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.
* American Crossroads, a 527 committee set up as a “shadow” RNC filled with prominent Republican strategists and former RNC officials, intends to spend $50 million to help Republican congressional candidates this year.
* Former Rep. John Kasich, the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Ohio this year, made over $600,000 from Lehman Brothers in 2008.
* In California, a new LA Times/USC poll shows Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) leading a generic Republican candidate, 48% to 34%. As for the actual GOP candidates, former Rep. Tom Campbell (R) leads the Republican primary field with 29%.
* On a related note, the same poll shows former eBay CEO Meg Whitman leading the Golden State’s gubernatorial campaign, easily beating state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner in the Republican primary, and edging state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) in a general election match-up, 44% to 41%.
* Sen. John Thune (R) will run for re-election this year in South Dakota with no Democratic opponent.
* And in Alabama, the DCCC had high hopes that attorney Josh Segall would give Rep. Mike Rogers (R) a tough race in November, a year after the Democrat nearly knocked off Rogers in 2008. Though Segall had already raised over $400,000 for a rematch, late Friday, he announced he’ll skip the race.
