NEA Spends $40 Million On Elections, And Democrats Still Lag

Amid projections of a GOP takeover of the U.S. House and a pickup of Senate seats, the National Education Association pitched $40 million to Democratic candidates this year.

"It could have been worse" will, no doubt, be the union's rationale for its record spending to stanch the bleeding on Capitol Hill.

The NEA said it laid out $17 million for TV, mail, radio and phone calls in four Senate races and seven House races, one of which was the Ron Klein-Allen West tilt in Florida's 22nd Congressional District.

If Klein, D-Boca Raton, grabs a come-from-behind victory tonight, he can thank his teacher pals. If he comes up a loser, he won't be alone.