WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — With the economy showing some signs of improvement three weeks before Election Day, President Barack Obama on Monday laid down a full embrace of the economic record many Republicans say is his biggest weakness.

The president's first act in this critical campaign week was to announce a new battleground state advertisement featuring voters discussing the ways their economic conditions have improved during his term. The ad was hitting the airwaves as Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney huddled in intense preparation for their second debate as polls show a closely fought campaign.

"This race is tied," Obama said in an appeal to supporters asking them to donate at least $5 to his re-election effort. He promised to be "fighting" for the election on the debate stage Tuesday night — something many of his supporters thought he did too little of in his first face-off with Romney.