You are hereFeed aggregator / Sources / DCCC Blog
DCCC Blog
VIDEO: Special Message
Mon, 12/29/2008 - 22:45Chairman Van Hollen sent the following message to DCCC Supporters:
Dear Friend,
Thanks to you, 2008 will forever be known as the year when America's
grassroots movement transformed our politics and set our country in a
profound New Direction.
As we close out this groundbreaking year, I just wanted to say thank you. It is because of you, that President-elect Obama will soon take the oath of office and 24 more Democrats will soon take their place beside him as the newest Members of Congress.
Just as our victories would not have happened without your
incredible support, America's challenges will not be met without your
continued grassroots participation. That's why I'm asking for your feedback about the issues that are most important to you and how we can best use this mandate for change that you helped to create.
Watch
my special video message about what we accomplished together and then
tell me your ideas on how to best bring the change we need.
I cannot possibly thank you enough for all that you accomplished over
these past two years. You changed the game on how political campaigns
are run and your continued support will usher in dramatic change for
America.
Now, let's go help President-elect Obama and our stronger Democratic Congress change America and make history again in 2010.
Thanks again,
Rep. Chris Van Hollen
DCCC Chairman
Categories: Democratic Blogs
VA-05: Recount Maintains Perriello as Victor
Thu, 12/18/2008 - 00:12Virginia election officials ruled Wednesday that Rep.-elect Tom Perriello (D) will keep that title following a recount that did little to change the results of the 5th district race.
Democrats in Congress pulled off an amazing feat this year -- winning
more than 20 seats for the second straight election. This is the first time in history a party has won the Majority in one election and gone on to win a second wave election.
Meet our newly-elected Members >>
Democrats have picked up a net 24 seats this cycle and will hold 257 seats in the 111th Congress.
Categories: Democratic Blogs
Dems Take Majority of Congressional Delegations in 33 States
Fri, 12/12/2008 - 20:26More evidence of the history Democrats made in 2008 -- thanks to unprecedented support from the DCCC's grassroots
network:
Before the election, per NBC's Abby Livingston,
Democrats held a majority of the congressional delegations in 27 states; they
now have majorities in 33 states. The changes: Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico,
Ohio, and Virginia went from GOP to Dem; Arizona went from even to Dem; Idaho
went from GOP to even; and Kansas went from even to GOP.
(h/t
MyDD)
Categories: Democratic Blogs
Paul Begala: Enter to Win a Trip to D.C. during Inauguration Week
Tue, 12/09/2008 - 21:53Paul Begala sent the following message to DCCC supporters:
Dear Friend,
If you’re anything like me, you’ve imagined the scene playing out many times.
President-elect Obama takes the oath of office on the steps of the Capitol. Millions of proud Americans cheer him on. Minutes later, perhaps the best scene of all, George W. Bush boards his one-way flight back to Texas. The only thing missing from the celebration is you.
But my good friends at the DCCC want to remedy that. They’re giving one lucky grassroots supporter the chance of a lifetime to win a trip to Washington, D.C. for this historic inauguration. They’ll provide the flight and the hotel accommodations.
Although they can’t provide tickets to the actual swearing-in (tickets are only available for free to the public through your member of Congress), they’ll make sure you are in Washington D.C. near all of the festivities, and receive an invitation to a special DCCC pre-Inauguration luncheon.
Enter the DCCC’s Witness History Contest. Contribute before December 20th to be automatically entered for a chance to win flight and hotel accommodations to be in Washington, D.C. for the Obama Inauguration.
Our 2008 success could not have happened without you standing with us every step of the way. But in the process of electing at least 24 Obama-Democrats to replace Bush-Republicans in Congress, the DCCC severely depleted their resources.
Since the work ahead in 2009 will make 2008 feel like one long vacation, we need to replenish these resources as quickly as possible. The DCCC has to help these new Democrats get off to fast starts and help President-elect Obama repair the damage that eight long years of Bush incompetence did to America.
Enter the DCCC’s Witness History Contest. Contribute before December 20th to be automatically entered for a chance to win flight and hotel accommodations to be in Washington, D.C. for the Obama Inauguration.
