Oregon: John Kerry

Former Gov. John Kitzhaber had been rumored to be a candidate for Secretary of Health and Human Services in President-elect Barack Obama’s cabinet, but on Wednesday Politico.com reported that that position went to former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.).

Kitzhaber was first rumored for the post three weeks ago, along with Daschle and Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean.

The Oregon Republican Party is coming off an election where sentiments against Republican elected officials at the national level may have led to the defeat of incumbent state reps, qualified  statewide candidates, and U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton).

Majority Action released an advertisement in the Senate race Tuesday trying to bring to light what they believe to be U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith’s record of supporting the Iraq war and big oil companies.

This is the fourth ad the national 527 group founded by George Soros has run in the Oregon Senate race this campaign cycle. The group has been focusing on Senate races around the country. Oregon was the first state in which Majority Action aired Senate ads, and it has since expanded to North Carolina and Colorado.

DENVER -- The youth movement may have propelled U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to the Democratic presidential nomination, but when he is officially given the party’s nomination on Thursday night, most of the delegates casting their vote are far removed from their youth.