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:
* Activist Cindy Sheehan announced over the weekend that she’s considering a campaign against Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) this year, in part because Sheehan believes Feinstein has not been aggressive enough in opposing the war in Iraq. Feinstein’s campaign manager, Kam Kuwata, said the senator “has stated publicly on numerous occasions that she felt she was misled by the administration at the time of the vote.” Sheehan said he has “no illusions of winning,” but might run anyway.
* Several Pennsylvania Republicans had hoped Gov. Ed Rendell (D) would cruise to re-election because it would help them win another term if Rendell kept his political machine in check. With former football player Lynn Swann gaining in the polls despite not having any experience in government at any level, several GOP lawmakers are getting nervous about their own chances. As many see it, if Rendell starts fighting to get every last Dem voter to the polls in his stronghold areas, Republican lawmakers in counties around Philadelphia will have to fight extra hard to stay in office.
* Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) is ahead in the latest Rasmussen poll, but not by much. Pawlenty leads state Attorney General Mike Hatch (D), 47% to 44%.
* In related news, Rasmussen also showed things close in Minnesota’s Senate race, where Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar (D) leads Rep. Mark Kennedy by the smallest of margins, 43% to 42%.
* In what may turn out to be one of the surprisingly competitive Senate races of 2006, Tennessee has found itself with a very close race to replace Bill Frist. A new Rasmussen poll shows Rep. Harold Ford (D) trailing his major GOP challengers, but not by much. Former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker (R) leads Ford 42% to 40%; former Rep. Ed Bryant (R) is ahead by the same margin; while former Rep. Van Hilleary (R) enjoys the largest lead, 43% to 37%.
* In 2004, then-Rep. Ken Lucas (D-Ky.) declined to run for a fourth term, citing his term-limits pledge. Today, Kucas announced he’s coming out of retirement to take his seat back from freshman Rep. Geoff Davis (R-Ky.). It will set the stage for a rematch of the 2002 race, which Lucas narrowly won.