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
* If the McCain campaign wants to do more to distance McCain from Bush, it probably shouldn’t send out pictures of McCain and Bush<\/a> standing side by side.<\/p>\n * McCain blasted Barack Obama yesterday for not having voted to confirm Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. When McCain learned that Joe Lieberman had also voted against Alito’s confirmation, McCain decided it was time to change the subject<\/a>. Imagine that.<\/p>\n * Was Obama hinting about his VP intentions<\/a> yesterday? “I love Kathleen Sebelius,” Obama said. “I think she is as talented a public official as there is right now. Integrity. Competence. She can work with all people of all walks of life, but I promised that I am not going to say anything about my vice president until I actually introduce my vice president.”<\/p>\n * Why is McCain accepting major financial support from an accused sponsor of terrorists<\/a>? “The co-host of a recent top-dollar fundraiser for Sen. John McCain oversaw the payment of roughly $1.7 million to a Colombian paramilitary group that is today designated a terrorist organization by the United States.”<\/p>\n * It looks like reports of Obama’s difficulties with Latino voters have been greatly exaggerated<\/a>: “Hispanic registered voters’ support for Barack Obama for president remained consistent and strong in June, with Obama leading John McCain by 59% to 29% among this group.” * One of the fastest growing groups<\/a> on Obama’s website is made up of more than 7,000 supporters calling on him “to reverse his decision” on the pending FISA “compromise.”<\/p>\n * The polls out of Florida have been all over the place, but in the latest survey from Public Policy Polling (D), Obama enjoys a narrow edge over McCain in the Sunshine State<\/a>, 46% to 44%.<\/p>\n * Speaking of Florida, Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) won’t be up for re-election until 2010, but his numbers at this point look awfully weak<\/a>.<\/p>\n * Public Policy Polling (D) also shows McCain leading Obama by four in North Carolina<\/a>, 45% to 41%.<\/p>\n * Quinnipiac shows Obama crushing McCain in Connecticut<\/a>, 56% to 35%.<\/p>\n * Rudy Giuliani still seems to believe he’s better qualified<\/a> for the presidency than McCain.<\/p>\n * McCain’s campaign has decided to stop advertising<\/a> on vehemently anti-Obama websites, including one that compares the Democratic candidate to Hitler.<\/p>\n * Hillary Clinton’s team has decided to pull its anti-Obama ads<\/a> from its campaign website and YouTube.<\/p>\n
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\n* A new CNN\/Opinion Research national poll shows Obama leading McCain by five<\/a>, 50% to 45%. (The same poll, by the way, found that 90% of Americans consider McCain patriotic, while 73% said the same of Obama.)<\/p>\n