The Montana Senate Seat is Up For Grabs!

You may remember that the seat was held by Democrat John Walsh. But, he dropped out after reports surfaced that he'd plagiarized parts of his final thesis at the US Army War College. Walsh was appointed to the seat when Max Baucus left to become Ambassador to China. The Cook Political Report rates this seat as leaning Republican. http://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections_in_Montana,_2014

Steve Daines is the Republican candidate. Amanda Curtis is the new Democratic candidate chosen by the Montana Democratic party on August 16.

Curtis is currently a Democratic member of the Montana House of Representatives (76th district). If you'd like to know more about Curtis, please see this: http://ballotpedia.org/Amanda_Curtis

Some may dismiss her candidacy but CNN has an interesting article about her and her chances to join Senator Jon Tester on Capital Hill. http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/26/politics/curtis-montana-senate/

If you'd like to help Curtis become the next Democratic Senator from Montana, please go to her campaign website here: http://www.amandaformontana.com/

Also, check out the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee information on the Montana race here:  http://www.dscc.org/races/montana

Please help #GOTV for Amanda Curtis. We need her voice for Democrats in Washington DC.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack on Twitter @PDMFNB

Travis Childers is the Democratic Nominee Challenging Thad Cochran in Mississippi

Childers was formerly a Democratic Representative from the 1st district of Mississippi. If you remember Thad Cochran had a strong challenger in the Primary from Chris McDaniel and did not get the required 50% of the vote. Then in the run-off primary Cochran beat McDaniel. As of August 14 McDaniel has challenged Cochran's win in the court. http://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections_in_Mississippi,_2014
The Mississippi election commission has Cochran as the Republican Senate nominee.

If you'd like to know more about Travis Childers, like how he's voted in Congress and who has funded him, then please go here: http://ballotpedia.org/Travis_Childers

If you'd like to help turn this Senate seat from Red to Blue, please go to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee website and sign up to help: http://www.dscc.org/races/mississippi or your can go to Childers campaign website: http://childersforsenate.com/

Please pick a candidate and do what you can to help them get elected. This 2014 midterm is vital to retain the Senate in Democratic Control.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack On Twitter at @PDMFNB

Former Maine ACLU Executive Director Shenna Bellows is the Democratic Senatorial Candidate for Maine

Shenna Bellows ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on June 10. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee information on Bellows states:  "Shenna Bellows, the former head of the Maine ACLU, has spent her career fighting for the people of Maine. Bellows is an energetic leader who has fought for women’s rights, civil rights, individual freedoms, environmental protections, and an economy that works for everyone. The daughter of a carpenter, Bellows has centered her campaign around middle class values, work ethic, and political courage. In the fourth quarter, Bellows outraised Susan Collins, bringing in $332,000 with nearly 82% from small dollar donors. While most of the state has shifted toward Democrats, the Tea Party has gained tremendous influence among the dwindling Republican ranks with the election of Tea Party Governor Paul LePage. The combination of the two could equal trouble for Senator Collins in a general election." http://www.dscc.org/races/maine  You can sign up to help her campaign at that site or  here: http://bellowsforsenate.com/

If you'd like to know more about Bellows, please see the Ballotpedia information here:  http://ballotpedia.org/Shenna_Bellows  This site has the latest information about her candidacy.

As the underdog on the race, Bellows is relying on traditional methods to get out the voters. See this article on how she is campaigning: http://bangordailynews.com/2014/07/31/opinion/editorials/shenna-bellows-and-shoe-leather-an-underdogs-all-out-campaign/  This details her 350 mile walk around Maine.

