The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee says it's sticking with 92 percent.

In a recent TV ad, the national group argued that U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole voted with President Bush 92 percent of the time, citing an average of scores given by Congressional Quarterly. The Washington-based news service said that method is inaccurate, and the correct figure is 88 percent.

But DSCC spokesman Matt Miller said they weren't backing down.

"We use what has generally been the accepted method, which is to take all the years and average them together," he said on a conference call with reporters this afternoon. "We stand by that number, absolutely."

He added that North Carolina voters "would think just as poorly" of Dole at 88 or 92 percent.

"If she wants to have an argument whether she's voted 92 percent of the time with Bush or whether she's voted with him 88 percent of the time, I think that's an argument that we'd be happy to have," he said.

Miller also noted that Dole's score has gone down — from 98 percent in 2003 to 85 percent last year.

"She realizes in an election year she probably has a problem that she has voted with Bush over 90 percent of the time, and you can see her trying to move away from that," he said.

National Democrats, already spending nearly $1 million on an ad against Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole, apparently plan to spend an additional $7 million after Labor Day.

"I don't think anybody's been targeted that much," Dole aide Brian Nick said during a Charlotte appearance with the senator today, Jim Morrill reports.

Nick said the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has reserved $7.3 million of airtime in North Carolina after Labor Day. The DSCC already has spent about $800,000 on an ad that calls Dole ineffective. DSCC spokesman Matt Miller would not confirm the amounts.

The money would help Dole's Democratic opponent, state Sen. Kay Hagan. Hagan reported having raised around $3 million through June to Dole's $8.4 million.

Jennifer Duffy, an analyst with the Washington-based Cook Political Report, said the $7 million figure may be inflated. But it still suggests Democrats plan to make an impact in the race.

"If I'm Senator Dole I'd be worried about the money the DSCC is going to spend, whether it's $3 million or $7 million," she said.

Dole spoke to the Charlotte Chamber this morning and later toured Johnson C. Smith University.