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:
* How concerned are Republicans about actor Ashley Judd running for the U.S. Senate? Karl Rove's operation, American Crossroads, this morning rolled out an attack video, and said it will spend $10,000 to promote the video through "digital advertising."
* Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) realizes he's widely hated, but to keep his job next year, the far-right incumbent is prepared to spend $100 million in 2014 "on a battleship-sized political operation aimed at overcoming the Republican's deep personal unpopularity." Scott spent $73 million to get elected in 2010.
* Sen. Max Baucus (D) now has his first Republican challenger, with former Montana state Sen. Corey Stapleton (R) kicking off his campaign this morning.
* Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) has been deeply concerned about a primary challenge in South Carolina next year, and state Sen. Lee Bright (R) is now "seriously looking at the race."
* Rep. Bruce Braley (D) is widely expected to be the leading Democrat in Iowa's U.S. Senate race, but we shouldn't expect a formal announcement from the congressman until the summer.
* With Richard Cordray still hoping to be confirmed as the head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Ohio Democrats are still looking for a top-tier candidate to challenge Gov. John Kasich (R) next year. Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald is reportedly eyeing the race, as is former Rep. Betty Sutton.
* In Arkansas, Sen. Mark Pryor (D) will not be able to run unopposed the way he did in 2008. State Lt. Gov. Mark Darr (R) is prepared to launch a campaign against the incumbent.
* And in Massachusetts, Republicans may have finally found a candidate to run in the Senate special election: state Rep. Daniel B. Winslow, "a lawyer with a flair for the dramatic," who formed an exploratory committee yesterday.
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Brought to by Amercian* Crossroads.. lolz!
Max Baucus. You always have to wonder if a Max Baucus helps the Democrats more than he hurts them, or hurts them more than he helps them.
Amgen certainly didn't help.
Baucus allowing the Senate Republicans to offer over 100 amendments to ACA (while saying that they still wouldn't vote for the bill), only dragged out that process a month, or so longer than it should have.
Lindsey Graham can follow Jimmy DeMinty out of the door, and into oblivion. I have been trying to get rid of him since the Iran/Contra hearings in 1987, where he defended the convicted felon Ollie North to the death. South Carolina deserves real leadership.....
Hey Ohioans go for Nina Turner - she's got your back!
As for Max Baucus - he's more GOP than democrat.
Hey Floridians - get rid of Scott by all means!
Maybe I'm just radical but the the first 2/3 of the add seemed to make me more inclined to vote for her. The last 1/3 just made me feel confused as to why conservatives would want to make fun of themselves.
$10,000 is chump change for Karl Rove, and the attack video is a pretty amateurish job, so the Rs aren't getting out their big guns yet on the Kentucky Senate race.
If Scott spent this on state infrastructure, invested it in children's playgrounds, and elderly meals on wheels, he'd be a hero instead of a heel.
There must be some serious payoff to consider dropping that kind of green on a Governors race.
Ya know Rick Scott just doesn't strike me as an altruistic kind of fellow.
The ad against Judd is so hilarious.
It is hilarious that the GOP feels so threatened.
It is hilarious that McConnell's political career is doomed.
It is hilarious that Rove has been given even one dollar to do anything political.
It is hilarious that GOP still does not GET the message sent by 53% of Americans 11/07.