Since you were the ones who helped us make history in 2008, it’s only fitting that you get the chance to travel to D.C. and witness history on January 20, 2009.
Paul Begala
P.S. The DCCC wants to give you the chance of a lifetime to travel to D.C. for President-elect Obama’s inauguration. Enter the DCCC’s Witness History Contest. Contribute to be automatically entered for a chance to win flight and hotel accommodations to be in Washington, D.C. for the Obama Inauguration.
Categories: Democratic Blogs
DCCC Chair Van Hollen’s Statement on Mary Jo Kilroy’s Victory in OH-15
Mon, 12/08/2008 - 03:46DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen released the following statement on Mary Jo Kilroy's victory in Ohio's 15th Congressional District. Kilroy will succeed retiring Congresswoman Deborah Pryce. Kilroy's victory marks a historic 24 seat pick up for House Democrats this cycle.
"Congratulations to Congresswoman-elect Mary Jo Kilroy on her hard fought victory in a seat held by Republicans for 42 years.
"Mary Jo has the experience, judgment, and dedication to change that her constituents and all of the American people expect from their leaders in Congress. She will bring the strong, bipartisan leadership necessary to address the challenges our nation faces.
"I look forward to welcoming Mary Jo Kilroy to our Caucus and working with her and with President-elect Obama to rebuild our economy, create millions of new jobs, and ease the squeeze on America's struggling middle class families."
Categories: Democratic Blogs
Help Win the Last Race of the Year: Call Supporters from Home
Thu, 12/04/2008 - 19:38The last race of the year -- the hurricane-delayed election in Louisiana's 4th District -- is this Saturday. The AP calls the race "up-for-grabs" and says it'll be about who can get more of their voters to the polls.
That's where you come in.
Help us win this last race of the year: remind supporters to vote through our virtual phonebank.
It's simple: we'll give you a short list of voters to call and some points to mention as you remind voters about the upcoming election. These calls will make a huge difference in this neck-and-neck race.
Analysts said the winner in western Louisiana's 4th District will be the candidate who can boost turnout.
[...]
"Winning is going to require identifying voters, mobilizing them and getting them to think about something other than Christmas shopping," Smith said.
Our opponents have pulled out all the stops to hold on to this seat. They even sent Dick Cheney to the district for a last-minute fundraiser.
Let's send Cheney packing from the White House with one last loss. Let's get out the vote!
Categories: Democratic Blogs
Obama’s Message about Louisiana
Tue, 12/02/2008 - 17:16DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen sent the following message to DCCC supporters:
Dear Friend,
I wanted to make sure you saw this urgent message from
President-elect Obama's team about the critical special election in Louisiana
that is taking place this coming Saturday. It is not too late to have an impact.
With your urgent support, we will send Paul Carmouche to Congress to help
President Obama rebuild our economy.
As President-elect Obama said
recently in a radio ad for Paul Carmouche, "Paul will work with me to create
jobs and get Louisiana's economy moving. Please support Paul Carmouche."
We're just $50,000 short of our goal for tomorrow's wire to Louisiana.
Please contribute before midnight tonight
to help win this final House race of 2008.
Rep. Chris Van
Hollen
Chairman, DCCC
From: David Plouffe, BarackObama.com
Date: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 at 1:52 PM
To: Chris Van Hollen, DCCC
Subject: Louisiana needs your help
Chris --
Paul Carmouche is fighting to bring change to Louisiana and to Washington.
But he can't do it without you.
The special election for Louisiana's 4th Congressional District is coming up on Saturday, December 6th. There's not a lot of time left, but you can still have an important impact on this race.
Will you make a donation of $25 or more to support Paul Carmouche, Louisiana's candidate for change?
Paul Carmouche has been a respected District Attorney in Caddo Parish for 30 years. He's taken thousands of criminals off the streets and earned a reputation as a strong bipartisan leader.
Paul is committed to rebuilding our economy with millions of new jobs, providing tax relief for middle-class families, and making America energy independent.
