I've Had Just About Enough of This Nonsense

Like a toddler who isn't getting enough attention, Andre's is flipping over the furniture again-posting his frustrations with the DPG on Peach Pundit, a republican blog. This is like complaining about your husband to his ex-lover. Except I'm not sure that Andre' and Erick were ever officially dating, given that Erick's been busy condemning an entire denomination.

There certainly are things that need to improve with the DPG, candidate recruitment being at the top of the list, so complain about the party. Fine. I don't mind criticism, especially constructive criticism, but it does sort of send me to the edge when someone who once worked for the party consistently behaves in a distracting and destructive manner rather than constructively attempting to become a part of the solution(s). It also send me over the edge when folks go over to republican-land to vent their spleen-especially when that criticism is devoid of a single constructive suggestion.

Amazing, really, that Andre' doesn't want anyone to brag about the seats we picked up in the House. I happily spent hours-for free-helping Bubber Epps who finally defeated Allen Freeman after two previous close calls. I have friends in the blogosphere who freely gave their time and talent to get commercials cut for him, as well. And, he won in a tough district, by less than 100 votes. That may not matter to Andre', but to us in Middle Georgia who genuinely believe we will be better represented, it does matter. And, I happily turned over every rock I could find to help Pat Dooley get the resources she needed to win her race, as did many other democrats and democratic groups. I'm curious about what Andre', who is a member of the state committee, did to help recruit candidates or get the ones we had in the field elected? Maybe he should write about his own efforts and in those we might find some solutions. One point of interest-he praises Rep. Winfred Dukes for calling for an investigation into the party's dealings in a school board race, but fails to mention that Dukes is Vice Chair of Candidate Recruitment for the DPG, presumably responsible for, oh, I don't know? Candidate recruitment? But, there is not a word of criticism for Dukes, just Jane Kidd. Maybe Jane spirited Dukes away to some undisclosed location. Clearly, it is ALL her fault.

Now, Andre is attempting to use the results of the Martin and Powell campaigns as support for his ongoing campaign to attack Jane Kidd. Perhaps Andre's thinks we'll elect him. Or maybe Vernon Jones. There clearly is a long line of people who want to work for free at a job guaranteed to award a permanent spot on the dunking booth perch so Andre' and others can gleefully hurl their softballs.

But, let's take a breath and look realistically at what the results of the runoff do, and do not mean. Of the 35 U.S. Senate seats up for re-election this cycle, exactly four incumbents, all republicans, were defeated. Three of those seats are in states with democratic governors-North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Oregon, and all three of those states went for Obama in the presidential election. Only Alaska, where Mark Begich barely defeated convicted felon Ted Stevens, had a republican governor (you might've heard of her) and voted for McCain in the presidential election. Oh, and, by the way, in these four races, only the two women, Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, got more than 50% of the vote in the general election. Shaheen had the advantage of high statewide name recognition because she was a former governor. Think Barnes v. Chambliss. And, then in one of the stupidest political moves in my memory, Liddy Dole called Kay Hagan "godless" and that race was all over-probably the presidential, too in N.C. So, except for the narrow defeat of Ted Stevens (did I mention that he was a convicted felon?), there was no state in the whole county that McCain carried in the presidential that ousted an incumbent republican senator. But, obviously, Georgia should be cutting edge.

So what do the Georgia results mean? We do need a more coordinated, pro-active approach to candidate recruitment. We do have enough democrats in Georgia to win statewide elections, if we can figure out how to get them to the polls. And, we do need to raise money-not easy to do as the opposition party, but it will be easier with a democratic president, U.S. House and U.S. Senate. And, by the way, would you rather the party have money in the bank after an election or rather that they spent all they had, and more to help candidates? And, fyi, the 40K for the space for the inaugural party will be reimbursed in full to the party by another organization.

