By:  Eric Sapp

Cross posted from FaithfulDemocrats.com

Last week, Rep. Shuler and Perriello headlined a press conference hosted by Faith in Public Life featuring a who's who of the faith community and rolling out the largest paid media campaign ever by progressives targeting faith voters with an ad on Christian radio voiced by Rev. Joel Hunter, (breath) and the group behind the campaign, the American Values Network, is running a second ad calling out the massive energy conglomerate, Southern Company, for it's opposition to this effort.

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If the Republicans want to have any hope of retaking the House in 2008 they're going to need to recruit strong candidates to challenge potentially endangered Democratic members, particularly those who are only in their first term and particularly those who represent districts that tend to otherwise vote Republican. But in case after case the Republicans have failed to woo top candidates in the districts they need to.

Take North Carolina's 11th congressional district, which leans about 7 points more Republican than the nation as a whole in presidential elections. Last fall, Democrat Heath Shuler defeated the ethically-challenged Republican Congressman Charles Taylor and at least theoretically would not be immune to a challenge from a strong Republican candidate. But as Mark Johnson reports for The Charlotte Observer, the GOP was met with a loud "no" from one of their top prospects in the district.

N.C. Sen. Tom Apodaca, the No. 2 Republican in the state Senate, announced Monday that he will not run for the congressional seat held by U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, a freshman Democrat whose district could make him one of the most vulnerable Democrats in Congress next year.

"My family, friends and supporters have been wonderful in pressing me to run," Apodaca said in a prepared statement. "As of now, I'm in a position to do more for Western North Carolina in Raleigh than I would be as part of Congress."

National leaders from the Republican Party had courted Apodaca for the campaign, given his Henderson County base and tenure as deputy Republican leader in the state Senate. At Monday's Apple Festival parade in Hendersonville, onlookers occasionally shouted "Congressman!" at him.

It looks like folks are afraid of Shuler -- and for good reason. It's not for nothing that Shuler won by 8 points in 2006. At the same time, Shuler is a freshman in a fairly Republican district, and in a vacuum Republican legislators like Apodaca would be chomping at the bit for an opportunity to run.

But this cycle is clearly not gearing up to one in which there is no wind blowing in either direction. While the political environment could change before election day, the fact is that at this key moment, when both parties are desperately fighting to find the right slate of candidates so that they can increase their share of seats in both chambers of Congress, the Democrats are tending to hear "yes" and the Republicans are tending to hear "no" -- a clear sign that, at least as far as Republican state legislators and county commissioners and businessmen and the like are concerned, there could be another bloodbath for the GOP in 2008.

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Sometimes the raw talent all rises to the top at once.  Over at Scrutiny Hooligans, the front page is worth an able-bodied whorin' over here at MyDD.  Click over for:

Writ of Summons on Hillary:  

"Thank you, Mrs. Clinton for the Cold War history lesson!  And since you had those eight years in the White House (happening after the Cold War), of course you're right!  If the Pashtoons or Taliban give us enough trouble, we can nuke the bastards if we want to."

My rundown of Day One at Yearly Kos

Drama Queen went to the Cannon Building in D.C. to ask Rep. Pat McHenry for a list of questions he didn't answer during his online town hall event earlier this week:  

"It was very sad. His intern/greeter dude could only give me an inch of water; that's all they had. Maybe I should make it into a postcard that says: "I visited my Congressman and all I got was an inch of water in a plastic cup."

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I'm sick of moral victories.  Moral victories are nothing more than real world defeat.  Heath Shuler is North Carolina's best chance to avoid a moral victory.  

Rep. Shuler possesses all the abilities and attributes North Carolina needs to regain our Senate seat from a Kansan.

This blog serves one purpose, to convince Heath Shuler to run for the Senate.  After a victory over 16 year House veteran Charles Taylor, Heath Shuler can once again achieve another victory.  This time over Elizabeth Dole.

Let's rise together and send a message.  We want a candidate who represents North Carolina and we want a candidate who can win.  Shuler is right for North Carolina.

As a member of the Blue Dog Caucus, Shuler is fighting to return fiscal responsibility to Congress.  Shuler helped return the idea of PAYGO to the budget and is fighting for accountability and transparency in government.

Heath is right for the American worker.  He is an advocate for raising the minimum wage.  He is helping lead the fight against unfair trade agreements, which have lead to thousands of Americans losing their jobs.

As an outdoorsman, Heath understands the importance of environmental stewardship.  He has fought the Bush administration's plan to sell thousands of acres of National Forest land to the highest bidder.  He is working to combat global warming; and he is a supporter of renewable energy.  He understands the needs to remove America's dependence on foreign petroleum.

Now is the time, contact Heath Shuler and let him know that he is right for North Carolina and right for America.

Phone:(828)252-1651 (Asheville Office)
Phone:(202) 225-6401  (Washington D.C. Office)

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