FEINSTEIN LEAD BUILDING IN COSTLY CALIFORNIA RACE . . .

Incumbent Senator Dianne Feinstein (D., California) appears to be pulling ahead of her G.O.P. challenger in a nasty, no-holds-barred campaign that's the most expensive senate race in history. A San Francisco Examiner poll released this weekend shows Republican challenger Michael Huffington lagging by 6%, wider than a gap of 4 points earlier this month. Still, that's small consolation for Feinstein, who once led by 26 points. Analysts attribute Huffington's strength to a $17 million spending binge, twice Feinstein's expenditures to date.