Please consider helping her. Susan Collins has been the Republican Senator since 1996. I think it's time to put a Democrat in that seat.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack

Help Re-elect the Assistant Majority Leader of the Senate

Here is what the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has to say about my senator, Dick Durbin:

"Senator Dick Durbin has been a strong voice advocating for Illinois’ working families. As the Assistant Majority Leader, Senator Durbin has been a leader in America’s economic recovery, the effort to make health care more affordable and accessible, and protect consumers in Illinois and across the country. A close ally of President Obama, Senator Durbin is helping lead efforts to pass the DREAM Act, save students from debt, protect the Great Lakes, invest in infrastructure and build bipartisan consensus to solve the nation’s fiscal challenges. Senator Durbin won re-election by 39 points in 2008 and recent polling shows him beating his Republican challenger by double digits." http://www.dscc.org/races/illinois

Richard Durbin was first elected to the Senate in 1996. Durbin's Republican opponent is Jim Oberweiss. For more on Durbin's tenure in the Senate see this:  http://ballotpedia.org/Richard_Durbin

Senator Durbin was born in East St. Louis and recently made comments about the situation in Ferguson, MO. You can read about them here:  http://kplr11.com/2014/08/22/sen-durbin-praises-local-leaders-for-peace-in-ferguson/

If you are interested in helping with Durbin's campaign, sign up here: http://www.dickdurbin.com/

I will be voting for him and I hope you will too if you live here in Illinois. My husband and I visited Washington DC in 2006 and attended a constituent coffee hosted by Senator Durbin and then Senator Obama.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack also on Twitter @PDMFNB

The Hawaii Special Election for Senate 2014

If you've been following the politics in Hawaii since Senator Daniel Inouye's death, you will see how often emotions and rhetoric play out. After the senator's death, the sitting Democratic Governor, Neil Abercrombe, appointed his Lieutenant Governor, Brian Schatz, to fill the vacancy. The Governor chose to ignore a letter from Inouye asking for Rep Colleen Hanabusa to be his successor. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/20/1225307/-Endorsement-Gate-Blows-Up-in-Hanabusa-s-Face#

In the primary, Hanabusa ran against the incumbent Schatz. You may also remember that a severe tropical storm hit the big island on the day of the primary. As a result, Hanabusa contested the outcome as Schatz only won by 1% of the vote. This link provides a summary of the events: http://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_special_election_in_Hawaii,_2014

Senator Schatz has a Republican opponent in the November 4th special election, Cam Cavaso, who formerly served in the state legislature.

If you are interested in learning more about Senator Schatz, please check out this article:  http://ballotpedia.org/Brian_Schatz

You may sign up to help his campaign here: http://brianschatz.com/ and here:
 http://www.dscc.org/races/hawaii

Please help get Democratic candidates elected to the Senate this year. Thanks.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack

Will You Help Chris Coons Get Re-elected to the Senate?

The incumbent Senator Chris Coons in Delaware is running unopposed in the Democratic primary on September 9th. The Republican party has two candidates running in the primary. The winner will face Coons in the November 4th midterm election. Some of us were intrigued when there was some discussion of Christine (I am not a witch) O'Donnell entering the primary race. But, sadly, she declined to enter.

If you'd like to know more about Senator Coons, please check here:  http://ballotpedia.org/Chris_Coons

Here's a recent article on the Delaware primary: http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/politics/2014/08/21/primary-approaching-campaigns-pick-pace/14419267/

Please sign up to help with his campaign. Here are two places: http://www.dscc.org/races/delaware
http://chriscoons.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack on twitter @PDMFNB

Senator Jeanne Shaheen Faces Scott Brown

Senator Shaheen is the incumbent and faces Scott Brown in the November midterm election. Shaheen was formerly the Governor of New Hampshire. She had also previously served in the state senate. Brown, if you remember, ran in a special election against Martha Coakley in MA in 2010 to replace Sen. Ted Kennedy. Brown trailed Coakley until late in the race, then defeated her. He later ran against Elizabeth Warren and lost. He has now moved to New Hampshire to challenge Shaheen.