This movement was built by grassroots supporters like you working together in your own communities.
It's crucial that we seize this opportunity for change here in Louisiana.
Please make a donation of $25 or more right now.
We need leaders like Paul Carmouche in Congress to help us end the failed policies and broken politics of Washington.
Thank you for your support,
David
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America
Categories: Democratic Blogs
Millionaire Fleming Forces Subway Employees to Campaign - What Other Ethical Lines Did He Cross?
Tue, 11/25/2008 - 22:39DCCC Press:
It seems that pouring money from his own pockets into his campaign wasn't enough for millionaire Republican candidate John Fleming (LA-04) - he also decided to unethically force low-paid employees to campaign for him and used corporate footage in his campaign commercials, according to a new article in today's Hill newspaper. The new report brings up serious ethical questions, including if Fleming may have illegally pressured employees to campaign for him either during or outside of work hours, and if Flemings' actions break Subway corporate policy.
Fleming's own Subway employees spoke out today, noting that they were uncomfortable with the pressure to perform campaign activities while working at Fleming's Subway restaurants. Also, in the Hill article Fleming's "compliance expert" claimed that his campaign pulled an ad that used corporate footage. Yet at least three ads during Fleming's primary campaign used the illegal footage mentioned in the story.
"Millionaire John Fleming obviously has no concern for the rules or his own employees, as he forces them to do political work and disregards the line between corporations and campaigns," said Kyra Jennings, Southern Regional Press Secretary for the DCCC. "Millionaire John Fleming's use of his corporate franchise for political purposes certainly brings up significant questions about Fleming's character and what else he may have unethically pressured his employees to do for his political campaign."
Background
- The Hill reported today that "two former employees of Fleming's Subways complained to The Hill that his workers were required to stuff the restaurant's sandwich bags with literature for Fleming's campaign... employees were unhappy but they were told it was part of their job." [The Hill, 11/24/08]
- While Fleming's "compliance expert" Paul Kilgore said that "when opponents began raising questions about the ad, his campaign pulled it," [The Hill, 11/24/08] records show that Fleming ran at least three ads with Subway corporate footage in them. In an earlier interview with the Shreveport Times, Fleming admitted that the footage used in multiple ads was not paid for by his campaign: "The Subway commercials were paid for by my Subway company and the campaign commercials, of course, were paying -- paid for my campaign." [Shreveport Times, 8/17/08]
- Under U.S.C.A. § 441b it is against FEC regulations "for any corporation whatever... to make a contribution or expenditure in connection with any election", including the use of corporate TV footage. [FEC.gov]
Categories: Democratic Blogs
VA-05: Virginia board certifies Perriello win
Mon, 11/24/2008 - 21:12
RICHMOND, Va. - The State Board of Elections has
certified challenger Tom Perriello as the winner over Republican Congressman
Virgil Goode.
The board on Monday certified Perriello as the winner by
745 votes in the 5th District congressional race. Goode is entitled to a recount
if he chooses.
Perriello's
apparent victory gives Democrats a
6-5 majority in Virginia's congressional delegation.
The board also
certified the rest of the election results, including victories by Democrats
Barack Obama for president and Mark Warner for U.S. Senate.
Categories: Democratic Blogs
LA-04: Cheney’s Last Stand
Mon, 11/17/2008 - 18:31UPDATE: Help us get out the vote for this Saturday's election -- call supporters and remind them to vote using our virtual phonebanking tool >>
Shreveport Times:
"Vice President Dick Cheney will be guest of honor Friday at a fundraiser for Dr. John Fleming, Republican hopeful for the 4th Congressional District seat [...]"Why is Cheney spending one of his final days as Vice President with John Fleming and his wealthy friends? Well it turns out Cheney and Fleming have a lot in common:
- Both support Bush's plan to gamble social security in the stock market (although Fleming lies about it in his latest ad).
- Both support tax cuts for millionaires like themselves.
- Both have opposed increases in the minimum wage.
Looks like Cheney wants Fleming to take his place on the way out. You can help Democrat Paul Carmouche fight back against Cheney, Fleming and their big-dollar buddies in the upcoming run-off election by contributing here.
