Only N.C., Ga. have had more television advertising in Senate races; McConnell's edge is more than 2 to 1

A rolling, updated Thursday-Friday roundup as we head toward the weekend . . .

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  More money has been spent on television advertising in Kentucky's Senate race than in any state this year except North Carolina and Georgia, according to data compiled by Kantar Media/ Campaign Media Analysis Group and the Center for Public Integrity. And in terms of total ads, shown in the chart above, Kentucky has seen more than any state but North Carolina. "Outside groups have outspent candidates and parties—$6.9 million to $4.9 million," Rebecca Ballhaus reports for The Wall Street Journal. "Republican candidates, committees and groups have spent $8.1 million on TV ads in the race, compared with $3.7 million spent by Democrats and affiliated groups. Mr. McConnell alone has spent $2.3 million, just above the $1.9 million his Democratic opponent, Alison Lundergan Grimes, has paid out so far."
• Grimes has a new TV ad, attacking McConnell's poor attendance record at Senate committee meetings, a line she introduced last month. "He only showed up seven percent of the time," a narrator says. "If you did that, you’d get fired. So should he."
• McConnell has a new TV ad, noting Grimes's support for President Obama's 2008 election, and 2012 re-election "after all this," a series of bad-news headlines, concluding, "Is there any doubt how she'd vote in Washington?"
• "McConnell's top adviser said Thursday that the campaign has no knowledge of subpoenas reportedly issued in an Iowa bribery investigation that seek information about McConnell's former campaign manager," Sam Youngman reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader. "McConnell adviser Josh Holmes also said the campaign has no information that indicates its former manager, Jesse Benton, did anything wrong as political director for then-U.S. Rep. Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign."
• "McConnell's evolution from political moderate to hard-line conservative has been driven by an instinct for self-preservation and a desire to win. So says a new and highly critical e-book out Sept. 16 that delves into the life and political back story of Kentucky's most powerful Republican," Jim Carroll reports for The Courier-Journal. "The Cynic: The Political Education of Mitch McConnell, published by Simon & Schuster, is authored by Alex MacGillis, senior editor at The New Republic," a liberal magazine.
• NBC News will release a new poll in the race at 9 a.m. Sunday.