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.
* Vice President Biden campaigned in Pennsylvania the other day, and told voters he’d consider it “a personal favor” if they voted for Sen. Arlen Specter.
* By all appearances, Sen. Bob Bennett’s (R) career as a senator from Utah will come to an end this year. Bennett, after three terms as a conservative senator, is being rejected by GOP delegates as not being right-wing enough.
* In a bit of a surprise, Minnesota state House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher (D) won her party’s convention nod for governor, edging out Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (D). Kelliher may yet face additional challengers, however, in advance of an Aug. 10 primary.
* In Georgia, there were some hopes among Democrats that state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond (D) would be competitive against Sen. Johnny Isakson (R), but the latest Rasmussen poll shows the Republican incumbent ahead by 16, 51% to 35%.
* Sen. Russ Feingold’s (D-Wis.) re-election prospects appear relatively secure, but the incumbent is nevertheless launching his first television ad of the season this week. It emphasizes, among other things, his opposition to the Wall Street bailout bill in 2008.
* In keeping with the general pattern, Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef (R) has announced he’s scrapping his campaign against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in New York. The pattern, of course, refers to a seemingly-endless stream of Republicans who get ready to take on Gillibrand, only to drop out soon after.
* New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) won’t be up for a second term until 2013, but he’s off to a rough start. After nearly four months in office, the governor’s approval rating is down to a woeful 33%.
