Mark Kirk

With national Democrats having outspend their House GOP counterparts by a ratio of 100-1 or more, the National Republican Congressional Committee has finally launched their first ad buys of the cycle, coordinating with mail programs targeting vulnerable members of both parties. The trouble is, it may already be too late.

As the economy rockets to the front of voters' minds, Republicans find themselves at a distinct disadvantage. A full 59 percent say economic issues are the most important ones facing the country right now according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, a higher percentage of the population agreeing on one topic than most pollsters can remember at any other given time.

Even as most Republicans cast votes against the first incarnation of the emergency economic stabilization legislation, a measure which proved so highly unpopular that most congressional offices reported constituent calls about the legislation running at 100 to 1 against, the GOP still trails Democrats when voters are asked which party they trust most to handle the economy.

Voting no was the safe move.

Members of Congress in tough re-election battles apparently decided that it was safer to vote against the $700 billion Wall Street bailout plan than to vote for it.

There are 41 incumbent House members on Politicker.com's The Pindell Report of the nation's most competitive House races. Of that group 31 voted against the bailout, possibly proof that that a yes vote might be politically toxic just a little over a month from Election Day. Of the four House members running for the Senate only Maine's Tom Allen voted for in favor.