Obama Pushes Stimulus Plan In YouTube Address
In Barack Obama's latest Presidential YouTube Address, the president-elect discusses his economic stimulus plan -- and the very serious urgency of getting it passed:

"These are America's problems, and we must come together as Americans to meet them with the urgency this moment demands," says Obama. "Economists from across the political spectrum agree that if we don't act swiftly and boldly, we could see a much deeper economic downturn that could lead to double digit unemployment and the American Dream slipping further and further out of reach."

Today: More Ballot-Counting In Minnesota
Minnesota election officials are meeting today to sort through about 950 more ballots, in a process described below. Al Franken is favored to hold on to his slim lead, currently at 49 votes, or possibly even expand it slightly. A live video feed is available at The Uptake.

Norm Coleman's Term Expires
Sen. Norm Coleman's (R-MN) term will officially expire today, as the recount continues in Minnesota. Senate Republicans have vowed to filibuster any attempt to seat Al Franken on a provisional basis, assuming he wins the recount, so this seat will become vacant and probably stay that way for a while.

Today: Michael Bennet To Be Announced As Colorado Senator
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) is holding a 4 p.m. ET press conference, where he is expected to announce that he will appoint Denver schools superintendent Michael Bennet to the seat being vacated by Ken Salazar. Bennet is considered to be a dark horse pick -- while he is considered to have been a very successful superintendent, pursuing merit pay and other reforms, he has never run for public office.

Obama's Win Brings Big Changes To Black Press
The Politico reports that Barack Obama's victory is spurring some big changes in the country's African-American press towards more political coverage, with magazines like Essence and Ebony adding White House reporters: "In some ways, the moves mark a return to a time when the black press -- particularly magazines -- were newsier. Jet first published photos of the battered and swollen body of Emmett Till, sparking outrage and galvanizing a still-young civil rights movement."

Blagojevich's Newest Antagonists: The Department Of Homeland Security
The Chicago Tribune reports that the Department of Homeland Security has cut off Rod Blagojevich's access to classified security information. Other state officials still have access, but the federal government apparently doesn't trust Blago with the information under his current ethics cloud.

Burris: "We Are The Senator"
Roland Burris expressed a high degree of confidence in his legitimacy as a Senator, telling Lynn Sweet, "We are the Senator." Burris says he wants to avoid any confrontation when he shows up in Washington next week, but he also apparently has no aversion to using the royal "we."

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D) will announce tomorrow who he is appointing to the Senate seat of Democratic Sen. Ken Salazar, the Rocky Mountain News reports, which Salazar will be leaving to become Barack Obama's Secretary of the Interior.

There are many names out there as to who could get it: Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Rep. John Salazar (brother of Ken), state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, and many others. Polling has suggested that any of the notable Democrats would start out as the favorite to hold the seat against the Republicans in 2010, due to the state's recent big shifts to the Democrats.

Think of how remarkable it is, in this day and age: A Senate seat being filled in a calm and orderly fashion.

Late Update: The Rocky Mountain News now reports that the appointee is expected to be Michael Bennet, the superintendent of the Denver public schools.

Bobby Rush: We Have Three Hispanic Senators, Two Asians, 11 Women, But No African-Americans
In an appearance last night on Larry King Live, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) kept up his racial rhetoric in backing the Senate appointment of Roland Burris, declaring there is a "higher principle" at work:

"We've got three Hispanics. We've got two Asians. And we have 11 women. And we have just untold number of others," Rush said. "But I'm telling you, the fact that we have no African-Americans should be -- should make most fair-minded Americans very, very angry."

Rep. Davis (D-IL): I Was Offered The Appointment To Obama's Senate Seat
Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) told the Chicago Sun-Times that an attorney for Gov. Rod Blagojevich told him last week that he was being offered the appointment to Barack Obama's Senate seat. Davis is an African-American, like Roland Burris -- but unlike Burris, Davis turned it down.

Report: Obama Family Moving To D.C. This Weekend
Barack Obama and his family will reportedly move to Washington this weekend, in order for the children to start school on time after the holiday season. The family will live in a Washington hotel until Jan. 15, when they'll move to the Blair House.

