Blue Majority Page: Call for Nominations

As you know, this week – the final week of the first fundraising quarter – Blue Majority is pushing to reach a total of 6,500 donations. We’re getting there – following on the heels of our endorsement of Barack Obama, we’ve now moved past 5,800 donors. That means we need about 700 more, so if you haven’t given yet, please do. Donations of all sizes are welcome.

There’s also another way you can contribute. We’d like to solicit nominations for new candidates to add to the page. To be clear, this isn’t a vote – we won’t simply pick the people who get talked about the most. Rather, we want to get a sense of who our communities like, and why. We also don’t have a specific timetable for adding new names, but we hope to choose some soon.

As a guide, here are some of the criteria we like to look at – some of these are old, and some are new:

Is the candidate running against a Republican incumbent or for a GOP-held open seat? (This is close to being an absolute requirement.)

Does the candidate embody the kinds of progressive values you’d ideally like to see in Congress?

Is the race not a top-tier affair? (Our dollars can go further in races which, so far, have received less attention and institutional backing.)

Has the local blogosphere embraced the candidate – and vice versa?

Does he or she pass the partisanship litmus test?

Is the Republican an easy target? (Think back to Tom DeLay.)

How blue is the district or state?

Please submit your ideas in comments – and again, please be sure to donate before the end of the quarter.

117 thoughts on “Blue Majority Page: Call for Nominations”

  1. Running against a very, very conservative Republican in a district with a PVI of only R +3.

    He’s an Iraq War vet and loved by local blogs.  This is a second tier race that could pop if Sarvi gets enough money.  It reminds a lot of us up here of Tim Walz in 2006.

    http://www.stevesarvi.org/

    This is a race where Blue Majority dollars could really make a difference.

  2.    Sam Bennett in PA-15 is getting no institutional support to challenge a Republican (Charlie Dent) in a Kerry district.  She’s a progressive, and she signed onto the responsible plan for Iraq.  She has no significant primary opposition.  I nominate her.

  3. Wasn’t aware that Swing State endorsed Obama.   Thought it was just in the discussion stage.  If so I’m really disappointed and hope that this site doesn’t become just another pro-Obama blog.

  4. As a long-time reader, first time commenter, I have to put Tom’s name in the hat.  A lot of excitement brewing in VA over this race, and he is an original signer to the “Responsible Plan in Iraq.”  He is running against Virgil Goode.

  5. Tom Perriello would be a fantastic Blue Majority Candidate. He’s the Democratic nominee against the racist xenophobe Virgil Goode. Through his current fundraising he’s already moved the race from “safe” to “in play!” Local blogs like Raising Kaine have completely pushed his candidacy and are committed to unseating Goode.

    Tom’s a proud progressive who is running a campaign supporting change and promoting the common good. This district is the size of New Jersey and he is committed to competing in every one of the 22 counties and municipalities it makes up. With Mark Warner running for Senate (and Obama at the top of the ticket) Virginia will turn blue this year, and the congressional districts will turn as well.  

  6. *(Our dollars can go further in races which, so far, have received less attention and institutional backing.)*

    So then why is Leslie Byrne on the list?  Dan Maffei?  I would say they are getting sufficient institutional support.  Dan Maffei has no opposition to a Republican held seat, and is on the DCCC’s lists.  Leslie Byrne already has people like Webb doing fundraisers for her, she has a contested primary, etc.  

    So far people have made a good list posting here, races I didn’t even think of when I read the diary.  Also, Donna Edwards has her seat won.  If we could clean the slate with a few races that have developed and no longer fit the same standards they were accepted by, we could have a small wave of candidates not getting institutional support who are all worthy of our help.  

    Good candidates in districts that could be competitive, who aren’t getting institutional support.  

  7. Running for seat held by Republican Gordon Smith; led the Oregon legislature’s Democratic Caucus as Speaker in arguably the most progressive and productive session in decades, and was first Senate challenger to endorse Darcy Burner’s “Responsible Plan” for withdrawal from Iraq; blogosphere is admittedly divided, but he has won far more endorsements by progressive organizations, movement groups, and labor unions than his primary opponent; proud lifelong Democrat with strong record working both within and outside the party without ever compromising his loyalty as a Democrat; the Republican incumbent has a deplorable record and transparent “moderate” posturing; Oregon has a Democratic majority, and trends Blue.

    Not on the list of criteria is Merkley’s gift for cutting through hot-button rhetoric and speaking on difficult issues in a way that resonates with common sense voters, even among voters whom one would expect to be hostile toward progressivism.

    It is my strong opinion that every dollar spent on his campaign is money well spent.

    John-Mark Gilhousen

  8. if our new Democratic President is going to be able to pass a progressive agenda.  The top six Democratic prospects are going to have plenty of cash (VA, NH, AK, NM, CO, MN) so what about the other potential Senate races?  I would advocate the candidates in smaller states (sorry TX) like ME, NE, and ID.  First up would be NE and Scott Kleeb since he has a primary against a guy who was a Republican until he decided he couldn’t win the Republican primary.  The seat is an open GOP and is not considered top tier at this point.

    While this is a red state it also elects Democrats to statewide office and Chuck Hagel was never exactly a far right Republican.  In addition, when polling shows that Obama is competitive in NE it bodes well for other Democrats in the state.  The Republican is a former Governor and seems like a strong candidate but he also appears to be stuck in a timewarp of Republican talking points.

    A perusal of local blogs shows uniform opposition to his primary opponent and support for Kleeb.  I think he meets the partisanship and progressive value litmus tests.  Not every Democrat in a red state would mention climate change on their website.  

  9. The other day on another site, someone said his aunt had poignantly remarked that she’d hoped to see a woman elected President in her lifetime but now thought it would not happen. I can understand the hurt and disappointment of that. But I rushed to try to reassure that others were filling in the pipeline, so tell his aunt to “hold on.”

    But when I actually looked at the pipeline, the poor lady will likely have to hold on for almost another lifetime.

    Today there are

    6 women Governors, or 12%: MI, WA, AZ, KS, CT, AK.

    16 women Senators, or 16%: (Boxer (D-CA); Cantwell (D-WA); Clinton (D-NY); Collins (R-ME); Dole (R-NC); Feinstein (D-CA); Hutchison (R-TX); Klobuchar (D-MN); Landrieu (D-LA); Lincoln (D-AR); McCaskill (D-MO); Mikulski (D-MD); Murkowski (R-AK); Murray (D-WA); Snowe (R-ME); and Stabenow (D-MI).

    70 Members of the House, or 16.1%  of that body.

    And not many in the pipeline. NOT.

    That’s not the fault of Blue Majority. The progressive/liberal Democratic blogs can be proud to have supported Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, SD-AL, in her special election back in ’04? Last cycle we had Darcy Burner, WA-08, Linda Stender, NJ-07, and probably others I forget. This year we have Darcy back, and Leslie Byrne in VA-11, and already appear to have won one with Donna Edwards in MD-04 — all three up to replace incumbent men. That line-up gives us a whopping 27% women on our page compared to the 16% currently in Congress. (That’s if we just ignore the Big One at the top of the Blue page that is not a woman and not about Congress, and hey, I support him too.)

