Ah, those potential Republican presidential candidates...

...just can't stay out of the news.

Or, perhaps it's the other way around -- the news media can't stop placing those potential candidates in the news?

Though he appears to be more bluster than policy wonk, Donald Trump refuses to deny any speculation that he might run for president. If he does, he might have to explain why he gave considerable sums of money to multiple Democratic politicians. As the Washington Post notes,

The real estate mogul and “Celebrity Apprentice” host has made more than $1.3 million in donations over the years to candidates nationwide, with 54 percent of the money going to Democrats, according to a Washington Post analysis of state and federal disclosure records.

Recipients include Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.), former Pennsylvania governor Edward G. Rendell, and Rahm Emanuel, a former aide to President Obama who received $50,000 from Trump during his recent run to become Chicago’s mayor, records show. Many of the contributions have been concentrated in New York, Florida and other states where Trump has substantial real estate and casino interests.

The donations provide another view into the odd political spectacle surrounding Trump, who may be the most unlikely of possible GOP presidential hopefuls in an already eclectic field. Although candidates such as Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty have spent years carefully crafting and plotting a White House run, the tycoon and fixture of the New York tabloids has leapt onto the scene with loud proclamations and surprisingly strong poll numbers among likely Republican voters.

And speaking of money, several media pundits, including ABC's George Stephanopoulos, are asking if Trump will now follow through on a promise he made to release his financial records if Barack Obama released his birth certificate.  

One of the more credible (and I think likable) presidential aspirants is Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas. Huckabee insists he's in no hurry to make a decision about a possible second run for the White House, and he also says that despite the rumors he is under no pressure from FOX News, where he is a program host, to make up his mind.

The Republican presidential field will clear itself up in a few weeks, but the need for the media to continue reporting each morsel of information about the men and women who might run does clog the news agenda. I'm not suggesting that these people aren't making news, but I am saying that making them news is a different item.