You heard it here. Make it heard everywhere.

John McCain would pay for his health plan with major reductions to Medicare and Medicaid, a top aide said, in a move that independent analysts estimate could result in cuts of $1.3 trillion over 10 years to the government programs.

Cutting Medicare

That ought to help his poll numbers….

• In Virginia, SurveyUSA has Obama up 53%-43%, (+10%) up from a 51%-45% Obama lead two weeks ago. The key internal number: McCain now has only a 52%-43% lead among white voters, while Obama is up 86%-13% among blacks. Also, the new Suffolk poll puts Obama ahead 51%-39%.

• In New Hampshire, SurveyUSA gives Obama a 53%-40% lead (+13%). This is consistent with other recent polls from Rasmussen and St. Anselm, showing this former Republican stronghold slipping away for McCain.

Both of these states have been Republican areas until just recently — Virginia hasn’t gone Dem since the 1964 LBJ landslide, and New Hampshire only voted narrowly for Kerry in 2004 after having voted for Bush in 2000.

Polling

In Minnesota, the Star Tribune has Obama ahead by 18,