According to a Public Policy Polling survey of North Carolina, Barack Obama is now tied with John McCain and Democratic Senate candidate Kay Hagan leads Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R) as the economy remains voters’ most important issue, writes Todd Beeton. Grassroots activists should call Obama and urge him to oppose the $700 billion bailout plan of banks saddled with bad mortgage assets, since the proposal essentially amounts to a “blank check” for the Bush administration, writes Beeton.