Charlie Crist Rolling In Democratic Cash
The share of donors to Gov. Charlie Crist's campaign who previously had given to Democratic candidates multiplied substantially since he left the GOP to run as an independent for the US Senate. An Associated Press analysis shows that donors who previously had contributed to the 2008 Obama campaign made up almost 10 percent of the individual contributors to Crist's campaign in the second quarter of this year. A poll released last month showed Crist slightly ahead of Rubio in a three-way general election matchup, with the Democratic contenders U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek and billionaire businessman Jeff Greene trailing.

On that note, the St. Petersburg Times reports that Democratic pollster and former Hillary Clinton senior adviser Mark Penn and his wife, Nancy Jacobson, are hosting a $4,800-per-person fundraising reception for Charlie Crist at their Washington home Wednesday. Here's the invitation (pdf).

In Illinois, Mark Kirk Alters His Gun Stance
The Chicago Tribune reports that Mark Kirk, the Republican candidate for the US Senate seat once held by Barack Obama, has an evolving view on gun laws.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk said Monday that he supports the Supreme Court decision that effectively knocked down Chicago's handgun ban.

The five-term congressman has favored several gun-control laws during his career representing the North Shore. But as Kirk runs statewide for the first time, downstate voters who generally support greater Second Amendment rights are keeping tabs on politicians' stances on gun control.

Kirk's comments, made after a foreign policy speech, come as the Chicago City Council recently enacted new gun-control measures in an effort to thread the needle between keeping guns off the streets and abiding by the court ruling this summer that gutted the city's longtime handgun ban.

After the discussion before the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Kirk said he supports the "Heller decision." That is a 2008 ruling that struck down the District of Columbia's handgun ban and was used by the court in cutting down Chicago's law.

Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias opposes the Heller ruling.

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That the Northeast has been trending blue in recent cycles is self evidently true. Will it continue in 2010?

Below the fold for all the details and hey go check out the <a href="http://wiki.opencongress.org/wiki/Project:RaceTracker">2010 Race Tracker Wiki over at Open Congress</a> for all your House, Senate and Gubernatorial needs.

(Cross posted at Daily Kos, Swing State Project and Open Left)

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I don't live in Joe Sestak's district anymore, but I did for a while. Also, my state committee district still extends out into the PA-07 (although I don't technically represent that part of the district). Further, even though the election was not all that close in the end, the MyDD community gave a lot of activism and resources to help Joe Sestak defeat Curt Weldon. I would like to help him again, but there is simply no way I can do so if even a pretty thoroughly watered down compromise bill on Iraq is too stringent for him on redeployment / withdrawal.

Today, I am asking you to call Joe Sestak's offices to ask him if he will support the upcoming Democratic bill on the Iraq supplemental. Considering the work the MyDD community has done for Sestak, I think we have a right to know.

Here are the numbers to call:

Local residents
Media, PA
Phone:(610) 892-8623
Fax:(610) 892-8628

Everyone else
Washington, DC
Phone: (202) 225-2011
Fax: (202) 226-0280

It greatly disappoints me that we have to take this step, but I think he needs to hear from people who helped him out.

Update: Jerome notes in the comments that Gillibrand has come out in favor of the supplemental. I've also heard much the same about Arcuri. That is good news. The thing that is so strange about Sestak is that he himself has a proposed a bill advocating withdrawal--so why isn't he more solid on the supplemental? Who knows--it could even be that he thinks the supplemental does not go far enough. The point is that we need to find out.

Six months ago, I wrote about how we got our butts kicked in the PA primary election.

Here's a comparison of May's primary with Tuesday's general election at our precinct. More after the fold.

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Three days to go, and Sestak campaign HQ is busier than I've ever seen it! There's a real energy in the air here.

Volunteers are flooding in and out on their way to and from canvassing, or picking up lawn signs (we just got a new order in -- if you live in the area, come pick one up!). The phonebanking room is completely packed, and volunteers are sitting near every free phone making calls to voters! The Philadelphia Inquirer even ran a story today, "Sestak unleashes turnout machine." If you want to volunteer this weekend, sign up here.

If you live in Delaware, Montgomery, or Chester counties - or anywhere in the Philadelphia area - this is a great weekend to head out to a Sestak event. Vice President Al Gore will be appearing with Joe at two of five GOTV rallies to pump up the troops! More info below, or click here.

Even if you can't make it to the 7th District, you can still stay involved! Check the Sestak for Congress Election Day HQ for updates from over the weekend. On Election Day, we will be providing live updates from the ground, covering any polling place problems, results, and live-blogging Joe's visits to polling places.

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