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Use It or Lose It

Year in review: Iowa politics in 2008

by: desmoinesdem

Thu Jan 01, 2009 at 1:37 PM EST

I do most of my writing at the Iowa progressive community blog Bleeding Heartland.

Last year at this time I was scrambling to make as many phone calls and knock on as many doors as I could before the Iowa caucuses on January 3.

This week I had a little more time to reflect on the year that just ended.

After the jump I've linked to Bleeding Heartland highlights in 2008. Most of the links relate to Iowa politics, but some also covered issues or strategy of national importance.

I only linked to a few posts about the presidential race. I'll do a review of Bleeding Heartland's 2008 presidential election coverage later this month.

There's More... :: (15 Comments, 5857 words in story)

Use It Or Lose It: 2008 Edition

by: James L.

Fri Oct 24, 2008 at 4:33 PM EDT

You all know what's at stake in this election. Democrats have a rare opportunity to not only win big in November, but to sweep out a great deal of crusty, Bush-enabling Republicans in the House. I know you guys are working hard to make this happen as you donate your time and money to local campaigns. However, there's one thing we can all do that could have a big impact on how many districts Democrats seriously contest, and that's encouraging the slowpokes in the House Democratic caucus to pay their DCCC dues in full.

Working behind the scenes with Chris Bowers over at Open Left, we've dug up a list of House members who are behind on their dues to the DCCC. All told, we're looking at 54 members and $6.5 million worth of missing dues. Campaign contact information for each member is available here.

Final media buys will be made by the DCCC in just a few days, so ever dollar that the DCCC can scrape together means a great deal. If you want to help out, please call a few incumbents on this list who are close to you and urge them to pay up to the DCCC. As Bowers says, be polite and fair. You can also consult this second list of incumbents facing token opposition, and encourage them to be even more generous.

Time's a-wastin'. Let's do this thing, people!

Discuss :: (13 Comments)

We need another "Use It Or Lose It" campaign

by: desmoinesdem

Mon Aug 04, 2008 at 1:29 AM EDT

On Saturday a fundraising solicitation arrived in the mail from Iowa Senator Tom Harkin. It asked me to confirm delivery of the enclosed "supporter card" within ten days, and also to "help keep my 2008 re-election campaign on the road to victory" with a special contribution.

Funny, I wasn't aware that Harkin needed any extra help. Everyone in the election forecasting business has labeled this seat safe for him. The available polling shows Harkin with a comfortable lead.

According to Open Secrets, Harkin had $4.1 million cash on hand at the end of the second quarter. His little-known Republican opponent, Christopher Reed, has raised a total of $11,765 for his Senate campaign and had $292 (two hundred and ninety-two dollars) on hand as of June 30.

Harkin's letter got me thinking that we need a "Use It Or Lose It" campaign for 2008.

There's More... :: (3 Comments, 1203 words in story)

Louisiana House Fundraising To Date

by: Ryan

Tue Jul 15, 2008 at 1:02 AM EDT

Cross-posted over at Daily Kingfish.

As of 11 PM CST on July 14th, not one Republican candidate for the House in Louisiana has filed their July quarterly. Five of the 18 Democrats running have filed their reports. Without further adieu, here are those five fundraising reports:

LA-01

Jim Harlan has filed his report. Vinnie Mendoza, a perpetual candidate, has not.

Candidate Money Raised Money Spent Debts Cash on Hand
Jim Harlan $595,399.05 $41,020.99 $525,000 $554,378.06

No, the debts is not a mis-print. Mr. Harlan donated his campaign $525,000. For the first time in recent memory, money will not be a reason for the Democratic candidate in LA-01 to lose. It will be because the campaign didn't do a good job. I doubt that will be the case, as the campaign manager for Mr. Harlan is the same campaign manager that helped Travis Childers

LA-02

There are 8 Democrats running in the primary, including incumbent Congressman Bill Jefferson. Only 2 of the 8 have filed their FEC reports so far. They are:

Candidate Money Raised Money Spent Debts Cash on Hand
Troy "C" Carter $51,112 $34,120.01 $87,906.27 -$1,442.37

Mr. Troy Carter is not a serious candidate. The debt is partly from his failed run back in 2006, where he placed fourth in the jungle primary behind the Republican. I've corrected the amount raised this quarter from his FEC report. If you click on his name, it'll bring you to his July Quarterly FEC report, where he reports NO money raised this quarter. But if you take a look at his April Quarterly report, you'll see that he only reported some $2,188 raised in the election cycle to date column, and nothing again in the this cycle to date column. Mr. Carter, please find someone to teach your staff how to fill out the reports properly!

Candidate Money Raised Money Spent Debts Cash on Hand
Cedric Richmond $111,800 $17,895.39 $100,000 $193,904.61

The debt is money that Mr. Richmond gave his campaign. For a first-time candidate for the U.S. House, the first quarter fundraising for Mr. Richmond is impressive. Almost $200,000 in the bank. Right now, he has to be one of the favorites to oust Congressman Jefferson.

LA-03

Candidate Money Raised Money Spent Debts Cash on Hand
Charlie Melancon $237,858.13 $52,243.17 $0.00 $1,042,583.14

Since Charlie won re-election by acclamation, as no Republican bothered to file to run against him, he is a prime candidate for the netroots' Use It or Lose It Campaign. He can easily afford to give 30% of his cash on hand to the DCCC so they can pump even more money into LA-01, LA-04, LA-06 and LA-07 to help us elect the Democratic candidates in those districts.

LA-04

There are 4 Democrats running for the nomination in this district - Willie Banks, Paul Carmouche, Artis "Doc" Cash and John Milkovich. Thus far, only Mr. Banks has filed his July Quarterly FEC report.

Candidate Money Raised Money Spent Debts Cash on Hand
Willie Banks $3,267 $8,788.31 $10,000 $11,545.16

The debt is money that Mr. Banks loaned his campaign. He's having a hard time raising cash, presumably because he's running against a VERY well-known Democrat in that district, the Caddo Parish District Attorney, Paul Carmouche, who has served in that capacity for I believe 30 years.

Discuss :: (4 Comments)

Use It or Lose It 2008: Democratic Cash On Hand in Safe HouseSeats

by: David Kowalski

Sat Mar 22, 2008 at 8:50 AM EDT

Last cycle, Chris Bowers (then of MyDD) launched a campaign to encourage Democrats in safe or unopposed seats to kick in 30% of their cash on hand balance to the DCCC.  Chris dubbed the project "Use It or Lose It."  Members were identified and contacted (often by constituents) who encouraged the largesse.

At this point in the cycle, filing deadlines have passed for roughly half the seats in the House and a limited NRCC budget means that many House Democrats will face pretty clear sailing in the fall general election.  One thing the fine series of state and district profiles by plf515 proves, is that Democratic seats are on the whole far safer than Republican seats.  A tool like PVI actually underestimates how many of the seats are safe because some southern and Plains representatives pile up nice margins in districts with a Republican or neutral lean in the Presidential contest.

Last night, I saw the pretty much final results of California filing posted on their Secretary of State's site.  Democrats filed in 51 of the 53 districts (missing CA-19 and CA-22), while Republicans left seven seats unopposed.  One of those candidates, Laura Richardson, faces primary opposition and has a small cash balance so she was left out but the other six were added to my list of cash resources.  

There's More... :: (10 Comments, 1280 words in story)

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