From the Union Leader:
Democratic U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter has reversed course and decided to join the Washington-based Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Frontline fund-raising program, the Granite Status has learned.
It will give her a prominent place on the DCCC web site and provide her with an easy way to receive campaign contributions from across the country.
Shea-Porter had spurned the program in 2007, saying that she appreciated “the offer,” but “decided to run the campaign the way I did before — retail politics.” […]
But Shea-Porter campaign manager Pia Carusone said today the 1st District freshman had always maintained if the Republicans began running an expensive, negative campaign against her, she would reconsider.
“This week, it became clear that the Republicans will not play by the New Hampshire tradition of low-cost campaigning and she has to have the ability to respond to these attacks and not let these guys mislead voters,” Carusone said.
It’s about damned time!
(H/T: Blue Hampshire)
SSP currently rates this race as Leans Democratic.
Agreed! That position was ludicrous, especially for someone in as precarious position as she is!
Now if we could only get Nancy Boyda to follow suit…
Two people in comments called me ridiculous when I expressed the opinion Shea-Porter’s race should be rated a toss up rather than leans Republican.
Not too ridiculous now.
joe sestak isnt on the list
Frontline Democrats:
(X)Jason Altmire (PA-04)
Mike Arcuri (NY-24)
John Barrow (GA-12)
Melissa Bean (IL-08)
Leonard Boswell (IA-03)
(X)Chris Carney (PA-10)
Andre Carson (IN-07)
(X)Don Cazayoux (LA-06)
Joe Courtney (CT-02)
Joe Donnelly (IN-02)
Chet Edwards (TX-17)
Brad Ellsworth (IN-08)
Bill Foster (IL-14)
(X)Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08)
(X)Kirsten Gillibrand (NY-20)
John Hall (NY-19)
(X)Baron Hill (IN-09)
Paul Hodes (NH-02)
Steve Kagan (WI-08)
Ron Klein (FL-22)
(X)Nick Lampson (TX-22)
(X)Tim Mahoney (FL-16)
(X)Jim Marshall (GA-08)
(X)Jerry McNerney (CA-11)
Harry Mitchell (AZ-05)
Christopher Murphy (CT-05)
Patrick Murphy (PA-08)
Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23)
(X)Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01)
Heath Shuler (NC-11)
Zach Space (OH-18)
Tim Walz (MN-01)
(X)John Yarmuth (KY-03)
I’m putting an (X) next to who I think will MAYBE need help. AKA everyone else could get dropped off the list. (Obviously, barring the NRCC dropping 3 mil into a race)
just what many including myself believe to be too pessimistic. Nearly all major political analysts have the race at Lean D and I agree. Outside of a very flawed (the crosstabs made no sense at all) poll on the race, there is little evidence to suggest this race is a tossup.
Just because Shea-Porter qualifies as a frontline candidate does not mean she is extremely vulnerable. Heath Shuler, Ron Klein, Brad Ellsworth, Chet Edwards, Joe Donnelly, Leonard Boswell, and Mike Arcuri are all frontline candidates as well and none of them are in any realistic danger of being re-elected.
Clearly, Shea Porter was still angry the DCCC backed her opponent in the ’06 primary, and was cutting off her nose to spite her face up to now. This is a good move, and can only help her.
You know, NH in November will be an interesting dynamic. On the one hand, it looks like Sununu is going to have a tough time with Shaheen, but on the other McCain remains really popular there and may boast down-ticket races. So it remains to be seen how, if at all, a race like this will be impacted.