Use It Or Lose It, Saturday Update

First, MoveOn.org joins the campaign Fantastic!

We are making some waves here. It may be the weekend, but that does not mean it is time to stop calling Democratic campaigns in uncontested or token contested districts. This close to an election, on weekends most campaign offices will be open. Even if they are not open, it would be good to fill up their voicemail with messages from constituents asking safe Democratic Representative to give 30% of their cash on hand directly to Democratic challengers and / or to the DCCC. So, continue to make calls to safe Democratic Representatives in your state. Better yet, show up a local campaign office to canvass, and tell the campaign in person before going to knock on some doors.

Use It Or Lose It

There is another angle people can start pursuing in their calls, especially in states such as Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Maryland where open Senate seats could easily appear within the next few years. In many cases, Democrats Representatives are saving up their warchests in order to run for Senate or other higher office. However, as one person from Massachusetts put it to me over email: A good message for callers to convey to the Massachusetts delegation is that the activist community is going to remember who was there for the party when the next Senate vacancy comes.

Half of them are hoarding campaign funds waiting for Kerry or Kennedy to retire. They need to understand that a little investment now will buy them a lot of netroots goodwill. In fact, Barney Frank, one of the Democrats on the list, says almost exactly the same thing in an article from the Boston Globe today:But Representative Barney Frank, a Newton Democrat who has already paid more than the required $300,000 in "dues" to the DCCC, said other members of the House delegation may be holding their cash so they can run to replace Kerry if the senator vacates his seat in 2008.

"I wish other members of the delegation would give more," Frank said. "I know people are holding back for the Senate race that might happen, but I think this is more important." You will note on the Use It Or Lose It page I have removed Barney Frank's office number from the list. This is because he has pledged more than 30% of his remaining cash on hand to Democratic challengers and / or the DCCC within recent days. We need more Democrats like Barney Frank, who are willing to go above and beyond their required dues in order to take advantage of this situation. Representative John Lewis has also come through, and so his phone number has been taken off the list.

Keep making calls. This is having an impact. We need to transfer this money into the unusually large number of Republican-held districts where we are competitive. This will help us win in November. You can report back you calling experiences in the comments, and you can also go to MoveOn.org's report back page.

Tags: Activism, Fundraising, House 2006, Use It (all tags)

Comments

16 Comments

Re: Use It Or Lose It, Saturday Update

I think this is great, and I've done what I can with our local candidates.

I do want to suggest that based on this chart of other fundraising done for the DCCC and Red to Blue, that Wasserman Schultz, Hoyer, Schakowsky and Crowley ought to be lower priorities, if on the list at all.  They've really put in the legwork for other candidates in other ways.

by Adam B 2006-10-21 01:05PM | 0 recs
Barney Frank

Thought he was right on 99% of the time on REAL TIME.  Then he trashed Chavez, out of nowhere.

What's the fuckingdeal with ignorant-ass Democrats bitching about Chavez, anyway?  What's their fucking problem with Chavez?  That he is really implementing a progressive agenda to help the poor of Venezuela and the world?  Or that he doesn't lick Bush's balls on demand?  That he opposes the war in Iraq with more eloquence and conviction than they could ever hope to muster?  That he dares deal with Cuba, Iran, China and anyone else that he cares to, regardless of US mandates on who the world is allowed to play with?  That he views Venezuela as an independent nation and not a subset of 'US interests'?

Please someone here enlighten me as to Hugo Chavez's great Crime Against Humanity that he is constantly mentioned in the same breath as Kim Jong Il.

I was with Barney Frank - I was diggin' him.  Then he trashes Chavez for no damn reason.  So now - fuck you Barney Frank.

I may just fuckin' stay home on the 7th.  Dems, Repugs - they both seem to feel that Venezuela is there to be abused by us, and that Chavez is evil for serving his nation instead of ours.

by teknofyl 2006-10-21 01:05PM | 0 recs
Re: Barney Frank

This is a very eloquently  written post.  You make yourself look like an idiot when you write like this why even bother posting?

by blueryan 2006-10-21 02:27PM | 0 recs
Re: Barney Frank

OK, that made a lot of sense.

