Campaign committees

Former Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) denied Wednesday he is engaged in an effort to oust Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. 

In an interview on ABC's "Topline," Coleman said, "There is no effort to replace Michael Steele" before November.

"The pundits can talk about the leadership of the RNC, they can talk about fundraising, a whole group of things, but the bottom line is we’re all working together," he said. "I’m working with Chairman Steele. We’re going to have a very good November if we stay focused on issues such as the economy, national debt and health care."

However, Coleman didn't rule out a bid for RNC Chair next year.

Coleman, who lost reelection to Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) in 2008, now heads American Action Network, one of a handful of conservative independent expenditure groups bucking up Republican candidates across the country in 2010.

On the primary defeat of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (D-Alaska), Coleman expressed surprise and said he expected Rep. Mike Castle, who's running for Senate, to survive a challenge from conservative commentator Christine O'Donnell later this month.    

Republicans are making a multimillion-dollar investment in Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio (R).

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) announced Wednesday it plans to spend $2.5 million on TV advertising for Rubio. The committee recently pledged $3.4 million to Illinois Senate candidate Mark Kirk (R).

"This funding demonstrates a continued commitment to Marco Rubio's candidacy and our confidence that he will be Florida's next U.S. senator," NRSC spokeswoman Amber Marchand told the St. Petersburg Times. "What remains to be seen is whether the national Democrats will make the same commitment to Congressman Kendrick Meek's campaign."

Democrats have recently been more focused on the third candidate in the race, Gov. Charlie Crist.

Florida-based strategist Steve Schale wrote a widely circulated blog post Tuesday arguing the governor has no path to victory. "Rubio is limiting him to 20 percent of the Republican vote. If Rubio keeps him at 20 percent of the GOP vote, Crist needs to get 45 percent of the Democratic vote in order to win, and according to the latest PPP poll, Crist is only at 38 percent today with Democrats," Schale wrote.

The memo came a day after the NRSC circulated a letter mocking Crist and asking for its $10,000 donation to be returned.

In a last-minute fundraising appeal, Sen. Menendez says: "Nothing would give them more bragging rights than winning this seat."

A new poll shows Illinois Senate candidate Mark Kirk with solid support in his party's geographic base. 

Kirk led Democrat Alexi Giannoulias 45 to 23 percent in a Public Opinion Strategies poll conducted for Rep. John Shimkus's (R-Ill.) campaign. The Aug. 24-25 survey of 400 likely voters had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent. There was 22 percent undecided in the 19th district, which spans much of the more conservative, southern half of the state.

Giannoulias is expected to need upwards of $4 million to maintain a statewide TV ad campaign in the final month of the race. But much of that money won't be coming from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, according to Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.). 

After a speech in Chicago on Monday, Durbin told reporters Democrats would not match the $3.4 million that the National Republican Senatorial Committee has pledged to Kirk.

 "The amount of money being spent by the Republican side [this campaign cycle] is overwhelming," Durbin said, according to Crain's Chicago Business.

Republicans on Tuesday promoted Rep. Alan Grayson's (D-Fla.) challenger to the top level of their candidate assistance program. Florida Republican Daniel Webster is now considered a "Young Gun."

The former state Senate majority leader, who is 61 years old, was one of six candidates to gain promotion this week.

"Fifty-two candidates have earned Young Gun status, which is more than enough seats needed to take back the majority," Rep. Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), the National Republican Congressional Committee’s recruitment chairman, said in a statement.

Florida Republican Steve Southerland, who's challenging Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.), was also promoted Tuesday.

In a letter to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (I) dated Monday, the National Republican Senatorial Committee asked the candidate for Senate to return the money it donated to his campaign when he was still running as a Republican.

The NRSC gave $10,000 to Crist's campaign last summer.  

