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
* Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) made Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R) very happy yesterday, announcing<\/a> that he would seek re-election to the House and not mount a Senate campaign. Rhode Island Secretary of State Matt Brown, at this point, is the only candidate in the race, though former state Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse is still mulling a bid<\/a> and * Love him or hate him, Howard Dean doesn’t pull any punches. At a rally in Philadelphia yesterday, the DNC chairman called Rick “Man on Dog” Santorum a “liar<\/a>” and “right-winger<\/a>” who actually lives in Virginia.<\/p>\n * New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s (R) popularity in GOP circles is suffering because he seems to like a few too many Dems. New York Republican Party Chairman Stephen Minarik expressed concern about the “discipline and focus<\/a>” of Bloomberg’s campaign in light of his announcement that he may endorse Hillary Clinton’s re-election bid.<\/p>\n * Speaking of the New York mayoral race, Dem front-runner Fernando Ferrer is finding that his support in the upcoming primary is not quite as solid as previously thought. A new Quinnipiac University poll found Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields gaining ground<\/a> on Ferrer. Though Ferrer still enjoys a sizable lead, Fields now trails by 15 points (36% to 21%), as opposed to 26 points a month ago (40% to 14%).<\/p>\n * Fans of Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) will be pleased to know that the “blunt Midwestern maverick” is seriously planning<\/a> a presidential campaign in 2008. In particular, Feingold plans to use his role on the Senate Judiciary Committee to raise his profile, should Bush have the opportunity to fill a Supreme Court vacancy.<\/p>\ncurrent state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal hasn’t ruled anything out<\/strike>. (Blumenthal is in Connecticut, not Rhode Island. My mistake.)<\/p>\n