Rush Holt’s polling 40-plus points behind better-known Newark Mayor Cory Booker for the Senate special election to replace the late-Sen. Frank Lautenberg, but that's not stopping the brainy Holt from taking the fight right to Booker.

"I’m Rush Holt. And I’ll be the first to admit – I’m no Cory Booker," Holt says in a video released Wednesday. "I don’t have a million Twitter followers, I’ve never run into a burning building, and I’m not friends with Mark Zuckerberg, though I did like him on Facebook."

But the congressman with the bumper sticker, "My congressman IS a rocket scientist," follows up with this:

"I’m a teacher, a scientist, and my most famous moment was beating a computer in Jeopardy."

The famous Jeopardy computer "Watson," then appears to make something of an endorsement.

 “Who is Rush Holt," Watson chimes in.

“So, why would I run for the Senate against Cory Booker?" Holt asks. "Well, in Congress, I’ve always done what I think is right for New Jersey, like fighting to get more funding for science and math in our public schools and universal pre-kindergarten for every child because a good education means everything. I voted against the war in Iraq, against unwarranted spying on Americans, and I led the fight to repeal the Patriot Act because part of being the strongest nation on Earth is standing by our values.”

He closes with this: 

“I hope you’ll agree I’m the best choice for Senate. And if you have any questions, just send me an email, and I’ll get back to you, because I’m going to beat Cory Booker and win this campaign the same way I beat Watson in Jeopardy – one answer at a time.”

H/T to NBC's Carrie Dann for the headline.

NBC's Domenico Montanaro previews the week ahead in politics, including President Obama's trip to Europe for the G-8 conference, the final debate in the Massachusetts Senate race, and the kickoff of Netroots Nation, a gathering of liberal activists.