Today's installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* A new CNN poll shows Hillary Clinton leading Bernie Sanders nationally in the race for the Democratic nomination, 48% to 27%. Vice President Biden was included in the poll, and was a distant third with 13%.
* The same poll tested hypothetical general-election match-ups, and found Clinton leading Jeb Bush by 12 points (53% to 41%), Donald Trump by nine points (52% to 43%), Scott Walker by eight points (52% to 44%), and Carly Fiorina by 15 points (55% to 40%). Note, these results covered responses from all Americans -- among registered voters, Clinton also leads each of the GOP candidates, but by slightly smaller margins.
* Both Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio are comfortable with birthright citizenship. In 2015, supporting the plain text of the 14th Amendment is what passes for "moderation" on an issue.
* Ben Carson, however, is now publicly opposed to birthright citizenship. By my count, he's the ninth Republican presidential candidate to express hostility towards the 14th Amendment principle.
* Planned Parenthood is airing TV ads targeting four incumbent Republican senators: New Hampshire's Kelly Ayotte, Ohio's Rob Portman, Pennsylvania's Pat Toomey, and Wisconsin's Ron Johnson. (Disclosure: my wife works for Planned Parenthood, but her work has nothing to do with these commercials.)
* Speaking of ads, the Koch-financed Americans for Prosperity is reportedly launching a $1.4 million ad buy in Ohio, attacking former Gov. Ted Strickland (D). The Ohio Democrat is considered a strong challenger to Rob Portman in next year's Senate race.
* Speaking of Democratic Senate hopefuls, former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), running for his old seat, delivered his first policy speech of the campaign yesterday and endorsed a $15 hourly minimum wage.
* And Oregon officially has a new major political party: the Independent Party of Oregon.