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
* AP<\/a>: “Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is calling for the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. combat brigades from Iraq, with the pullout being completed by the end of next year…. ‘The best way to protect our security and to pressure Iraq’s leaders to resolve their civil war is to immediately begin to remove our combat troops. Not in six months or one year — now,'” Obama is expected to say in a speech Wednesday at Ashford University.<\/p>\n * Fred Thompson, may be basing his campaign on appealing to conservative voters, but he likely offered the wrong conservative answer yesterday, when he conceded that he doesn’t go to church<\/a> regularly and doesn’t plan to speak about his religion on the stump. Talking to reporters later, Thompson said his church attendance “varies,” adding, “I attend church when I’m in Tennessee. I’m in McLean right now,” referring to the DC suburb where he lives.<\/p>\n * Speaking of Thompson, his fight with Mitt Romney over PhoneyFred.org, continues to spiral into comedy. As of yesterday afternoon, a Thompson spokesperson was insisting that Romney was part of a “half-baked cover-up attempt<\/a>” in trying to distance himself from the site.<\/p>\n * John McCain looked like he had his considerable staffing problems under control. Not anymore<\/a> — three more campaign aides resigned this week, including his deputy political director, Mike Leavitt. Asked about the departures, McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said they would not “discuss staff issues,” which means it’s kind of embarrassing. * Incredibly, one in 10<\/a> Hispanics in the U.S. watched Sunday’s debate between Democratic presidential candidates.<\/p>\n * Though there were some reports to the contrary, former Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) will not seek<\/a> the Green Party’s presidential nomination next year.<\/p>\n
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\n* Keep an eye on that Senate race in Minnesota, where incumbent Norm Coleman (R) is watching his lead slip badly. In a new Rasmussen poll<\/a>, Coleman leads attorney Mike Ciresi 46%-42%, and comedian Al Franken 46%-41%.<\/p>\n