Some Blue America Stuff-- And A SpongeBob Contest

This is the prize- the contest is at the very bottom before the video

Because it's the end of another campaign fundraising quarter-- there are, count 'em, 4 every year-- if you've ever contributed to any campaign, you'll be getting a notification this week about how crucial this week is. You know those moronic petitions the DCCC suckers people into signing to tell John Boehner to free the slaves or stop causing Global Warming? Those aren't about freeing the slaves or stopping Global Warming; they're about mining names for potential donors to save anti-Choice conservatives in the Democratic caucus, like Dan Benisek (D-MI), Joe Donnelly (Blue Dog-IN), Mike Ross (Blue Dog-AR), Jerry Costello (D-IL) and Dan Boren (Blue Dog-OK). I used those 5 clowns-- there are plenty of others-- because they're the only 5 Democrats who wound up on DFA's poll of congressional villains and I want to say something about that poll.

Blue America sent out a donor letter this morning too-- but only to our members in Montana. That's because we're looking for advise. Recently we've been talking with Montana state Rep. Franke Wilmer, a dedicated and effective populist leader. (We met her here a week or two ago.) She's running for the open at-large congressional seat currently occupied by Tea Party Caucus kook (and multimillionaire) Denny Rehberg. Rehberg is challenging Jon Tester for his Senate seat. The Republicans are deciding between a multimillionaire job exporter (Steve Daines) and a KKK and GOP organizer (John Abarr) for their nominee. But Blue America is looking for advise about what to do about this race-- hence the letter to Montana members. There's another decent progressive in the race, Dave Strohmaier, and a DCCC/Beltway Establishment fave, Kim Gillan from the corporate-friendly Max Baucus wing of the Democratic Party.

We are enthusiastic about Franke's background, her voting record, her grassroots campaign and her populist message. She was a single divorced mother who was a waitress for 16 years to support herself and her daughter and eventually to complete college and get a better job. When she talks about standing up to special interests and fighting for the middle class, it is not empty rhetoric; she has the track record and life experience to back it up.

But this is a primary situation and we don't want to act until we hear from people in Montana who have contributed to Blue America in the past. We sure think Congress needs fewer millionaires and more waitresses and other normal working people-- and we think it's long past time for Montana to follow up on Jeannette Rankin's election to Congress 70 years ago. The DWT ActBlue page is already open for Franke. We're waiting to hear from our Montanan members about how Blue America should proceed.

The next Blue America letter will be to alert our members that we are re-endorsing an old friend, former and future Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy, a progressive Democrat from Columbus, Ohio. Along with Alan Grayson (D-FL) and Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH), Mary Jo was one of a tiny handful of progressives swept up in the teabag tsunami last November. Next Saturday she'll be joining us at Crooks and Liars to talk about her current campaign and how she plans to win back her seat.

Unlike some, I have no doubt that any of the Republicans running for president would be far worse than Obama. Far worse. But presidential elections aren't part of Blue America's mandate. Our purview is Congress-- the House and the Senate (and stopping Paul Ryan before he can destroy America). And Sarah Jaffe at Alternet has taken a close look at 5 progressive candidates worth helping win election next year. I suggest you click that last link and read Sarah's whole story but the 5 candidates are Elizabeth Warren (MA), Tammy Baldwin (WI) and Chris Murphy (CT) for the Senate and John Waltz (MI) and Eric Griego (NM) for the House.

Earlier I mentioned I had something to say about the DFA poll. It's another example of what anyone can do-- if you can't afford a cash contribution-- to help elect progressives to Congress. Last I looked Dennis Kucinich was winning in the House and Bernie Sanders was winning in the Senate, both in the Heroes part of the contest. Over in Villainsville, the Republicans way out ahead are, in order, Cantor, Boehner, Ryan, Bachmann, Issa, Joe "Deadbeat Dad" Walsh, Allen West, Steve King, Virginia Foxx and Louie Gohmert (on the House side) and Miss McConnell, Rand Paul, Jim DeMint, Scott Brown, Marco Rubio, Jim Inhofe, Jon Kyl, Pat Toomey, John McCain and John Cornyn (on the Senate side). DFA is offering to run ads in the districts of the Republicans who get the most negative votes. The only senator on that list who even has to face the voters in 2012 is Scott Brown in Massachusetts. An ad in the other 9 states would be pretty much a waste of resources. In the House, those 10 accurately reflect a sense of villainy within a villainous caucus. But, it's only Ryan, Walsh, West, and King among that group that are facing serious challengers that could benefit by the DFA ad offer. We all detest Eric Cantor and John Boehner, but we'd be better off voting in the poll against weakened incumbents like Fred Upton (R-MI), Mean Jean Schmidt (R-OH), Leonard Lance (R-NJ), Sandy Adams (R-FL), Robert Dold (R-IL) and Mike Coffman (R-CO), all of whom have great progressive opponents. Just a thought. Or contribute directly... here. In fact, I have a rare autographed promo picture of SpongeBob SquarePants-- the one up top-- signed by Tom Kenny, the voice of the superstar TV character, and that picture is going to be a Blue America thank you gift to one random donor on our House page over the next 24 hours. Any donation to any candidate or any combination of candidates between now and 2pm (PT) tomorrow will make you eligible to be the random winner of something any kid (or stoner) you know would totally kvell to have. It's a win-win-- especially with Christmas coming up.