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:
* A new national poll from the Pew Research Center shows President Obama leading Mitt Romney in a hypothetical matchup by 12 points. A new national Reuters poll found similar results, with the president up by 11.
* Obama picked up a formal endorsement yesterday from the AFL-CIO, which “voted proudly and enthusiastically” to support the president for a second term.
* The next debate for the Republican presidential candidates is scheduled for Monday, but Romney announced yesterday that he will not participate.
* The Illinois primary is arguably the next big contest in the race for the Republican nomination, and Romney is already investing heavily in the state.