    Alas, looking beyond the Blue Majority horizon, it doesn’t look so great for women in Congress. Jeanne Shaheen in the NH Senate race is a likely pick-up for Dems and women. Otherwise Democrats are running hard against Susan Collins in Maine, a win for us is the loss of a women. In NC, we have a woman in the primary ready to challenge Elizabeth Dole, a possible net no change for women. Meanwhile our only Senator seen vulnerable by observers is Mary Landrieu, a potential loss for us and for women.

    In Alabama our likely loser is a woman. Otherwise all our Senate challengers are from the boys club, in VA, MN, CO, NM, OR, AL, TX, OK, MS, ID, NE, KS, TN, KY, GA, WY-A and WY-B. Just don’t know if we have a candidate or even will have one this year in SC.

    For women in the Senate, I tally a possible loss of one Dem woman in LA, a possible gain of one Dem woman in NH, possible loss of one Repub woman in Maine, likely no change in NC. Likely end result at this point: a one-seat improvement for women. If Dems sweep the field and take Maine, likely net loss of one woman Senator, and percentage declines to 15%. Not so good an outlook for a woman President, now is it?

    Now the House races. How about, let’s look for Flownover women out in Flyover Land first and see how that 50-state strategy thing is working for ‘the ladies.’ Flyover Land? Lessee, so far on Blue Majority it’s two Senate candidates, TX and MN, two guys from Illinois for the House, and in WY we’re backing a man running for a seat left open by a woman. The rest from the Blue Coasts.

    Opening the envelope for women candidates from Flyover Land, the very few nominees include, Kay Barnes in MO-06, Vic Wulsin in OH-02 running against another woman, Anne Barth in WVa-02 running against a woman, Betsey Markey in CO-04 running against a wicked woman, and Ann Kirkpatrick, frontrunner, or perhaps Mary Kim Titla, a Native American, in the primary, in AZ-01, and Mary Jo Kilroy to succeed a woman in the open seat in OH-15. That’s it. THAT’S IT? Surely I am overlooking some women candidates in Flyover Land. Surely. Help me with this, will ya, fellas?

    O.K, go to the Coasts. Gotta be more women on the liberal and liberated Blue Coasts. Well, not in NY, as it happens, or in PA either, right? We could do a repeat of Linda Stender in NJ, except now she’s running for an open seat with heavy support from the DCCC at long last, so does she need us?

    Down in Florida, Christine Jenkins was robbed by a butterfly ballot or a malfunctioning electronic voting scheme, or something. So her rematch against Vern Buchanon, in FL-13, is interesting, but again, does she need our help? There’s Annette Taddeo up against Debbie Wasserman Shultz’s BFF, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in FL-18, but we already have the strongest of the three South Florida challengers, Joe Garcia, on the list. Suzanne Kosmos is running in FL-24, but she has to get past a primary with Clint Curtis. And while I hope she beats the corrupt Tom Feeney, some question whether she meets progressive standards on all the issues and she already enjoys the prospect of serious DCCC support.

    Out West, we have Darcy, and who’s left? Jill Derby running again in NV-02. And Debbie Cook against the evil Rohrabacher in CA-46.

    If all the Democratic women I’ve listed win their races, looks like it will be a net pickup of 10 more women in Congress, or 2.3 percentage points more than currently. From 16.1% to 18.4%. Wow.

    This is the best we can do in 2008? Damn. Reminded once more how lucky I was to be born a man.

  10. Jeff Merkley is running against Gordon Smith who votes 90% of the time with George Bush.

    As Speaker, Merkley led the most progressive and productive legislative session in decades after flipping the House with a great grassroots campaign.  Ending 16 years of GOP control Merkley passed anti-discrimination legislation on the basis of sexual orientation, stringent renewable energy standards, majority union sign up, and doubled college scholarships for Oregon students that were just the highlights of Merkley’s session.  Jeff talks about progressive values that makes them seem like everyones values, Oregon values. His record of passing progressive policies and his framing of our values is exactly what I want to see in Congress.

    The race has been bumped down the target list because we have so many other excellent pick up opportunities.  This is absolutely a race we can win but we will need some help to do it.

    Merkley has been excellent with the blogs and his Netroots Outreach Coordinator Carla Axtman is amazing.  I was lucky enough to get to interview Merkley on my blog Forward Oregon.

    Merkley definitely is a proud Democrat and has stood by the party and Democratic groups like the AFL CIO when others have attacked them.

    Oregon while having a 35 23 Dem registration edge the huge number of independents 42 makes that edge much less significant.  Gore only won here by 7,500 votes in 2000.

    Jeff Merkley is an absolutely great candidate that embodies what the progressive movement should be focused on.  Blue Majority should add him to their list.

  11. Senate:

    Scott Kleeb

    Andrew Rice

    Jim Neal

    Greg Fisher

    House:

    Steve Sarvi

    Sam Bennett

    Tom Perriello

    Debbie Cook

    Ed Fallon

    Jill Derby

    That’s the Populista 10.

    🙂

  12. How about Jane Mitakides?

    • Jane is running against Bush rubber stamp Mike Turner, who votes with the GOP agenda 87% of the time.
    • She recently endorsed the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq, adding her name to a list that includes Darcy Burner and Donna Edwards.
    • Because of the multitude of other high profile races in Ohio, OH-03 is a little below the radar – but make no mistake, in any other year, this is a top tier race.
    • Both Buckeye State Blog and the Ohio Daily Blog have been covering and supporting the Mitakides campaign. And as the New Media/Voter Outreach director, I can assure you, we’re paying attention to the blogosphere!
    • This morning, Jane was at a press conference and rally against the disastrous policies of the Bush administration, while Bush makes a speech on the GWOT at the nearby National Air Force Museum.
    • During 5 unremarkable years in Congress, Mike Turner has passed only one successful piece of legislation – renaming a park in Dayton.
    • OH-03 is the part of Ohio that swings. Gov. Strickland carried the district with 56% of the vote, and Democratic primary performance on March 3rd was up 138% vs. 25% for the GOP.

    This is exactly the kind of race I would think Blue Majority  wants to target.

  13. Gary has shown his committment to the people of the 9th over his 20 years as a public servant, and his Democratic credentials are spectacular.

    Check him out at petersforcongress.com

    1. I was just talking about him today at my college Dem’s meeting.  If he gets the money and support from the netroots, his campaign would definitely turn into top tier.  All the focus on Bachmann is a little bit of a waste at this point.  Sarvi has a better shot with the right resources.

    2. Sarvi would be perfect for this! John Kline has been continually angering his constituents (he needed to be petitioned to hold town hall meetings, cheerleader for Iraq War, voted against SCHIP compromise, voted to cut student aid 15.3 billion dollars etc.) and Sarvi has the experience and the bio to overtake Kline as long as he’s not outspent 100-1.

  14. Cornyn has terrible re-elect numbers. Noriega seems a good candidate that ticks most if not all the boxes and quite frankly he is going to need the money.

    1. I’ve given Sam Bennett money, and sent her name to several friends who have, as well.  She is saying what needs to be said, and not mincing words.