Obama Visits Old High School, Also Gets Picketed At Vacation Compound
Barack Obama's attempted vacation in Hawaii brought him to his old high school in Hawaii, along with visits to the zoo with his daughters and a stop by his late grandmother's apartment. In addition, pro-Palestinian activists have been picketing his vacation house, calling for a change to America's pro-Israel policies.

Obama Dismisses 90 Bush Pentagon Appointees
The Obama transition team has told roughly 90 Bush political appointees in the Pentagon that they will not be staying on after Obama is sworn in, a demonstration of how Obama will be changing the lineup at Defense even while simultaneously keeping Robert Gates. However, only about 90 political appointees were sacked out of roughly 250 total, after Gates sought to keep his team in place.

DeGette Takes Herself Out Of Running For Colorado Senate Seat
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) has withdrawn her name from consideration for appointment to Ken Salazar's seat in the Senate. Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter has a lot of other choices to pick from, and polling data thus far has suggested that any of the notable Democrats would start out as the frontrunner to hold the seat in 2010.

Clinton Team Refutes Report About Return Of Caroline Kennedy Check
The Clinton team has shot down a report from the New York Post that implied there was some ill will in the return of a 2007 donation from Caroline Kennedy. The returns were done this past August, and were refunded to everyone who had donated any money earmarked for a hypothetical Hillary Clinton general election campaign.

Here's a rarity these day: A Senate vacancy that might actually get filled in a speedy and orderly fashion, without any public acrimony.

We refer here to the seat of Democratic Sen. Ken Salazar, who is expected to be announced as Barack Obama's Secretary of the Interior. We asked Evan Dreyer, spokesman for Dem Gov. Bill Ritter, when an appointment could be made to the seat.

"If there is an official announcement, if this does occur, then it would be as quick as possible," Dreyer told us.

Salazar had been leading potential GOP challengers in the polls going into his 2010 re-election campaign, but there's an ample supply of other choices for the Dems in this newly-blue state: Reps. John Salazar (Ken's brother), Ed Perlmutter and Diana Degette; Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper; Denver school superintendent Michael Bennet, and quite a few more.

Dreyer was unable to elaborate further on any timeframe, but "as quick as possible" sounds better than what's going on in Illinois and New York -- and hopefully it'll be much less of a train wreck.

Today: The Minnesota Canvassing Board Handles Challenged Ballots
It's a big day in the Minnesota recount, with the state canvassing board meeting today at 1 p.m. ET for their first day of adjudicating ballots that have been challenged by either campaign and thus taken out of the count until now. This process is expected to go until the end of the week, at which point we could finally have a clear picture of where Norm Coleman and Al Franken stand.

Obama Holding Presser, Announcing Sec. Of Education
Barack Obama is holding a press conference in Chicago at 11:45 a.m. ET. He is expected to announce the appointment of Arne Duncan, currently the CEO of the Chicago public schools, as his Secretary of Education.

Obama Meeting With Economic Team
Barack Obama is holding a meeting today with Joe Biden, Rahm Emanuel and many of his top economic advisors: Tim Geithner, Larry Summers, Peter Orszag, Christina Romer, Melody Barnes, Carol Browner, Jared Bernstein, Paul Volcker and Austan Goolsbee.

Report: Salazar Accepts Cabinet Post, Opening Up Senate Seat
Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) has reportedly accepted the role of Secretary of the Interior in the Obama Administration. A variety of names are being floated for appointment to his Senate seat in this newly-blue state: Reps. John Salazar (Ken's brother), Ed Perlmutter and Diana Degette; Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper; Denver school superintendent Michael Bennet, and quite a few more.

McCain Holding Press Conference Today, Too
John McCain has his own press conference today, scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. It's not immediately clear what the subject matter will be.

Caroline Kennedy Picks Up Support Of Slaughter, Sharpton
Caroline Kennedy has been endorsed in her bid for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat by upstate Congresswoman Louise Slaughter and Al Sharpton. The real authority to fill this seat, rests with Gov. David Paterson, of course, but he can certainly take into account public pressure and consideration for his own 2010 campaign.

Blago's Wife Apologizes To Neighbors
Rod Blagojevich's wife Patti has sent a note to their neighbors, apologizing for the disruption that has been caused by the media swarming around them: "While we signed up for this kind of attention by choosing a life in public service, you didn't. All you did was choose to live in our wonderful neighborhood."

