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

McConnell Ad Ties Lunsford To Schumer And New York
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, who is facing a tough challenge from Democratic businessman Bruce Lunsford, has this incredible ad out tying Lunsford to the New York liberalism of DSCC Chairman Chuck Schumer:

"And this guy wants to put a New Yawk Senadduh in Kentucky," the announcer says, in a hammed-up New York City accent. "Fuggedaboudit."

Gordon Smith: Palin Is A Great Governor For California
Some Republicans have taken to exaggerating Sarah Palin's qualifications, but this is just ridiculous. In a funny verbal slip-up in last night's Senate debate in Oregon, incumbent Republican Gordon Smith referred to Sarah Palin as an effective governor for California:

"I've met Sarah Palin once, she's a lovely person," Smith said. "She's a great governor of California, she's a strong executive."

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

The Worst Press Conference Ever?
You really have to watch this excruciating press conference given by Sen. Norm Coleman's (R-MN) campaign manager, in which he struggled to (not) answer questions about reports that his boss' clothes were paid for by one of his campaign contributors. Give it a look -- it's well worth your time.

House GOP Gets Huge Loan
In a sign of just how desperate things are going for the House Republicans, Roll Call reports that the NRCC has obtained an $8 million loan in order for them to be able to compete against their much better-funded Democratic counterparts. Deep thought: In this economy, one can only wonder what kind of interest rate they're being charged.

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

Dems Shell Out $7 Million In One Day On House Races
The DCCC latest FEC filings from last night show that the Dems put down over $7 million for ads in 39 races across the country, in a mix of offense and defense. The single most notable expenditure: The Dems are spending $777,000 to go after scandal-plagued Rep. Don Young (R-AK), an astonishing amount for a small and very red state.

Poll: Franken Ahead In Minnesota
A new University of Minnesota poll is giving Al Franken a narrow lead in his bid to unseat Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN). The numbers: Franken 41%, Coleman 37%, and Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley at 14%, within the ±5% margin of error.

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

New Dem Ad Dramatizes FBI Monitoring Ted Stevens
Check out this stunning new ad from the DSCC, depicting fictional FBI agents monitoring indicted Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) and listing his alleged crimes:

"And I voted for him," says a disappointed fictional agent.

Poll: Stevens Regains Narrow Lead In Alaska
A new Rasmussen poll has indicted Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) taking a narrow 49%-48% lead over Democrat Mark Begich, helped in now small part by the presence of the state's favorite daughter Sarah Palin on the GOP ticket. But Uncle Ted is hardly out of the woods yet -- there's a chance he could be convicted of a felony before Election Day, which would probably impact his numbers in a negative fashion.

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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 on the Congressional races:

Poll: GOP Senator Chambliss In Dead Heat For Re-Election
In a very interesting development, a new Research 2000 poll gives Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), who was believed to be more or less invulnerable going into this campaign, a statistically insignificant lead of 45%-44% over Democrat Jim Martin. This corroborates a SurveyUSA poll taken last week, which put Chambliss ahead 46%-44%, as the economy continues to take a toll on Republicans even in seemingly safe places.

Dem Candidate Ties GOP Incumbent To Bush -- And Tuxedo-Wearing
This new ad from Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-OR) launches one of the most novel attacks on the economy that I've ever seen: It depicts incumbent Sen. Gordon Smith (R) standing next to George W. Bush -- and they're both wearing tuxedos:

Maybe next, Merkley will run an ad tying Gordon Smith to the Monopoly Man.

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Here's today's rundown on the Congressional races.

Franken: My Ads Are About Norm Coleman's Record -- So They're Negative
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) debated last night against Al Franken and Independency Party candidate Dean Barkley. Franken got off this zinger when asked what he would do about negative ads that have taken over the race on all sides: "We've been running ads against Norm Coleman's record. So they're negative."

