Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has begun calling Iowa Republicans, which would appear to be a pretty big hint about his presidential ambitions.
* Speaking of the Hawkeye State, the Iowa Republican has a new statewide poll showing Michele Bachmann leading the GOP presidential field with 25% support. Mitt Romney is second with 21% and no other candidate reached double digits.
* Former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told Newsweek, “I believe that I can win a national election.” I believe she’s mistaken.
* Tim Pawlenty started getting a little more aggressive as a candidate yesterday, telling NBC, “I like Congresswoman Bachmann. I’ve campaigned for her. I respect her. But her record of accomplishment in Congress is non-existent.”
* It’s not a secret that Senate Democrats would love to see Elizabeth Warren run against Sen. Scott Brown (R) in Massachusetts, and there’s some evidence she may be warming to the idea.
* Bachmann’s husband, Dr. Marcus Bachmann, runs a clinic that provides ridiculous and discredited “ex-gay” reparative therapy.
* With state Senate recall elections drawing closer, Wisconsin Republicans are relying even more heavily on “sleazy dirty tricks.”
* The latest survey from Public Policy Polling in New Hampshire shows Romney leading President Obama in a general election match-up, 46% to 44%. The president leads the rest of the GOP field by fairly comfortable margins.
* Craig Miller, the former CEO of the Ruth’s Chris steakhouse chain, will join a crowded Republican Senate primary in Florida this week.
* And in Arizona, where Sen. Jon Kyl (R) is retiring, former Arizona Democratic party chairman Don Bivens has formed an exploratory committee for the race and is already assembling a credible campaign team.
