Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own but may be of interest to political observers:

* Barack Obama unveiled his policy on national service Wednesday at an event in Colorado.

* In a new Time magazine poll of U.S. Roman Catholics, John McCain enjoys the narrowest of leads, 45 percent to 44 percent.

* An "independent" arm of the Republican National Committee will spend $3 million on TV ads in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, starting Sunday. The ads will focus on energy policy.

* McCain's allies have found another loophole in the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, and will funnel funds through the Republican Governors Association.

* Elizabeth Edwards will head up Health Care for America Now, which intends to invest $40 million over the next several months, promoting universal healthcare in a national TV ad campaign.

* The Democratic National Convention probably won't be shortened to three nights instead of four.

* The McCain campaign is worried about Virginia.

* Rasmussen shows Obama leading McCain in New York by 31 points, 60 percent to 29 percent.

* An AP/Yahoo poll shows that more Americans would rather have Barack Obama than John McCain at their summer cookout.

* And despite widespread reports to the contrary, Obama did not deny a fist bump to a child in Ohio this week.