      She supports the troops:

      Supporting our troops” is not leaving them in Iraq to referee a religious civil war, with no plan, no mission and no end in sight. People here and across America support our troops with all our hearts, and we want them home.

      this quote, though, seems to hit the nail right on the head:


      The Bush Administration seems to have things exactly backwards. Where government should be robust – protecting and caring for its citizens – they have made it weak. Where government should tread lightly, they have made it overbearing.

      1. will probably help the other democrats who need the money.  But I’m still disappointed and will help the local democrats especially my wonderful congresswoman Kisten Gillibrand.  I believe our district has 40,000 more registered republicans but know she’s going to win.  Like many women she works really hard and people in our districts know it. Women often work harder than men in a similar job.

  15. to get some more Senate candidates on the list besides Franken. I realize that, compared to the House races, where our dollars might make a more noticeable impact, our money might get swamped in the torrent of big bucks in Senate races. But we need Senate seats more. We have enough House seats to get done what we want to get done (although another 10+ progressives will certainly go a long way toward making the Blue Dogs irrelevant as power brokers), but we need to get to 60 in the Senate and that’ll mean picking up a few lower-tier races.

    I’d start with Mark Begich in Alaska, Larry LaRocco in Idaho, and Scott Kleeb in Nebraska. These are states with cheap media markets, where (like Montana last time) we can really stretch our dollars. Plus (in AK and ID) scandal presents unique openings for us in red states. Larry and Scott have been strong with netroots outreach too.

    If we had one candidate in Oregon, I’d put that at the top of the list; for now, we’re probably best off waiting until after the primary to endorse. I’d lean toward Merkeley, personally, since he has a solid legislative record to point to, but Novick has really surprised me by hanging in there; with continued strong polling and now the Kitzhaber endorsement, people are clearly taking him seriously. We’ll be in good shape with either of them, although they will need huge bucks in the general to compete with Gordo’s war chest.

    As far as the House goes (which I know is what people like to focus on here), it’s hard to say right now because a lot of the races I want to emphasize (AZ-01, FL-24, MN-03, NM-01) still have contested primaries, or else are already on DCCC’s Red to Blue list. Two lower tier candidates I like who’ve done well with fundraising and getting some traction in light-red districts are Russ Warner in CA-26 and Bob Lord in AZ-03.

    Oh, and although there’s a contested primary afoot, we should probably weigh in on NY-26 for Jon Powers. Those other two candidates (the crazy old guy and the pollution lady) are all kinds of bad, but I suspect the DCCC will be holding off until after the primary.

    1. So far, he has raised $266,000 and not one dollar from PACs.  WooHoo!

      and his opponent, the misnamed Goode?  He’s not doing so well: $165,000, including over $70K from PACs

      Goode does have more COH ($380K to $240) but that may change

      VA-05 is also winnable.  Although it’s R + 6, it has 24% Blacks, and Obama has to have coattails there.  

      I second Periello

    2. I haven’t learned much about Periello yet but would point out that it would be pragmatically wise to take advantage of Mark Warner’s coattails and push a little harder on Virginia Congressional seats that we usually do.  

      1. if that helps.

        Crit Luallen was our only realistic woman challenger this cycle, and she declined to be torn into tiny pieces by McConnell (to be clear, I think she could have won, but that fucker fights nasty, or so I hear).

  16. With the demise of Wayne Gilchrest to Club for Growth backed Andrew Harris, Frank Kratovil, who is currently the States Attorney for Queen Anne’s County on the Eatsern Shore of Maryland, has a shot.  Gilchrest was a moderate republican who opposed the Iraq War.  Gilchrest is unlikely to support Harris and some of his staffers have been viewed as favorable to Kratovil.

    Frank has been involved with Young Democrats as he moved up i the legal profession and was elected president of the Maryland States Attorneys Association.  He is an oppopnent of the war and a big supporter of universal health care.

    He is way down on the list of races that the DCCC is looking at, but in this environment this is definitely a winnable seat.

    1. I would say Blue Majority should keep their endorsements of these four candidates, but pull financial backing from them – Eric Massa (NY-29), Leslie Byrne (VA-11), Donna Edwards (MD-04), and Dan Maffei (NY-25) – They are on the frontline for DCCC lists/shoe-ins depending on which candidate we are talking about.  

      And I would add (People who have been mentioned above by other posters):

      Steve Sarvi (MN-02), Sam Bennett (PA-15), Tom Perriello (VA-05), and Dennis Shulman (NJ-05)

  17. There are four races in Michigan which should be top-tier, and two of them actually are being targeted by the DCCC. I’d like to briefly make the case for all four of them getting the Blue Majority endorsement.

    MI-07 – Incumbent Tim Walberg (R), Challenger Mark Schauer (D)

    This is basically the only race that I blog about (admittedly, less often than I used to… life gets busy). Tim Walberg is basically everything Blue Majority should be fighting against. He’s a Club for Growth drone, doesn’t believe in taxes or the separation of church and state, and has some fascinating ideas about global warming.

    The Democrat you should endorse is Mark Schauer. He’s the Democratic leader in the state Senate, and he’s been a long-time friend to the Michigan netroots. He does face a primary against 2004 and 2006 nominee Sharon Renier, an organic farmer. However, at the end of 2007, Schauer had over $500,000 in the bank, and Renier had $52. Reading Renier’s issues pages (say, on the economy) make me hesitant to support her. She did hold Walberg below 50 percent last time, but I honestly think she should have won, even without any DCCC support. She’s never run a strong campaign.

    Schauer does have institutional support, though. He’s got the backing of the DCCC, a bunch of unions, and the state party. However, they also did a lot of publicity when he got the Blue America endorsement from FDL etc. He’s a friend of the blogosphere.

    MI-08 – Incumbent Mike Rogers (R), Challenger Bob Alexander (D)

    Just to the north of MI-07 is MI-08, represented by Mike Rogers. He’s a typical rubber-stamp Bush Republican. In 2006, he was challenged by Jim Marcinkowski, a former CIA agent and friend of Valerie Plame Wilson. Marcinkowski was recruited by the DCCC, then promptly ignored, and what I hear is that he’s not interested in running again. He got 42 percent in this R+2 district, which was disappointing. Rogers was elected by only 115 votes in 2000, and then promptly had his district redrawn by his friends in the legislature.

    The only potential candidate currently making any noise is Bob Alexander, the 2004 nominee. He only got 36 percent against Rogers, but from what I’ve heard from others, he’s a legitimate candidate (I’ve never met him). Right now, he’s exploring fundraising; that is, if he doesn’t think he can beat the $79,000 he raised in 2004, he won’t bother to run. So a major netroots endorsement might help keep him in the race and get him some much-needed publicity.

    MI-09 – Incumbent Joe Knollenberg (R), Challenger Gary Peters (D)

    Joe Knollenberg is another standard rubber-stamp Republican, but he’s in a district with a PVI of R+0. Kerry got 49.2 percent, and the district is trending more Democratic. In 2006, Nancy Skinner did better than expected against him, holding the seven-term incumbent to 51.6 percent.

    The Democrat this time around is Gary Peters. Recently a very successful lottery commissioner in Michigan, Peters was the 2002 nominee for Attorney General, losing to Mike Cox in the closest election in the state of that year. In that race, he actually carried the 9th district, even as it was re-electing Knollenberg with 58 percent. Peters has the support of the DCCC and the state party, as well as most of the Michigan blogosphere.

