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 the always-important Jimmy Buffett Primary, only two 2006 candidates have emerged. During an appearance at Harvard yesterday, the singer said he frequently receives requests from candidates for support, but next year he’ll back Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Texas gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman (I), and no one else.
* Though he’s yet to make his future plans clear, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) is holding steady in the polls. If Romney runs for re-election, a new Opinion Dynamics poll shows him with a narrow lead over Attorney General Thomas Reilly, 41% to 37%. The good news for Romney is that a similar poll taken in July showed him trailing by six points (40% to 34%). The bad news is an incumbent governor with presidential aspirations should be higher than 41%.
* Republican House members with serious scandals hanging over their heads have a new problem: credible Dem challengers. Just this week, Ohio Rep. Bob Ney (R) learned that two serious Dem candidates are vying to take him on next November — lawyer Zachary Space and Chillicothe Mayor Joseph Sulzer. Also, Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) learned that Margee Ensign, a dean at the University of the Pacific, is forming an exploratory committee to mount a challenge to him next year.
* Former Rep. Ed Bryant (R) got a boost in his Republican Senate race over ex-Rep. Van Hilleary this week when the political arm of Tennessee Right to Life on Tuesday endorsed Bryant’s campaign. Bryant amassed a 100 percent voting from the National Right to Life Committee during his time in Congress. Bryant and Hilleary are also facing a slightly less conservative Republican, former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker.
* And Virginia Gov.-elect Tim Kaine (D) met Wednesday with the House Democratic Caucus to discuss his thoughts on what it takes for a Dem to win big in a conservative state. “Gov.-elect Kaine showed a lot of things last week,” Matt Miller, spokesman for House Democratic Caucus Chairman Bob Menendez, said. “He showed that Democrats can win in red states and they can win by talking about their values and win in the face of extremely negative personal attacks.” A Democratic leadership aide said Kaine’s victory shows that “Democrats can capitalize on voters’ disaffection for Republicans and stay true to our principles while winning in red states. I think people will be looking to him to lay out his road map for how he did that.”