FRIDAY’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.
* With just five months until the election, the latest Research 2000 poll in New Jersey for Daily Kos shows Gov. Jon Corzine (D) continuing to trail in his re-election fight. In a match-up against former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie (R), the likely Republican challenger, Corzine is down by seven, 46% to 39%.
* And speaking of New Jersey’s gubernatorial race, Mitt Romney threw his support to Christie yesterday, prompting former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, Christie’s GOP rival, to attack them both. “Mitt Romney was rejected by Republican Primary voters because he was a moderate trying to pass himself off as a conservative just in time to win an election,” Lonegan said. “Chris Christie has done the exact same thing in this race.” The primary is Tuesday.
* Sen. Chris Dodd (D), who enters his re-election bid in Connecticut as an underdog, launched his first television ad of the cycle today, which highlights his recent successes on credit card reform. The ad works hard to connect Dodd to President Obama.
* Will Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) seek re-election next year? He has pushed off a decision on the race, announcing yesterday he won’t say either way until the summer. If Pawlenty runs and loses, his presidential aspirations will almost certainly be ruined.
* In Kentucky, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo (D) released an internal poll yesterday showing him ahead of state Attorney General Jack Conway (D) in their Senate primary. The winner will likely be favored against incumbent Sen. Jim Bunning (R), if he stays in the race.
* And Ralph Nader is weighing in on the Democratic gubernatorial primary in Virginia, yesterday accusing Terry McAuliffe of trying to bribe him in 2004 — with “an unspecified amount of money” — to stay out of battleground states, in order to help John Kerry against George W. Bush. McAuliffe isn’t exactly denying the charge, though his spokesperson added, “It looks like Ralph Nader misses seeing his name in the press. Terry’s focused on talking with Virginians about jobs, not feeding Ralph Nader’s ego.”
