Montana Calling

How bad are things looking for John McCain? Marc Ambinder reports that the RNC's independent expenditures arm will be airing TV ads in Montana, a state that Bush won by 20 points.

Montana's media market is relatively cheap but if things are indeed this bad for John McCain, wouldn't the RNC be better off spending the money on protecting endangered House or Senate Republicans?

Inexperience

A new ad from the RNC hits Obama on his lack of executive experience. Interesting that they would use this line of attack in light of McCain's lack of executive experience and more importantly, his widely panned and erratic response to the economic crisis.

RNC Out of Wisconsin

First Read reports that the RNC will not be making independent expenditures in Wisconsin and Maine's second district.

Despite swirling rumors that the McCain campaign's days of full court press in Wisconsin may be numbered, NBC confirms that the Republican nominee's team has bought ad time in markets there next week. But the RNC's independent expenditure arm has stopped its efforts in the Badger State, as well as in Maine, where McCain hopes to snag one of the state's electoral votes.

The RNC's ad cash is already flowing into markets in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. And newly added to that list in the home stretch to November 4th: battlegrounds Colorado and Missouri.

Outspending McCain

Chris Cillizza reports that "Barack Obama is outspending John McCain at nearly a three-to-one clip on television time in the final weeks of the presidential election, according to ad buy information obtained by The Fix, a financial edge that is almost certainly contributing to the momentum for the Illinois senator in key battleground states... Even when the Republican National Committee's independent expenditure spending in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin is factored in (a total of $5.3 million), Obama still outspent the combined GOP forces by roughly $8 million in the last week alone."

News Briefs, 10/3/08

The RNC raked in $66 million in September. This is good news for the McCain campaign and for the House and Senate Republican Committees.

Obama invests in Nebraska's second congressional district.

Judge refuses to dismiss Stevens trial.

New voter registrations hit record numbers in Virginia and Colorado.

Lieberman Is a Liar

That's pretty much what Robert Gibbs says in this clip.