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:
* As odd as this seems, a new CBS News poll shows Herman Cain and Mitt Romney tied for the lead in the Republican presidential contest, with each generating 17% support. Rick Perry, who enjoyed a comfortable lead two weeks ago, has seen his support drop roughly in half, and is now third with 12%. No other candidate is in double digits.
* A new Quinnipiac poll, meanwhile, shows Romney leading the field with 22% support, followed Cain at 17%, and Rick Perry at 14%.
* Perry’s campaign was able to present some good news for a change, announcing this morning that the Texas governor raised $17 million in just the last seven weeks. That’s a pretty impressive sum, and is nearly as much as Romney raised in his first quarter haul.
* With Chris Christie now officially out of the presidential race, those urging him to run are transitioning to already-announced candidates. Romney appears to be the early beneficiary.
* Univision has been in a prolonged spat with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and in apparent effort to suck up to the right-wing senator, several Republican presidential hopefuls intend to boycott the network’s upcoming debate. Yesterday, Romney, Cain, Perry, Jon Huntsman, and Michele Bachmann all bowed out of the Jan. 29 event.
* Public Policy Polling surveyed Republican primary voters in North Carolina, Nebraska, and West Virginia, and found Cain with comfortable leads in each of the three states.
* In Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren participated in her first debate as a candidate for elected office, and by all accounts, did very well.
* And in Wisconsin, though former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) has been coy about his official plans, he filed the paperwork for his U.S. Senate campaign with the FEC yesterday. He’ll be part of a crowded primary field that also includes former Rep. Mark Neumann,