    Fun fact: this is also the race where Dr. Jack Kevorkian is running as an independent. I haven’t got any clue as to how that will affect the race.

    MI-11 – Incumbent Thad McCotter (R), Challenger Tom Spencer (D) or Edward Kriewall (D)

    Like Knollenberg and Rogers, Thaddeus McCotter is a solid Bush Republican, with the added distinction of having been once named the Worst Person In The World by Keith Olbermann. Really, he’s just not a very good representative for a PVI R+1 district.

    This district gets a little messy, as there’s the possibility of a messy primary. I really don’t have a good read on the district or who would be better, but the netroots have seemed to get at least a little excited about Tom Spencer, a progressive Methodist minister, and Ed Kriewall, the Novi city manager. Either candidate would benefit greatly from a little bit of national blog-love, and anything you could do now or after a nominee is chosen to bring in some attention would do wonders for this incredibly winnable district.

    Mind you, this doesn’t even consider the also-winnable MI-04 and MI-10, or MI-02 or MI-03, which I think could go Democratic with retirements. Michigan is going to be a major congressional battleground over the next three cycles. The DCCC has picked its races for 2008, and will hopefully pick a couple more in 2010, and then at least one more race will be competitive after redistricting.

    But wouldn’t it be great if the netroots could make all of the districts a little tougher this year? We might push a few early retirements for 2010, and (who knows?) maybe even win a few.

    1. I’ve heard complaints with regard to Novick’s tactics in the primary, but both candidates are viable and progressive, so it makes more sense just to endorse the winner of the primary.

    2. There’s not much I can add to this.  Jeff Merkley is the first senate candidate who has really motivated me to get involved in a campaign.  He first came to my attention several years ago, shortly after I first moved to Portland.  I was intrigued when he was elected House Democratic Leader and impressed when he helped orchestrate the Democratic takeover of the Oregon House.

      This most recent legislative session, with Merkley as speaker, has produced great Progressive legislation, even though the Democrats have the slimmest majority.

      His ability to get the Democrats in the majority and then get things done have me completely sold!  We need someone like Jeff Merkley in the U.S. Senate.

      1. Perriello is a great candidate with the right values running at a time that’s ripe to knock off an incumbent.  His platform, and some of the other criteria have been touched upon in other comments, so I’m going to lay out the practical case. An investment in Virginia this year is going to have a much higher rate of return than usual – there’s a popular D Governor, Mark Warner’s Senate race on the ballot, and Obama, who’s going to put Virginia in play, and boost turnout among the district’s 24% black population and substantial progressive enclave in Charlottesville.

             Money spent in the Perriello race is going to be some of the most effective money spent anywhere in the country.  His candidacy is also an investment in the future – putting a religious progressive voice in Congress is going to expand the Democratic tent, and provide a Democratic option going forward in the pink and purple areas that trended away from us over the past 10-15 years.  The incumbent is a defected Democrat, who, like some of his constituents, faded towards the Republicans during impeachment, but we know the voters can choose the D line on their ballots.  Perriello gives them a reason to do so again.

  18. Scott Kleeb is about as natural a choice as you’ll get:

    Well-known within the netroots, running for a GOP open seat, facing a well-funded former Republican in the primary.

    I think we’ve got a couple more candidates worth watching in Nebraska, but their campaigns are just getting up and running.

    Jim Esch or Richard Carter in NE-02, and Max Yashirin in NE-01.  

    1. I am shocked that WI has a women majority Supreme Court, not because its Wisconsin but shocked such a state exists.  I’m glad to be your neighbor (MN) even though your speed limits on freeways are bullshit.  ðŸ™‚

      1. Getting more Senate candidates and then

        getting some traction in light-red districts.

        Uh, did you mean, more traction in red-light districts? Senator  Vitter’s seat in LA is not open, yet, although a resignation is way overdue, and could still happen. “Please, Senator Vitter, explain again HOW your case is different from Gov Spitzer’s? We didn’t get it the first time you attempted an answer.”

        1. Bennett and Periello I’ve already commented about, elsewhere…. both good.

          Sarvi – MN02 is R+3, which is winnable in this atmosphere.   He’s raised $55K, with only $2K from PACs, one of which was Al Franken’s PAC

          Cook – CA46 is R+6, this is a fairly wealthy (med. inc. = $62K) urban district, with 17% Latinos, who Obama seems to be doing better and better among (will it be Obama Richardson?) and 15% Asians  There’s no funding info on Cook, but Rohrabacher has raised less than $200K, which is pretty low for an incumbent at this point; he has $343K COH, especially one who is a crook.

          (I hear a slogan

          Vote for Cook, not the crook!)

          Fallon (IA-03) – I dont have an opinion, I’ve not been researching primaries

          Derby (NV02) lost to Heller when this was an open seat, in 2006, and each raised similar money.  Is there reason to believe she will do better, this time?

          1. Glad to learn of another woman candidate in the Midwest, and one who is not running against another woman. Our two better-known women candidates in Ohio, Wulsin and Kilroy, would only replace a woman with a woman and not change the women’s overall showing in Congress. If Jane Mitakides could win this one (and putting aside all the other races), it would increase the women’s share of House seats from 16.1% to 16.3% all by itself!  

          2. Jeff Merkley has an enormous edge in endorsements which continues to grow.

            Some noteworthy ones include the Sierra Club, the SEIU and AFSCME who famously bucked their national organization by endorsing Obama and announcing their intentions to hit the pavement in force to turn out the Primary vote for both Obama and for Merkley.

            Personally, I’m most impressed with the endorsement of the Council for a Livable World who only endorsed 14 or 15 Senate/Congress candidates nationwide. They summed up their support for Jeff Merkley thusly:

            Merkley will be an important progressive leader in the Senate. His background on nuclear weapons, his knowledge of national security issues and his political experience clearly indicate that we need him in the U.S. Senate.

            I wholeheartedly agree with them.

          3. 1) She isn’t getting institutional support:

              She’s raised about $200K, roughly 75% of which has come from individuals

            2) It’s a winnable seat; Kerry won the district narrowly (50-48), Cook PVI is D+2, 13.5% veterans, who ought to be swinging our way (and Bennett comes from a military family)

          4. I realize that folks like Dan Seals and Dan Maffei might be kindof slighted if we pulled back now, but these guys have made it.  They’re in Red to Blue.  They’re getting huge DCCC support (I assume).  They don’t need our money anymore in the same way they did way back when they were added, last cycle.

            Maybe a Blue Majority alumni section, where people could still donate if they wanted, but where they weren’t the most-hyped and most-pushed candidates anymore.  Just bump them to the bottom of the page, on the other side of an explanatory divider.

            Our money has most leverage when it goes to people who should be recognized and supported by the Party, but aren’t yet.  That means folks like Tom Perriello, maybe Vic Wulsin, and others.  It also means Jon Powers and Leslie Byrne, who are in very very important primaries still.  And Ed Fallon also.  They all need our money more than Dan Maffei or Donna Edwards do.