Just like Coakley, Shaheen has been leading Brown and now recent polls have him within 2 points. The Republican party is counting on winning this race to secure their take-over of the US Senate. The Boston Globe has the race as a dead heat: http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/08/21/jeanne-shaheen-scott-brown-dead-heat-new-poll-finds/aP4DUADaYLNif2LBJ5TWaI/story.html

Please go to her campaign website: http://jeanneshaheen.org/ or to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee site: http://www.dscc.org/races/new-hampshire Sign up to help in any way you can. Retaining the Democratic majority in the Senate is essential to maintaining life as we know it in America. If you think that is an exaggeration, then consider this:
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/21/how-mitch-mcconnell-would-rule-the-senate/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

This article tells how Mitch McConnell would rule the Senate and what he'd do to our country. Will you let this happen? Do something; donate, write letters to the editors, sign up for phone banks, etc. Thanks.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack

The Great Divide

There are some pundits who will try to sell you the line that there is NO difference between the two main political parties in America. They have their agenda and we should know what they are trying to sell. Counter their sales pitch with information. Anyone of us who follows the political discussions on social media knows of The Great Divide. We see it everyday on our news feeds and our timelines. I have searched a few sources that carefully lay out the major differences between the core beliefs of both parties. If one reads them with an open mind, it is unlikely that person could conclude there is no difference between the parties.

This link takes you to 15 differences: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/05/09/fifteen-differences/
"(1) Republicans fear that the government has too much control over corporations. Democrats fear that corporations have too much control over our government.
(2) Democrats believe it benefits all of us to help the weakest and the poorest among us. Republicans believe it benefits all of us to help the wealthiest and most powerful among us.
(3) Republicans believe large corporations will always do what is best for the American people if the government stays out of the way. Democrats believe large corporations would disembowel you and sell your organs to the highest bidder if the government didn’t stop them.
(4) Democrats believe everyone is entitled to health care regardless of their ability to pay. Republicans believe everyone is entitled to jack squat if they can’t pay for health care.
(5) Democrats believe too much of our money goes to crooked corporate executives who take government subsidies and pay themselves $80 million salaries. Republicans believe too much of our money goes to teachers who make $30,000 a year.
(6) Democrats believe anything that helps the American people during a recession or a time of crisis is the true essence of patriotism. Republicans believe anything that helps the American people during a recession or a time of crisis is the true essence of communism.
(7) Democrats believe that we need to set high standards for clean air and drinking water. Republicans believe that standards for clean air and water are burdensome over-regulation.
(8) Democrats believe the President and Congress need to work together to create jobs during a weak economy. Republicansbelieve that Congress should do nothing to create jobs and then blame the President.
(9) Democrats believe that corporate polluters should be made to pay for the cleanup of their pollution. Republicans believe that making corporations clean up their pollution is burdensome over-regulation.
(10) Democrats believe our health care system exists solely for the purpose of making people healthy. Republicans believe our health care system exists solely for the purpose of making a healthy profit.
(11) Democrats believe Congress should be of the people, by the people and for the people. Republicans believe corporations are the people.
(12) Democrats believe that corporations have too much influence over Congress due to their lobbyists and huge campaign contributions. Republicans believe the middle class has too much influence over Congress due to their voting and paying taxes.
(13) Democrats believe we need to protect victims of corporate negligence by allowing Americans to file lawsuits against corporations. Republicans believe we need to protect large corporations from lawsuits by Americans who’ve been victimized by them.
(14) Democrats believe that the rich should be taxed more than the poor and middle class. Republicans believe that the rich should be allowed to keep all their wealth, except for the millions in campaign contributions they give to politicians.
(15) Democrats believe that too much money in politics produces corruption and destroys the American way of life. Republicansbelieve that money and corruption in politics are the American way of life."

Yes this listing was done by someone who obviously has a Democratic view. But consider this: at http://united4thepeople.org/amendments.html you can see a listing of all the proposed amendments to correct the money in politics problem acerbated by the Citizen's United Ruling. Why have none of them made it to a vote?

Finally, consider the information at this site: http://www.diffen.com/difference/Democrat_vs_Republican
Here a more objective but no less definitive view is presented of the major differences between Democrats and Republicans.

Armed with facts and information, you can help people see that a vote for Democrats is a vote for people and progress!