Here's today's run-down of the Congressional races:

GOP Releases Excerpt From The Kentucky Voice Recorder
The Kentucky voice-recorder saga -- involving a criminal complaint by the NRSC that the campaign of Dem Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford allegedly erased content from a voice recorder they secretly planted at his podium -- just keeps getting weirder. The NRSC has released this piece of audio recovered from the recorder after its return, of what appears to be an angry Lunsford telling his staffers not to give the recorder back:

This has got to be one of the most bizarre allegations of a dirty trick ever: That a campaign secretly planted a bug on an opposing candidate, then complained when the bug was not initially returned and may have been erased.

Murtha's Opponent Blasts Him On Racist/Redneck Comments
Check out this new ad from William Russell, the GOP candidate against Jack Murtha, hammering Murtha for referring to his western Pennsylvania constituents as rednecks and racists:

Murtha is usually a safe bet for re-election, but this gaffe may have landed him in serious trouble. A recent Susquehanna poll shows Murtha just edging out Russell 46%-41%. A fun part of this ad is its use of a computer interface to show videos of Murtha -- as if to say that the people of western Pennsylvania do in fact know how to read and use a computer.

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New GOP Ad: Al Franken "Writes Pornography," "Laughs At The Disabled"
The NRSC, facing more poll data showing Al Franken taking the lead in Minnesota, is pulling out all the stops with their new ad against Franken's dirty humor:

Both the NRSC and the Coleman campaign have been attacking Franken's toilet-humor for months now, but Franken has nevertheless managed to take the lead in most of the recent polls. This increase in the intensity of the attack does come off as desperate, if it's meant to be a real closing argument against Franken and the Democrats.

Coleman Ad: I Work Really Hard For You!
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), who is trying to keep it positive in his own new ads, has this new one-minute ad in which the incumbent seems to be begging Minnesotans to realize how hard he works for them:

"In times as thought as this, it's really easy to kind of be on the sidelines and cast stones, and say, you know 'This is the problem and that's the problem," Coleman says. "I think people know we've got problems, but I think what they're looking for is solutions."

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National GOP Pulls Out Of Colorado Senate Race
A national GOP source has confirmed to Election Central that the NRSC is pulling out of the Colorado Senate race, where GOP candidate Bob Schaffer has been trailing in the polls for this Republican-held seat. With this seat now effectively ceded to the Democrats, the Dems are one step closer to 60 Senate seats.

Dems Accuse Republican Of Committing Voter Fraud In New Ad
This new DCCC turns the current allegations from Republicans about ACORN voter fraud right back at them, by directly accusing the Republican candidate against Rep. NIck Lampson (D-TX) of having personally committed voter fraud:

"John McCain says voter fraud may be destroying the fabric of democracy," the announcer says, setting up a line of attack in a district that McCain should carry handily. "And in Houston, Pete Olson is running for Congress while a prosecutor in Virginia investigates him for voter fraud back East!"

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Here's tonight's run-down on the Congressional races:

New Tinklenberg Ad: "Michele Bachmann Represents The Worst Of Washington"
El Tinklenberg, the Democrat running against Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), has this new TV ad declaring that Bachmann "represents the worst of Washington," and replays part of her McCarthyesque comments on Hardball:

Tinklenberg has already rolled out a positive ad introducing himself, and now has an interesting challenge: How to spend the $1.45 million he's received in online donations since her Hardball appearance, with less than two weeks to go in the election. The campaign is confident they can get in their spending through TV, radio and expanded phone banks.

Charlie Cook: House Dems On Track For Gains In The Mid-Twenties
The Cook Political Report released its latest set of ratings, notably moving three open GOP-held seats in Minnesota, New Jersey and New Mexico from "Toss Up" to "Lean Democratic." Cook's analysis also points to another big years for the Democrats: "All the signs of another big 'wave' election are apparent, and our current outlook is a gain of 23 to 28 seats for House Democrats."

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Here's today's run-down of the Congressional races:

Dems Throw Over $12 Million Into House Races
The DCCC launched a massive financial assault on the Republicans yesterday, with over $12.6 million in spending for over 50 races in the latest set of FEC filings. The single biggest expenditure was $643,000 against Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV). Six-figure amounts were spent on an astonishing 40 House races. By contrast, the NRCC only spent $1.07 million in the latest filings.

