Here's today's run-down on the Congressional races: The Dems are hammering away at Republicans over the financial crisis, raising questions on everything from regulation to the potential impact on Social Security -- and it may be working.

Dems Blast Sununu For Anti-Regulation History
New Hampshire Democrats are hitting Sen. John Sununu (R) on the market crisis, circulating to local media tapes of Sununu in 2006 and 2007, praising hedge funds and badmouthing regulation of the financial markets:

Dems Keep Up Spending On House Race Attack Ads
The DCCC spent $1.8 million on a round of attacks against GOP candidates in last night's FEC filings, covering 20 races in 14 states. Most signifiant is the spending of over $450,000 in three Ohio races. Here's one of those ads:

Bachmann Opposed To Bailout Unless It's Even More Business-Friendly
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) is indicating her opposition to the current bailout proposal, but not from the typical populist standpoint -- instead, she says the crisis is Congress' fault for taxing businesses too much, and that needs to change. "The lion's share of the fault is Congress with the laws we have passed to create this current business climate," Bachmann said.

Poll: GOP Sen. Smith Trails Dem By Two Points
A new SurveyUSA poll in Oregon shows Sen. Gordon Smith (R) now trailing his Democratic opponent Jeff Merkley by a margin of 44%-42% within the ±3.8% margin of error, compared to a 49%-37% Smith lead a month and a half ago. Smith has been hammered in the local press over reports that his family's company employs illegal immigrants, and this may be contributing to his problems -- indeed, the candidate of the far-right Constitution Party is now attracting eight percent of the vote, which would probably go mostly to Smith in a two-way race.

Dem Ad Ties Together Social Security Privatization And Wall St. Crisis
The DSCC is tying Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) to President Bush's failed efforts to privatize Social Security, pointing out to voters just how much trouble retirees would be under such a system in light of the current Wall St. panic:

"If Gordon Smith and George Bush had gotten their own way, we'd be in hot water," says a woman in the ad.

GOP House Nominee Refuses Party's Efforts To Switch Candidates
In the always-bizarre battle New York's 13th Congressional District, GOP nominee Bob Straniere has formally rejected the party's efforts to nominate him for an open judgeship as a means of changing candidates. With Republicans now out of options in their attempts to get a better candidate, it looks like this seat is practically guaranteed to go to the Dems after decades in GOP hands.

Dem Congressman: I Didn't Mean To Give To Independent Candidate
Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) is saying that he did not realize what he was doing when he gave $500 to Louisiana state Rep. Michael Jackson, who is running as an independent against freshman Rep. Don Cazayoux (D-LA) in a potentially tough race for the Dems, but thought he was giving to a regular Democratic candidate. The donation was first noticed by Swing State Project.