Discover GOP Opprobrium

[teapeebubbles]

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is sponsoring the first presidential forum of the campaign season in Carson City, Nevada, today, at which eight candidates will appear. ABC’s George Stephanopoulos will moderate and C-SPAN is scheduled to cover the event live. Barack Obama is the only big name to decline the invitation.

* Yet another in a long series of embarrassing Mitt Romney videos was posted to You Tube yesterday, this one a 2002 gubernatorial debate at which Romney explained his firm pro-choice beliefs.

* On a related note, Romney blasted John McCain yesterday as not being pro-life enough.

* The NYT’s Maureen Dowd quoted David Geffen blasting Hillary Clinton and praising Barack Obama. The Clinton campaign responded by criticizing Obama and asking him to disassociate with Geffen. Obama’s campaign responded by saying, “We aren’t going to get in the middle of a disagreement between the Clintons and someone who was once one of their biggest supporters.”

* The AP reports that former Rep. John Kasich “is contemplating a run for Ohio governor 2010, prompting him to begin speaking regularly at Republican functions around the state.” Kasich currently hosts his own talk show on Fox News.

* And the Des Moines Register had a fascinating item yesterday about Iowa’s Republican moderates, who feel like they’re being ignored as all the GOP candidates seek support from the right-wing base. “I haven’t been contacted by any of the presidential campaigns,” said Joy Corning, the moderate former two-term lieutenant governor. “They are all trying to appeal to the far right.”