Poll: Murtha Now In Tight Race
A new Susquehanna poll shows that Jack Murtha could be in trouble in his usually-safe seat in the wake of his public comments about his constituents being racist rednecks. The numbers: Murtha 46%, retired Army Lt. Col. Bill Russell (R) 41%, with a ±4.9% margin of error.

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NRSC: We Are Not Pulling Out Of Colorado
The NRSC is denying reports that they are pulling out of the Colorado Senate race, a story that has been circulating on the blogs today. "Reports that we are pulling out of Colorado are false," NRSC spokesman John Randall told Election Central, adding that another ad is going up on the air.

DCCC Out-Raises NRCC In Loan Money, Too
The DCCC has taken out a $15 million loan in order to give themselves a financial boost in the home stretch of the election. This is nearly twice the the $8 million loan the NRCC took out in an attempt to even out their serious financial gap against the DCCC -- so the DCCC has responded in kind.

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Here's tonight's run-down of the Congressional races:

Bachmann Separates Herself From Bush, Both Physically And Figuratively
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), who famously hugged President Bush at his 2007 State of the Union and didn't seem to want to let go, is now making some distance between herself and the unpopular president. At a debate earlier today, Bachmann boasted that she opposed Bush on the Wall St. bailout, and attacked her Democratic opponent El Tinklenberg: "He is more line with President Bush's policies than I am."

Smith Airs Another Ad With Wyden, Obama and Kennedy
Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR), whose ads have connected him to liberal icons like Ted Kennedy and Barack Obama as he seeks re-election this blue state, has yet another ad using video footage of Ron Wyden, his Democratic co-Senator, praising him and appearing to endorse him:

Wyden previously called on Smith to can the first ad that pulled this trick, because it incorporated Wyden's signature to really make it look like Wyden was for Smith. Now Smith has met Wyden halfway -- he's dropped the signature, but kept the video.

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Here's today's run-down of the Congressional races:

Mahoney's Re-Election Chances Downgraded
In a move that shouldn't really surprise anybody, the pundits are reclassifying Congressman Tim Mahoney's (D-FL) re-election chances in the wake of revelations that he had an affair with a former staffer and allegedly paid over $121,000 in hush money. Stuart Rothenberg has changed the race from from "Toss-UP/Tilt Democratic" to "Pure Toss-Up," and Charlie Cook has shifted it from "Lean Democratic" to "Lean Republican."

Another Poll Shows Al Franken Ahead In Minnesota
The new Quinnipiac poll in Minnesota gives Al Franken a slender lead in the Minnesota Senate race: Franken 38%, Sen. Norm Coleman (R) 36%, and Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley at 18%, with a ±3% margin of error. Quinnipiac's previous poll from three weeks ago gave Coleman a 49%-42% lead in a two-way race, but a lot has happened since then with the economy. It should also be noted that a recent Rasmussen poll did not show Barkley definitively siphoning more votes from one major candidate or the other.

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Here's tonight's run-down of the Congressional races:

Foley Successor Embroiled In Own Allegations of Misconduct
Democrats could end up losing a key Florida House seat that they picked up in 2006: The district of the infamous former GOP Rep. Mark Foley. Freshman Democrat Tim Mahoney reportedly agreed to pay $121,000 to a former female staffer and alleged mistress, after she threatened to sue him. Mahoney is facing a competitive challenge from GOP candidate Tom Rooney.

Dem Ad: Norm Coleman Is "Shameless"
The DSCC has this new ad against Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), lampooning his recent announcement that he'll suspend negative advertisement as a ploy to avoid responsibility for his own misleading attacks and personal scandals:

"Suit from Neiman Marcus: $1,400. Misleading attack ads paid for by you and your allies: $6.8 million," the announcer says. "Calling for a suspension of negative ads after smearing your opponent? Shameless."

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Here's tonight's run-down on the Congressional races:

Coleman Suspends Negative Ads, Sort Of
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), who has fallen behind in the polls against Al Franken thanks to the economic crisis and voter backlash against the negative turn that the campaign has taken, has announced that he is pulling all of his negative ads, and will only run positive spots. There is a loophole here, though: The Coleman campaign can cancel its own negative advertising, but the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee and outside groups will still be able to run as many attacks against Al Franken as they want.

