Masaccio wrote an open letter to the President’s fundraisers over the weekend, and of course everyone has to decide for themselves about election support and donations, and I don’t presume to tell you how to approach that. I will say that, as a practical matter, there’s nothing more ineffectual an activist can do with their [...]

Former Congressman Alan Grayson, who is running again for a House seat in 2012, criticized the Democratic leadership in a discussion in Los Angeles this weekend, saying that they don’t understand the basic concept that voters need something to vote for. Grayson, speaking at the offices of the progressive filmmaking organization Brave New Films in [...]

This week, when the House passed what is colloquially known as the “Let Women Die” Act, which would among other things make it illegal for hospitals to perform a life-saving abortion on a woman, 15 Democrats joined all but two Republicans in voting for it. Here are the names of the 15 Democrats: Jason Altmire [...]

Incredibly, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is launching a half-million dollar ad buy into New York City with one weekend to go until a special House election in NY-09, the seat once held by Anthony Weiner. That half a million dollars would have come in very handy next year, when Democrats make a push to take back the House, no? Instead, it’s being chewed up in the expensive New York City media market to protect a bad candidate whose district will probably get chopped up in redistricting anyway.

There are two House special elections on September 13, filling two of the three current vacancies in Congress. The third, in OR-01 to replace David Wu, won’t be filled until January 31, 2012. Because it’s a short ride off the Acela for DC types and right in the New York media backyard, attention has focused [...]

I got a pretty incredible email solicitation by the DCCC, the campaign arm for House Democrats, today. I need your urgent help. Republicans are gearing up to enact their radical plan to balance the budget on the backs of seniors, women and people with disabilities. At this moment, Speaker Boehner is crafting a deficit deal [...]

The Congressional Democratic leaders who have the role of winning elections are giddy about the NY-26 results. They want to replicate them all over the country. Sen. Patty Murray, head of the DSCC, thinks Democrats will now have seats they can win in 2012, despite defending more than twice as many seats in the election [...]

Both sides have gotten off the sidelines and started to spend money in the surprisingly close NY-26 special election between Republican Jane Corwin, Democrat Kathy Hochul and Tea Party candidate Jack Davis. After polls showed the race in the red district within reach for the Democrat, thanks to the third party effort of Davis taking [...]

As a pure political tactic, getting started early with the message that Republicans voted to end Medicare sounds like a winner for Democrats. But I will veer slightly into a different kind of analysis for the moment. Why would you play this funny? Why give the message that old people are worthy of derision, essentially [...]

The AFL-CIO has endorsed Nancy Pelosi’s bid to remain as leader of the House Democratic caucus, citing her work on getting key legislation passed for working families. Between the labor endorsement and the attention being focused elsewhere on the Minority Whip battle, I’d say Pelosi’s position is secure. As to how to resolve that other [...]

Several Democrats in safe seats this November have decided to share their war chests for the good of the party. Chuck Schumer is one example, although he has an ulterior motive of wanting to make allies should he have a shot at the leadership of the Senate Democrats. But a substantial number of safe-seat Democrats [...]