          5. We should be on the cutting edgr.  We promoted themlast cycle, and they proved to the establishment they can cut it.  So let’s get more new folks.  I like Sarvi and Bennett.  Shulman has a primary.  What is his opponent like?  Bill O’Neill against Steve LaTourette in OH-14?

          6. Mitakides is one of the reasons:

            This is another winnable seat: It’s R+3, but 17% Black (Obama coattails should help) and 14% Veterans, who are starting to realize Bush and the Republicans do not support the troops.

            Mitakides has only raised $85K (as of 2/13) including $60K of her own money, and only $5K from PACs

            good choice

          7. This is the second round for Mitikades, after she lost in ’04 by 62% to her 38%. Granted that ’04 was a dismal year for Democrats in Ohio, if I’m not understating that. Then she took a pass in ’06 and Stephanie Studebaker was the nominee and looking good until her arrest for domestic violence, and she dropped out. Ouch, I remember how that hurt. The substitute, Dick Chema, managed only 42% in a great year for Democrats. So I’m willing to consider this one, but not yet convinced.

            From Buckeye State Blog:

            “But this is a tough district. Of all our Congressional races around the state, I think OH-3 might be one of the toughest despite what the numbers say … [due to] redistricting in 2002 … they cut the district up around the heart of Dayton…. It really was amazing what they did here in ’02.

            Mike Turner is the former Mayor of Dayton, and has been especially good at flying under the radar. It’ll be exciting to see what steps Mitakides takes immediately to pop onto the radar. I’m interested to see how her strategies will differ from ’04.”

      2. At a similar blog, senateguru.com is raising funds for six candidates already:

        Mark Begich (AK)

        Scott Kleeb (NE)

        Tom Allen (ME)

        Rick Noriega (TX)

        Larry LaRocco (ID)

        Andrew Rice (OK)

        There’s one overlap in Rick Noriega, TX, already on the Blue Majority list.

        But this reminds me, I think that for the size of his blog community, he’s diluting the energy by having too many endorsements, instead of concentrating on a handful of serious targets.

        There may be a risk of that happening with the Blue Majority — too fast, too many, or too many in big races, like Senator, where obviously our impact is not so great. Too many takes away from the enthusiasm that comes from the idea that by pooling our money we actually can make a difference. Not if we pool our money to support 535 or so Congressional candidates, not to mention Obama, too.

    2. LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS – 10 (8D, 2R)

      CO Barbara O’Brien (D)

      IA Patty Judge (D)

      IN Becky Skillman (R)

      MN Carol Molnau (R)

      NC Beverly Perdue (D)*

      NM Diane D. Denish (D)

      OK Jari Askins* (D)

      PA Catherine Baker Knoll (D)

      RI Elizabeth Roberts (D)*

      WI Barbara Lawton (D)

          * Elected indendent of the governor.

      So 10 women, or 20%, instead of the 16% in Congress and the Govs. Uh, yeah, doesn’t exactly shatter the glass ceiling.

      1. this year.

        But we might (depending on the outcome of the primary/general) get a female Democratic governor in NC.

        1. Senate:

          Scott Kleeb (Nebraska)

          Andrew Rice (Oklahoma)

          Jim Neal (North Carolina, St. Sen Kay Hagan is also running for the Ds)

          Greg Fisher (Kentcuky)

          House:

          Steve Sarvi (Minnesota 2nd)

          Sam Bennett (Pennsylvania 15th)

          Tom Perriello (Virginia 5th)

          Debbie Cook (California 46th)

          Ed Fallon (Iowa 3rd, primary challenger to Len Boswell)

          Jill Derby (Nevada 2nd)

          1. thousands of years of history?  Look at the brightside.  Women are a majority on the Wisconsin Supreme court.  

            You didn’t go through Lt. Govenors, but I would guess there are a fair share of them.  (NM, WI, to name a couple)  

          2. Sorry, I forgot. Forgot Sam and forgot (see below) to nominate a single woman, after talking about a dozen or so. Certainly the seat is winnable and regrettably overlooked in ’06. It’s not exactly out in Flyover Land, Red State, 50-State Strategy territory, but the district is almost more Rust Belt than Coastal.

            Sam’s got a good website, too. Although it left me with a question: How exactly will her name appear on the ballot? If she runs as “Sam” and the ballot reads “Siobhan” that confusion could lose her a point or two right there. And I really liked the video on the site, until the very last line, when she asks us to ‘join her campaign for change.’ Yeah, that’s good and well, but remember, You Have To Ask People To Vote For You. Better to say, “Join my campaign for change and remember to vote for me in November.”

            Not sure Sam Bennett is my first choice, but she looks like a good choice.

          3. Shulman is running aginst an extremist Republican in a moderate GOP district.  He and his campaign participate on the blogs.  I’ve a;ready contributed (I live in Jersey, though not in his district)twice.

          4. I wholeheartedly agree that we need more women in Congress, and I think California’s 46th is a great place to make that happen.  She’s a strong environmentalist who has been reelected several times to the City Council in conservative Huntington Beach, the heart of the 46th, where she currently serves as Mayor.  I think she’s the right candidate to help start to turn Orange County blue and to rid Congress of one of its most corrupt critters, Dana Rohrabacher.

          5. It is a district represented by one of the most conservative members of congress but it’s PVI is only R +3. Shulman is a great canidate and our dollars could put him over the top.

          6. It would excitement for the Blue Majority endorsements if the team running it would vet and pre-screen 5, or even 10, candidates who meet all or most of the criteria. Let us debate and advocate for those in a run-off, and then in a day or two let us vote for one or two of the pre-approved names to add to the Blue Majority page in a poll on the sites.

            And if that got high interest, would it be possible to have one round where we each have to contribute, say, $25, to the “Winner of the Poll” fund on the Act Blue page to vote in a poll, and thus let the contributors decide who gets the whole kitty for that one round? Not so very different from the Progressive Patriots Fund or some others where if you contribute you get emails inviting you to help select a winner. Maybe the tech logistics get complicated to do it within dKos, SSP, and Open Left. But Pay to Play has been very popular in Washington lately, and an Endorsement Bingo game could be fun too. I would NOT want to do this more than once, but once could be something different, attention-getting, and fun.

          7. He is a really long shot, but his opponent is the global warming denier James Inhofe, and OK has a reputation for electing young guys.  Knocking off Ted Stevens and Inhofe would be great.  Cornyn too.  But Inhofe especially because he is so bad on this issue–dumb as a post too.

          8. The most interesting note is in California.  Until 2006 exactly half of our House Democrats from California were women (17 of 34, now it’s 17 of 35 plus two US Senators).  We seem likely to add another Democratic woman in Jackie Speier.  Francine Busby was a major candidate with huge support from the DCCC last cycle.  Exactly one California Republican is a woman and she was elected as “the widow.”  Now that she has remarried to a Florida Republican I expect she will serve another term or two and then retire.

            We did lose several seats when women were succeeded by their sons or grandsons:  Julia Carson succeeeded by Andre Carson, Carrie Meeks succeeed by Kendrick Meeks.

            Judy Feder in VA-10 ran a pretty good race and is back in action for another try against Frank Wolf.  Siobhan (Sam) Bennett in PA-15 is running in a district Kerry carried.  

