McCain has to defend Arizona

The polls in Arizona have tightened to the point where John McCain is spending resources into his home state -- and has even planned a campaign stop there on Monday. First, the resources:

Earlier this week, the McCain campaign and the Republican National Committee paid for negative robo-calls in the state, telling voters Obama’s election “invites a major international crisis he will be unprepared to handle alone.

Now, the campaign stop:

Sen. John McCain will be in Prescott on election eve, according to the Yavapai County Republican Party.

He plans to attend the party's annual Victory Rally at approximately 9 p.m. Monday on the historic courthouse plaza. The rally starts at 6 p.m. and typically attracts Republican elected officials from around the state.

Presidential candidates don't go events in their home state before election day unless it's absolutely necessary. Bush and Kerry were still out in battleground states stumping on Election Day in 2004. But, for McCain, it sounds like it is absolutely necessary to campaign in Arizona.

Also, according to CNN, the Obama campaign and MoveOn are taking Arizona seriously, now, too:

MoveOn.org said Thursday it was launching its ‘Obamacan’ ad statewide on broadcast and cable in response. The ad features a life-long Republican who supports Obama.

The Obama campaign sent its supporters in the state a message from national field director Jon Carson calling for volunteers, and pointing to reports McCain was "struggling in his own backyard."

“Supporters like you have put us within striking distance. Now it's time to pull off what no one expected,” said Carson.

This is a major development in the presidential race. McCain's state has become very competitive. But, remember, yesterday on the TODAY Show, NBC's Chuck Todd said Arizona would be a battleground -- in four years. The pundits have to focus on Pennsylvania because the McCain campaign told them to focus on Pennsylvania.