The White House leaks about the VA race are meant to innoculate Obama from fallout with a Dem loss. The elected Dems will get the message from both places, but are trying to divert the public’s attention from a humiliating electoral outcome, even if they win in NJ. ‘94 wasn’t THAT long ago.
I don’t see those 2009 elections getting much publicity at all unless they are Democrat upsets, and in that case they will be on the news the rest of the week.