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 the news was easily overshadowed by Sen. Clinton’s announcement, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) announced over the weekend that he will seek<\/a> the GOP presidential nomination. It sounded as if James Dobson helped write the remarks: “The last thing we need in America is to take God out of our public lives and institutions,” Brownback said during his speech in Topeka, Kan. “We need to embrace our nation’s motto, ‘In God we trust,’ and not be ashamed of it…. To walk away from the Almighty is to embrace decline for a nation. To embrace him leads to renewal, for individuals and for nations.”<\/p>\n * Billionaire philanthropist and Democratic donor George Soros had to choose between backing Clinton or Obama in the presidential primaries. He reportedly decided<\/a> late last week to back Obama.<\/p>\n * Newt Gingrich said yesterday that he would run for president, but only if<\/a> there’s no frontrunner by Labor Day. “You sound as if you think about running for president as a last resort, not as a first resort?” Fox News’ Chris Wallace asked. “Exactly,” Gingrich answered. “I mean, nobody’s ever said it quite that way, but you’re right.”<\/p>\n * Bush’s advertising team from 2004 — best known for creating an ad about John Kerry windsurfing — will now be John McCain’s advertising team<\/a>.<\/p>\n * In related news, a political consulting firm with close ties to Karl Rove has taken on<\/a> Rudy Giuliani as a client.<\/p>\n * In Connecticut, Sen. Chris Dodd (D), who is currently running for president, announced that he will not seek<\/a> another Senate term in 2010, no matter what happens in his White House bid.<\/p>\n