WASHINGTON – The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s last minute ad buy to protect U.S. Rep. John Murtha totals nearly $440,000, PolitickerPA.com has learned.

The ad buy, which one Democratic strategist said today was large enough to “saturate” the Southwestern Pennsylvania district’s airwaves over the next 6 days, dwarfs the National Republican Congressional Committee’s investment in the race. On Tuesday, the NRCC paid $84,000 to air a 30-second TV ad highlighting Murtha’s past controversial statements.

While the DCCC has been reserving ad time in the district, Democratic House members have been receiving calls asking them to cut checks in an effort to boost Murtha’s campaign.

The moves come less than a week after a GOP polling firm found Murtha, one of the Democratic caucuses most prominent members, leading Republican opponent William Russell by a slim 46 percent to 41 percent margin. Prior to the poll, Murtha received attention for suggesting in an interview with a local television station that his constituents were “racists” and “rednecks.”

Democrats say the poll was taken at the height of the uproar over the comments and that the survey exaggerates Russell’s standing in the race, which Murtha had been widely expected to win in a walk. Democrats also argue that Republicans are saying Murtha is in more trouble than he really is in an attempt to attract third party groups to start spending in the race. Today, the group Vets for Freedom began airing a TV ad attacking Murtha.

But Republicans said today that national Democrats’ heavy last-minute investment in the race is a surefire sign Murtha is in hot water.

“I think the size of the DCCC buy indicates their internal polling must be as bad or worse than the public numbers showing it a 5 point race. The only reason to spend more than $400,000 on a long time incumbent a week out is if they're in serious trouble,” said a GOP strategist.