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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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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In another sign that the GOP implosion in Ohio continues apace, CQ Politics has just shifted its rating of two Ohio races -- in the first and second districts -- from "Leans Republican" to "No Clear Favorite." The races are Dem John Cranley's challenge to GOP Rep. Steve Chabot, and Dem Victoria Wulsin's effort to knock off GOP Rep. Jean "Mean Jean" Schmidt." CQ: "The Democrats have the momentum in Ohio. Their nominee in the open-seat race for governor, Rep. Ted Strickland, is a solid favorite to win on Tuesday, and their Senate nominee, Rep. Sherrod Brown, holds a lead, though a somewhat less dominant one, over Republican incumbent Mike DeWine." As noted below, today's Columbus Dispatch predicted a Dem sweep in Ohio. CQ's full analysis of both races here.

Big news from Ohio. Arguing that “his effectiveness seems to have peaked,” The Cincinnati Enquirer turned against GOP incumbent Steve Chabot and said “It is time for him to come home.” The Enquirer’s endorsement of Chabot’s Democratic challenger John Cranley is especially striking considering the paper’s long-time support for Chabot (including in his first race against Cranley in 2000) and the fact that in each of the four other House races in which the Enquirer offered an endorsement, it choose the Republican.

In addition to his waning effectiveness, The Enquirer cites a spat of dishonest advertising run by Chabot and a record of energy and bipartisanship by Cranley. The endorsement and a recent DCCC poll giving Cranley a 9 point lead have his supporters excited going into the final week.

This is a good one. The NRCC has a new ad up attacking Dem House candidate John Cranley for...being in favor of tasering kids! It's true: The ad slams Cranley -- who's challenging incumbent GOP Rep. Steve Chabot -- for siding with the Cincinnati police department when a local pol pushed to change PD policy to make it illegal to taser kids under 11. Cranley opposed the change, saying that in the rare cases a young kid (wielding a knife, for example) needs to be subdued it's better to taser him then shoot him. Hence the NRCC ad accusing Cranley of wanting to shock this 7-year-old girl in pigtails. Check out our screen grab below; see the full ad after the jump.

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Former President Bill Clinton will be traveling in late October to Ohio's second district to campaign against GOP incumbent Steve Chabot. Chabot, who is locked in a tight race with Democratic challenger John Cranley, was the House manager of President Clinton's impeachment. If Cranely were to win, one could imagine the pleasure the former President would get from helping the Dems pick up a seat and settling an old score all in one trip.

In a move telling of the complexities of this midterm election, the Democratic challenger in Ohio’s first district is attacking his Republican opponent in a new TV ad for failing to act against illegal immigration and supporting the dreaded a-word:

"Six million illegal immigrants have crossed our border since Steve Chabot went to congress. Yet Chabot has failed to do anything to fix the problem. Chabot even voted to give amnesty to 200,000 illegal immigrants. [...]

John Cranley is opposed to amnesty and supports increased border security."

Cranley, a Cincinnati City Councilor who ran well against Chabot in 2000 and is back for another shot, aired the ad in response to two Chabot ads accusing him of the same supposed sin. In fact, he’s doing this despite the fact that he and his opponent have well established positions within the contemporary debate: Cranley voted on the Cincinnati City Council in March to support the bipartisan McCain/Kennedy Senate bill while Chabot voted for the more hard-line and controversial Sensenbrenner House bill and earlier this month to put a fence on the Mexican border. So what gives?

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Here's a local story out of Cincinnati that illustrates the GOP's ever declining strength in Ohio. Wednesday, Hamilton County commissioner candidate David Pepper (D) released a poll that showed him leading against his longtime Republican incumbent Phil Heimlich by 5 points.

Why is this important news for Dems? Hamilton County is a staunch GOP stronghold where county commissioner seats have historically almost always gone to Republicans (Todd Portune is currently the only Dem on the 3 person commission; his wins in '00 and '04 were largely the result of protest votes against a football stadium debacle.)

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