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
* Interesting fundraising item from Roll Call<\/a>: “Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and the Democratic National Committee on Wednesday established a joint fundraising agreement with 18 state Democratic parties to funnel money into those states for Obama’s White House bid. Party leaders believe the program can also help Democratic candidates up and down the ballot. The new fund, the Committee for Change, will parcel a fixed percentage of the contributions it receives to each of the 18 state parties, infusing those parties with new federal dollars and a list of new donors who can be helpful in future campaigns.”<\/p>\n * In addition to touting private school vouchers at the NAACP convention yesterday, John McCain said some nice things about Barack Obama<\/a>: “Don’t tell him I said this, but he is an impressive fellow in many ways. He has inspired a great many Americans, some of whom had wrongly believed that a political campaign could hold no purpose or meaning for them. His success should make Americans, all Americans, proud. Of course, I would prefer his success not continue quite as long as he hopes.”<\/p>\n * The Obama campaign isn’t bluffing<\/a> when it talks about trying to win Virginia: “The Obama campaign plans to open 20 new field offices in the state — and at least five of them are in very red areas where Dems have traditionally feared to tread.”<\/p>\n * The insurance companies are already getting prepared<\/a> to fight against a reform campaign in 2009: “America’s Health Insurance Plans is launching a nationwide education campaign ahead of the approaching health care reform storm. The Campaign for an American Solution includes a nationwide listening tour, advertising and a recruitment effort to sign up Americans who are satisfied with their private insurance coverage. It will kick off Tuesday in Ohio.”<\/p>\n * Gallup shows Congress’ approval rating down to just 14%<\/a>, “the lowest congressional rating since Gallup first began asking the question in 1974.” * Joe Biden has Obama’s back<\/a> on Afghanistan and committee hearings.<\/p>\n * I found this op-ed<\/a>, by Larry Hunter, fascinating: “I’m a lifelong Republican – a supply-side conservative. I worked in the Reagan White House. I was the chief economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for five years. In 1994, I helped write the Republican Contract with America. I served on Bob Dole’s presidential campaign team and was chief economist for Jack Kemp’s Empower America. This November, I’m voting for Barack Obama…. Even if my hopes on domestic policy are dashed and Obama reveals himself as an unreconstructed, dyed-in-the-wool, big-government liberal, I’m still voting for him.”<\/p>\n * Get to know right-wing financier, Sheldon Adelson<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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\n* Sen. Evan Bayh (D) of Indiana has received some VP buzz, but Greg Sargent notes some of Bayh’s foreign policy work that should hurt his chances<\/a>: “[I]n 2003, Bayh was an honorary co-chair of the neocon pro-war Committee for the Liberation of Iraq — a group he joined along with none other than John McCain and Joe Lieberman, according to a press release from during the run-up to the invasion.”<\/p>\n