Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* In keeping with the recent trend, the polls in Pennsylvania are all over the place. The latest from Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm, shows Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama by three, 46% to 43%. Strategic Vision, a Republican firm, has Clinton up by five, 47% to 42%. SurveyUSA, which has been having a very good year, shows Clinton up by a whopping 18 points, 56% to 38%.
* Why would the SurveyUSA poll be so significantly different than the rest of the recent data out of Pennsylvania? Noam Scheiber suggests “this may be that rare example of SurveyUSA misfiring,” noting a sharp drop off in Obama support among African Americans, which isn’t reflected anywhere else.
* Elizabeth Edwards continues to prefer Clinton’s healthcare plan to Obama’s.
* DSCC Chairman Chuck Schumer still holds out hope that a 60-seat Democratic majority in the Senate next year is a distinct possibility.
* Obama seems to be moving further away from the public-financing system: “We have created a parallel public financing system where the American people decide if they want to support a campaign they can get on the Internet and finance it, and they will have as much access and influence over the course and direction of our campaign that has traditionally been reserved for the wealthy and the powerful.” Ben Smith noted, “The case against this: He seems to be breaking a pledge. The case for it: The world has changed, and his online, small-dollar base embodies the spirit of campaign finance reform.”
* Hari Sevugan, Chris Dodd’s spokesperson last year, has joined the Obama campaign.
* Robert Andrews’ Senate campaign is off to a rough start: “Rep. Robert Andrews’ fellow Garden State Democratic House Members called upon the South Jersey Congressman to end his day-old Senate bid in a joint statement this morning, adding that his primary challenge to Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) is neither realistic nor helpful to Democratic goals in the state.”
* Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-Tex.) former chief of staff, Pete Olson, easily defeated former Rep. Shelley Sekula Gibbs in a runoff yesterday, and will face incumbent Rep. Nick Lampson (D-Texas) in November. (This is, of course, Tom DeLay’s old seat.)
* The WaPo’s Al Kamen reports today, “Death — unless, of course, you live in Chicago — will deprive you of your ability to vote. But so what? You can join the hundreds of dead people who have remained politically involved — even influential — by contributing more than $656,000 to various campaigns and PACs in the last decade. They’ve done it by leaving ‘testamentary bequests’ to their favorite committees and, occasionally, to candidates.” Over the last six years, the DNC leads the RNC among deceased donors, $265,000 to $64,000.
* And finally, from the Ministry of Silly Walks to an Obama White House? “Comedian John Cleese has a crush on Obama – and he wants to be the White House hopeful’s speechwriter. The legendary British funnyman, known for his hilarity in the groundbreaking ‘Monty Python’ TV series and movies, told a British newspaper that his comedic chops could help the Democrat capture the Oval Office. ‘I am due to come to Europe in November, but I may be tied up until then because if Barack Obama gets the nomination, I’m going to offer my services to him as a speechwriter because I think he is a brilliant man,’ Cleese, 68, told the Western Daily Press regional paper.” An Obama spokesperson responded, “If he can throw in a cameo in the next ‘Monty Python’ movie, we have a deal.”