Let's stipulate one thing about this campaign: When it comes to creative flyers, no race has topped the one between Dem Ed Perlmutter and GOP House candidate Rick O'Donnell. You'll recall that O'Donnell not long ago sent out a groveling mailer begging forgiveness for having once written that he wanted to phase out Social Security. Now the state GOP has sent out another one in the district which -- while quite a bit darker in tone -- is every bit as innovative. The flyer charges that his opponent, Dem Ed Perlumtter, made some "soft on crime" votes as a former state senator. But here's the rub: The mailer appears to be designed to look like an official notification sent out when the government wants to alert you to a sex offender living in your community.

James Dobson, the influential head of Focus on the Family, is sending an email to supporters warning that gay-rights groups are giving Dem candidate Ed Perlmutter "significant financial support and have even hired homosexual youth to work on his behalf." The email itself is basically an implicit, though likely legally safe, endorsement of Perlmutter's GOP foe Rick O'Donnell, who Dobson says supporters should encourage "to continue his strong support for life and marriage." Colorado Confidential has a transcript of the email here.

CQ Politics is reporting that Dems are now "surging" in Colorado, and it has changed its ratings of two races accordingly: The contest between Dem Ed Perlmutter and GOPer Rick O'Donnell has moved from "No Clear Favorite" to "Leans Democratic," while the race between Dem Rep. John Salazar and GOP challenger Scott Tipton moves from "Leans Democratic" to the less-competitive "Democrat Favored." Relatedly, Kos points to an internal poll done by Dem challenger Angie Paccione showing her in a dead heat with GOP Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, and asks: "Is it real? Accurate? If so, she may have weathered one of the fiercest full frontal assaults of any Democrat this cycle."

Hypocrisy Alert. Republican Rick O'Donnell has made the need to "clean up Congress" one of his campaign themes this year, even laying out a 12-point plan of how to do so, but now his own ethics are coming under scrutiny due to an expense-paid trip to Panama he took with his girlfriend while he was the head of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. The Denver Post has the details here.

Another GOPer has turned his guns on President Bush over Iraq. This time it’s congressional candidate Rick O’Donnell, who declared “a failure of leadership, from our president, from our secretary of defense, from our generals,"” during a debate with Dem Ed Perlmutter on Tuesday. Though O’Donnell has previously argued that America needs to change course in Iraq, he had not forcefully criticized Bush about it until Tuesday's debate. O’Donnell’s change of course (is that allowed?) comes on the heels of a Survey USA poll that shows him trailing Perlmutter by 17 points.

Remember that groveling flyer that GOP House candidate Rick O'Donnell sent out to voters begging forgiveness for having once written that we should "eliminate Social Security"? It doesn't appear to be doing him much good. A new SurveyUSA poll shows that Dem Ed Perlmutter has vaulted to a 17 point lead over O'Donnell -- 54%-37%. A SurveyUSA poll had them tied at 45% last month. In this poll, while only 4% of Dems favor O'Donnell, Perlmutter enjoys the support of 14% of Republicans. No breakdown on the elderly vote, unfortunately.

Remember Rick O'Donnell? He's the GOP House candidate who's being attacked by Dem foe Ed Perlumtter for writing nearly 12 years ago that "for freedom's sake," we should "eliminate Social Security." Now O'Donnell is officially surrendering on the issue. The Rocky Mountain News reports that O'Donnell is about to release a new TV ad formally apologizing for his past writing, saying it was the work of a "know-it-all kid." And in another clear sign that Dems have drawn blood, he's even got a new flyer in which he pleads for forgiveness. Note two pictures from the flyer below -- including one of O'Donnell kneeling before an old lady.

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The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee today sent out a scorching direct-mail piece hammering Colorado GOP Congressional candidate Rick O'Donnell for wanting to "elimintate" Social Security. The piece -- a copy of which found its way into Election Central's inbox -- blisters O'Donnell over an article he recently admitted to writing which was entitled: "For Freedom's Sake, Eliminate Social Security." That sentence, unsurprisingly, is featured rather prominently in the mailing. View it below:

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D) has tapped Ed Perlmutter, who just scored a big primary win in Colorado's seventh, to deliver the Democratic response to President Bush's weekly radio address this weekend.

Perlmutter, whose coming general election showdown against Republican Rick O'Donnell is seen as key to Dem hopes of capturing the House, is going to focus on Social Security in the speech -- a perfect topic for him, since O'Donnell once wrote an article advocating the abolition of Social Security.

Ed Perlmutter wins Dem primary over Peggy Lamm, becoming the Dems's pick to take on Republican Rick O'Donnell for an open House seat seen as critical to Dem efforts to capture the House.

It's one of the most closely watched House races in the country, attracting truckloads of national cash from both parties as the GOP tries to hang on to the Colorado seat, which is being vacated by Rep. Bob Beauprez to make a run for governor.

Tomorrow, Dems pick their candidate for this critical race. And on the eve of primary day, a SurveyUSA poll released today has former state legislator Ed Perlmutter at 49% among likely voters, ahead of Peggy Lamm (37%) and Herb Rubenstein (8%). So it looks as if Perlmutter will be it. He'll be facing off against Republican Rick O'Donnell.

A new SurveyUSA poll puts Perlmutter (51%) way ahead of Lamm (31%) and Rubinstein (10%) in next week's primary.

The unopposed Republican candidate in Colorado’s 7^th Congressional District, Rick O’Donnell, attempted Monday to get in front of anticipated attacks over a 1995 article he wrote as an editor of Newt Gingrich’s American Civilization that advocated the abolition of Social Security.  He acknowledged that he wrote the article, but said his thinking had changed since then and as a 24-year-old he had not yet “thought through the moral commitment we've made to retirees.”

The very public airing of O’Donnell’s feelings on the issue raises the stakes in a race commentators already believe is among the most competitive House races in the country.

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According to this post from Coloradopols.com, sources have heard second-hand that DCCC chair Rahm Emanuel believes Colorado’s 7th District primary is Peggy Lamm’s to lose. The author of the site, who evidently writes anonymously, makes reference to internal Democratic polling that has Lamm leading.

The analysis in the post is consistent with media accounts of the race. Though Ed Perlmutter (D) has been able to secure more campaign cash and high-profile endorsements, his campaign has not excited voters. Perlmutter won the endorsement of party delegates at the state’s Democratic convention in May.

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The fundraising race in Colorado’s 7th Congressional District remains close, but the lone Republican in the contest maintained his lead through the 2nd quarter.

Rick O’Donnell raised $305,000 between April and June; his war chest now holds $859,000. O’Donnell, who is unopposed in the Republican primary, is the former director of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.

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The Rocky Mountain News lets us know that GOP House candidate Rick O’Donnell, who describes himself as a “policy wonk,” starts his campaign stump speech with a snappy tagline:

“I’m running for Congress for a really simple reason. I don’t want America to become the France of the 21st Century.”