Polling update, from DSCC:

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Dead Heat:

Illinois: A new CNN poll on the race for President Obama's seat shows Democrat Alexi Giannoulias with a razor thin 43-42 lead over Bush economic acolyte Mark Kirk. The DSCC is on the air letting voters know about Kirk's abysmal record. He voted six times against extending benefits for laid-off workers and five times against raising the minimum wage. But he voted to raise his own pay six times.

West Virginia: Polling shows a dead heat between popular Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin and mostly Florida resident John Raese to take the late Sen. Robert Byrd's seat. But your support is helping to expose a man who blames volcanoes for global warming, would eliminate the minimum wage, and promises to protect tax breaks for firms that ship jobs overseas. Raese also offered cash rewards to people writing favorable letters to the editor.

Pennsylvania: A new poll shows that Democrat Joe Sestak continues to gain on Wall Street wheeler-dealer Pat Toomey, closing within 3 points. Both candidates are running ads, with Toomey getting a sizable assist from two far-right groups, the Club for Growth and Karl Rove's American Crossroads. The DSCC has been telling voters how Toomey helped pioneer the use of financial derivatives, the risky ventures that led to the financial meltdown. The numbers are moving in the right direction, but we need your support to keep up the pressure in these final days.

Colorado: A new poll shows Democrat Michael Bennet taking a 48-46 lead over Tea Party King Ken Buck. Thanks to your contributions, the DSCC has been able to educate the voters, and clearly, it's paying off. Bennet is gaining momentum as voters learn just how radical Buck's views are. Buck, who has said Social Security is "fundamentally against what I believe," opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest and supported a state ballot initiative that would make common forms of birth control and in-vitro fertilization illegal. He also wants to eliminate the Department of Education and federal student loans and advocated repealing the 17th Amendment, which lets voters choose their own senators.

Hot Races

Here's the latest from other hot races we're watching this week:

Wisconsin: Russ Feingold is making sure Wisconsin voters know about Tea Partier Ron Johnson's radical views. Feingold is facing a nonstop flow of negative ads from Johnson and conservative third-party groups. Meanwhile, a video surfaced this week showing Johnson lobbying against a bill making it easier for victims of sexual abuse to sue their attackers.

California: After polls showed Barbara Boxer leading Carly Fiorina, right-wing third-party groups swooped in with help. The nation's most prominent corporate lobby, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Tea Partying FreedomWorks are pouring money into California at alarming rates.

Washington: Polls show Patty Murray has the momentum, and that's led to a $500,000 infusion by Karl Rove's American Crossroads on behalf of Republican Dino Rossi. This week, some of Rossi's business associates were hit with a massive $584,000 fine for failing to disclose money they pumped into his last campaign.

Delaware: In the race for Vice President Joe Biden's seat, Republican Christine O'Donnell has raised $2.5 million online, and Sen. Tea Party himself, Jim DeMint, has chipped in $250,000 in ads. But money hasn't prevented O'Donnell's self-inflicted wounds. This week, she was caught claiming that she attended the University of Oxford when she hadn't. And a clip was discovered in which O'Donnell said evolution is a myth because monkeys aren't "evolving" into humans before our eyes.

Missouri: A new poll shows Democrat Robin Carnahan within striking distance of Republican Rep. Roy Blunt. Carnahan has aired a series of hard-hitting ads, most recently calling out Blunt as a "prodigious pork-meister" and "the very worst of Washington." Fox News has actually sued the Carnahan campaign for using Fox footage that's critical of Blunt, but Carnahan isn't backing down one inch and launched the Fight Fox Fund to stand up to the network.

Nevada: The race in Nevada remains tight, but extremist Republican Sharron Angle keeps coming up with good ways to turn off voters. This week, an unbelievable video was made public in which Angle said that insurance companies shouldn't have to cover autism and maternity care. Speaking of health insurance, the Tea Party candidate and her husband enjoy terrific health care courtesy of the government, as a result of her husband's retirement from a government job.

Kentucky: Polls show this race is a dead heat, and Jack Conway is up with a brutal new ad featuring Rand Paul's opinion that Kentucky seniors should pay a $2,000 deductible for Medicare. It was also learned this week that Paul is a member of a fringe medical organization that doesn't think HIV causes AIDS and suggested that Barack Obama won the presidency by hypnotizing voters.

Alaska: Democrat Scott McAdams is up with a great new ad that might feature a first for American politics -Norwegian cursing. Meanwhile, radical Republican Joe Miller could face fines of up to $50,000 for failing to file required financial disclosure forms. We also found out that Miller acquired hunting and fishing licenses reserved for low-income Alaskans while earning $70,000 a year as an attorney. This is the same Miller who also received agriculture subsidies yet has called for an end to the "welfare state." Miller also posted a series of arrogant tweets, including: "Think I'll do some house hunting while I'm in DC" and "Guess I should pick up some office furniture, as well, while in DC."

A number of races are neck-and-neck - and we need to win them to hold onto the Senate. Donate to the DSCC. Every dollar you give will go to the race where it's most needed - and will do the most good. There are only 30 days left before Election Day, and hitting every goal from here on out is necessary to keep our winning strategy on track. Your gift could turn out voters in Colorado, or counter Republican attacks in Missouri. We're only a month out, and we need you to join the fight!

Click here to donate $5 or more to the DSCC. The DSCC must raise $100,000 by midnight tonight to keep on pace for November. Your gift will help push these close races our way!

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