Election 2008: Congress

• Politico marked the debut of a new television ad by Democrat Anne Barth, in which she enlists her former boss, U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, to aid her challenge of Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd. "Byrd doesn't say much, but he offers an endorsement, a powerful message from the longest-serving senator in U.S. history and one of the most recognized figures in his home state," the article notes.

• But political analyst Stuart Rothenberg includes the Barth-Capito race among several in which the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee "is running a risk by promoting some candidates who have little or no chance to win in the fall, and by lumping together very strong contenders with second-tier campaigns." Rothenberg calls Capito "wildly popular," and refers to an as-yet-unseen polling he says shows she "holds better than a 2-1 lead over Barth. And to no one’s surprise, McCain is clobbering Obama in the district."

• Barth is expecting a boost next week when House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., visits Martinsburg to stump with her, The Associated Press reports.