Frohnmayer is out and Merkley is smiling

The direction of Oregon's US Senate campaign just took a 180.  The AP reports John Frohnmayer, independent candidate for US Senate, is leaving the race due to his inability to raise money and his lack of grassroots support.  Such action bodes well for Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley, whose campaign was seriously concerned about losing many liberal activists who supported Merkley's primary opponent Steve Novick to the more Novick-friendly Frohnmayer.  Frohnmayer's departure leaves incument Senator Gordon Smith to fend off Merkley on the left and newly announced conservative Constitution Party candidate Dave Brownlow on the right.  My the tides are turning.