            It’s worth noting that two of the three lowest money races where we picked up a House seat were won by women in 2006: Carol Shea Porter and Nancy Boyda.  OTOH, CT-4 with Diane Farrell was a very expensive loss.

          9. Virginia is a state that is turning blue and to continue this trend, we need to make sure that we continue to elect Democrats. With the changing demographics and growth explosion in the north of the state, Virginia could become a Democratic stronghold.

            Judy Feder is a very strong candidate in VA-10. She ran in 2006 and actually made Frank Wolf run a real campaign. Her fundraising numbers are very impressive and she seems to have strong name recognition in the district from her run in 2006. I recently checked on the DCCC website and this district has been added to the targeted list due to a “Strong Democratic Challenger” which I can only assume to mean that the DCCC thinks as highly of Judy as I do.

            As far as VA-11 goes, I am staying far away from that. That primary is brutal and only getting more nasty. I don’t really have a horse in the race, but with the way Gerry Connelly and Leslie Byrne are going after each other, I hope the eventual winner doesn’t get beat up too bad.

            Sorry for being longwinded, but living in VA has gotten me really excited about the state turning blue. We will also soon be giving the nation a second Democratic Senator in Mark Warner!!!

          10. She also has local blogger support from NLS and Bryan Scrafford. The DCCC has VA-10 on its targeted races list but not Red to Blue. Seems like the right kind of race to focus on. Judy’s fundraising has been great so far (better than ’06) and she’s matching Wolf almost $ for $. The District is R+5 but Kaine won it in ’05 as did Webb in 2006. In a presidential year with Warner at the top of the ticket Judy can definitely take the 10th.

            Periello’s great too, and getting rid of Virgil Goode would be doing a service to the entire country.  

          11. in the House (I’ve been concentrating on the House), but aren’t all four already on the DCCC list?

            I was under the impression the idea here was to get other candidates….. those who have flown under the radar.  But maybe my impression is wrong

          12. And if anyone should be able to take care if himself, Nick is it.  He’s been in Congress a good while and has contacts.  Granted it’s a tough seat, but I’d rather go with new blood.

          13. In WVa-02, Anne Barth is up against Shelley Moore Capito (R). Taking note that neither Sen. Byrd nor Sen. Rockefeller can live forever, a vacant seat could occur at some inconvenient time. Capito is sure to run for the Senate. It would help make things more difficult if she were a former Member of Congress, and not holding that office when she makes her run. So this one is sort of a two-fer.

          14. regardless of the fact that she has little chance of winning (as of right now, at least), is Deborah Holmes.

            At least she’s the one Democrat with an ActBlue page.

        2. Senate candidates should be able to raise enough money independently with the name recognition and coverage that their races will get. We should really focus on getting support for House races to expand the majority.

          I’m not saying don’t give to Senate candidates; not at all. It’s just easier for them to raise money so money flowing in from random places online means a lot more for House candidates.

      2. The trifecta! That brings the total to eight out of 50, or 16%. That’s the winning number —  or is that the losing number, the quantification of the glass ceiling? Anyway, 16% of Governors are women, 16% of Senators are women, and 16.1% of House Members are women.

        So the pipeline is only 16% full at every point. Not looking so good for women at any level, is it?

        —————————

        BTW I was one of those surprised when the Caped Crusader turned out to be Batwoman not Batman or Robin. But I still have a sense that this site is overwhelmingly male. Izzat true? And if so, wonder why?

  19. Scott Kleeb (NE-Sen)

    Larry LaRocco (ID-Sen)

    Andrew Rice (OK-Sen)

    Greg Fischer (KY-Sen)

    Chris Rothfuss (WY-Sen) <– I know he’s running against Enzi (assuming he doesn’t retire), but I think Rothfuss is a potentially very awesome candidate.

    Also, adding Mark Warner (VA-Sen) may have fundraising coattails as well.

    As for the House:

    Annette Taddeo (FL-18)

    Raul Martinez (FL-21)

    Victoria Wulsin (OH-02)

    Nick Lampson (TX-22)

    Y’all are awesome already for including my favorite House candidate, Gary Trauner (WY-AL), as well as Burner (WA-08), Brown (CA-04), Noriega (TX-Sen), and Foster (IL-14)!  Keep up the good work!

  20. Though it is a top-tier affair, it is also in a relatively cheap media market.  And might actually energize the New Mexico blogosphere which needs SOME sort of kick start.

    1. This would be a huge pick-up. And local Marylanders all but expect Gilchrest to endorse Kratovil, the only question is when. I don’t think I have ever heard of a Republican incumbent endorsing the Democrat running for his seat but when asked about it Gilchrest responded with something about “party loyalty vs. eternal soul”. I definitely think the DCCC should be seriously considering this campaign.

    2. He won’t have the most liberal voting record in Congress. But he has a great platform on protecting the environment, with regards to the Chesapeake Bay. It will be a great long term strategy for us to get rural conservatives to vote Democrat over environmental issues.

  21. Here in Oregon, House Speaker Jeff Merkley is a really strong challenger to go up against Republican Gordon Smith. He’s a proven progressive legislator, presiding over the greenest and most labor friendly session in the past thirty years. Oregon is a blue state, but Gordon Smith has been able to get elected by posing as a moderate. Merkley offers a strong contrast on the issues when compared to Smith. Merkley was opposed to the war from the beginning, he’s for UHC and he helped push through the Employee Free Choice Act while Smith blocked it in the Senate. Merkley has not only been an effective community organizer, he also has foreign policy and legislative experience. Merkley could use the help of the netroots to build a strong coalition to unseat Smith and replace him with a strong progressive in the Senate.

    http://www.jeffmerkley.com

    Barry Welsh is challenging far right Republican Mike Pence in Indiana’s 6th district. I know what you’re thinking, it’s a red district so it must be out of reach. I believe with a little help Barry Welsh could unseat Mike Pence. Back in 2006, Barry Welsh garnered 40% of the vote with under $60,000 compared to Pence’s 1.5 million. The 6th district is struggling economically and Pence continues to vote against his constituents best interests. Barry Welsh is a teacher and has been involved in organizing charity events and is well respected in his community. He is a strong progressive with a focus on cleaning up government and fair trade. Check out his website: http://www.barrywelsh.org

    1. The PVI makes it seem way more Republican then it is.

      Tim Kaine won this district in 2005. It is VERY winnable. Perrielo is a great canidate running a great campaign but so far the DCCC has ignored him. This is just the right kind of race to get involved in.

        1. And the district changes about every week or two. I know that Vegas catches most of the in-migrants from Southern California, but the population of Reno and the rest of Nevada is also growing rapidly. These newcomers tend to vote Democratic, and generally the trend in Nevada has been going our way.

  22. I think Judy Feder should be considered in Virginia’s 10th.

    1. She’s run before, and has the seasoning and experience to win (kinda like what Paul Hodes did last year in NH).

    2. She’s a healthcare advocate who is a veteran of the healthcare wars of the 1990s. We need that experience in Congress after so many of our advocates were voted out or redistricted away between 1994 and today.

