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:
* Gearing up for re-election bid in Massachusetts next year, Sen. Scott Brown (R) was caught on video hitting up far-right billionaire David Koch for more cash. Koch invested heavily in Brown’s special election win a year ago, and the Republican senator thanked him for the support, adding, “I can certainly use it again.”
* The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has “welcomed” former Rep. Heather Wilson (R) to the U.S. Senate race in New Mexico, but it wasn’t an especially warm welcome. What’s more, it seems likely Wilson’s central role in the U.S. Attorney purge scandal will once again be part of the campaign.
* In Maine, a whopping 65% of likely Republican primary voters believes Sen. Olympia Snowe doesn’t belong in the GOP. Against her actual primary challengers, Snowe fares quite well — her opponents are largely unknown — but in general, only 33% of Maine Republicans are inclined to vote for Snowe in a primary.
* With Sen. John Ensign (R) retiring next year, will defeated Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R) try again in 2012? Maybe.
* Preliminary estimates suggest recall efforts against Republicans in Wisconsin are exceeding expectations. If this doesn’t make the GOP nervous, the party isn’t paying close enough attention.
* Pennsylvania always seems to be a battleground state at the presidential level, but President Obama appears fairly well positioned in the Keystone State next year. The latest Muhlenberg College poll shows the president ahead of leading GOP candidates in margins ranging from 7 to 28 points.
* Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R) isn’t the only GOP presidential hopeful with multiple marriages to explain — former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer (R) spent some time explaining his three marriages to activists in Iowa last night.
* Will Rep. Trent Franks (R) run for the Senate in Arizona next year? It sure looks like it. If so, it’ll be a heated primary pitting Franks against Rep. Jeff Flake (R), with the former emphasizing social issues, and the latter focusing on fiscal issues.
