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Thursday's Campaign Round-Up, 9.4.14

Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
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:
 
* For the second time this week, a poll of Kentucky's U.S. Senate race shows Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) leading Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) by four. This time, it's a CNN poll that gives McConnell the edge, 50% to 46%.
 
* In Iowa's U.S. Senate race, Democrats still hope to characterize Joni Ernst (R) as a far-right extremist, and to that end, Rep. Bruce Braley (D) has a new ad on the Republican's support for "personhood" measures that would ban abortions and some common forms of birth control.
 
* In Florida's gubernatorial race, competing polls this week offer completely different results. One statewide survey shows Gov. Rick Scott (R) with a five-point advantage over former Gov. Charlie Crist (D), while another shows the two candidates tied.
 
* Though the U.S. Chamber of Commerce nearly always limits its political support to Republican allies, the business lobby's leaders will formally endorse Rep. John Barrow (D) at an event in his Georgia district this week. Barrow, interestingly enough, is the fourth House Dem to receive Chamber backing this election cycle.
 
* Medicare support continues to be a key 2014 issue, and in Alaska's U.S. Senate race, the DSCC has launched a new ad blasting Republican Dan Sullivan, accusing him of undermining Medicare by calling for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.
 
* Speaking of Alaska, Sen. Mark Begich (D) pulled one of his ads this week. The spot referenced an Alaska murder case, and following a request from the victim's family, the campaign agreed to stop airing the commercial.
 
* And to the surprise of no one, a new study found that the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, handed down four years ago, has given Republicans "a measurable advantage on Election Day."