Franken: I'll Keep On Impersonating Wellstone
At a rally over the weekend featuring Al Gore, Al Franken declared that he would not be deterred from doing his goofy impression of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, who would manically shout "You can take this guy!" at his son's track and field meets. The GOP has been using video of Franken impersonating his departed friend and twisting it to look like Franken himself was being crazy and unstable.

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Here's today's run-down on the Congressional races: Democrats are running strong in some key races, thanks to the economic crisis -- but some other opportunities could be slipping away.

Senate GOP Ad Bashes Bailout Supported By Incumbent Senator, Opposed By Dem
The NRSC has this new ad in the Oregon Senate race that is strongly critical of Wall St. and Washington, then says Dem candidate Jeff Merkley would make things worse:

"Our economy in trouble, Wall St. and Washington gambling with our money, piling up more government debt," the announcer says. It should be noted here that incumbent GOP Sen. Gordon Smith voted for the bailout, and Merkley is opposing it. And then there are the two chief leaders of the GOP, George W. Bush and John McCain, who both support it.

Al Franken's Wife Talks About Alcoholism In New Ad
The Franken campaign has this new ad out presenting an image of a very human and compassionate Al Franken, at odds with the idea of a manic and angry person that the GOP has worked to project. In this spot, Franken's wife Franni talks about her struggle with alcoholism, and Al's work to help other people with this problem:

"The Al Franken I know stood by me through thick and thin," Franni Franken says. "So I know he'll always come through for Minnesotans."

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Here's tonight's run-down on the Congressional races: The GOP may be panicking in the face of more poll numbers showing serious losses from the economic crisis, with a new round of nasty attack ads against the Dem candidates.

Another Poll Shows GOP Sen. Dole Losing Re-Election
The new survey from Public Policy Polling (D) shows Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) trailing her Dem opponent Kay Hagan by a 46%-38% margin. PPP has tended to be the most favorable for Hagan, but even this lead is the widest one they've registered yet -- and on top of that, they've received corroboration from Rasmussen polls showing a narrow Hagan lead.

GOP Ad: Dem Challenger Is So Irresponsible, She Should Be On Wall St.
The NRSC is trying to make the economic crisis work for them in an odd place: The North Carolina Senate race, where economic anxiety has put incumbent Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R) behind Dem challenger Kay Hagan in the polls:

"Balanced? That's a hoax -- Hagan just borrowed the money," the announcer says. "Maybe Hagan should skip Washington -- and go straight to Wall St."

One is reminded of a line from the fictionalized Pappy O'Daniel in O Brother, Where Art Thou?: "How we gonna run reform when we're the damn incumbent?"

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Here's today's rundown on the Congressional races: The Wall St. bailout is dominating the discussion in the down-ticket races, with many Republicans taking political damage from the bad economic news.

Bailout Could Sink McConnell
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that the political fallout over the Wall St. bailout is damaging the political standing of Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, due in part to his fellow GOP Senator Jim Bunning undercutting McConnell's support with his own outspoken opposition. On top of that, the new Mason-Dixon poll has McConnell with a bare 45%-44% lead over Dem businessman Bruce Lunsford, and SurveyUSA has it as a 49%-46% lead.

Coleman Ad: Don't "Play The Blame Game" On Bailout
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) has this new ad out reassuring voters on the Wall St. bailout, asking voters not to assess blame to anybody for the mess:

"We can point fingers, play the blame game, or pull together, restore confidence, and turn this country around," Coleman said. One is reminded of what Jon Stewart said after Katrina: Those people who say we shouldn't play the blame game are usually the people we should blame.

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Here's tonight's run-down of the Congressional races: More polls show that the Democrats have a very good chance of picking up some tough seats, thanks to the economic crisis and anti-incumbent fervor -- but they might also lose a few of their own.

Poll: Dems' New Hampshire House Seats in Danger
A new Univ. of New Hampshire poll shows that former Rep. Jeb Bradley (R) is leading incumbent Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D) by a 45%-42% margin, in his comeback attempt after she defeated him two years ago. In the state's other district, freshman Rep. Paul Hodes (D) is leading his challenger Jennifer Horn (R) by a 38%-33% margin, with a very high undecided number that should be of serious concern to the incumbent.

