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
* Though some polls showed Pennsylvania’s Senate race narrowing, a new Rasmussen poll<\/a> shows state Treasurer [tag]Bob Casey[\/tag] (D) expanding his lead over Sen. [tag]Rick Santorum[\/tag] (R). The poll now shows Casey ahead, 56% to 33%.<\/p>\n * In Minnesota, Gov. [tag]Tim Pawlenty[\/tag] (R). who has been rumored to be considering a 2008 presidential campaign, promised voters<\/a> yesterday that he would serve a full, four-year term if voters re-elected him in November. As for Dems, one of Pawlenty’s possible rivals, state Sen. [tag]Becky Lourey[\/tag] (D), introduced philanthropist, businessman, and former Minnesota Viking player [tag]Tim Baylor[\/tag], as her running mate.<\/p>\n * [tag]Bush [\/tag]was in Maryland last night for a fundraiser on behalf of Lt. Gov. [tag]Michael Steele [\/tag](R), but Steele didn’t show up<\/a>, choosing instead to appear at a different fundraiser in Nevada. Maryland Gov. [tag]Bob Ehrlich [\/tag](R), however, wasn’t worried about being seen with the president, and the two appeared together<\/a> at a fundraiser that brought in $1 million for the Maryland GOP.<\/p>\n * New York Republicans gathered for their annual state convention yesterday and gave two candidate — former Yonkers Mayor [tag]John Spencer[\/tag] and former Reagan aide Kathleen Troia “KT” [tag]McFarland[\/tag] — enough support to qualify them<\/a> for the Sept. 12 primary ballot. Despite her support from the party establishment, McFarland trailed Spencer in convention delegates, 63% to 36%,<\/p>\n