GOP VICTORY CLOSER? – AT 10:55 A.M. ET:  From The Hill:

With one month until Election Day, Republicans' chances for retaking the Senate and picking up seats in the House are improving.

The GOP has been buoyed by positive public polling, while red-state Democrats are still struggling to find distance from President Obama. There are bright spots and even some unexpected new targets on the map for both parties, but the overall national environment seems to have ticked a bit toward Republicans.

The GOP needs to win a net of six seats to retake control of the Senate, and Republicans seem better-positioned to do so now than they did through much of the summer.

Democrats must hold their own for a decent election night, and they’re putting their faith in their vaunted ground game for the final stretch.

Both sides say control of the upper chamber is still very much at play, and Republicans certainly aren’t taking a victory lap just yet.

“The Senate is up for grabs and the outcome is far from certain,” said Paul Lindsay, spokesman for the pro-GOP American Crossroads. “There's a lot of encouraging signs in many states and a good progression for us in many states. But at the same time many of these races are still up for grabs.”

The GOP is all but certain to win open seats in Montana, South Dakota and West Virginia. Their candidates have also pulled into dead heats or slight leads against red-state Sens. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), leaving the party feeling bullish that former Alaska Department of Natural Resources commissioner Dan Sullivan (R) and Reps. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) will be joining the upper chamber next year.

COMMENT:  I'm mildly encouraged, which for me is near-euphoria.  A month is three lifetimes in politics.  The Dems have their usual dirty tricks, including an odd mathematical phenomenon wherein more people vote in a district on election day than live in the district.  They also have their scare campaigns.  Nothing is certain yet.  Control of the Senate may actually not be known election night, or even the next morning, if Louisiana goes into a runoff.  Fight as if we're 20 points behind.

October 4,  2014