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
* Freshman Rep. David Davis (R-Tenn) lost in a Republican primary yesterday, the first Tennessee rep to lose in a primary in more than four decades<\/a>. Johnson City Mayor Phil Roe beat Davis by about 500 votes, making Davis the third House Republican to lose to a primary challenger this year, following Reps. Chris Cannon in Utah and Wayne Gilchrest in Maryland.<\/p>\n * Marc Ambinder obtained a 54-page draft of the Democratic Party’s platform<\/a>. It includes, among other things, an emphasis on women’s issues, fatherhood, and government ethics.<\/p>\n * Tom Matzzie is one Democrat not afraid to play hardball<\/a>: “Nearly 10,000 of the biggest donors to Republican candidates and causes across the country will probably receive a foreboding ‘warning’ letter in the mail next week…. Led by Tom Matzzie, a liberal political operative who has been involved with some prominent left-wing efforts in recent years, the newly formed nonprofit group, Accountable America, is planning to confront donors to conservative groups, hoping to create a chilling effect that will dry up contributions. ‘We want to stop the Swift Boating before it gets off the ground,’ said Mr. Matzzie, who described his effort as ‘going for the jugular.'”<\/p>\n * Andrew Sullivan had an interesting item<\/a> on McCain’s age: “In McCain’s home state of Arizona<\/i>, where state Supreme Court picks are chosen very similar to how the federal government makes its own Supreme Court picks, BUT … they serve until the age of 70. It’s in the Arizona Constitution. They are picked by the Governor, approved by the state senate, and then serve until they reach age 70, when the must retire.”<\/p>\n * It looks like Cheney will speak<\/a> at the Republican convention after all. * Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Massachusetts<\/a> by 15, 51% to 36%.<\/p>\n * SurveyUSA shows Obama leading McCain in Oregon<\/a> by three, 48% to 45%.<\/p>\n * Quinnipiac shows Obama leading McCain in New York<\/a> by 21, 57% to 36%.<\/p>\n * Capital Survey shows McCain leading Obama in Alabama<\/a> by 13, 47% to 34%.<\/p>\n * The Obama campaign unveiled its Olympics ad<\/a>, emphasizing Obama’s forward-thinking energy policy.<\/p>\n
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\n* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in Wisconsin<\/a> by four, 47% to 43%.<\/p>\n