Late $$ push for Burns

The money race in PA-12 is taking an interesting twist. According to pre-general election FEC reports, Rep. Mark Critz spent $280,000 in the first two weeks of October (mostly on advertising) and had just $52,772 left in the bank as of Oct. 13. Republican challenger Tim Burns spent $219,000 (mostly to Pittsburgh-based media firm BrabenderCox) but still had $283,110 on hand.

In addition, The Hill reports today that the NRCC is making a late play for Burns.

More notable spending for the NRCC — another $243,000 for a media buy against Rep. Mark Critz (D-Pa.), a district the committee didn't make a major play in until mid-October. It's a sign the GOP might have some renewed confidence in Republican Tim Burns, who lost a special election to Critz last year. The DCCC has spent heavily targeting Burns.

So Burns has the financial edge here in the closing days, though it's worth noting that the combined Critz-Dahlkemper Victory Fund -- created for Vice President Joe Biden's fund-raiser at the beginning of the month -- does not have to file a pre-election report, so we don't know how much was raised and spent from the fund on behalf of those two endangered Dems.