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
* In the always-important Jimmy Buffett Primary, only two<\/a> 2006 candidates have emerged. During an appearance at Harvard yesterday, the singer said he frequently receives requests from candidates for support, but next year he’ll back Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Texas gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman (I), and no one else.<\/p>\n * Though he’s yet to make his future plans clear, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) is holding steady in the polls. If Romney runs for re-election, a new Opinion Dynamics poll shows him with a narrow lead<\/a> over Attorney General Thomas Reilly, 41% to 37%. The good news for Romney is that a similar poll taken in July showed him trailing by six points (40% to 34%). The bad news is an incumbent governor with presidential aspirations should be higher than 41%.<\/p>\n * Republican House members with serious scandals hanging over their heads have a new problem: credible Dem challengers. Just this week, Ohio Rep. Bob Ney (R) learned that two serious Dem candidates<\/a> are vying to take him on next November — lawyer Zachary Space and Chillicothe Mayor Joseph Sulzer. Also, Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) learned that Margee Ensign, a dean at the University of the Pacific, is forming an exploratory committee<\/a> to mount a challenge to him next year.<\/p>\n * Former Rep. Ed Bryant (R) got a boost in his Republican Senate race over ex-Rep. Van Hilleary this week when the political arm of Tennessee Right to Life on Tuesday endorsed Bryant’s campaign<\/a>. Bryant amassed a 100 percent voting from the National Right to Life Committee during his time in Congress. Bryant and Hilleary are also facing a slightly less conservative Republican, former Chattanooga Mayor Bob Corker. <\/p>\n