WASHINGTON President Obama is finally hitting the campaign trail this week, but hes not straying far from his base.

With just a week until the midterm elections, the unpopular president wont dare tread in red states where Senate Democratic candidates are in trouble. Hes also steering clear of key House contests, opting instead for a New England-heavy tour that could be confused with leaf-peeping rather than campaigning.

Obama heads to Milwaukee on Tuesday for a DNC fund-raiser and an event with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke. Hell visit a high school in a mostly African-American ward that he won with 99 percent of the vote.

On Thursday, the president will raise cash for Democrats in Maine and campaign for former Rep. Mike Michaud in his gubernatorial bid.

He will later a speech on the economy in Rhode Island. Not until Saturday in Detroit will Obama engage in a Senate contest, when he campaigns for Democratic Rep. Gary Peters in his bid to keep an open seat in Democratic hands. Hell also stump for Mark Schauer, a candidate for governor.

Obama will also campaign in Philadelphia and on Sunday in Connecticut with Gov. Dan Malloy.

The presidents average winning percentage from 2012 in the states hes visiting is a healthy 14 points. His carefully calculated campaigning in blue states comes as a host of new polls show a fierce battle for the Senate and movement toward Republicans.

The latest Marist / NBC polls show North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan in a dead heat with Republican state House speaker Tom Tillis. Democratic Sen. Mark Udall trails challenger Cory Gardner by a single point in Colorado, and Sen. Mark Pryor trails Republican Tom Cotton 45-43 percent in Arkansas.

Obama is passing on those contests, along with the one in Georgia, where Democrat Michelle Nunn is in a tight race and where big African-American turnout could make a difference.

The political calculus is obvious: Obamas approval rating was 40 percent or less in each of the states surveyed in the latest Marist poll.

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Obama will avoid red states on campaign trail