MONDAY’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.
* While the “100 days” plateau is practically meaningless, Democratic leaders seem to believe they need to play along since the media is going to take the threshold seriously. To that end, the DNC released a minute-long ad today, touting President Obama’s early successes.
* New York Gov. David Paterson (D) has seen his approval ratings fall precipitously of late, but he’s apparently planning to run for a full term next year anyway.
* Will Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) make the Democratic establishment happy and not run in 2010? At this point, Burris says he’s undecided, but if his fundraising is any indication, he’s not planning to mount a serious campaign next year.
* The field of Republicans hoping to take on Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) next year just got a little bigger, with Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck, a staunch anti-immigration conservative, launching his campaign today.
* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has a new line of attack against Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) in advance of next year’s gubernatorial primary: a vote for Hutchison makes it more likely Democrats will cross the 60-vote threshold.
* Speaking of Texas, Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, perhaps best known for his prosecution of Tom DeLay, is considering a statewide race next year, running for either governor or attorney general.
* Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R) was rumored to be a leading candidate for governor in Georgia, but the Republican announced late last week that he plans to seek re-election to the House, instead.
* The GOP has struggled to find a credible candidate to take on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D) next year in Nevada, but party leaders believe they may have recruited a strong challenger. The problem is that the would-be candidate, banker John Chachas, lives in New York, not Nevada.