Franken Camp: Our Ads Against Coleman's Record Are Staying
In a statement released to the media, Al Franken's campaign declared that they'll keep their attack ads against Norm Coleman running: "Given that this week's polls are clearly showing that Minnesotans are sick of Norm Coleman's campaign of character assassination, today's stunt rings as a cynical ploy designed to change the subject and avoid scrutiny of his own record. It's like an arsonist burning down every house in the village and then asking to be named fire chief."

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Veterans Group To McConnell: Take Down Ad That Uses Our Name
The Military Order of the Purple Heart is demanding that the campaign of Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell pull an ad in which a McConnell supporter identifies himself as a member of the organization and appears to speak on its behalf:

"I am a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the official organization of combat-wounded veterans," says Lee Moore. "Our veterans demand an investigation into the negligent care that Bruce Lunsford's clinics provided." Moore then goes on to accuse Lunsford of manipulating an 83-year old veteran who appeared in a Lunsford ad defending the candidate. Lee Moore is not a spokesman for the group, and furthermore its bylaws forbid it from being involved in partisan politics.

Poll: Dem Narrowly Ahead For Heather Wilson's House Seat
A new Albuquerque Journal poll shows a close race for the open seat of Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM), who left the seat open when she ran unsuccessfully in the GOP primary for the Senate. The numbers: Democratic Martin Heinrich 43%, Republican Darren White 41%, within the ±4.9% margin of error.

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Here's tonight's run-down of the Congressional races: The bailout and the economic crisis continue to dominate the campaigns -- which is never good news for the GOP -- while the Republicans are fending off the attacks by charging that the Dems don't have any solutions, either.

Al Franken Opposes Bailout Bill
Al Franken has put out a press release strongly opposing the bailout bill, which incumbent GOP Sen. Norm Coleman voted for: "Last night the United States Senate voted to take $700 billion from taxpayers who did nothing wrong and offer it as a sacrifice at the altar of financial mismanagement."

Smith And Merkley Joust Over The Bailout
Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-OR) is criticizing the bailout package, as well: "I have dedicated much of my life to advocating for consumers and I believe it is just wrong to spend $700 billion of taxpayer money to bailout the very Wall Street financiers who created this crisis." Incumbent Sen. Gordon Smith (R) has fired back at Merkley, saying Merkley has "shamefully placed his partisan ambitions ahead of the retirement, financial and economic security of the people he seeks to serve."

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Here's tonight's run-down on the Congressional races: National Democrats are spending big, but a new round of polling could give the GOP some hope in key races.

Lieberman Defends GOPer Norm Coleman From Dem Attacks, Says Iraq War Had Proper Oversight
Joe Lieberman has put out a statement on behalf of Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN), disputing Al Franken's attack that Coleman didn't do enough to provide oversight over Iraq contracts while he chaired an important subcommittee. "It is simply untrue, and irresponsible, to suggest that while Norm Coleman was investigating corruption here at home, that investigations in Iraq were not going on," Lieberman wrote.

National Dems Shell Out Big Bucks For Attack Ads Today
The DCCC has spent over $1.5 million today for their new wave of attack ads, according to the FEC newest filings. Money is being spent in 14 races across ten states, most notably $310,000 for three seats in John McCain's home state of Arizona. Here's one of those ads, targeting the Republican challenger against freshman Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ):

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Here's tonight's run-down on the Congressional races: The Dems are leveraging their big financial advantage over the GOP into an extensive round of attack ads against the Republicans, in order to pick up some usually-tough seats this November.

National Dems Launch New Wave Of Attack Ads In House Races
The DCCC has launched a major TV attack ad offensive in districts across the country, some of them defending Dem-held seats but others running in GOP-held areas that are traditionally very difficult for the Dems. Ads will be running in Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. Here's one of the ads, running in a deep-red New Mexico district:

New York GOP Trying To Dump Candidate For Key House Seat
The race for the open seat of scandal-plagued Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY) just keeps getting weirder, with Manhattan Republicans now nominating unpopular GOP nominee Bob Straniere for an open judgeship as a means of getting him to drop out of the race -- but Straniere is refusing. National Republicans feel that their chances of holding the seat could potentially improve if they can substitute Fossella himself as the new candidate, but they're not optimistic that it will actually happen.

