This ad has been credited for helping to bring Joe Sestak back into the Senate race in Pennsylvania. The latest poll, from Reuters-Ipsos, shows a dead heat, after Sestak trailed for months. Just like in his primary victory over Arlen Specter, Sestak stormed back in the final stages and now could pull off the upset, which may come down to the ring communities in the Philadelphia suburbs. But while one ad could bring Sestak back from the brink, it’s the overwhelming number of ads attacking him that has defined the race – a model devised and carried out by his opponent years earlier.

Pennsylvania is one of those states in the industrial Midwest where the public mood is incredibly inhospitable to Democrats. At the same time, the Democratic enclaves around Philadelphia and its suburbs could boost statewide candidates if they manage to hold serve elsewhere. The Senate race is intriguing for how Joe Sestak is running against Pat Toomey – painting him as too extreme for the state and comparing him to the likes of the state’s former conservative Senator, Rick Santorum.

We’re seeing more and more discussion of the fact that Republican candidates nationwide have basically dropped off the map, relying on advertising and the national mood over retail campaigning and public appearances.

Durbin: Congress shouldn’t make cutting the federal deficit a greater priority than creating jobs until the U.S. unemployment rate falls to 9 percent or lower for at least half a year, the second-ranking Senate Democrat said in an interview.

There has been much hope — or dread, depending on which party you support — that the embrace of arch-conservative and Tea Party-backed candidates in contest primaries could seriously cost the Republican Party several Senate seats this November. The economy may be the key to Republican outcomes.

This is not a great time to be a Republican establishment candidate for Senate–even if you’re already a Senator. Voters are dissing old-school officeholders in favor of insurgents whose allegiances rhyme with “me.”

Tomorrow, May 18, there are three highly contested Democratic primaries for US Senate seats: Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Arkansas. In each race, the more left-leaning Democratic candidate is currently polling as the most electable.

With Pennsylvania’s May 18 primary fast approaching, more and more signs indicate a come-from-behind Joe Sestak victory over incumbent Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter — including the most positive poll result for Sestak so far.