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:
* Bob Novak has heard rumors that Katherine Harris may soon be forced to abandon her Senate campaign in Florida due to fundraising troubles, among other problems. If she does quit, Novak hears that Rep. Mark Foley will jump into the race as the new Republican frontrunner.
* Speaking of struggling Republicans in Senate races who might quit, rumor has it in New York that Jeanine Pirro is going to drop out of her campaign against Hillary Clinton, possibly this week.
* Now that New Jersey’s 2006 Senate race is a little easier to handicap, at least with regards to who the candidates will be, the polling can begin in earnest. A new Rasmussen poll shows soon-to-be Sen. Robert Menendez (D) leading Tom Kean, Jr. (R), 38% to 34%. Dem Reps. Rob Andrews and Frank Pallone, however, continue to mull primary challenges to Menendez.
* Several top contenders for the 2008 Dem presidential race appeared in Florida over the weekend for the state’s annual meeting. While Barack Obama delivered the keynote address, the presidential contenders included John Edwards, Tom Vilsack, and Mark Warner. While all were well received, Warner was the only featured meal speaker to get a standing ovation upon introduction. And during the speech.
* And in other 2008 news, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R) “absolutely” ruled out a presidential campaign and vowed to focus exclusively on running for re-election as governor in 2006. Up until yesterday, Sanford had left the door ajar, saying he had not ruled out a possible presidential campaign, but now the governor has ruled it out entirely.