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack You can find us on Twitter at @PDMFNB

Money and Politics and Super PACs

Many of us would like to get the money out of politics, especially those of us who don't have enough money to buy influence. I'm sure you know that getting money out of politics is a Sisyphean task. Like the Ancient Greek who endlessly tried to roll a gigantic rock up the hill, we ordinary citizens face a daunting task in trying to change the status quo. There are organizations formed with the aim of over-turning the Citizen's United Ruling. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/overturn-citizens-united/ But, until that goal is ever achieved, what can the ordinary citizen do to know who is funding the candidates?

Enter OpenSecrets.org. https://www.opensecrets.org/ This is a group with a mission to inform. You can read more about the organization here: https://www.opensecrets.org/about/

OpenSecrets has an entire section on Super PACs. "As of August 19, 2014, 1,123 groups organized as Super PACs have reported total receipts of $295,216,945 and total independent expenditures of $96,425,688 in the 2014 cycle."
 https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/superpacs.php  They list all of the Super PACs and give information on their expenditures and their political perspectives.

The politics and elections tab on the site offers a tremendous about of information, including this overview of the 2014 election cycle: https://www.opensecrets.org/overview/

They even have a convenient Take Action section: https://www.opensecrets.org/action/

Will you get involved? Will you decide to support a candidate? Do you want to know more about how money works in politics? If yes, then, please take some time to explore all that OpenSecrets has to offer.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack You can find us on Twitter @PDMFNB

What is a Google Hangout and How Can We Use It For Political Activism

The Progressive Democrats Moving Forward - Not Back group here on Facebook has been actively using the Google Hangout format for training people to become clicktavists. In case you missed it, #ICYMI, Laurel Davila previously did a post on clicktavism:  https://plus.google.com/101758158330165615933/posts/EnGVpwsFop7

Many activists here on Facebook are very familiar with this social media platform. However, crossing over to Twitter or Google Plus is not something that makes them comfortable. Let's face it, we all like and enjoy what is familiar and we hate change. Yet, if we are to reach the widest audience with our message, we must learn new social media platforms. This is where the Google Hangout comes in.

So what exactly is a Google Hangout? Google launched the Hangout platform in May of 2013.Hangouts allows users to hold conversations between two or more users. Google has a very entertaining site that fully explains their Hangouts: https://www.google.com/hangouts/

How do we use them for training purposes? Each Wednesday, Laurel Davila hosts a Hangout for members of our group and other invited Democrats. It begins at 11:00 AM PT and ends when it ends. Laurel trains new group members in how to use Twitter and Google Plus (G+) . Also, other group members can teach specific topics like:  how to use the Paint program to make a meme/adapt for your message.

In the Hangout, participants who have webcams can see and hear each other. It is great fun to meet "Face-to-Face" someone you've "friended" on Facebook or Followed on Twitter or Circled on G+. If a participant does not have a webcam, they can still participate only by audio, without the video component.

This week's Hangout will cover using the NGP-VAN to help a candidate who is not in our district but needs people to work on his campaign. I am sure we will all learn many new things and have fun at the same time.

For more on using Google Hangouts for training, see this: http://www.cherryleaf.com/useful-resources/using-google-hangouts-for-training/

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack

What's NGP-VAN? And How Can We Use It to Help GOTV?

In case you didn't get the memo, NGP-VAN is software that was developed to help market people and products. Wikipedia describes it as, "NGP VAN is a privately owned American company specializing in helping progressive campaigns and organizations leverage technology to meet their goals."
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGP_VAN  Here is the company website: http://www.ngpvan.com/

At the company site there are sections explaining their services, from fund raising and compliance to social organizing. For our purposes, we are going to focus on the voter contact piece of their product. The site explains this part as: "The VAN database was built under the guidance of Obama for America. Tightly integrated with the voter file and your voter contact program, VAN provides a complete suite of volunteer management tools for tracking your activists and setting up and scheduling events."  http://www.ngpvan.com/voter-contact

The MiniVAN is another tool that the company offers for free: "MiniVAN is the free mobile canvassing application that allows users to export canvassing lists from the VAN onto a mobile device (including iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and Android phones and tablets). Canvassers can enter data into their device as they talk to people on their list, and then upload their data back to the VAN with the touch of a button. Canvassing with MiniVAN allows NGP VAN clients to spend more time and resources on actually contacting people instead of on data entry. And there are accountability features, so now administrators can check the time of each entry. Get it for free at the iTunes Store or Google Play." http://www.ngpvan.com/voter-contact

