McCain camp: Obama is on defense

From NBC's Chuck Todd and Mark Murray
To explain its decision to pull back from Michigan, a source close to the McCain campaign emails First Read, "We played in Michigan to spread the field on Obama. As you know, Obama has already abandoned a number of states from his 50-state strategy."

The official continues, "If we win FL, MO, NC, VA, IN and OH -- all states Republicans have won for decades -- that puts us at 260 electoral votes. We need to find 10 electoral votes from CO, NV, NM, NH, MN, WI, and PA. Frankly, we have an easier map than Obama. He’s on the defense."

But that's MUCH easier said that done. Recent polls show McCain to be either trailing or essentially tied in all of these states