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:<\/p>\n
* Remember Henry “Screw the Buddhists and kill the Muslims” Jordan that I’ve been talking about<\/a>? Late last week, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) welcomed Jordan onto his presidential campaign team. Yesterday, Jordan resigned<\/a> after some of his inflammatory remarks started making the rounds.<\/p>\n * Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) is generally pleased with the 2008 presidential field, but he’s already ruled out<\/a> John McCain as a possibility. “The only one I wouldn’t support is McCain,” Santorum said this week, adding, “I don’t agree with him on hardly any issues. I don’t think he has the temperament and leadership ability to move the country in the right direction.”<\/p>\n * Speaking of McCain, the Arizona senator turned down<\/a> an invitation to appear at the Conservative Political Action Conference, but nevertheless tried to schedule a private reception for conference attendees. It didn’t work out — the hotel couldn’t find space — and CPAC leaders are offended by McCain’s snub. “It was a classical McCain move, dissing us by going behind our backs,” said William J. Lauderback, executive vice president of the American Conservative Union.<\/p>\n * Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) said “the chances are good<\/a>” that he’ll end up endorsing one of his former rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, but he’ll meet with each of them individually before deciding.<\/p>\n * Despite the media drubbing he received for the same choice of words, Barack Obama gave John McCain a pass<\/a> yesterday for saying we’ve “wasted” American lives in Iraq. Asked Thursday whether McCain should apologize, Obama responded, “We have a duty, a sacred duty, to make sure we are honoring their sacrifice by giving them missions in which they can succeed. I’m positive that was the intent in which he meant it.” (Would McCain have been as gracious if the circumstances had been reversed?)<\/p>\n