Poll: Alaska Senate Race Close, House Race Getting Closer
A new Ivan Moore poll of Alaska shows challenger Mark Begich (D) leading incumbent Sen. Ted Stevens (R) by a 48%-46% margin, compared to 49%-46% three weeks ago. The same poll shows Ethan Berkowitz (D) losing his once 17-point lead over incumbent Rep. Don Young (R) from just three weeks ago to now just a 49%-44% lead.

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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 tonight's rundown on Congressional races: Republicans across the country are getting desperate in the face of some very stiff Dem challenges -- so they're accusing their opponents of various kinds of personal sleaze.

GOP Congressman's Campaign Attacks Dem For Thinking About Masturbation Thirty Years Ago
Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) is stepping up his social-conservative attacks on Dem challenger Kay Barnes, circulating to reporters an article that Barnes wrote back in the 1970s on the subject of sexuality and masturbation. A spokesman for the Barnes campaign told Roll Call that Graves is "fixated on sex" and that voters have better things to worry about.

GOP Candidate's Ad: My Opponent Supports Hanging Soldiers In Effigy
Tom McClintock, the GOP nominee for the open seat of scandal-plagued Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA), has premiered this new ad attacking Democrat Charlie Brown, an Air Force veteran, for attending an anti-war rally in 2005:

"Charlie Brown stood with anti-war radicals when a soldier was hung in effigy," says the woman in the ad, the mother of a Marine. "That's no way to support our troops."

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Here's some comic relief while you're waiting for the Republican Convention programming tonight: Some wacky down-ticket ads.

First up is this spot from GOP Senator Elizabeth Dole, who is in a close race with Democrat Kay Hagan in recent polls. Her new ad fires back at Hagan's attacks -- by calling Hagan a yapping little dog:

"So bark away, fibber Kay," the announcer says. "That dog don't hunt."

Check out some more interesting ads after the jump.

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A new set of polls has good news for Barack Obama in four key battleground states:

• In Iowa, which voted narrowly for George W. Bush in 2004, a new CNN poll has Obama ahead of John McCain by a 55%-40% margin.

• In Minnesota, which went narrowly to Kerry, CNN has Obama up 53%-41%.

• In Ohio, where President Bush's narrow 2004 win sealed his overall victory, the CNN poll gives Obama a 47%-45% edge, within the ±3.5% margin of error.

• In North Carolina, which hasn't voted Dem since 1976, a Democracy Corps (D) poll gives John McCain a narrow advantage of 47%-44% -- and gives Democratic Senate challenger Kay Hagan a 50%-45% lead over GOP Senator Elizabeth Dole.

If Obama's leads in Iowa and Ohio were to hold through November, it would be impossible for John McCain to win unless he could pick up some Kerry states.

We've just learned that MoveOn is about to sink half a million dollars into a huge ad buy in North Carolina linking Elizabeth Dole, who's facing a tough re-election fight, to John McCain and Big Oil.

Here's a first look at MoveOn's spot, which will run statewide starting tomorrow night:

The ad, which highlights GOP support for tax breaks for oil companies, will be released sometime today in honor of McCain's high-profile trip to an oil rig.

It's likely that the spot foreshadows more ads from MoveOn linking GOP Senate incumbents to Big Oil and McCain. Though some polls show public preference for McCain's position on drilling, MoveOn and Dems believe that hammering away at the links between the GOP and the big oil companies can change the conversation in their favor.

Now that Senator Ted Stevens has gotten indicted, one big question is this: Will all the GOP Senators and Senate candidates dump the contributions he's given them?

We now have the first reported case of a Republican Senator getting rid of such money: Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, who is facing a well-funded challenge from Democrat Kay Hagan.

Campaign spokesman Hogan Gidley just told Election Central that the campaign has written a $10,000 check -- the amount Dole has received this cycle from Stevens' leadership PAC -- to the Society of St. Andrew.

