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 schedule for the Democratic National Convention is coming together, and according to a press release sent out yesterday, Michelle Obama will speak on Monday night, and Hillary Clinton will speak on Tuesday night. It appears Bill Clinton will speak on Wednesday night, the same night as Obama’s running mate. (This should, in all likelihood, end the speculation about Clinton joining the Obama ticket.)
* Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, the co-chair of the convention, also announced that the convention’s overall theme “will be ‘America’s Town Hall’ with each night having a focus and time for voters’ pre-submitted questions.”
* The Obama campaign will release a new book on Sept. 9 — similar to a strategy used by Clinton in ’92. The Politico reported, “‘Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama’s Plan to Renew America’s Promise’ includes a campaign photo album from the road, a collection of seven of the hit speeches by Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), and new essays outlining his policy proposals. Since everything Obama is selling well these days, that means the senator’s picture and policies will be in the front of most bookstores in America throughout the heart of the general-election campaign.”
* John McCain had dinner last night with former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge (R), sparking at least chatter about Ridge as a potential running mate. Given that Ridge is pro-choice, one has to assume the Republican base would be more than a little upset.
* Late last week, tickets became available for Obama acceptance speech at Invesco Field in Denver. The campaign set aside half of the 60,000 seats for the general public, and all of the tickets were snatched up within 24 hours.
* Hillary Clinton was absolutely on message at an event near Las Vegas on Friday: ”Anyone who voted for me or caucused for me has so much more in common with Sen. Obama than Sen. McCain,” Clinton told her cheering audience in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson. ”Remember who we were fighting for in my campaign.” She added that ”we may have started on two separate paths, but we are on one journey now.”
* On the other hand, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) and former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) are very much off-message.
* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Michigan by seven, 47% to 40%.
* Rasmussen shows McCain leading Obama in Missouri by seven, 48% to 41%.
* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Washington state by 12, 52% to 40%.
* In an awkward move, Howard Wolfson, the Clinton campaign’s former communications director, told ABC News that if John Edwards’ affair had come out sooner, Hillary Clinton would have won Iowa and the nomination.
* Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.)
, still recovering from the effects of a brain hemorrhage, is running for re-election, but announced that he will not be able to participate in campaign debates. “I have been open and honest about my recovery. While my speech continues to improve it is not yet 100 percent and I have not yet reached a point in my rehab where my participation in a debate would accurately reflect my capabilities,” Johnson said in a statement. “Therefore I will not participate in traditional political debates during this campaign.”