By DAVID ESPO

Signaling retreat, House Republicans are scaling back television advertising in three highly contested races, officials said Tuesday, including Rep. Curt Weldon (news, bio, voting record)'s bid for an 11th term in Pennsylvania and open seats in Colorado and Ohio.

Some of the funds will be spent to help other Republicans in races that remain competitive.

In contrast to the Republican strategic retreat, House Democrats are expanding the number of districts where they are advertising, an indication of confidence that the election is moving their way. In recent days, they have moved into districts in Kansas and Nebraska that have long been in GOP hands.

Democrats must gain 15 seats to win control of the House and six to win control of the Senate on Nov. 7.

Of the two, the Senate appears a more difficult challenge, and Republicans moved during the day to fortify their position.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee reported it would spend an additional $1 million in the campaign's final days to help Virginia Sen. George Allen (news, bio, voting record) in a re-election race that has become far tougher than originally expected.

At the same time, Senate Republicans decided to advertise on behalf of embattled Sen. Conrad Burns (news, bio, voting record) in Montana for the first time since August. Additionally, the party will begin advertising in Michigan for the first time this year, hoping to prevent Sen. Debbie Stabenow (news, bio, voting record) from winning a new term.

The information about the various moves came from public records at the Federal Election Commission as well as experts in both parties who track television advertising and campaign strategy. They spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to discuss confidential matters in public.

Weldon, a 10-term lawmaker, has become ensnared in a federal corruption investigation. It appeared that much of the advertising money the National Republican Congressional Committee had intended for his seat in the campaign's final days would be redirected to help Reps. Michael Fitzpatrick and Jim Gerlach.

The two other races where Republicans are scaling back advertising include the Ohio district that convicted Rep. Bob Ney (news, bio, voting record) has represented, and the one Rep. Bob Beauprez (news, bio, voting record) vacated to run for governor of Colorado.

House Republicans have reported spending more than $3 million to hold Ney's seat so far, and it appeared that at least a portion of the money intended for that race will now be spent to help Rep. Deborah Pryce (news, bio, voting record), who is locked in a difficult campaign elsewhere in the state.

The Colorado race pits Democrat Ed Perlmutter against Republican Rick O'Donnell. Perlmutter has led comfortably in recent polls, and Republican strategists apparently concluded the money ticketed for that race could be better spent trying to help re-elect Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (news, bio, voting record), seeking a new term in a different part of Colorado.

In Ohio, Democrat Zack Space is running against State Sen. Joy Padgett. Her campaign has been hindered by Ney's refusal to resign from Congress, even though he pleaded guilty to felony corruption charges earlier in the month.