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.
* In Delaware, extremist Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell (R) suggested to her supporters last week that God wants her to win so she can filibuster the lame-duck session.
* New York gubernatorial hopeful Carl Paladino’s (R) business operations netted $3 million in tax breaks with the intention of creating lots of jobs in and around Buffalo. He took advantage of the breaks, but only produced 25 new jobs.
* When it comes to a Colorado ballot proposal intended to outlaw abortions, right-wing Senate candidate Ken Buck (R) is for it, against it, and unsure what to make of it. (The proposal would give constitutional rights to fertilized human eggs from the moment of conception.)
* Speaking of Colorado, the latest McClatchy-Marist poll shows Buck (R), despite his extremism, leading Sen. Michael Bennet (D) among likely voters, 50% to 42%. The same poll shows Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (D) cruising in the state’s gubernatorial race.
* In Illinois’ U.S. Senate race, the latest Chicago Tribune poll shows Alexi Giannoulias (D) with a narrow lead over Rep. Mark Kirk (R), 38% to 36%, with 17% still undecided
* In Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race, the latest McClatchy-Marist poll shows Ron Johnson (R) still leading Sen. Russ Feingold (D) among likely voters, 52% to 45%.
* In Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race, the latest McClatchy-Marist poll shows Pat Toomey (R) leading Rep. Joe Sestak (D) among likely voters, 51% to 42%, though the latest Susquehanna Polling and Research survey shows Sestak trailing by only three.
* Sometimes I think it would be nice if classiness still mattered in politics: “World Wrestling Entertainment, the company where Connecticut Republican Senate hopeful Linda McMahon served as CEO for years, once teamed up with the ‘Girls Gone Wild’ enterprise for a pay-per-view event featuring the raunchy, partly-nude show and some of the WWE’s wrestling personalities.”
* High on the list of incumbent Senate Dems who aren’t in trouble is Maryland’s Barbara Mikulski. A new Washington Post poll shows her leading her GOP challenger, 61% to 29%
* Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) refuses to participate in any additional public debates before Election Day — unless her poll numbers start to drop, at which point she’d reconsider.
* President Obama made his first endorsement ad of the season in a new spot for Cedric Richmond, who’s taking on Rep. Joseph Cao (R) in Louisiana’s 2nd.
* In the very last primary of 2010, attorney Jeff Landry won the GOP nomination in Louisiana’s 3rd, and is expected to win the seat that has been held by Rep. Charlie Melancon (D), who is running for Senate.