What are you talking about anyway?  What makes me look like an idiot, that I don't like Dems bashing a true, effective progressive?  That there are some 'naughty' words?  Or that it is only tangentially related to the main post, by way of Barney Frank?

Anyway... I'm not so much concerned with how I look.   I was more expressing my concern and outrage over the Democratic Party leadership's (including Barney Frank) eagerness to bash Chavez, presumably to burnish their 'national security' credentials.

It turns me off, big time.  There is no one that feels more strongly about the need for change in DC, but here we go again with the 'Chavez as evil' crap - why do they always throw that shit in there???  It's like eating a delicious meal and finding a roach in it at the end - kinda spoils the who experience.

Mmmmmm - minimum wage increase.  Oh, yummy - fixing the Medicare Drug donut hole and pharma-giveaway.  Alright, delicious investigations of Iraq-related horrible stuff!  Ewwww - Chavez bashing.  I think I just barfed in my mouth - kinda makes me wanna skip the next meal, know what I mean?

by teknofyl 2006-10-21 02:37PM | 0 recs
Re: Use It Or Lose It, Saturday Update

I attended a Carolyn Maloney (NY-14) fundraiser the other day and she pledged to send all proceeds from it to help elect other Dems.

by John Mills 2006-10-21 01:14PM | 0 recs
John Kerry refuses to give again

From the Boston Globe piece:

Last month, when DSCC officials asked all Democratic senators for last-call financial contributions before Election Day, Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts was among three lawmakers who donated $1 million each. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York signed a check for $2 million.

Kerry, however, kept his checkbook shut. The senator's aides said he has no plans to give again.

What bothers me about Kerry with regards to the $16 million he had in the bank after his 2004 presidential campaign is this:

Kerry aides said the senator saved the cash to cover leftover presidential campaign bills and to pay for lawyers in case he had to challenge voting irregularities in some states or if his race against President Bush had to be settled in court.

Though he quickly kicked in $1 million to the DSCC, gave $500,000 to the DCCC, and $1 million to the Democratic National Committee, Kerry has held on to the bulk of his campaign money as he prepares for a possible second run at the White House in 2008.

What a shame. And he still refuses to give more of ? I hope Democrats remember this in 2008.

And as for Sen. Evan Bayh, he's in another category all together. The worst of the worst.

by rosebowl 2006-10-21 01:21PM | 0 recs
Re: Use It Or Lose It, Saturday Update

I called John Lewis's office - I'm glad it made a difference!

by CrellMoset 2006-10-21 01:21PM | 0 recs
Re: Use It Or Lose It, Saturday Update

My choice for MA Senate, if he runs, would definetely be John Tierney. Simply said, he's the most kickass rep there... how's he doing thus far in terms of giving money to the DCCC?

by KainIIIC 2006-10-21 02:51PM | 0 recs
I can't stop laughing at this segment

"A good message for callers to convey to the Massachusetts delegation is that the activist community is going to remember who was there for the party when the next Senate vacancy comes.

Half of them are hoarding campaign funds waiting for Kerry or Kennedy to retire. They need to understand that a little investment now will buy them a lot of netroots goodwill."

Oh really? Is that hiow the netroots is going to handicap future primaries? Talk about incomparable ignorance and masochism.

You need to isolate the best candidate. Not the goof who was most generous to the party a cycle or two previous. Those two variables are hardly going to be an automatic mesh.

I know everyone loves Ned Lamont, and I'm rooting for him despite my wager the other way. There was a great diary on Kos last night saying Ned was there when we needed him. Very true. But his candidacy is example A of what I'm worried about, going forward. If the progressive netroots nominates Ned Lamont-caliber candidates in competitive states and races in future cycles, it's going to mean one frustrating loss after another. You can't use muscle and ignore superiority. That's where this money threat is potentially leading.

by Gary Kilbride 2006-10-21 03:08PM | 0 recs
Saturday Update

Mark Warner had raised about $10 million for his Presidential run, which he has now abandoned.  I wonder if any of that cash is available?

by global yokel 2006-10-21 03:10PM | 0 recs
HA!