Stevens' PAC has donated to every incumbent GOP Senator seeking re-election this year. That's one down. Will others follow?

It looks like national Democratic strategists have concluded that they have a very good shot at knocking off North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole, which would amount to a huge Senate seat pickup in a deep-red state.

The Raleigh News and Observer reports that the DSCC is preparing to throw an enormous sum of cash into the race, reserving several hundred thousand dollars worth of ad time on the CBS affiliate in Raleigh alone. The total ad time reserved in the state could go as high as $6 million, with the ads set to run this fall.

Incumbent Republican Elizabeth Dole currently has a strong lead in the polls, thanks to a heavy ad blitz Dole unleashed right after the Dem candidate, state senator Kay Hagan, won her primary. Kay Hagan won her own primary. But the Dems think the race will even out in the run-up to the general election, with Barack Obama also targeting the state with his turnout and advertising efforts.

Now here's a funny campaign blooper. As spotted the other day by the Senate Guru blog, GOP Sen. Elizabeth Dole's campaign had to go back and re-edit a campaign ad a few weeks ago, after it turned out that a shot of a fighter plane wasn't an American aircraft.

It turned out that the Republican ad was displaying -- the horror! -- a French plane!

Here's the original, with the French Super Etendard plane:

The edited version, subbing in a U.S. Air Force plan, is after the jump.

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Obama To Tour Foreign Countries
The Obama campaign has announced that the candidate will be embarking on an overseas tour and meet with foreign leaders -- an important step in establishing a credible image on foreign policy. The candidate will visit Britain, France, Germany, Israel and Jordan, and the trip is expected to take place some time in July.

Obama And McCain Courting Latinos Today
Barack Obama and John McCain are both speaking today before the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials conference in Washington. For John McCain, this is an opportunity to overcome the Latino community's overall antipathy towards the Republican Party and its anti-immigrant bent. For Obama, his job is to secure the lead he currently has in the polls among a demographic where he lagged way behind during the primaries.

McCain: Obama "Didn't Seem To Be Serious" About Town Halls
During a campaign appearance yesterday in Cleveland, John McCain expressed pessimism about Barack Obama taking up his challenge of holding 10 town-hall meetings in the course of the campaign. The Obama campaign had previously answered with an offer of five appearance, being three traditional debates and two town halls. "The response, in all due respect, didn't seem to be serious," McCain said.

Hagel: I'm Closer To Obama Than McCain
Sen. Chuck Hagel, the conservative Nebraska Republican who has turned vocally against the Iraq War, has indicated in an interview with Bloomberg TV that he does not plan to publicly endorse any candidate for president. Hagel added, however, that his differences with Barack Obama were probably "not as big" as his differences with John McCain.

Poll: McConnell Under 50 In Kentucky
A new Rasmussen poll of Kentucky finds Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell leading Democratic businessman Bruce Lunsford by a 48%-41%, margin, with a ±4.5% margin. This is an improvement from their poll from a month ago, which had Lunsford ahead after his primary victory, but still a mark of concern for a four-term Senator who has become the leader of his party. Keep an eye on this race in the months ahead.

Elizabeth Dole Reverses Herself On Offshore Drilling
The Charlotte Observer reports that Sen. Elizabeth Dole opposed offshore drilling near North Carolina as recently as last week, but has now introduced a bill to give states the option of allowing it -- in line with President Bush and John McCain's embrace of the issue. "Now, more than ever, responsible and practical steps are needed to increase our energy independence and strengthen economic and national security," Dole said in a statement.

A recent ad blitz by GOP Sen. Elizabeth Dole, who has become a target of national Democrats in the normally red state of North Carolina, appears to be paying off. A new Rasmussen poll shows Dole taking a huge 53%-39% lead over her Democratic challenger, state Sen. Kay Hagan.

A Rasmussen poll from a month ago gave Hagan a one-point lead in the wake of her primary victory. Since then, however, Hagan has not gone back up on the air, while Dole has run two different statewide ads in the last two weeks.