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 Democratic National Committee has a new 30-second ad calling Republicans the "Party of Hypocrites" for having supported deficits and expanded government spending during the Bush years.

* As expected, former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) has appealed his case to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

* On a related note, Al Franken isn't a senator just yet, but he's begun hiring a Senate staff.

* The RNC topped the DNC in first quarter fundraising, but the DCCC and DSCC outraised their Republican counterparts over the same period.

* Missouri Republicans are beginning to think former House Minority Whip Roy Blunt might not be the ideal Senate candidate after all.

* The first debate among the three leading Democratic gubernatorial candidates in Virginia was last night. The primary is on June 9.

* In Georgia, neither Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle (R) not Sen. Johnny Isakson (R) will run in the open gubernatorial race next year.

* Is Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) working hard or hardly working? A close look at his schedule suggests it's the latter.

* And speaking of Florida, Jim Piccillo announced that he's running against Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R), a four-term incumbent. That wouldn't be especially noteworthy, except Piccillo is a life-long Republican who's running as a Democrat because he feels the GOP has lost its way.