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:
* A new Rasmussen poll in Florida shows incumbent Sen. [tag]Bill Nelson[/tag] (D) expanding his lead over [tag]Katherine Harris[/tag] to 30 points. The poll shows Nelson ahead, 57% to 27%, which is a nine-point gain for the Democrat. In all, just 45% of Republicans said they plan to vote for Harris over Nelson.
* Voters in Massachusetts haven’t elected a Democratic governor in about two decades, but according to a new Rasmussen poll, they have a decent shot this year. The poll shows both of the top two Dem candidates — state Attorney General Thomas Reilly and lawyer Deval Patrick — leading Republican Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey by seven points, 34% to 27%. Businessman Christy Mihos, running an Independent campaign, continues to do fairly well, pulling in about 20% support.
* In Wisconsin, a poll released this week from WPR/St. Norbert College shows Gov. Jim Doyle (D) with a modest lead in his re-election bid against Rep. Mark Green (R), but the incumbent is below the 50% threshold. The poll showed Doyle leading, 43% to 35%. There’s still a possibility, however, that former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) may try to get his old job back, which would no doubt shake up the race considerably.
* Michael Schiavo’s political action committee, TerriPAC, has made its first-ever endorsement this week, throwing its support behind Hillsborough County Commissioner Kathy Castor (D) in Florida’s 11th congressional district. As The Hill explained, Schiavo “recently met Castor and came away impressed, prompting the TerriPAC endorsement.” In a statement, he said, “Kathy Castor has proven she will take the lead and stand up for our privacy and freedom and against powerful interests.”
* In 2008 news, [tag]John McCain[/tag] used to refer to [tag]ethanol[/tag] — a key issue in Iowa — as “good for neither the environment nor the consumer.” According to the Des Moines Register, McCain was in Iowa yesterday, presumably with 2008 in mind, and said that rising oil costs make ethanol “worthy of another look.”