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:
* The Republican push-polling season has begun: “Here’s today’s key story out of the New Hampshire local press: The Union Leader reports that New Hampshirites have been getting push-poll calls … targeted against Mitt Romney. The calls, which among other things attack Romney’s Latter-Day Saints religion, have reportedly been traced back to Utah-based firm Western Wats, which has done push-polling in past general elections against Democrats as well as primary campaigns against Republicans. The calls do not specify which candidate is being supported by them, as is required under New Hampshire law.”
* The same tactic is being used against Romney in Iowa: “Among the questions was whether a resident knew that Romney was a Mormon, that he received military deferments when he served as a Mormon missionary in France, that his five sons did not serve in the military, that Romney’s faith did not accept blacks as bishops into the 1970s and that Mormons believe the Book of Mormon is superior to the Bible.”
* Depending on which pollster you believe, the Republican race in Iowa is either relatively competitive, or extremely competitive. The latest poll from KCCI, the Des Moines CBS affiliate, shows Romney ahead with 27%, followed by Huckabee with 18%, and Giuliani with 16%. A new Des Moines Register poll, however, shows a much closer contest: Romney 24%, Huckabee 22%, Giuliani 11%, Thompson 11%.
* As for Dems, KCCI shows a very close race, with Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama by just two points, 27% to 25%, with John Edwards third at 21%. The new Des Moines Register poll, however, shows a slightly bigger lead for the frontrunner: Clinton 27%, Obama 21%, Edwards 20%.
* A Dec. 4 Republican debate co-sponsored by the Iowa Republican Party and Fox News was called off yesterday after Mitt Romney said he had a scheduling conflict. Rudy Giuliani had also not said whether he’d attend, presumably waiting for Romney’s decision. Without these two on the stage, organizers decided to skip the event altogether.
* Barack Obama got some good news in yesterday when the United Auto Workers Region 4, which includes 30,000 members and retirees in Iowa, announced it’s endorsement of the Illinois senator.
* John Edwards’ campaign is hitting the Clinton campaign pretty hard for the planted-question flap. Yesterday, Edwards unveiled a new website, “Plants for Hillary.” Among the highlights of the parody site is a T-shirt that reads, “Questions are hard…so plant them. Hillary 08.” Ouch.
* Journalist Sidney Blumenthal, most recently of Salon fame, announced that he’s joining Clinton’s campaign as a senior advisor.
* While Chris Dodd continues to focus his attention on Iowa, he’s apparently divesting in Nevada — he closed his Nevada headquarters yesterday.
* And it looks like Giuliani’s appeal to Iowa conservatives still isn’t going too well: “The Des Moines Register reports that Congressman Steve King (R-IA) is openly bashing the idea of the Republican Party nominating Rudy Giuliani, warning that a Rudy nomination would undermine the GOP. King was critical of Giuliani’s record on abortion, gun rights and illegal immigration, as well as his past support for gay rights. ‘All these things are essential to the Reagan coalition,’ King said, worrying that Rudy’s candidacy could give rise to a third-party spoiler candidate.”