Vicki Kennedy, widow of the late Massachusetts senator, has cut an ad for the Democrat most thought would waltz into the seat next Tuesday, Martha Coakley.

The fact that the Kennedy brand had to be invoked so late in the race when Coakley had avoided playing that card early on shows just how close the race has gotten. But there's more news than that in the spot.

Kennedy says in the 30-second spot: "It's not the Kennedy seat.  It's the people's seat." What's so striking about that line is that it has been one of the slogans of Republican Scott Brown's insurgent effort. He said it to us last week in an interview, and pointedly brought it up in Monday's debate.

The fact that the phrase now finds its way into a Coakley ad just shows the message problem her campaign has had.

UPDATE: Politico grabs this new Brown spot that highlights Coakley's quick trip to DC for a fundraiser this week. It attempts to use the arrival of the Democratic cavalry on Coakley's behalf against her, reinforcing his campaign's main message.

--------------------------------------------
Follow the RCP Blog on Twitter.
Become a fan of RCP on Facebook.
--------------------------------------------