    3. She’s been a consistent voice against the war in Iraq.

    4. She’s mastered the “get out there and talk to voters” thing, which is critical to running on and winning with local, grassroots support.

    5. She’s got local blogger support (say, me and Lowell, for example).

    That being said, I also think Tom Periello would be a good candidate as well, because Virgil Goode is a racist xenophobe.

    1. It would be more organized and fair, in my opinion.

      Just having a nomination process may mean that some races may be left out that deserve attention, but are overlooked.  Also, nominations can be made by those working on a particular campaign, which is somewhat of a conflict of interest.

      If there were a pre-screening, discussion and vote, everyone could focus on those key races and make a more informed decision.

  23. I’d like to nominate Jim Himes a proud Democrat ready to fight for progressive values in Congress.  His opponent, Chris Shays is horrendous, and CT-04 is poised to go blue just as CT-02 and 05 did in 2006.  As a side note, Himes was the first Town Chair of a Democratic Town Committee to endorse Ned Lamont against Joe Lieberman before the August 2006 primary.  

    Shays is the last Republican Congressman standing in New England.  Your endorsement would play a vital rule in cementing a Blue Majority in CT.  

    1. in a more Democratic district and is a stronger canidate then we have in the 6th.

      Sarvi is a great guy, Iraq war vet and has been elected mayor in part of the deep red area of the district.

      I third Sarvi. We need him in congress.

  24.   Waltner is involved in a primary race to challenge Republican Phil English in a district that includes Erie, Pennsylvania.  I think it’s an R+2 district.  Waltner, quite honestly, is eerily similar to Andrew Rice in Oklahoma.  They’re both divinity students and both have connections to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  More relevant are Waltner’s progressive stands on health care, Iraq, the economy, etc.  I nominate him.  This is definitely a winnable district.

  25. Jim Himes was there from the very beginning with Ned Lamont, helping him organize, getting people interested.  He bucked the state party organization and put his political future on the line for Ned when Ned wasn’t known to anyone.  And he stuck with him all the way.

    Under Jim Himes’ leadership Democratic registration is surging in traditionally Republican Greenwich, CT.  A Democrat in 2006 came within 68 voters of unseating the Republcans’ deputy minority leader of the state house of representatives, and a Democrat rose to the board of selectmen by outpolling an incumbent Republican with a record number of votes.

    Under Jim’s leadership, we now have elected to the Greenwich board of education the first Arican-American in the town’s history.

    He’s a former executive with Goldman Sachs, who has been working to help solve this country’s housing crisis with Enterprise Foundation.  He’s a Rhodes Scholar and Harvard graduate, and obviously smarter than the incumbent faux-moderate Republican Chris Shays.  Furthermore, we need someone to represent this district who won’t continually embarrass us as Shays has done.

    I recommend Jim Himes- CT-05!!

  26. Rice fits all the criteria.  Perfect for Blue Majority.  I’ve called for it in the past, and have seen several other suggestions for Rice to be a Blue Majority Candidate.

    He’s running against one of the most extreme Republican incumbents, Jim Inhofe.  He’s a true progressive with an amazing background (divinity school grad, lost brother on 9/11, did humanitarian work in Asia before becoming a progressive state senator in Oklahoma).

    Money will stretch more in Oklahoma – and fundraising for Rice seems to be going well, but not raking in millions like a lot of people who’ve gotten more attention.

    Local blogs have been behind him from the start – a “Run Andrew Run” draft site was started by one local blogger long before Rice announced for senate.

    Totally passes the litmus test from what I’ve seen.

    Inhofe has been crazier in the last six years than he ever has – he’s gone over the edge, and there’s no shortage of material on this guy.

    Oklahoma IS NOT SOLID RED – almost all statewide officials here are Democrats.  I think people want to vote D, but Jim Inhofe is like a bad habit they want to break, if given the proper motivation.  ANDREW RICE IS THE PROPER MOTIVATION.  Blue Majority page could be an INCREDIBLE help here.  Please help us kick Inhofe out of the Senate… please….

  27. I don’t think there is any candidate who better represents the ideals of Blue Majority than retired Judge Bill O’Neill (OH-14). Bill is a staunch progressive Democrat who proudly stands up for what he believes.

    Bill O'Neill (OH-14)  Bill O'Neill (OH-14)  Bill O'Neill (OH-14)

    As a young man, Bill served as an Army Officer in Vietnam and earned the bronze star. After returning home, Bill joined the National Guard and became a full-time fighter for our progressive values as a civil rights lawyer, union organizer, and pediatric nurse.

    Bill is active in the Ohio blogosphere and a favorite of local bloggers such as Ohio Daily Blog and Buckeye State Blog. One blogger, Jeff Coryell, was fired from the Cleveland Plain Dealer because of his support for Bill and criticism of Bill’s opponent.

    Here’s a blog comment directly from Bill about his views on the Iraq War:

    “Our troops did what we asked them to do, and it is time to come home. This “responsible plan” is being endorsed by challengers like myself around the nation. I like the term challenger. I didn’t start this fight in Iraq. But I will be part of ending it…

    I am a retired Army officer, Vietnam Veteran, and proud father of an Iraq war veteran. This is personal to me. It is time to come home with honor.” ~ Bill O’Neill (OH-14)

    Bill is running against Steve LaTourette, the Republican who cast the tie-breaking vote in favor of CAFTA after promising his constituents he would oppose it. Though he sells himself as a moderate, LaTourette has voted consistently with Bush on the war, flip flopped on S-CHIP, and is in the pocket of big business and big oil.

    This race is certainly winnable for Bill O’Neill. Both Gov. Ted Strickland and US Senator Sherrod Brown won the district in a landslide in 2006. Bill has had strong fundraising but needs our help to get over the top.

    Ohio will again be ground zero for the presidential campaigns, and the 14th Congressional District will be at the heart of it. The 14th is home to Lake County, which has been declared the most important swing county in Ohio by the state’s largest newspaper.

    Let’s help one of our own.

    I nominate Bill O’Neill (OH-14) for Blue Majority.

    http://www.Oneill08.com

    ~ Mentor, OH

    Lake County Democrats – http://www.lakedems.com

  28. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer is perhaps the best Democrat I have seen for 40 years.  He was against the Iraq war before it began, debating Republican MN Congressman Jim Ramsted, and advising the late Senator Paul Wellstone to vote against it (which he did, a bit before he died in a plane crash).  Jack is blunt in saying that war in Iraq has made us LESS secure, while taking away valuable resources we truly need to solve the problem of global warming.  Jack is against war with Iran, against new coal plants, against expanded nuclear energy, but he is 100 % behind sustainable energy investment, which he believes would be a jobs boon.

    Jack is a college professor (peace and social justice, at St Thomas University in St Paul).  His first book was on issues of world hunger, which began as a thesis for his Masters in Theology from Union Theological.  He has worked extensively in world hunger issues, has written a dozen books on topics as diverse as the future of the U.S. empire and the School of the Americas.  

    Every time Jack speaks, he galvanizes the audience with his clear perspective and the way he sees the connection between things.  He has run an amazing grassroots campaign, already besting an extremely well-financed campaign by Mike Ciresi, the lawyer famous for the tobacco settlement and for the Bopal suit.

