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
* Fred Thompson, the Republican lobbyist\/senator\/actor weighing a possible presidential bid, appeared at the Lincoln Club of Orange County Dinner on Friday night, with high expectations. A packed crowd thought Thompson might even declare his candidacy. According to Bob Novak, the event was a “letdown<\/a>,” that disappointed the audience. Novak quoted attendees describing Thompson’s half-hour speech as “not Reaganesque,” having “no red meat,” and being “too low key.”<\/p>\n * Rudy Giuliani told Iowa Republicans over the weekend that he believes George W. Bush “will be viewed by history for this one decision [launching a war on terrorism] as being a great president<\/a>.” Should Giuliani somehow get the GOP nomination, expect this quote to appear quite a bit in 2008 Democratic advertising.<\/p>\n * David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, one the country’s largest far-right lobbying groups, said John McCain’s presidential campaign has “fatal problems<\/a>.” Keene added, “I can be proven wrong, but McCain is dying a slow political death right now…. There are a number of reasons for that. On the right, he’s simply not trusted, doesn’t have credibility. He is not a small government conservative, and that’s the basic underlying problem.”<\/p>\n * CNN’s upcoming presidential debates (Dems on June 3, GOP on June 5) in New Hampshire will be made available to the public without restrictions<\/a>, unlike MSNBC. Good for CNN.<\/p>\n * Barack Obama was asked about Rush Limbaugh’s “Barack the Magic Negro” song. “You know, I have not heard it but I’ve heard of it,” Obama said<\/a>. “I confess that I don’t listen to Rush on a daily basis. On the other hand, I’m not one of these people who, who takes myself so seriously that I get offended by — by every — every comment made about me. You know, the — you know, what Rush does is entertainment, and although it’s probably not something that I listen to much, I don’t — mind folks poking fun at me.”<\/p>\n