The Progressive Democrats Moving Forward - Not Back Group on Facebook is hoping to be able to use this technology to help with the campaign for Michael Cole 36th Congressional District in Texas. You can check out his campaign website here: http://www.michaelcole.us/  There is also a Facebook page for his campaign: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelColeforCongress Stay posted for more information on our efforts.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack

Jeff Merkley is Democratic Incumbent Running for Senate in Oregon

Jeff Merkley defeated two Democratic challengers with 93% of the vote in the Oregon Primary on May 20. He has a Republican opponent, Monica Wehby, a pediatriac neorosurgeon. She defeated four Republican opponents with 54% of the vote in the Republican primary. Merkley was the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives and defeated a two-term Republican, Gordon H. Smith, in 2008.

Ballotpedia has an extensive article about Merkley, including voting information and committee membership in the Senate. http://ballotpedia.org/Jeff_Merkley

You can go to his campaign website here: http://www.jeffmerkley.com/

You can also go to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to sign up to help Merkley here: http://www.dscc.org/races/oregon

The pundits keep saying that Democrats are in a perilous position this year: http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/2014-more-than-a-backlash-from-2008/

LET'S PROVE THEM WRONG!

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack

Can You Help Mark Begich Keep His Senate Seat in Alaska?

Mark Begich was first elected to the US Senate in 2008. Before that he served in the Alaska Assembly and as Mayor of Anchorage. His seat is considered to be one of the most vulnerable to Republican win due to his support of the Affordable Care Act. Cook Political Report considers the race to be a toss up. For more information on Begich, please see: http://ballotpedia.org/Mark_Begich

His opponent in the election is Joe Miller.You may remember Joe from 2010 when he defeated Lisa Murkowski (R) in the primary. She went on to run as write-in candidate and was able to defeat Miller. Miller is the Tea Party favorite and gives us more reason to support Begich.

Please go to Begich's campaign website and sign up to help: http://www.markbegich.com/

Here's a good read on Mark Begich:  https://plus.google.com/101758158330165615933/posts/FuXFWZ4EsAk

You can also sign up to help him here: http://www.dscc.org/races/alaska

Please do what you can to help Democrats retain control of the Senate!

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack

Help Keep Senate in Democratic Control - Reelect Mark Udall in Colorado

Senator Mark Udall (D) is up for reelection this November. US Representative Cory Gardner (R) is his opponent. Udall has a slight lead in polling and a more significant lead in fundraising.
 http://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections_in_Colorado,_2014 The super PAC, American Crossroads, has set aside $2.4 Million in airtime to oppose Udall.

If you would like more information on Senator Mark Udall, I recommend this:
http://ballotpedia.org/Mark_Udall

You can also go directly to the senator's campaign webpage:  http://markudall.com/ The race is currently rated as a toss up by Cook Political Report and leaning D by Sabato's Crystal Ball.

Here's a recent article about Udall's latest political ad: http://kdvr.com/2014/08/13/new-udall-tv-ad-highlights-flood-recovery-efforts/  The article includes a 30 sec. clip of the ad.

Please consider signing up to help Udall retain his seat and help keep a Democratic Senate. And most of all vote for Democrats!

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack?ref=bookmarks

Do You Want Democrats to Retain Control of the Senate? Reelect Mark Pryor in AR

Mark Pryor, Democratic Senator from Arkansas, is running for reelection this November. He was reelected before in 2008. Pryor was first elected to the US Senate from Arkansas in 2002 after serving in the AR House of Representatives and as AR Attorney General. His Republican opponent is Rep. Tom Cotton. Pryor's reelection is vital for Democrats and other Liberals who do not want to see a complete GOP takeover of Congress.

