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
* Eight of the nine Republicans presidential hopefuls will meet for a debate in New Hampshire tonight, with only Fred Thompson preferring Jay Leno’s couch to the GOP forum. The debate starts at 9pm eastern, and will be aired on Fox News. Thompson will, however, make an appearance of sorts — he’ll air his first TV ad<\/a> on Fox News during the event.<\/p>\n * Speaking of Thompson, the actor\/lobbyist\/senator still can’t keep a consistent group of staffers together for more than a few days. In the latest move, Thompson spokesperson Jim Mills, the former Fox News producer who just joined the campaign a few weeks ago, has resigned<\/a>, citing “strategic differences.”<\/p>\n * After telling an Iowa audience that the state deserves to hold the first caucus because of the Constitution and “the Lord,” Bill Richardson appeared on MSNBC to respond to the mini-flap. The New Mexico governor explained<\/a>, “That was an off-the-cuff comment about the importance of Iowa. This was an Iowa crowd — I’m trying to score points, I’m moving up in the polls. So I don’t consider that a mistake — that was an off-the-cuff comment, and I stand very strongly behind the fact that Iowa and New Hampshire should be first.”<\/p>\n * Brave New Films has launched a terrific new clip called, “Rudy in 30 Seconds<\/a>,” helping document all of Rudy Giuliani’s more scandalous problems. The video is a teaser for part of a new YouTube series called, “The Real Rudy.”<\/p>\n * Speaking of Giuliani, John McCain made some of his most pointed comments<\/a> thus far about the former mayor’s inexperience : “I don’t think [leadership after 9\/11] translates, necessarily, into foreign policy or national security expertise. I know of nothing in his background that indicates that he has any experience in it, with him or Romney.”<\/p>\n * And speaking of McCain, be sure to check out the difficulties<\/a> he had with a couple of students in New Hampshire yesterday, one of whom McCain called a “little jerk.”<\/p>\n