A daily dose of online news from beyond the Beltway.

As the campaign for New Jersey's Democratic Senate nomination hurtles toward becoming one of the country's most expensive political races ever, candidate Jon Corzine said Tuesday he will spend $4 million on television ads before the June 6 primary. Florio, a former governor, did not say if he will answer Corzine's blitz with his own attack ads, but with only $1 million to spend, it's doubtful he could match Corzine's final barrage.

Corzine, who continues to hit Florio on Social Security and taxes, is a wealthy former Wall Street executive who is on pace to spend $22 million in the primary alone, moving his campaign within striking distance of the $30 million spent on Michael Huffington's record-setting – and losing – 1994 California Senate bid.

"This debate is over." S.C. Gov. Jim Hodges (D), after signing the bill into law that will remove the Confederate flag from atop the statehouse. (Spartanburg Herald-Journal, May 24)

• Corzine Mounts an Expensive Ad Blitz
(The Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J., May 24)
• Florio Confident Despite Corzine Ads
(The Bergen Record, May 24)
• Profile: N.J. Senate Race

For Florio, the highly unpopular $2.8 billion tax increase he pushed through the state legislature just weeks after becoming governor in 1990 is still an issue among voters.
• Florio's Style, Like His Tax Rise, Remains Issue in Race for Senate
(The New York Times, May 24; registration required)

Montana's Lone House Race Is Getting Expensive
In the campaign for Montana's singular seat in the House of Representatives, Democratic Nancy Keenan is far ahead of her Republican rival, Dennis Rehberg, in fundraising, with close to $1 million already taken in – 54 percent more than Rehberg.
• Keenan Leads Rehberg in Fundraising for House Seat
(The Billings Gazette, May 24)
• Profile: Montana At-Large Congressional Race

Money is also an issue in the state's gubernatorial race, where two candidates, Democrat Mark O’Keefe and Republican Rob Natelson, are dipping into their personal bank accounts for extra funds.
• O’Keefe, Natelson Write Checks to Their Campaigns
(The Greenville News, May 24)
• Profile: Montana Governor's Race

S.C. Governor Says State Needs to Move Beyond Flag Fight
Appearing on statewide television and hoping to end a controversial debate, South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges (D) signed into law the state legislature's bill that will remove the Confederate flag from above the state capitol building.
• Governor Chooses Words Carefully Before His First Television Address
(The State, Columbia, S.C., May 24)
• Governor Signs Bill, Declares Flag Debate History
(The Greenville News, May 24)
• Text: Hodges Address to the State
(Spartanburg Herald-Journal, May 24)

Boston Ballpark Plan Strikes Out With Mass. House Speaker
As state lawmakers prepare to discuss how much public money to invest in a new baseball park for the Boston Red Sox, House Speaker Thomas Finneran said Massachusetts is "done with corporate welfare" and said team officials should search harder for private financing.
• Speaker Puts Conditions on Fenway Funding
(Boston Herald, May 24)
• Finneran Tells Sox to Find More Money for a New Fenway
(The Boston Globe, May 24)