Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* By next week, a super PAC affiliated with Mitt Romney will have spent more than $700,000 in Michigan in support of the former Massachusetts governor. Recent polls show Romney trailing in the Wolverine State.
* Rick Santorum hasn't been much of a force when it comes to television advertising, but he has a new spot out today that pushes, oddly enough, an electability line.
* In Massachusetts' closely watched U.S. Senate race, a new WBUR-MassINC poll shows Elizabeth Warren (D) with a narrow lead over incumbent Sen. Scott Brown (R), 46% to 43%.
* President Obama's approval rating is up nationally, but just as importantly, it's improving in key swing states, too.
* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) didn't do too well as a presidential candidate, but he's "absolutely" interested in trying again in 2016.
* In Indiana, Sen. Dick Lugar (R) is facing a tough primary challenge from state Treasurer Richard Mourdock, and today, the Club For Growth is throwing its weight behind Mourdock.
* Wall Street profits are up, as are the major stock indexes, but the financial services sector still intends to spend heavily in the hopes of defeating Obama in November.
* In Hawaii's U.S. Senate race, Rep. Mazie Hirono has a 20-point lead in the Democratic primary over former Rep. Ed Case. More importantly, Hirono also leads former Gov. Linda Lingle (R) in a general-election matchup, 57% to 37%.
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Rick Santorum is a full spectrum moonbat. His only real motivation in this election appears to be getting the US government to sponsor his kooky religious beliefs without ever admitting that that's what he's doing.
In Hawai'i we care a lot about the Hirono - Case primary, even before the general. That's because Ed Case likes to think of himself as a "centrist" Democrat, which means he's a Blue Dog. When he was in the House he voted for some of the more obnoxious parts of the Bush agenda, including the tax cuts which have gotten the country into this fiscal mess.
Hirono's got an ad up which makes the somewhat gleeful claim that she's "the only candidate" who voted against the Iraq War and against the tax cuts.
Interesting that Perry is rarin' to go in 2016. Did he just concede the 2012 election to Obama?
Re: Rick Perry 2016
Does this mean he's starting his mnemonic training early...?
Have to comment on something from yesterday's 'noon wrap-up,' the offer to Mike McIntire to be the Democratic nominee for Governor of NC. Are they absolutely out of their minds?
McIntire is not Blanche Lincoln or Ben Nelson -- an unreliable and conservative Blue Dog. McIntire is a true TeaPartier who runs as a Democrat. Throughout his career, if one to five Democrats were siding with the entire Republican Party against the Democrats, the odds were that McIntire would be one of them. He opposed ACA and voted to repeal it in its entirety. he opposed DADT repeal. He's an extreme 'pregnancy-forcer' who co-sponsored the 'forcible rape' bill you may remember. He opposed the bank bailout. Imagine the chaos of having him heading a state ticket when Obama was heading the national ticket. Imagine the problems caused for every down-ballot candidate, and the likely depressed turnout which might even give a Republican a shot at the states EVs.
But what does this say about the White House? Was it made without their knowledge (poor communications)? Over their objections (weakness)? Was there no objection because the WH didn't realize who McIntire was (out of touch ignorance)? Or did someone actually think this was a good idea (Rick-Perry level stupidity)?
What are you talking about? The link said "despite overtures from party leaders," and the article didn't even mention that. In a race for governor, "party leaders" usually means state party leaders. It says nothing about the White House; the White House is rarely involved in state politics unless invited, it's not poor communications or weakness. It may have been obnoxious or stupid, but it's the NC Democratic Party's obnoxiousness or stupidity, not the White House's.
'Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) didn't do too well as a presidential candidate, but he's "absolutely" interested in trying again in 2016.'
Yay! And here I thought we wouldn't have "Bush without the brains" to kick around any more.
Not so odd, really, when you consider that of the remaining Republican candidates he is the only one whose favorability ratings are net positive.
GOP = "The everlasting job stoppers !!!"
Lower the base = tax the poor more.
Lower effective tax rate = tax breaks for the rich.