The bottom line? Saxby was bad, really bad. But he was not a convicted felon. The time to win that senate race was in the general, and if the DSCC had spent in the general like they did in the runoff, there might've been a chance. Everyone with two neurons to make a synapse knew that Martin and Powell winning the runoff was a Hail Mary. We hoped for the miracle. We gave, we phoned, volunteers came in droves, but it just wasn't happening. And, that's not Jane Kidd's fault.

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The Gains Women Made

Want to feel good about the gains women made this cycle? Watch this video. Really. It will be the best four minutes you've spent today.

While we have been understandably focused on the historic election of Barack Obama, democratic women also had a very good night on Nov. 4th, electing two brand new democratic women to the U.S. Senate and electing the first female governor of North Carolina. Across the board, the work of Emily's List is a key reason for their success, and I hope that you will contribute to this important work.

When we see women like Kay Hagan elected to the U.S. Senate, and Bev Perdue become North Carolina's first female governor, it is important to remember that their success was not an overnight phenomenon. That sort of accomplishment began years ago in their education and in their preparation for running for office, and Emily's List has taken that into account in setting their programmatic priorities. For example, through the POP program (Political Opportunity Program), Emily's List helps identify and train future Kay Hagan's to run for office. Those programs touch women right here in Georgia, helping to identify and train great candidates and future leaders. So, toss them some change.

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Kay Hagan Needs No Lipstick

If the Obama campaign is shifting some resources to North Carolina, then I met one of the reasons last night. North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan was in Atlanta last night, and she's one sharp cookie who's running an extremely effective campaign. Multiple polls show Hagan, an attorney, former vice president with NationsBank and ten year veteran of the North Carolina senate, leading one term incumbent Elizabeth Dole in the North Carolina senate race. Dole, who like Saxby, has voted with Bush 92% of the time, is rated as the 93rd most effective senator. (Looks like she 's trying to follow McCain example of being at the bottom of the class at the Naval Academy).

There was no talk of pit bulls, pigs or lipstick at the Hagan event, and she needed no slogan to hide behind. After winning a seven-person Democratic primary with more than 60% of the vote, Hagan is now about five points ahead of Dole in polls that may be under-estimating the youth vote and the African American vote in this historic election year. Hagan has raised about four million dollars for her race. She is endorsed by Emily's List, and it looks to me as if the DSCC is fully engaged in the race. Hagan's family is fully invested in her race, and her husband will actually be able to vote for her, unlike Bob Dole, who is not a resident of North Carolina. Bit of a problem for Libby, don't you think? Plus, Dole is worried, launching nasty ads comparing Kay to a Jack Russell Terrier. The ad was so offensive that the Dole campaign actually had to issue a statement assuring voters that no animals were harmed during filming. (Veruca, my Jack Russell demands to know why this would be a negative comparison in the first place).



I made a contribution last night, and it may be the best politcal investment I have ever made. Kay Hagan has a real opportunity to win, and when she does, she will be an outstanding United States senator. Max Cleland, who is about to hit the campaign trail with Kay this weekend, thinks so, too. I hope that you will consider contributing to her campaign so we can buy Elizabeth Dole a pair of ruby slippers and send her back to Kansas where she belongs.

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Georgia, Meet Sen. Kay Hagan

If you haven't heard about North Carolina's Kay Hagan, then you've missed the story of the great grassroots candidate who has an excellent chance of sending Liddy Dole back to Kansas. In fact, Hagan's been hosting Ruby Slipper decorating parties around North Carolina and is determined to give Dole a pair. I say, let's help her.

Kay Hagan is a five-term North Carolina State senator, and polls show her well within striking distance of Dole. Hagan, who is endorsed by EMILY's List, has a track record of common sense support for education, children's health insurance, renewable energy and an orderly withdrawal and political end to the war in Iraq.

And, I hear she's been busy raising money. She raised a million and a half and blew her opponent, Jim Neal, out of the water in the primary. Pundits looking at her polling and her fundraising see Kay as the Jim Webb of 2008.

So, since we don't have a women running for U.S. Senate in Georgia, what do you say? Let's help Kay give Liddy Dole that pair of Ruby slippers?

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