Here's this morning's rundown on the Congressional race: Economic insecurities are taking a greater and greater role in the Congressional races, with candidates giving their responses to corporate malpractice -- or being accused of it themselves.

DCCC Shelling Out Big Money
The DCCC dropped a cool $1.75 million on ads in 15 House races yesterday, flexing their cash advantage over the Republicans. One expenditure seriously stands out: Nearly half a million dollars to defend freshman Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH), who faces a very tough rematch against former Congressman Jeb Bradley.

Gordon Smith Facing More Pressure On Hiring Illegal Immigrants
The Willamette Week has intensified its reporting on the hiring of illegal immigrants by the family business of Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR), which Smith has called a "hatchet-job." Now the paper has upped the ante, with on-the-record testimonials from illegal immigrants who have themselves worked at the Smith Frozen Foods plant.

Sununu: Dem Opponent Can't Handle Financial Crisis
The crisis on Wall St. has got the New Hampshire Senate race heating up, with GOP Sen. John Sununu claiming his Dem opponent Jeanne Shaheen wants to raise taxes and reduce government oversight. But Shaheen's campaign is firing right back saying not only is Sununu wrong, but during his five years on Senate Banking Committee he eased regulation and did nothing to prevent the current panic.

Cornyn Keeps Ads Going Despite Hurricane Ike
The Dallas Morning News reports that Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) has in fact continued to run his TV ads, despite a previous declaration by the campaign that it would cease advertising during Hurricane Ike recovery. In contrast, his Dem opponent Rick Noriega is on National Guard duty to help out with the recovery.

Poll: Dem Congressman In Danger Of Defeat
It looks like House Dems have to seriously worry about the House seat of Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-PA), with a new Franklin & Marshall poll showing him trailing Republican Lou Barletta by a margin of 44%-35%. Barletta has made headway by hammering the issue of illegal immigration, and cracking down on companies that hire illegals -- and he's helped further by a serious gaffe months ago from Kanjorski, when Kanjorski said the Dems promised too much in 2006 about ending the Iraq War.

Poll: Lautenberg Leads In New Jersey's Snoozer Senate Race
A new Monmouth University poll shows Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) with a 46%-33% lead over former GOP Congressman Dick Zimmer -- with only six percent of voters paying any attention. "If anyone wondered what would happen if you held an election in New Jersey and no one paid attention, these results may provide a clue," said pollster Patrick Murray.