THURSDAY’S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP….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.
* Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a former member of the House GOP leadership who was ousted after electoral failures, announced this morning that he is running for Missouri’s open Senate seat next year. In his announcement, instead of reaching out to a broad audience, Blunt said he’s running to battle the “liberal monopoly in Congress.” Blunt may face former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman in a Republican primary. The Democratic favorite in the race is Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan.
* Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois came close to calling for Roland Burris’ resignation late yesterday, saying in a press release, “These news reports and the public statements by Roland Burris himself are troubling and raise serious questions which need to be looked at very carefully.”
* Norm Coleman’s lawyers are continuing to lay the groundwork for an appeal, calling the ongoing court case a “legal quagmire,” and questioning the possibility of a “legitimate” result to this election.
* In a bizarre move, Republican James Tedisco, running in the special election in New York’s 20th, is refusing to take a position on the recently-passed economic stimulus package.
* Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has raised more than $3 million in his first year in office, a record for Louisiana governors, and the kind of total that may discourage challengers in 2011, should he seek a second term.
* New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is reaching out to a variety of political parties, hoping to convince them to put his name in their ballot slots in November. The outreach to the Republican, Independence, and Working Families Parties is reportedly not going well so far.
