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:
* VoteVets.org released a new ad this morning, urging members of Congress to support universal background checks on firearm purchases. This one focuses on Sen. Jeff Flake (R) of Arizona, but there are other versions for other lawmakers. (Correction: there may be other versions for other lawmakers if the campaign is expanded, but for now, the VoteVets ad targeting Flake is the only ad that's been released.)
* In South Carolina's congressional special election, Public Policy Polling shows Elizabeth Colbert Busch (D) with a narrow lead over former Gov. Mark Sanford (R), 47% to 45%. Colbert Busch benefits from a fairly strong favorability rating, while 58% of voters in the district still don't like the scandal-plagued former governor.
* In New Jersey, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Gov. Chris Christie (R) cruising to re-election later this year, leading state Sen. Barbara Buono (D) by a ridiculous 35-point margin, 60% to 25%.
* In Massachusetts' upcoming Senate special election, a new poll for Boston's NPR affiliate shows Rep. Edward Markey (D) and former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan (R) leading their respective primaries, but a plurality of voters remain undecided in advance of the April 30 primary elections. In a head-to-head match-up, Markey leads Sullivan by 17 points.
* Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) is aware of the new ads being aired in his state by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, but the senator says he doesn't much care. "I don't take gun advice from the Mayor of New York City," Pryor, who's up for re-election in 2014, said in a statement. "I listen to Arkansans."
* With 2016 apparently in mind, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) is "collaborating" with Marc Thiessen on a new book "with stories about [Walker's] family, his values, and his rise to power." Thiessen, a Washington Post columnist, is perhaps best known for being a former chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush.
* Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was born in Canada to an American mother, leading Sean Hannity to ask, "Are you eligible to run for president?" The question is apparently the subject of some debate.
