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 president will offer a prime-time address tonight on Iraq and troop deployments, but John Edwards’ campaign has a clever way of responding: it’s purchased two minutes of advertising time on MSNBC following Bush’s speech. The ad will run in the first ad break following Bush’s address and the official Democratic rebuttal by Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.). In the ad, Edwards argues that Bush was wrong to push for more U.S. troops in Iraq, and calls for a “firm timeline for withdrawal,” according to excerpts of the ad provided to CNN.
* Hillary Clinton picked up another union endorsement yesterday, when the 300,000-strong National Association of Letter Carriers threw its support to the New York senator. Union president William H. Young said Clinton was the “runaway winner” when they surveyed their members on the presidential primary candidates.
* Gen. David Petraeus came fairly close to ruling out a career in politics in a discussion with the USA Today editorial board. After saying the idea has “not crossed [his] mind,” an editor asked if that might change at some point. When asked if he’d make the pledge offered by Union General William Tecumseh Sherman — “If drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve” — Petraeus said he would “associate myself with” Sherman’s sentiment.
* Newt Gingrich is still making noises about a presidential campaign, telling the far-right Washington Times this week, “I will decide based on whether I have about $30 million in committed campaign contributions and whether I think it is possible to run a campaign based on ideas rather than 30-second sound bites.”
* Bob Novak reports today that several seasoned GOP consultants have been willing to sign up with Fred Thompson’s campaign, but the inner circle of advisors for the actor/lobbyist/politician, including Mary Matalin, won’t let others in.
* And speaking of Novak, his latest assessment in the Evans-Novak Political Report notes, “The decision not to run by Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) now raises to five the possible losses of Senate seats by Republicans. Democrats also are targeting Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) for a sixth seat. If 2008 turns into a Democratic landslide, Senators Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) and even Mitch McConnell (R-KY) could be in danger.”