Web activists have a plan: Safe incumbent Democrats urged to share cash

[DeepModem Mom]

LAT: Web activists have a plan for Democrats
Safe incumbents are urged to send cash to candidates who could unseat Republicans. But is the strategy working?
By Ronald Brownstein, Times Staff Writer
October 24, 2006

WASHINGTON — In an unusual grass-roots uprising, liberal Internet activists are pressing dozens of Democratic House members without serious challenges in November's election to transfer nearly one-third of their campaign cash to the party's challengers against potentially vulnerable Republican incumbents.

The effort reflects both the belief among Democratic activists that the number of House seats the party can gain is steadily rising and the concern that a shortage of funds may prevent Democrats from maximizing these opportunities.

A transfer of money from safe Democratic House members to challengers in need of cash "could be the difference between a landslide election that changes politics in America for more than a decade to come and an election where control of the House is determined on a knife's edge," Chris Bowers, managing editor of the liberal political website MyDD.com, wrote in a post last week launching the effort to prod incumbents to funnel more campaign funds to others....

***

Bowers posted a list of the flush Democratic incumbents and asked his readers to contact them. Last Friday, the effort received a boost when the political action committee associated with MoveOn.org, the online liberal advocacy group, asked its members to contact the safe incumbents....So far, there is little indication that the incumbents are heeding the call from the activists. Some of those with large accounts are considering bids for higher office. But the activists argue that they should be focused less on their personal aspirations and more on the broader party interests....

***

The push offers another example of how the Internet is providing opportunities for activists to influence politics. Still, it's unclear how much pressure the campaign has generated....(S)everal activists have reported making calls to various Democratic House members. But Sandra Salstrom, the press secretary for (Rep. Martin T. Meehan of Massachusetts), said the office had not received a single call....Salstrom said her boss believed that to (transfer money) would be unfair to donors...."He prefers to go out and raise money directly" for the Democratic Campaign Committee, she said....

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-dems24oct24,0,7095144.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[Stephanie]

1. Hillary Clinton has about $25,000,000 she could kick in -

if she actually cared more about the fate of our nation than about her own career.

oh.

never mind.

[greeneyedboy]

2. it's a great idea.

also being discussed in a few "Use It or Lose It" threads, including this one.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=242000&mesg_id=242000

Bowers is a genius.

[undeterred]

3. My candidate could use the cash to help him unseat Sensenbrenner

Gwen Moore and Tammy Baldwin, are you listening? Bryan Kennedy needs your help!

[Arugula Latte]

4. I called Earl Blumenauer's office about spreading it around a bit ...

I hope lots of others are calling their congresscritters in safe D seats.

[Parche]

7. congress

I am in WU's district!!

We need to get them to send everything they can to VA and TN asap

[Arugula Latte]

8. I actually am in Wu's district too ...

But I figured I was close enough to Earl's!

[Parche]

9. WU

I hope he has his victory party soon after 7November, I went to his last one!!!

Me lives in Beaverton

[Arugula Latte]

10. Hi, neighbor!

I'm in SW PDX, close to Beaverton ... :hi:

[dubyaD40web]

5. If they don't help

then I don't plan on donating when they run for "higher office" in the future. I think we should remind them of that.

[Demeter]

6. Grassroots Shaking Down the Pols!

I like it!

[KingFlorez]

11. Let's hope they listen

[Califooyah Operative]

12. Here's The Link - Make The Pay Up!

Use It Or Lose It: A Call for Action From the Netroots

http://www.mydd.com/images/user/217/Use_It.htm

http://pol.moveon.org/use_it/

[trof]

13. We've asked. They ignored us.

Vivian Beckerle is Dem running against repug incumbent Jo Bonner in coastal Alabama's 1st District.
No money from national or state party.
Our only 2 Dem incumbents, Artur Davis and Ben Cramer, are running unopposed.
Both have big campaign war chests that they aren't spending.
Beckerle's campaign chairwoman pleaded with them to give to her campaign.

:grr:

[trof]

14. Oh yeah, Davis is reported to have said

"Jo is a friend of mine."
I give up.

[nealmhughes]

16. I'm going to start on Moveon.org's phone bank tomorrow -- I told them that

I might not be able to get much long distance time except on weekends and that Bud was "safe," but I could do 256 calls in Florence area (why is Huntsville and Athens long distance, BellSouth?)for Sue Bell Cobb and Jim Folsom and Lucy here.

I told them that as a Kucinich Democrat, I was very dismayed at the ADP's position and especially at Bud and Artur (for whom I campaigned when I lived in Tuscaloosa since I thought he was a "reformer").

It's time for Bud to go lobby Lockheed in my opinion and Susan Parker to get her well deserved seat before the Seante or governorship...

[moose65]

15. What are the rules about this?

I confess I am ignorant of this one. How much can a candidate give? I know there are limits to how much individuals can give to a candidate. Can the candidate then turn around and give it all away? I'm not sure how it works and I'd love to be enlightened by someone in the know! :-)