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:
* If you missed it over the weekend, seven Democratic presidential candidates met at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on Saturday for a forum on health-care policy. The event was sponsored by Service Employees International Union and the Center for American Progress Action Fund. (Republican candidates were invited, but none attended.) More coverage here.
* Responding to the notion that he’s appealing for votes based on sympathy, John Edwards told Katie Couric last night, “Do not vote for us because you feel some sympathy or compassion for us. That would be an enormous mistake. The vote for the presidency is far too important for any of those things to influence it.”
* Former Sen. John Breaux (D) is interested in running for governor this year, but will wait for an opinion from the state attorney general’s office on whether he meets all the legal requirements (specifically, on the issue of residency). The AP added, “The Democratic former senator is considered a strong possible contender in the Oct. 20 primary, and other potential Democratic candidates are waiting in the wings, saying they won’t run if Breaux does.”
* The WaPo ran a front-page item today noting that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is mulling over an independent, self-financed 2008 presidential bid. According to the Post, Bloomberg “has told confidants that he will not decide until early next year, when it has become clear whom Democrats and Republicans will nominate.”
* The law firm Rick Santorum has joined is filled with lawyers who contributed to his opponent. The Politico reported, “The law firm’s employees contributed $19,950 to Casey’s campaign, compared to $8,150 to Santorum’s, according to a center analysis of candidate filings with the Federal Election Commission.” (thanks to SKNM for the tip)
* Hillary Clinton appeared today at a Good Morning America town-hall meeting, where she said she’d support a firm deadline to withdraw American troops from Iraq by the end of August 2008, as last week’s House bill mandates.