Time to start digging on what the freshmen defectors were saying in October 2006 and what they are saying today.  Those who were consistent in supporting Bush's failures deserve a challenge for supporting a disaester.  Those like Congressmen Altmire and Rodriguez who seem to be playing the vast majority of the Democratic Party and its most fervant supporters for chumps and fools need a serious reality check.  Primary challenges, and fundraising cut-offs are the two strongest measures.  A barrage of phone calls and LTEs are the softer measures that might have impact.  

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With the apparent loss of Rodriguez to Cuellar, some are celebrating the netroots' major assist to Ciro and optimistically touting this as an honorable defeat in TX-28 that will lead to future victory there and elsewhere.

Others are disappointed, wondering what went wrong, and in a few cases pointing fingers at those who, they feel, failed to deliver despite intense support from Democrats all over the nation.

As someone who has been intensely involved with election campaigns on a local level, I have a strong interest in the mechanics of politics. This experience leads me to be skeptical of those trying to find a silver lining in this loss, while also discounting criticism that is not aimed at identifying specific problems -- and at building commitment to solving them in the future.

I'm not trying to armchair quarterback here, but rather to learn from a defeat. I've spent many, many hours preparing poll watchers and inspectors, building GOTV databases, designing mailers, courting candidates, defining campaign messages, poring over election law, helping to prepare challenges and lawsuits, writing press releases, going door-to-door, registering voters, and other nitty-gritty of local elections. I say this not to brag, but just to convey that for underdogs to win requires a virtually endless commitment to nailing down every detail.

When campaigns leave things to chance, or just cross their fingers, or say, "well, we did what we could," those candidates lose. People like Karl Rove are not geniuses; rather, they just work much harder on every detail of campaigns, over a long period of time, and don't accept mediocre results.

With all that said, here are some constructive questions that occur to me, strictly as an outside observer, that might be worth asking the Ciro campaign, and keeping in mind in future contests in that district and around the country. Those questions appear after the jump...

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cross posted on mydd and dailykos

Kossacks, we need your help.  Let me explain.

I, Nate de la Piedra, and other organizers who worked for Governor Deans Primary campaign and organizers who worked for Deans organizers (second generation Deaniacs) are more than willing and able to help out the Ciro Rodriguez campaign but we need some help getting there.

All of us are willing to work for free (or be paid in Tacos) but we are asking the campaign to pay for airfare, some food (yes, we do want to be paid in Tacos) and help us find some supporter housing or a couch.

To be clear, we're not going down there to run a "meetup.com" DEAN program.  Most of us are fluent in spanish and we want to use the skills we learned about grassroots and community organizing to help out the Ciro campaign.

They will also remain in charge and in command, we just want to assist however they want us to.

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Heard this morning that some outfit named Texans for Insurance Reform has bought TV time, probably to slam Ciro in San Antonio and drive down turnout.

This is turning into a real grudge match. We need to win this one!!! Scrape up what you can and give more to Ciro and the orgs fighting on his behalf. Only 10 days to send this message!

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cross posted on Mydd and Kos

I'm sure you all are well aware now that Rep. Cueller is being challenged by Ciro Rodriguez in the primary for the TX-28 seat in '06 in which the Republicans are not even putting forth a candidate.

What is new is that, bluelatinos.org has created a petition to tell Cueller to withdraw his support of an absolutley scandalous right-wing bill that he sponsered.  This bill would give $100 Million to the Minutemen.  An extreme right-wing vigilante group 'patroling' the border with Mexico.

I encourage everyone to go to www.bluelatinos.org/cueller and sign the petition to show opposition to Rep. Cueller's draconian ideals.

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