Categories: Democratic Blogs
SCHIP vote haunts Republican losers
Fri, 11/14/2008 - 23:09
When
Republicans whipped their House members into line to oppose a major expansion of
the State Children's Health Insurance Program last spring, Democratic Caucus
Chairman Rahm Emanuel, the Illinois lawmaker who will now be Barack
Obama's chief of staff, made no bones about it: It would be used against
vulnerable Republicans in the election.
Emanuel now has his casualty
list, and he'll likely help engineer the SCHIP expansion as the first order of
business when the 111th Congress convenes in January.
With your support, we ran several campaigns of radio and TV ads to hold these Republicans accountable. Visit our Children's Health Action Center to see how you helped us defeat these Republican obstructionists.
Categories: Democratic Blogs
LA-04: Fleming Caught Lying in New TV Ad
Wed, 11/12/2008 - 23:36In the upcoming run-off election for Louisiana's 4th district, Republican John Fleming is trying to fool voters into believing he'll protect social security from Wall Street. Unfortunately for him, he's caught on tape saying otherwise.
Just one month ago, Fleming bragged about how mavericky he was for supporting a risky plan to privatize social security:
"...yes, I do think we need to look at private solutions"
Apparently, he thinks everyone forgot. In this new TV ad, Fleming claims he wants to "keep Social Security out of the stock market."
John Fleming's support for social security privatization is bad enough. Lying about is worse. (h/t Daily Kingfish)
More Information on This Race:
Categories: Democratic Blogs
Democrats Make History With Back-to-Back Waves
Fri, 11/07/2008 - 23:59Barack Obama wasn't the only Democrat to make history. Democrats in Congress pulled off an amazing feat this year - winning more than 20 seats for the second straight election. No party has done that in over 50 years. By winning 23 new seats this cycle, we broke the historical curse that is typical in most elections where after one party wins a wave election, that party then loses seats in the following Congressional election.
In addition, no party has won the Majority and followed it up with another wave of victories since the early 1930s in the years following the Great Depression. As of now, Democrats have picked up a net 23 seats this cycle with more close races on Republican turf yet to be called. Check back to The Stakeholder for more on these too close to call races.
Categories: Democratic Blogs
We Made History—Together
Wed, 11/05/2008 - 22:23DCCC Executive Director Brian Wolff sent the following message to DCCC supporters:
Dear Friend,
Last night, in record-shattering numbers, Americans made
history.
Barack Obama is now President-elect Obama. His
election as our 44th President and the first African-American to
reach the White House has electrified our country with a new sense of
possibility.
President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden aren't
the only ones who made history. Thanks to you, our new Democratic White
House will be backed by a stronger Democratic Majority in Congress.
As of right now, we gained an astounding 22 seats since last cycle, with
many other races still too close to call. Your generous
contributions, support and dedication made all of this possible - we could not
have done this without you. And, your support ensured we have teams in place
already in these races to make sure every vote is counted.
Check
out the full list of race results.
On behalf of our
candidates, I am writing to just say thanks. None of these new Democrats would
be coming to Congress if not for you.
You helped our candidates stay on
TV in the final days. You helped them respond to every Karl Rove attack and
expose every Republican dirty trick. Most of all, you helped them get every
voter to the polls and make sure that every vote was counted. By standing with
us every step of the way, you were part of the movement that reclaimed America's
future. There are still candidates fighting to win and we have teams in place to
help them because of your generous support.
As President-elect Obama
said last night, "change has come to America."
Thanks again for being
along for this amazing ride.
Brian Wolff
DCCC Executive Director
Categories: Democratic Blogs
Speaker Pelosi Statement at Democratic Victory Rally
Wed, 11/05/2008 - 22:06
Washington, D.C. - Speaker Pelosi delivered the following
statement at a Democratic victory rally on Election Night:
"Tonight the American people have called for a New Direction. They have called for a change for America.
"An important part of that change will be bipartisanship, civility, and fiscal responsibility.
