Mehlman (sort of) says GOP still backing DeWine

Here's how worried Republicans were about this story in today's New York Times saying that Republican leaders have concluded that Sen. Mike DeWine is likely heading for defeat, so they're diverting financial resources to other races:

Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman scrambled to get reporters on a conference call at 10:30 a.m. today to tell everyone that he's "very confidant Mike DeWine can and will win."

Really?

According to Mehlman, polls show the race "is an even race." Plus, DeWine "has a huge cash advantage over his opponent." And, finally, if you look at the issues, Mehlman says he doesn't think "the people of Ohio are going to elect a senator who is left of the center."

DeWine is running against Democrat Sherrod Brown, a longtime congressman from Lorain in northern Ohio.

So if Republicans are so confidant that DeWine "can and will win," then why hold the conference call?

"I wanted to correct the record," Mehlman said. "Ohio remains a top priority. ... No state will receive more in GOP money than Ohio will."

So the RNC and the NRSC are NOT pulling the plug on DeWine's race?

"We don’t’ get into our internal campaign strategies," Mehlman said.

And that's that. Any questions?