TUESDAY’S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP…. Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* With Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) officially giving up her seat, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn (D) has said she intends to run, and California Secretary of State Debra Bowen (D) is almost certain to jump in, too. Marcy Winograd, who ran a credible primary race against Harman, said she’s “exploring the possibility.”
* As if Rep. David Rivera’s (R-Fla.) widespread corruption scandals couldn’t get any worse, they’re getting worse. There’s new evidence that the Miami-Dade Republican Party, which Rivera chaired, paid $150,000 to a political consultant with close ties to Rivera, but no one can explain what the party got for the money.
* In South Carolina, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) as “virtually unbeatable in a general election,” but vulnerable to a Republican primary challenger.
* In California, Public Policy Polling’s latest results suggest Republicans shouldn’t even try to compete in the Golden State against President Obama next year.
* In New Mexico, if Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D) decides to seek re-election next year, winning shouldn’t be much of a problem — he has double-digit leads over all potential GOP challengers.
* A Vanderbilt University poll in Tennessee shows the state in play in 2012, if Republicans nominate Sarah Palin. In a hypothetical match-up, President Obama leads the former half-term governor in Tennessee, 42% to 37%.
* Is Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) running for president? The answer is probably pretty obvious, but in case there are any doubts, an advisor to the governor told CNN yesterday, “He’s running until he says he’s not.”
* And in less-credible news, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who gained no traction in his 2008 presidential race, is “strongly considering” running for president again in 2012.
