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:
* It took about a week, but Rick Perry yesterday backed off his comments on tuition breaks for the children of undocumented immigrants. In last week’s debate, he characterized his rivals’ position as heartless, which he said yesterday was “inappropriate,” and the result of being “overpassionate.”
* For a few weeks, every national poll has shown Perry leading Mitt Romney in the Republican presidential race, but not anymore. The new Fox News poll shows Romney leading Perry, 23% to 19%.
* Citing immigration policy, Herman Cain said he “could not” support Perry’s campaign, even if Perry won the Republican nomination. In the same interview, the former pizza company executive claimed that African-American voters “have been brainwashed.” What a strange man.
* By reaching 4% support in the Fox News poll, Jon Huntsman will apparently have just enough support to be eligible for the next debate.
* In Florida, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Perry losing his lead, and he now trails Romney in the state, 30% to 24%.
* With time running out in West Virginia, the Republican Governors Association is attacking acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin (D) for following federal health care law. (No one ever accused the RGA of being geniuses.)
* In Ohio, the new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) with double-digit leads over both of his principal GOP challengers.
* In Connecticut, the latest survey from Public Policy Polling shows Rep. Chris Murphy (D) leading both of the top Republican candidates, but Murphy fares better against Linda McMahon than Chris Shays.
* In Massachusetts, Sen. Scott Brown (R) went after Elizabeth Warren (D) yesterday for being too liberal and allegedly trying to “demonize employers.”
* And on a related note, Newton Mayor Setti Warren (D) ended his Senate campaign in Massachusetts yesterday, as the party rallies behind Elizabeth Warren. The two are not related.
