I was among the first to sign up for Howard Dean's Democracy Bond program. Since July 2005 I have given $20 per month to the DNC. That is four solid years of monthly contributions. Now that isn't by any means the only donations I have made to Democrats, but it felt good to be part of Dean's 50 state strategy that did so well in 2006 and 2008.

I cancelled that monthly contribution today because I cannot believe that the Democrats I have been supporting for so long now want to go on vacation rather than actually enact precisely what America needs to begin fixing our very broken healthcare system. In essence, I will not contribute to people who think their vacation is more valuable than our health.  read more »

Under the headline NY'S DEADBEAT DEMS, the subtle folks over at the NY Post make note of the claim that

Two-thirds of New York state's House Democrats haven't paid their annual dues to the party election committee.

The names of Reps. Yvette Clarke (D-Brooklyn), John Hall (D-Hudson Valley) and Edolphus Towns (D-Brooklyn) appeared on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's latest list of those who hadn't helped bankroll vulnerable campaigns.

John Bresnahan at Politico provides some verification and further details.

The DCCC dues program is slated to raise more than $42 million for the committee, roughly one-third of its goal for the entire cycle. As of Wednesday, when a new chart tracking donations by Democratic lawmakers was circulated among the rank and file, slightly more than $25.8 million had been transferred to the DCCC from members’ reelection campaigns. Federal election rules allow unlimited transfers from members’ campaigns to the DCCC and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

I don't always agree with the DCCC's stances on stuff, but this is important. Members of Congress can give unlimited funds to the D Trip, which is something nobody else can do. With a battlefield as wide as this year's, and the party committee reaching out to small-dollar grassroots donors, there's really no reason for the Members themselves to not pony up.

Huffington Post blogger Howie Klein in his other blog, "Down with Tyranny", says the DCCC is spreading false rumors that NY 13th Congressional District Democratic candidate Steve Harrison is dropping out of the primary against Councilman Michael McMahon. The winner faces Republican Frank Powers for the right to replace Vito Fossella. Against Fossella in 2006, Harrison received a higher percentage of the vote than any Democrat ever under the district's current configuration.

Here's Howie's blog. http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2008/06/in-case-youre-sick-of-hearin....  read more »

Brandon English at the DCCC emails over some further distressing news for Progressive NY-13 candidate Steve Harrison: his opponent in the Demcratic primary, Michael McMahon, has been added to the DCCC's Red to Blue program.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced today the next round of candidates who earned a spot in the DCCC’s highly competitive Red to Blue program. These 14 candidates qualified for the third round of the Red to Blue program by surpassing demanding fundraising goals and skillfully demonstrating to voters that they stand for change and will represent new priorities when elected to Congress.[...]

“The candidates for change being named to the DCCC Red to Blue program are running strong campaigns and are committed to making things easier for middle class families in their districts,” said Chris Van Hollen, Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “With less than five months to make their case for change to voters in their districts, the Red to Blue program will give these candidates the financial and structural edge to be even more competitive in November.”

Michael McMahon is the only candidate in the Northeast to be added to Red to Blue in this wave, joining Dan Maffei (NY-25) and Eric Massa (NY-29) on the rolls of the DCCC's frontline candidates.  read more »

Domenic Recchia, go home.

Brooklyn City Councilman Domenic Recchia has been making the rounds on Staten Island in recent weeks. Some speculated that the Daily News Knucklehead award winner( http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2006/12/26/2006-12-26_how_stupid_can...) was visiting the forgotten borough because he was seeking citywide office. Others correctly speculated that he was contemplating running a primary against Steve Harrison for the right to attempt to unseat Vito Fossella, New York City's only Republican member of Congress, who represents all of Staten Island and a portion of Brooklyn. Crains' and the Staten Island Advance confirmed his potentially disastrous for those wanting to Veto Vito, ambitions.

Brooklyn attorney Harrison ran a gallant campaign last year, losing by a smaller percentage of the vote than any of Fossella's opponents since he supplanted the Molinari dynasty in 1997. Harrison accomplished this despite being out spent 12-1 by Fossella, largely because people like Recchia, who represents a tiny portion of the Congressional District in the Council, did squat for Steve.  read more »