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:
* I mentioned way back in April that Missouri State Auditor Claire McCaskill (D), who narrowly lost a bid for governor in 2004, is the Dems’ top choice to take on Sen. Jim Talent (R) next year. In about an hour, McCaskill will announce that she’s in the race. For what it’s worth, a DSCC poll taken a few months ago asked Missouri voters about a hypothetical McCaskill-Talent match-up — and they were tied at 43%, suggesting this will be among the most competitive races in the country next year.
* As expected, Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) will announce today that he is not going to run against Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) next year. This will make Allen’s re-election bid a lot easier next year, while also clearing the way for Warner to consider a presidential campaign in 2008.
* New York conservatives are rather distraught at the fact that it’s top two statewide Republican candidates for next year — gubernatorial candidate William Weld and Senate candidate Jeanine Pirro — are both from the left-leaning side of the party. New York State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long likened the Republican support for Weld and Pirro to the liberal East Coast “Nelson Rockefeller-Jacob Javits-John Lindsay Republicanism of the past.” Since 1974, no Republican has won statewide office in New York without the endorsement of the Conservative Party, and that endorsement is unlikely to go to Pirro or Weld.
* Though it remains unclear if Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) will seek re-election next year, if he doesn’t, the field of GOP candidates will be fairly thin. Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey (R) has said she’s interested, but businessman Charles Baker (R) said yesterday that he is not, despite efforts from party recruiters.
* Lise Van Susteren (D), a psychiatrist and Greta Van Susteren’s sister, will announce this week that she’s running for the Senate in Maryland. It will likely be a crowded Dem primary; former Rep. Kweisi Mfume and Rep. Benjamin Cardin have been running hard for months.
* And in the case of two chief executives burdened by falling support, Bush will visit California early next week for two events — but he won’t meet with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. One wonders, which side is more embarrassed to be seen with the other?