I extend a hand of friendship to Senator John McCain. I look forward to working with him in a spirit of bipartisanship and civility.
"For the past two years, I've had the privilege to work side by side with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. He is a great leader, a great fighter for America's working families, and a great Senator from Nevada. He brings independence, a pioneering spirit, and Western values to the Senate. All America thanks Nevada for sending this great leader to the Senate.
"As you know, we all have a great deal of work to do. Some we can do right from the start; the rest of it will take awhile. We must take a very deliberate, steady course for America. That is exactly what Barack Obama is prepared to do.
"How fortunate we are in this moment to have the great leadership of Barack Obama. He has a great judgment and values about the decisions that need to be made. He has the strategy to get the job done and the ability to unite the American people.
"The results are not all in tonight, but it looks like we are going to be increasing our majorities in the House and in the United States Senate. You'll be hearing from Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Senator Chuck Schumer in a moment.
"But I want to take a moment to talk about Chris Van Hollen. He has masterfully orchestrated our campaigns for a better America. He understands politics and policy. And he has helped to attract the next generation of leaders in the House of Representatives. Thank you, Chris Van Hollen,
"Working together in a bipartisanship spirit, we will rebuild America by creating many new jobs, many green jobs here in America. We will make sure all of our children have quality education and expand quality and dependable health care for all Americans. We will end our dependence on foreign oil, and we will responsibly, honorably, and soon bring an end to the war in Iraq.
"We must continue the work that we have begun, recognizing that there are some short-term solutions amid long-term solutions. We look forward to working together again to build a better America for our children.
"Are you ready to work together? Are you ready for victory?"
Categories: Democratic Blogs
Problems Voting?
Tue, 11/04/2008 - 17:56If you experience or see a problem with voting in your neighborhood -- stand up and speak up.
Please call the voter protection hotline at 1-877-US-4-OBAMA (1-877-874-6226) or click here to file a report online.Categories: Democratic Blogs
DCCC Chair Van Hollen: Until the last vote is cast and counted
Tue, 11/04/2008 - 17:43**Tonight's results will be posted live on our website, www.dccc.org. You can also sign up for our results text updates by texting DCCC to 30644. And, please don't forget to vote!**
DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen sent the following message to DCCC supporters:
Dear Friend,
What an incredible feeling! We've been waiting for and working towards
this day for so long. And now it's here. Thank you for everything you
have done.
But, we can't stop working until the last vote is cast and counted.
So, on this historic day, I'm asking you to cast your vote
and help us protect the votes of your fellow Americans. If you haven't
done so already, get to the polls - and take everyone you can gather up
with you.
Then, take one more step.
Both on and
after Election Day, we need to do everything in our power to make sure
no registered voter is denied the opportunity to have his or her vote
counted.
We've rushed every dollar donated out into the field
to win more victories today. But, come tomorrow morning, we must have
the resources to act quickly and decisively to challenge any election
irregularities.
Rush an emergency Protect the Vote donation to the DCCC.
We're relying on you to hang in there until the last vote is cast and counted.
Thanks for standing up for voting rights,
Rep. Chris Van Hollen
DCCC Chairman
Categories: Democratic Blogs
Problems Voting?
Tue, 11/04/2008 - 03:56If you experience or see a problem with voting in your neighborhood -- stand up and speak up.
Please call the voter protection hotline at 1-877-US-4-OBAMA (1-877-874-6226) or click here to file a report online.
Categories: Democratic Blogs
Alec Baldwin: Don’t let them steal another one
Tue, 11/04/2008 - 02:57**It's not too late to make a difference. It's now or never-35 toss up races need your help. ACT FAST.**
Alec Baldwin sent the following message to DCCC supporters:
Dear Friend,
Here we are, just
hours from Election Day and too many Democrats seem to think this election is
already in the bag and all that's left to do is plan our Election Night parties.
They could be in for a big surprise.
The Republicans play to win every
time. They fostered every possible ethical breach to get Bush elected. They
forged a whole set of new ones to get him reelected. Now they're trying to do
the same for McCain and all their House candidates. It's up to us to stop
them.
