Biden Coming to W.Va.

Barack Obama's campaign tells The Associated Press that running mate Joe Biden will campaign Friday in Charleston "to talk about the economy."

AP notes that Biden's planned appearance offers "the latest sign of Obama stepping up efforts in the Mountain State since polling suggested a close race with Republican John McCain."

The belief that West Virginia is in play likely prompted The Politico to accompany state Democratic leaders Saturday "on a winding, eight-county bus tour through the south of the state, " where "in one small mining town after another, they sold Barack Obama to small crowds of Democrats with remarkable directness."

The Charleston Gazette also covered the weekend coalfields trek. MetroNews, meanwhile, reports that "the NRA began advertising statewide against Democrat Barack Obama Saturday."

Update: A new poll puts McCain 8 percentage points ahead of Obama in West Virginia.

Update II: National Public Radio was also in Logan County.