What can you do to help Pryor's reelection efforts? First, go to his campaign website here: http://pryorforsenate.com/ and sign up to help. You may also want to go to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's site and sign up there to help: http://www.dscc.org/races/arkansas

For more information on Pryor's record as a US Senator, please see this: http://www.dscc.org/races/arkansas

This Tea Party, KOCH funded, Rep. Cotton will not be good for Arkansas. Read this article and get motivated to help Pryor's campaign. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/17/tom-cotton-food-stamps-_n_5595893.html?utm_hp_ref=tw

You can be sure this campaign will get uglier as we get closer to the election. Please try to focus on the issue of retaining the Democratic control of the Senate. This is the ONLY issue we on the LEFT should be paying attention to. Don't get suckered by KOCH addicts and fall for their divide and conquer messages.

We can do this if we Get Out The Vote for Democrats!

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack?ref=bookmarks

Can You Help Mary Landrieu Win Reelection to Senate from Louisiana?

Mary Landrieu was first elected to the US Senate in 1996 after serving in the Louisiana House of Representatives for 8 years and also as State Treasurer for 8 years. She is considered to be moderately left of center politically.

Louisiana is one of only three state to use a blanket primary. That means the top two candidates of a party advance to the general election. This year the Democrats only have Landrieu on the ballot but the Republicans have two candidates, Bill Cassidy and Robert Maness. There is also a Libertarian candidate, Brannon McMorris. Louisiana requires the winner to have more than 50% of the vote so there is a run-off election scheduled for December 6 if none of the candidates gets the 50%. Washington Post has this race as one of their top ten to watch this November.

For an extensive article about Landrieu, please see: http://ballotpedia.org/Mary_Landrieu For more about the Senate race in Louisiana, see: http://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections_in_Louisiana,_2014

If  you'd like to help Democrats retain this seat in the Senate, please check out Landrieu's campaign website for ways to get involved: http://www.marylandrieu.com/

And, finally, here's another way to help keep this seat for Democrats: http://www.dscc.org/races/louisiana

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack?ref_type=bookmark

Kay Hagen is the Incumbent Senator from North Carolina

On November 4, North Carolina voters will elect one senator. The incumbent, Kay Hagen, has a Republican challenger, Thom Tillis, GOP Speaker of the NC House of Representatives. Before her election to the Senate in 2008, Hagen served in the NC Senate for 10 years.

Ballotpedia has a great article on Senator Hagen that has many links to current articles about her candidacy. They have her ranked as slightly left of center. We need more women like her in our Congress. A great article that looks at the 30 women who are seeking office in 2014 is here:
 http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/women-candidates-watch-2014-kay-hagan

GovTrack.US Does a report card on each member of Congress and you can find Hagen's here: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/kay_hagan/412324/report-card/2013

Do we need her seat to retain the Democratic control of the Senate? Absolutely!! Her campaign website is here: http://www.kayhagan.com/landing/e140212/ Please check it out and sign up to help in any way that appeals to you. We have less than 85 days to make it happen. Get Out The Vote! Thank you.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack?ref_type=bookmark

The Georgia Senate Race is Unique

The November 4 election will fill the seat that is open due to Saxby Chambliss' retirement at the end of this term. Both of the main party candidates made it through the primary; although the Republican candidate had to face an opponent in a run-off primary on July 22.

So what makes this race unique? Both David Purdue (R) and Michelle Nunn (D) have NEVER held office before!!! http://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections_in_Georgia,_2014

Let's see what we can learn about Nunn. First, she received 75% of the Democratic primary votes. She headed up HandsOn Network. This is an organization's purpose is: "We tackle Greater Atlanta's most pressing needs by igniting a passion for service and creating lifelong community volunteers. Since its founding in 1989, Hands On Atlanta has grown to become one of the largest community-based volunteer service organization in the United States and a model studied and replicated across dozens of other communities." http://www.handsonatlanta.org/HOC__Affiliate_Home_Page

http://ballotpedia.org/Michelle_Nunn This is a great resource for information about her campaign. At the end of the piece is a section of current news articles about Nunn and her race for Senate. Here's an interesting one that I found about campaign documents of hers that was leaked to the press:
 http://www.nationalreview.com/article/383894/michelle-nunns-campaign-plan-eliana-johnson

