their popularity might not transfer
By Louis Jacobson, Stateline.org Columnist

At a time when the presidential candidates are feverishly trying to flip red and blue states, a group of governors is finding that switching a state’s partisan leaning is no easy matter.
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Calif. gay marriage ruling sparks new debate
By Christine Vestal, Stateline.org Staff Writer
(Updated 5 p.m EDT, June 12, 2008)
The California Supreme Court reignited a political wildfire with its ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in the most populous state in the union, but the issue already has burned out in more than half the states.
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Visit the Stateline.org Massachusetts Page

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