Did the NRCC tip their hand? The NRCC dropped $163,000 into the PA 4 race -- Hart (R) v. Altmire (D) -- after spending a little under $11,000 on a poll. It sounds like they didn't like what they heard from that poll.

Just a few days ago, the Altmire campaign released its own poll that had him trailing Hart by a mere four points -- Hart (48%), Altmire (44%). It sounds like the NRCC poll wasn't much better. Maybe not even as good.

Based on this CQ has bumped the race from Republican Favored to Leans Republican. So Hart is still favored. But it's a real race.

If I were Altmire's folks I'd certainly want to make the point that DeLay and Hastert put Hart on the Ethics Committee after they purged it of non-loyalists. They knew she would be a rubber stamp vote for DeLay and other House GOPers who got into trouble. That's telling.

Another on our list of races we're eyeing closely. Here's Hart's website and here's Altmire's.