    Jack also happens to be an amazingly nice guy with no personal baggage.  He has a moral compass which always tends to point accurately to the truth, but also possesses a deep long-term hope for the future.  Not only would Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer provide a depth of courage that has been sorely lacking among Democrats in Congress, he is much more than a potential Senator.  He would be the face of an entire movement of progressives, determined to end this tragic war and resolved to solve the real problems that threaten us all.

    (Disclosure: I am not a staffer, but I am a frequent and enthusiastic volunteer for Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, which you might have guessed already.)

    Jack’s website:  http://www.jackforsenate.org

  29. Hey, I feel bad posting all this in my first ever comment here, but it is very important that we choose the right person in Kentucky to take on Mitch McConnell this fall.  To understand what’s at stake in the race, read on:

    I wrote a few weeks back about the necessity of finding a candidate in the Democratic Senate Primary in Kentucky who will stand up to Mitch McConnell in the fall, not one who stood beside him on endorsement platforms and at Republican fundraisers. Greg Fischer is quickly emerging as the candidate best positioned to pose a credible challenge to Sen. McConnell this fall.

    In truth, many Kentucky Democrats, liberal and conservative, first turn to Greg Fischer because they cannot bring themselves to support the DSCC-anointed Bruce Lunsford–Kentucky’s Ken Lay turned failed politician. While supporting Greg Fischer begins for many as a way to vote blue without needing to take a shower afterwards, Fischer’s status as default alternative is fading in the race as he tours the state and delivers a compelling message of change. People are beginning to turn to Greg for Greg, instead of simply turning away from Lunsford.

    Ben Carter :: KY-Sen: Turning Toward Greg Fischer

    As readers of this blog may be unfamiliar with Bruce Lunsford, a brief summary is in order. I believe it may be enough to say, though I could certainly say more, that he has a long, long history of supporting Republicans financially and vocally. As the most recent example, in 2003 he endorsed the Republican candidate for Governor, Ernie Fletcher after losing a bitter primary fight to now-Rep. Ben Chandler. Not only that, the collapse of his business, Vencor, the businesses’ practice of dumping Medicaid patients, and his past support of Kentucky Republicans make him one big fish in a tiny barrel this fall for Mitch McConnell’s notoriously nasty campaign style.

    You can understand why, then, Kentucky Democrats might be eager for an alternative. Following ex-Marine Andrew Horne’s DSCC-encouraged withdrawal from the race, Greg Fischer became the default alternative. A little about Greg from his website:

    Greg’s formal business career started in the early 1980’s with his father and brother Mark. At age 25, working in a local garage, Greg co-invented the combination ice/beverage dispenser. This small family business, SerVend, eventually became a large global company.

    As member and past chairman of the Bluegrass Young President’s Organization (YPO), Greg led YPO community outreach with the Habitat for Humanity and the development of a long term partnership with the Center for Interfaith Relations to bring global thought leaders to Louisville for community learning.

    Greg has endowed scholarships at Trinity High School and the University of Louisville to create educational opportunities for the youth of Kentucky. On the international stage, Greg led the development of a collaboration between YPO and the World Conference of Religions for Peace.

    As I said above, the independent businessman from Louisville is coming into his own. His website, following its relaunch this week, is snappy.  More importantly, though, he enunciates thoughtful positions on the economy, Iraq, health care, and energy independence. Like the ice/beverage dispenser he invented in his 20s, his common-sense solutions to America’s problems flow from a desire to make life easier for working Americans. And, unlike some candidates, he has the credibility to deliver this Democratic vision to the people of Kentucky.

    The first deadline for FEC fundraising figures is fast approaching (March 31), and I hope we can show Kentucky Democrats that articulating a progressive vision for Kentucky and America is the surest way to gain the netroots’ support. Whether Fischer can overcome Bruce Lunsford’s millions and Lunsford’s support from many in the Kentucky Democratic establishment remains to be seen. For those of us who hope to vote for an actual Democrat on May 20, we’re just glad there’s still one in the race.

  30. Here’s a fun one I lifted from Calitics. But maybe we should watch and wait until after the primary in early June.

    CA-45.  Incumbent: Mary Bono Mack.  Challengers: Paul Clay, David Hunsicker, Julie Bornstein.  PVI #: R+3.  % Dem. turnout in Presidential primary: 51.3.  

    As seen by the majority Democratic turnout in the primary, this is a district that’s ripe for a takeover.  And I’m intrigued by the prospect of proven electoral winner Julie Bornstein rising to the challenge.  Bono Mack is married to a guy in Florida and lives in Washington.  Bornstein is someone who’s represented the district and can do the same in the Congress.  And her son is currently serving in Iraq, which is undeniably powerful.  She announced her candidacy on the fifth anniversary of the war.  Her area of expertise is affordable housing, which is a sorely needed perspective in Washington, too.  Keep an eye on this race, it could easily go top-tier.

    ———————————

    From the Idyllwild Town Crier

    In 2006, Bono Mack faced her strongest challenger yet. David Roth, the Democratic candidate, had national financing and backing. Joe Trippi, Howard Dean’s former campaign manager, directed Roth’s effort. Yet, Bono Mack carried the district with 60% of the vote.

    This year … the most well-known is Palm Desert resident Julie Bornstein, a former State Assembly member. The others are Paul Clay of Murrieta, and David Hunsicker of Palm Desert. Clay is a newcomer to elective politics. He is currently a social studies teacher.

    Bornstein was elected to represent the 80th Assembly District in 1992. In the 1994 election, she was defeated.

    The local Democratic Party has endorsed Bornstein. She serves as president of the Campaign for Affordable Housing.

    But hard to deny David Hunsicker, a retired Lt. Col. with 20 years in the Air Force, and a Viet Nam vet.

    I insist on cutting off appropriations to the greatest foreign policy debacle in the history of our country, the Iraq occupation.

    I favor S-CHIP and I am in favor of a single payer health system.

    Some provisions in the Patriot Act are unconstitutional. Wire tapping without court approval, unlawful detention and denying the writ of habeas corpus are flat wrong and are not going to happen on my watch.

    I favor impeachment for both the President and Vice President.

    A guy after my heart. But can he win this district? Guess I’ll do what Calitics suggests and watch this race to see what happens.

  31. Below are excerpts from an e-mail message that I wrote to my friends and posted online this week:

    The stakes could not be higher in this race — and not just because Kentucky deserves a much better U.S. Senator than Mitch McConnell. In the Democratic primary, we need to send a message to Frankfort and Washington that integrity matters to Kentucky voters; I don't understand how anyone could have missed that lesson from 2007's gubernatorial election. 

    Greg Fischer earned his record of distinguished business and civic accomplishments with a collaborative leadership style and a philosophy of uncompromised integrity. Greg Fischer is a true progressive, both in his policy beliefs and in his approach to responsive government. I encourage you to visit Greg's campaign website to learn more about his background, his public policy goals, and his values of integrity, trust and respect for all, teamwork, and civic obligation.

    Let's show that we demand leaders who care about the right thing to do for the people of Kentucky, who aren't beholden to party leaders and special interests.  We need a Senator who is in touch with the real Kentucky grassroots, not someone stuck to DC-made astroturf. 

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