According to Carson's internal polls, Coburn is ahead by 12 to 14 points in Oklahoma City, described as a solid Republican enclave. Coburn is apparently taking advantage of this to slam the city when speaking in the Northeast and Southwest corners of the state. The above report is from a Tulsa TV station:

[State Democratic Party chair Jay] Parmley quoted Coburn as telling an Altus group lat month that a, quote, ``bunch of crapheads in Oklahoma City,'' end quote, have killed the vision of anybody wanting to invest in the state.

He also took issue with Coburn's use of strong language in a conversation with former House colleague Dick Armey to describe the kind of person it takes to be a senator.

Coburn was unavailable for comment but spokesman Aaron Cooper called Parmley's objections silly and nonsense.

Well, of course! Republicans are allowed to badmouth anyone they want, but Teresa Heinz Kerry telling a demagogue editorialist to "shove it" is the End Of Decency As We Know It. Didn't you know that?

As of today, Carson's polling shows him caught up with Coburn, ahead but within the margin of error. Carson has fixed his "I'm Republican Lite" ads and has been running solid ads showing him fixing real problems for Oklahomans. Coburn's ads have been all about character, and the DSSC has responded with ads showing him saying he'll do things for Oklahoma City and then voting against them.

Like the Crosstown Expressway - rebuilding the eyesore, elevated I-40 at ground level. Coburn said he absolutely supported it, but when the vote came up, he voted against it - just like he votes against medical care, military bases, supports for family farmers, schools, and everything else. He votes against just about all spending because he's a defund-the-government nut who wants no taxes and no spending. That's why the Club for Growth put so much money behind Coburn.

So now who is Coburn blaming for a lack of investment in Oklahoma that he's repeatedly voted against? "Crapheads" in Oklahoma City, where he's supposedly the favored candidate. Why isn't this story on the Oklahoma City stations - or, better yet, in The Oklahoman?

You don't really have to wonder about that. I think the NRSC pulled back its ads for Coburn by $700,000 this week, from $1.9 million to $1.2 million over the course of the campaign, because they can see the writing on the wall. Oklahomans don't really want a senator who'll fight to screw them over while blaming it on other people, and that's clearly what Coburn would do.