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:
* In Massachusetts' U.S. Senate special election, Republican Gabriel Gomez, already under fire for running an ad with false claims, is starting to lose his cool. Yesterday he called his Democratic opponent, Rep. Ed Markey (D), "pond scum." For what it's worth, Gomez's over-the-top complaints really don't make sense.
* On a related note, Gomez trails Markey in a new Emerson College poll, 45% to 33%. The Democrat's 12-point lead is double the advantage he enjoyed in a similar poll earlier this month.
* The news for Gomez is not, however, all bad -- the National Republican Senatorial Committee has committed to sending at least four staffers to give the Republican candidate a boost. The special election is a month from tomorrow.
* Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) announced late yesterday that he will resign later this year after a decade in Congress to take a job at the University of Alabama. There will be a special election to fill his vacancy, and while the date has not yet been set, the seat is expected to remain in Republican hands.
* In anticipation of a likely presidential campaign, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has scheduled a series of out-of-state visits, including an appearance in Iowa yesterday.
* In Arkansas, as expected, Mayors Against Illegal Guns is continuing to run ads against Sen. Mark Pryor (D), who appears to be a vulnerable incumbent next year.
* And in Louisiana, there's growing chatter about Sen. David Vitter's (R) interest in possibly running for governor after Bobby Jindal (R) wraps up his second term.