The Associated Press reports that the Kerrry campaign has cancelled plans to advertise in Missouri, Arizona, Arkansas and Louisiana:

Ads were scheduled to begin airing Oct. 5 in Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri as part of a $5 million investment through Nov. 2, but campaign advisers concluded Kerry isn't doing well enough in the states to justify the cost.

The campaign, which has reserved commercial time in 20 states through Election Day, notified television stations in the four states that Kerry would not follow through on his plans for the first week of October.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Arizona, Arkansas and Louisiana are unlikely to see Kerry ads unless there is a major shift in the campaign's dynamics. Missouri is still the subject of debate inside the campaign, with some advisers pushing to advertise in the traditional swing state.

You can debate polls endlessly, but the most reliable polls are the ones done by the candidates themselves, because they are actually relied on. And all indications are that for now, at least, the data are bad for John Kerry.

Hugh Hewitt had this up within minutes, apparently, after the AP story was posted.