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.

* Norm Coleman has, of course, filed a last-gasp lawsuit challenging his defeat in Minnesota. Eric Kleefeld went through the filing and came away unimpressed.

* Alex Sink, Florida's popular Chief Financial Officer, is moving closer to a 2010 campaign for U.S. Senate, running for the seat Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) is giving up.

* Florida Republican Party Chair Jim Greer was rumored to be a late entrant in the race to be the next chairman of the RNC, but instead, he endorsed former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele yesterday.

* On a related note, after this week's embarrassing forum, the six candidates vying to lead the Republican National Committee have suddenly become camera shy.

* Some are already accusing Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe of being a (ahem) carpetbagger. He addressed the issue yesterday: "I was born in Syracuse, New York. I am proud of where I was born," McAuliffe said. "But I am a Virginian.... If you are looking for someone who was born here in Virginia, I agree Creigh Deeds is your man... I honestly believe people want to know who can help them. They don't really care where you were born."

* Speaking of Virginia, former Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) will be the new head of the Main Street Partnership, a group of moderates trying to drag the Republican Party away from the far-right cliff.

* Colorado, in a national first, will have African-American lawmakers lead both the state House and state Senate. Both Speaker of the House Terrance Carroll and Senate President Peter Groff are Democrats.