This is so fun and exciting. Can't wait for the CA-48th special election to start. All we need is for Sam Seaborn to be the candidate. It's another longshot (58.3% Bush in 2004), but so were Chandler and Herseth's seats. Let's do it!

Anyway, more good news. First, on the paid media front, the DCCC is in:

As of deadline, both the NRCC and DCCC are now in with last minute six figure mail and TV buys. I think the size of the DCCC buy is only about $115K, much less than the NRCC's $500K+, but it is still helpful. Combine the DCCC's money with the netroots money, the conservative anti-Schmidt group's money, and the grassroots internet ad, and we are talking about a competitive, multi-faceted ad buy for Hackett here.

Moving on the free media, ever since the Cincinnati Post endorsement, Hackett has been crushing Schmidt in the free media battle. Looking at Google News stories on the two candidates over the past four days, it seems that almost every story on Schmidt is actually about Hackett. Sweeet--this doesn't even count the nice free media from MSNBC (also here, here and here) and others (here and here). This certainly backs up kos's point from earlier today:

While organizations like MoveOn and probably DFA can raise big money with a few emails, blogs really can't. Remember, the OH-02 race is the only one on the calendar right now, so we're better able to concentrate our efforts. Campaigns shouldn't expect the same come 2006.

Blogs work best as a message machine, the seedlings of a liberal media machine. That we can raise some money should be seen as a bonus, not the reason we exist.

He's right--but this is also vastly more money than we raised for any congressional candidate in 2004, including the two special elections. Also, we seem to be doing the free media thing pretty well too. How much of this media would have happened without blogs constantly buzzing about it, and raising money for it to give it a real sense of competitiveness? Probably not much.

On the endorsement front, Hackett has added the Dayton Daily News, and several Democratic groups. If you haven't already seen it, read Jesus' General's hysterical endorsement of Jean Schmidt. If Hackett is endorsed by the Cincinnati Enquirer on Sunday or Monday, look out.

On the ground, Bob Brigham reports in, and DNC Vice Chair Susie Turnball has also arrived.

It's all falling into place. Save 2012 and redistricting, if a Democrat is ever going to win in the OH-02, it is now. 442 blog posts on Hackett since last Tuesday. 176 blogs have linked to Hackett's website. If we lose, at least we will know this is best we could have done. Even if we lose, we already have won.