Week of July 27, 2007

Tsongas prepares for the final push

Niki Tsongas, the frontrunner in the special election for Massachusetts's fifth congressional district open seat, now faces the biggest challenge of her campaign: getting voters to the polls the day after Labor Day, when most people are focused on the final days of vacation and first day of school.

This race is almost certain to come down to a difference of a few hundred votes. With the awkward scheduling of the Sept. 4 primary, every single vote will count -- so the Tsongas campaign has mobilized hundreds of volunteers to knock on doors and make sure her voters go to the polls Sept. 4. Her opponents have an easier task turning out their voters, who are primarily concentrated in specific geographic areas. Tsongas enjoys broad support across the district, but this means she needs to be far more targeted in her GOTV strategy -- and needs more money to execute it.

Tsongas isn't conceding any vote. In addition to a comprehensive -- but costly -- media campaign, she and her hard-working campaign staff and volunteers are out in the district every single day talking directly with voters and making sure they know that Tsongas is the strongest candidate to represent them in Congress.

And after battling her way through a crowded primary, Tsongas will need to regroup quickly to fend off a GOP takeover attempt in the Oct. 16 general election. Support from EMILY's List members will make the winning difference as she enters the final stretch of this rigorous special election campaign.

Clinton shines in CNN/YouTube debate

Highlighting her extensive experience, Sen. Hillary Clinton commanded the stage yet again during the most recent Democratic presidential debate Monday, July 23. Sponsored by YouTube and CNN, the debate featured questions submitted by voters via video recording. None of the candidates knew exactly what they would be asked, but of all of them, Clinton was clearly the most comfortable with this unpredictable format, answering each question candidly and concisely. Journalists and pundits alike hailed her winning performance, calling Clinton "presidential," "polished," and "experienced."

Clinton made the most of this debate to push past the gender barrier and confirm her ability to be a strong commander-in-chief from day one. Giving measured, thoughtful responses to questions on foreign policy and domestic issues, Clinton emphasized her experience, reminding viewers that she is the only candidate on stage who truly understands what it means to be president. All the while, she reiterated her commitment to women, drawing cheers with her response about her advocacy for women, saying, "We're up here arguing who's going to be better for women, because isn't that a nice change for everybody to hear."

In an email to supporters earlier this week, Clinton announced her goal to reach one million supporters. The one millionth supporter gets to join her for one day on the campaign trail! At more than 990,000 supporters, she is so close to making her goal! You can help her go the final distance by clicking here.

EMILY's List candidates to take on vulnerable Republicans

Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Sarasota, Florida on July 19, Christine Jennings announced her 2008 bid for Congress. After the official vote tally showed that she finished 369 votes behind Republican Vern Buchanan in Florida's 13th congressional district, Jennings contested the election, noting the 18,000 undervotes in Sarasota County, a Democratic base, where voting machines clearly malfunctioned. While her challenge to the 2006 results is being investigated by a congressional task force, Jennings is moving ahead with her plans for a rematch.

Buchanan, a millionaire former used car salesman, self-funded much of his 2006 campaign. He has reported raising over $800,000 to date for 2008, most coming from his own fortune, family members, and business associates. Buchanan will need every penny for his rematch with Jennings -- who has strong community support after years as a popular business figure and activist. Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, lists Buchanan as the most vulnerable Republican freshman in Congress going into the 2008 election cycle.

Another election rematch emerges in Ohio's second congressional district, as incumbent Republican Rep. Jean "Mean Jean" Schmidt continues to falter in her re-election bid. Schmidt gained national notoriety after calling Vietnam War veteran Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) a "coward" on the House floor for advocating troop withdrawal in Iraq. Her weakness has led members of her own party to question her viability, and she is likely to face a primary challenge as well as a strong Democratic opponent. Dr. Victoria Wulsin, who came close to defeating Schmidt in 2006, is running again. Schmidt's second quarter filings were well below her challengers, with only $85,000 cash on hand. Wulsin filed with over $200,000 cash on hand. During the 2006 election cycle, Schmidt spent almost twice as much as Wulsin in order to keep her seat.

Draft Jeanne Shaheen; boot Sununu

New Hampshire has had it. In late June, a group of citizens, fed up with the failed Bush agenda and their own rubber stamping Sen. John Sununu, launched a website, www.draftshaheen.com, to draft former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen to challenge Sununu in 2008. The group is trying to collect one thousand New Hampshire signatures by the end of August to persuade Shaheen to run.

Noting that Sununu has given George Bush the votes he needs to continue his disastrous right-wing agenda, Shaheen's boosters cite frustration over the continuing Iraq war, the lack of concern about global warming, the paltry state of the health care system, and a laundry list of other issues as their motivation for drafting the former governor, who came close to defeating Sununu in 2002.

Their passion is justified by recent polling, which shows Sununu losing badly to Shaheen. In a poll conducted by the American Research Group, Shaheen leads Sununu 57 percent to 29 percent. The same poll shows that 96 percent of Democrats in New Hampshire would support her run, and 30 percent of Republicans would back her. Shaheen says she will make a decision by September.