TUESDAY’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.
* Sen. Lisa Murkowski had a back-up plan if the final ballot tally in Alaska’s GOP Senate primary went against her: run as the Libertarian nominee. Yesterday, that avenue closed when the Alaska Libertarian Party decided, in an emergency meeting, to deny Murkowski its slot on the ballot.
* In North Carolina, a new survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Richard Burr (R) leading Elaine Marshall (D), 43% to 38%. The pollster’s report explained, “The basic contours of the race remain unchanged. Burr is unpopular, while Marshall is unknown.”
* A whopping 66% of Nevada voters who intend to vote for Sharron Angle (R) wish she weren’t the Republican nominee.
* Retired four-star Gen. Wesley Clark was in Illinois yesterday to endorse Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias (D). Not surprisingly, he called out Rep. Mark Kirk (R) for repeatedly misstating the truth about his military service.
* In the event that anyone in Kentucky cares about the professional backgrounds of their Senate candidates, Jack Conway’s (D) campaign is reminding voters that he’s been “darn good” at his job as state Attorney General. Conway is facing right-wing ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R), who has never served in public office, in November.
* In Minnesota, an MPR News/Humphrey Institute poll shows former Sen. Mark Dayton (D) and Tom Emmer (R) tied at 34% in this year’s gubernatorial race. Independence Party candidate Tom Horner is third with 13%.
* Former representative and convicted felon Jim Traficant has collected enough signatures to run as an independent in Ohio’s 17th congressional district this year.
* Following a ruling from the Michigan Court of Appeals yesterday, the Michigan Tea Party, accused of being a Democratic front, will not be on the ballot in November.
* And in 2012 news, as disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) moves forward with his apparent interest in a presidential campaign, he probably shouldn’t ask Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) for an endorsement.