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Here's today's rundown on the Congressional races: An avalanche of polls shows the Democrats running ahead or close behind in several seats that have been in GOP hands for years -- suggesting the possibility of major Dem gains.

GOP Rep's Ad: I'm Sorry I Went On An Abramoff Trip
This ad needs to be seen to be believed. Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL), who is facing a spirited challenge from Democrat Suzanne Kosmas, has this new ad in which he speaks to the camera and abjectly apologizes for going on an Abramoff-sponsored trip five years ago:

"I embarrassed myself, embarrassed you, and for that I'm very sorry," Feeney says.

Polls Show Big House Races In Ohio This Year
A new set of SurveyUSA polls in Ohio show Dems poised to pick up two out of four contested GOP-held district. In the First District, incumbent Rep. Steve Chabot (R) is holding a small lead over challenger Steve Driehaus (D) 46%-44%. In the Second District, Rep. Jean Schmidt (R) is holding an 8-point lead over challenger Victoria Wulsin (D) 48%-40%. But in the open 15th and 16th Districts Mary Jo Kilroy (D) has a 47%-42% lead over Steve Stivers (R), and John Boccieri (D) has a 49%-41% lead over Kirk Schuring (R).

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Here's today's rundown on the Congressional races: The momentum so far today seems to be with the Dems, with some decent poll numbers and strong ad campaigns.

Stevens Tries To Get Ads Against Him Pulled
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) has called upon local TV and radio stations to stop running DSCC ads that attack him for getting an unreasonably good deal on a car thanks to a wealthy donor, and for steering private consultant jobs to his son Ben. Only a few stations honored his complaints that the ads are deceptive, but even they are once more continuing to run them.

Poll: Dems Winning Both Congressional Races In Deep-Red Alaska
A new Research 2000 poll has the Dems winning both the Senate and House races in Alaska, despite the presence of Gov. Sarah Palin on the national ticket. Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich is beating Sen. Ted Stevens by a 50%-44% margin, and former state Rep. Ethan Berkowitz is beating scandal-plagued GOP Rep. Don Young by a 53%-39% margin, with a ±4% margin of error.

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Here's today's rundown on the Congressional races: It's shaping up to be a pretty good day for the Dems, with good poll results and new lines of attack emerging against their Republican opponents in key races.

Conservative Drops Out In Race For Fossella's Seat -- Could Vito Come Back?
Paul Atanasio, the New York Conservative Party's candidate for the open seat of scandal plagued Rep. Vito Fossella, has dropped out of the race via a nomination for a judgeship. This method of withdrawal allows the party to replace him on the ballot with a new candidate -- creating the small possibility that Fossella himself, who is said to be looking at a way to get back into the race, could re-enter on the Conservative line. We'll be looking into this further.

Shaheen Goes After Sununu on Stem Cells, Wall Street
Dem Senate candidate Jeanne Shaheen is stepping up attacks on incumbent Sen. John Sununu (R-NH). Shaheen is hitting Sununu on the financial crisis, blaming the lack of federal oversight and Sununu's lack of leadership on the Senate Banking Committee, and next week she'll be campaigning with Michael J. Fox for increased federal funding for stem-cell research.

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Here's this evening's rundown on the Congressional races: We've got a whole lot of ads running in these campaigns, with the GOP mounting a huge negative offensive in an effort to minimize their losses this November.

New Coleman Ad: Here's How Al Franken Will Attack Me
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) has this new ad out, warning voters of the kind of attack ads they'll be seeing from Al Franken, with unflattering pictures of Coleman and scary music:

The odd part here is that Coleman himself is running just the kind of ad against Franken that he decries here, with video and scary music to depict Franken as a foul-mouthed clown.

NRSC Ad Attacks "Boulder Liberal" Udall In Colorado Race
The NRSC is running this attack ad in the Colorado Senate race, where Dem Congressman Mark Udall is running ahead in the polls. The ad repeatedly attacks Udall for being from Boulder, a liberal stronghold of this Western swing state:

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