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
* In case there was any doubt about the status of the scheduled debate co-hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute and Fox News, Hillary Clinton joined<\/a> John Edwards and Barack Obama in skipping the event. Clinton didn’t repudiate the Republican network specifically, but her campaign did say that she would limit her appearances to DNC-sanctioned debates, and Howard Dean has already rejected the notion of sanctioning a Fox News event.<\/p>\n * Obama, appearing on David Letterman’s talk show last night, rejected<\/a> the notion that he’d consider the VP slot. “You don’t run for second. I don’t believe in that,” Obama said. When Letterman said a Clinton-Obama ticket would be “powerful,” Obama responded, “Which order are we talking?”<\/p>\n * New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) said yesterday that he’s satisfied<\/a> with his underdog role in the presidential race, concluding, “I’m perfectly content to be the only candidate in the second tier.”<\/p>\n * Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) apparently shouldn’t be too concerned<\/a> about his re-election bid next year. The Des Moines Register’s David Yepsin talked to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) yesterday, and the lawmaker couldn’t even think of a GOP candidate willing to take Harkin on. Yespin added that current House Republicans probably shouldn’t bother — Harkin has “defeated more sitting Republican members of Congress than any Democrat in the history of the Senate.”<\/p>\n * As if Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) didn’t have enough to worry about with a tough re-election fight next year, there are rumors that Smith, who has been trying to move to the middle, might have to endure a primary challenge<\/a> from the right.<\/p>\n