Campbell Plays Hamlet

Tom Campbell is headed to Panama, undeterred by the fact that other Republicans campaigning in California’s two big political races are wondering what the hell office he plans to run for.

Campbell, who’s in second place in polls of the GOP primary race for governor, in recent days became the focus of widespread speculation that he’s preparing to pull out of that contest to seek the party’s U.S. Senate nomination. After an aide confirmed to the Washington Post that Campbell has been approached by unnamed “Republican officials” about a switch, the candidate didn’t exactly rush to the task of denying the possibility.

“I am in the race for governor, and I have nothing to add to that,” he told Capitol Letters. The courtly Campbell politely refused to respond to follow-up questions about the matter, deflecting all other inquiries to a wide-ranging discussion of his holiday vacation, during which he and his bride plan to take intensive Spanish lessons in Panama.