IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Wednesday's campaign round-up

<p>Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to

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 Quinnipiac poll shows President Obama leading Mitt Romney in three key swing states. Obama's up by four points in Florida (45% to 41%), six points in Pennsylvania (45% to 39%), and nine points in Ohio (47% to 38%). Note: the poll was of registered voters, not likely voters.

* Speaking of 2012 battlegrounds, a new poll by Old Dominion University and the Virginian-Pilot shows Obama leading Romney in Virginia by seven points, 49% to 42%.

* A week after Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) falsely claimed to have been in "secret" meetings with "kings and queens," the Massachusetts Democratic Party isn't done mocking him.

* Speaking of the Senate race in Massachusetts, a new poll from Public Policy Polling shows Scott and Elizabeth Warren tied at 46% each.

* Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) became the latest congressional Democrat to skip the party's national convention. Her campaign said McCaskill skips the convention every time she's on the ballot -- she didn't go in 2004, during her gubernatorial campaign, either.

* Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, doesn't have a problem at all with vulnerable Dems skipping the convention.

* Though incumbents generally fared quite well in yesterday's primaries, Rep. John Sullivan (R) of Oklahoma wasn't as fortunate -- he lost in a GOP primary, becoming the eighth House incumbent to lose a primary this cycle.

* And in the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, Democrats have the narrowest of leads over Republicans on the generic congressional ballot, 45% to 44%.