The committee's executive director, Rob Jesmer, mocked Crist in the letter, writing, "I am so pleased to learn about your latest flip flop yesterday regarding the return of contributions upon request. After months of refusing to return donations from hardworking voters and others who supported your candidacy while you were a Republican, you told CNN’s Ed Henry yesterday, 'We'll give it [campaign contributions] back to people who had asked for it.' " 

Jesmer goes on to tie Crist to indicted former Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer. Earlier this month, Crist returned the $10,000 Greer donated to his Senate campaign after the former party chairman asked for the money back. 

Jesmer notes that his letter marks the committee's second request for their funds back.

"I’m writing you today to let you know that we will gladly take you up on your latest offer — please consider this letter yet a second official request that you return all contributions from the NRSC and from the Republican Senate leadership," Jesmer continued. "After you switched your position on health care, the stimulus, off-shore drilling, and a number of other critical issues facing the state of Florida, this may actually be one flip flop that that we can support."

The Crist campaign also received $40,000 from the PACs of other Republican senators, including $10,000 each from the committees of Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). 

-Updated at 5:17 p.m.

The vice chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee said Friday night that Democrats would be meeting Saturday's Glenn Beck rally with a door-knocking effort across the country.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said on MSNBC's "Hardball" that as conservative activists rallied on the National Mall, Democrats would be trying to stress to voters that theirs are the policies taking America forward.

"You mentioned the 200,000 that may or may not be on the Mall tomorrow," the congresswoman told host Christ Matthews. "The 200,000 people that matter tomorrow are the 200,000 activists who are going to be knocking on doors tomorrow for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's National Day of Action.

"We will do 200,000 door knocks tomorrow all across America, Chris, because our grassroots engine is second to none."

Wasserman Schultz predicated "a successful election day, or at least, certainly, better than most people in Washington are thinking we're going to have on Nov. 2."

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee wasted no time Wednesday going after Alaska attorney Joe Miller (R). 

Even though the Republican primary between Miller and Sen. Lisa Murkowski has yet to be officially called, the DSCC attacked Miller as an "extremist" and accused him of wanting to "transition-out Social Security" and "phase-out Medicare." 

Miller is clinging to a lead of fewer than 2,000 votes over Murkowski with 97 percent of precincts reporting. There are still thousands of absentee ballots that have yet to be counted and it could take until next month to have final results out of the state.

The DSCC release makes no mention of the Democratic nominee for the seat — Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams. While the GOP could end up with a novice candidate in Miller, he would still be a heavy favorite in November.

Given the number of competitive Senate seats this fall, it looks highly unlikely the national party would expend any real money on Alaska. 

It's help that McAdams would likely need to make the race truly competitive. He raised less than $10,000 as of his last FEC filing and DNC Spokesman Brad Woodhouse was unable to even name McAdams when asked Wednesday on ABC's "Top Line." 

With the results of Alaska's Republican Senate primary still in doubt, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) guaranteed Wednesday that his party would retain the seat in November.

“As we await the final outcome of the Republican primary in Alaska, one thing is clear — this seat will remain in Republican hands this November," Cornyn said in a statement. "While political pundits and the Democrats in Washington will attempt to spin this race inside the Beltway, the fact remains that voters in Alaska and across America are deeply concerned about the reckless spending and rapid growth of government that we’ve witnessed under the Obama White House and the current leadership in Congress."

Attorney Joe Miller appears on the verge of scoring a stunning upset over NRSC-backed Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R). Miller holds a lead of less than 2,000 votes with 97 percent of precincts reporting. Several thousand absentee ballots are left to be counted. 

Should Murkowski lose, she would be the third sitting senator to be defeated in a primary this year. Sens. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and Bob Bennett (R-Utah) also lost out on their respective party nominations. 

Murkowski also stands to be the latest NRSC candidate to lose a Republican primary to a Tea Party-backed challenger. It has happened in four other states this primary season — Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Kentucky. 

The president's fundraising letter said his "Democratic partners" on Capitol Hill have made progress toward economic recovery possible.