Help us raise last-minute urgent funds to
put enough eyes and ears on the ground to stop Republican voter fraud and voter
suppression tactics.
The past eight years have been the
moral low point of the American experience. Bush and McCain ate birthday cake
together while a major American city drowned before our eyes. They launched an
unnecessary war in Iraq and left our economy and our future in
shambles.
Voter suppression is the last card left in the GOP deck -- and
sadly, they're playing it. In Florida, they've sent operatives to steal
ballots from elderly Democratic voters.1 In California, they used
phony petitions to dupe people into registering Republican.2 In
Virginia they even circulated phony fliers telling Democrats to vote on the
wrong day.3
Help us raise last-minute urgent funds to
put enough eyes and ears on the ground to stop Republican voter fraud and voter
suppression tactics.
This election represents a turning
point for this country. If Obama wins, he'll need the help of a stronger
Democratic Congress to dig us out of the hole that Bush, Cheney, and the GOP
have put us in.
We must get this right. If we don't, John McCain and
Sarah Palin will try and turn the clock back even further -- to a point none of
us can imagine...
Let's finish our work.
Thanks,
Alec
Baldwin
Sources
1. Miami Herald, October 25, 2008. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/campaign-2008/story/740834.html
2. Los Angeles Times, October 20, 2008. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fraud20-2008oct20,0,3842357.story
3. UPI, Oct. 28, 2008. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/10/28/Phony_flier_advises_Dems_to_vote_Nov_5/UPI-99161225226657/
Categories: Democratic Blogs
NY-26: Chris Lee Admits to Fraud. Fired. Not Suited for Congress.
Mon, 11/03/2008 - 18:03New DCCC radio ad:
DCCC Press:
Today, the Buffalo News reported that Chris Lee was fired from his former employer for illegally breaking into company computers for his personal financial benefit. According to the Buffalo News, Chris Lee "hacked into a company computer for personal gain" and according to Lee himself after getting caught by his supervisors he was "let go." Chris Lee has skipped 15 of 18 debates and forums, has refused to answer questions about where he stands on the issues and is hiding behind the barrage of ads being paid for by his family's fortunes.
"For months, Chris Lee has refused to say where he stands on the issues, he has declined to participate in debates and he has dodged questions from the public -- and now we know why. As it turns out, Chris Lee isn't nearly the businessman he claims to be," said Carrie James, regional press secretary at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "Instead, he's the kind of corporate hack that our country has suffered too much from during the Bush era -- like the greedy executives at Enron, Halliburton, and in the mortgage industry who put corporate profits and their bonuses before what was best for middle class Americans, plunging our country into a recession."
Chris Lee's REAL record as a
Businessman:
- Put Jobs in
China. According to Lee's own campaign website, "Christopher
was promoted to President of the Automation Group, a division of International
Motion Control in 2003. By 2007 numerous manufacturing facilities existed in the
United States, Europe, Japan, Korea and China. All told, IMC employed over 1,200
people worldwide and had a global distribution network of over 300 independent
distributors." [http://www.chrisleeforcongress.com/Biography.asp,
accessed: 6/08; Google Cache of Site]
- Then Scrubbed His Website of Any Mention of China. Between when initial research was conducted, in June of 2008, and September 3, 2008, Christopher Lee's campaign website eliminated any reference to his former company having plants in China. Currently, the website instead says "Asia" when referring to its multinational operations. Mention of Chinese plants is only available on Google's cache of the site. [Chris Lee for Congress Website, accessed: 9/3/08, Google Cache]
- Then the Lee Family Knowingly Sold the Company to a Firm That Had Sent Sensitive Defense Technology to China. In 2007, Lee's family company was sold to ITT, an international defense conglomerate, which had less than a year earlier pled guilty to violating the Arms Control Export Act for sending sensitive defense technology to China, Singapore, Japan, and Britain and paid $100 million in fines. Lee admitted he knew about ITT's fine at the time of the sale. [Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, 8/27/08]
New to the list...
- Fraud.
Categories: Democratic Blogs