I just got disappeared from this thread!  A first.

Oh well - guess that's how it goes when you don;t like Chavez bashing...

by teknofyl 2006-10-21 03:13PM | 0 recs
Bobby Scott (VA-03) faces no opposition

He has 225,963 COH, according to OpenSecrets.org, he has no opposition, and he's not on the list.

You should add him.

by msnook 2006-10-21 03:19PM | 0 recs
correction
Scott has raised $225k.
But Moran has raised $1.2M and his opponent has raised 40k. There's no way he's worried. Does the opponent have to have under 10k, or is it enough to say the opponent has less than 5% as much cash?
by msnook 2006-10-21 03:23PM | 0 recs
No C/B from Howie Berman's "Campaign" HQ

am I surprised? Anyone else try calling?

by Lemonsquare 2006-10-21 06:37PM | 0 recs
Good for me!

I was the first person to call the GA-5 candidate, John Lewis.  I talked to a staffer of his for about 10 minutes, explaining what we were doing and the value it represented to the party.  He said he wasn't authorized to make any promises, but he thought it was a great idea and he'd present it to the congressman.  I was going to call him back now to leave a message, but when I checked the list, it turns out his pledge is fufilled!

I hope my many minions helped make this possible.  Go team Georgia!  We're number 1!  (Or at least number 2, after Frank)

-Kepler
rationaldiscovery.blogspot.com

by Kepler 2006-10-21 07:04PM | 0 recs
Re: Use It Or Lose It, Saturday Update

The name that just glares out on this list is Marty Meehan, D-Common Cause.  Meehan had his battles with the netroots and very specifically Kos by being the prime opponent to Kos's favored bill on the non-regulation of the net vis-a-vis campaigns.  Marty's got over $4.8 million, no opposition, and he's been fund-raising like there is no tomorrow.  That's more than twice the cash on hand of the next Democrat on the list.

I have one line notes on a five of these critters, most exculpatory.  My one line note in this case, however, reads: Marty Meehan is a self-indulgent a**hole.  Guess I don't like him.

Jim Costa is a frweshman in a tough district (CA-20, Kerry got 50.6%, Costa got 53.5%).  His running unopposed is incredible.

Ben Chandler is the only Democrat from Kentucky and hasn't been in long.  

Brian Higgins is a freshman Democrat who squeaked by with 51% in an upstate NY district long held by a Republican.  The failure to mount a major challenge to him speaks volumes about the weakness of the NY Republican Party but he has an excuse as somebody will come after him.

As a Jersey resident, one of the truly unfortunate features of the Senate appointment was the importance given by the local papers on the size of the available warchest in picking the appointee.  I certainly got the impression that once Codey chose to opt out, money was the determining factor.  Both of the front runners, Menendez and Rob Andrews, came in with the huge disadvantage of being connected to the two most prominent "machines" in Jersey Democratic politics.  They also had the biggest nest eggs and were the instant front runners.  Given this unfortunate history, any Jersey House member would seem unlikely to participate in this.

Menendez is the boss of Hudson County, one of two counties (with Essex) that really put Corzine over the top for Governor.  Andrews boss, George Norcross, did not deliver nearly as well in his fiefdom.  The local papers make Norcross out to be nastier than a junkyard dog and more powerful than Genghis Khan.  The safe pick would have been Rush Holt or even Bill Pascrell.  So nobody will want to part with the loot.  It 's a shame as we should be challenging in hard in one or two other congressional districts in Jersey but money is a problem in NJ-5, NJ-2, and NJ-3.  

by David Kowalski 2006-10-21 08:55PM | 0 recs

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