This race will get plenty of National attention as the seat is currently in GOP hands and a Nunn win would be a huge one for Democrats. Stay tuned. And if you can, please do what you can to insure a Democratic victory dance on November 5th. Start here: http://www.michellenunn.com/splash

also check out: http://www.taylormarsh.com/2014/05/campaigns-matter-democrats-arkansas-georgia-kentucky-keeping-midterms-competitive/

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack?ref=hl&ref_type=bookmark

Bruce Braley for Senate in Iowa

The current senator, Tom Harkin, will retire this year and U.S.Congressman Bruce Braley is running on the Democratic ticket for the seat. He currently represents the 1st district in Iowa, having been elected to that seat in 2006. This is what the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has to say about the race: "Braley’s opponent, state Sen. Joni Ernst, is the Sarah Palin of Iowa who would bring more gridlock and dysfunction to Washington. When you peel back Ernst’s unusual ads, you find a rigid, ideological partisan with an agenda that is bought and paid for by outside special interests and out of step with Iowans.  Ernst supports privatizing Social Security, ending Medicare as we know it, denying reproductive choices even in cases of rape and incest, and eliminating the federal minimum wage. A recent Quinnipiac poll shows Braley leading Ernst 44-40 and holding a double digit lead with women. Braley raised over $1 million in the first quarter of 2014." http://www.dscc.org/races/iowa

Braley spoke this week to a gathering of supporters at the Iowa State fair. The newspaper report was mostly positive. You can read it here:  http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/elections/2014/08/07/iowa-state-fair-soapbox-bruce-braley/13725135/  As the article states, Braley points out the contract between his stance on issues and his opponent's which are mostly Tea Party approved.

You can find more information about Braley at Project Vote Smart:
 http://votesmart.org/candidate/57382/bruce-braley#.U-PWcPRDuSo

and at govtrack.us :https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/bruce_braley/412208

Also, as usual, Ballotpedia has a great page of information about Braley: http://ballotpedia.org/Bruce_Braley

If you'd like to volunteer to help with the Braley campaign, please go to his website for the latest information: http://www.brucebraley.com  Want to help change the world? Start today. Help GOTV for Democrats for November.

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The Minnesota Primary is Tuesday and Al Franken has an Opponent

First term Senator Al Franken is up for reelection this year. He has a primary opponent and a strong GOP challenger in the November general election. The outlook for Franken is pretty good. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has this information about him: "Senator Al Franken has spent his first term working in a bipartisan way to improve the lives of Minnesota families.  He quickly built a reputation in Washington as a hardworking, effective legislator who is willing to work with anyone to deliver for his state. He has been a champion for veterans, health care reform, and Minnesota’s small businesses and middle class. Republicans will try to challenge Senator Franken, but polls show him well-positioned for reelection. Minnesota has trended more Democratic with both Senator Klobuchar and President Obama winning the state by wide margins in 2012." http://www.dscc.org/races/minnesota

That sounds very positive. Also, Ballotpedia has this: "Incumbent Al Franken holds what will most likely be a safe Democratic seat.The Cook Political Report rates this race as "Likely Democratic," which the website defines as seats that are "not considered competitive at this point but have the potential to become engaged."  http://ballotpedia.org/United_States_Senate_elections_in_Minnesota,_2014

The Minneapolis Star Tribune recently had an article comparing the fund raising of both Franken and his most likely GOP opponent, Mike McFadden. It seems that both men are adept at raking in the campaign contributions. The paper calls the race, "A Top Dollar Show."  http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/269635201.html

Franken's Democratic opponent in Tuesday's primary is Sandra Henningsgard. I was not able to find much information on this candidate. Project Vote Smart only had her contact information:
 http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/152769/sandra-henningsgard#.U-PKY_RDuSo and Ballotpedia, usually as wealth of information only had this: http://ballotpedia.org/Sandra_Henningsgard Other sources also came up empty.

However, if you'd like more information on Senator Franken, Ballotpedia has an exhaustive list of resources: http://ballotpedia.org/Al_Franken

If you remember, it was Franken's contested election in 2008 that kept the Democrats in the Senate from having a filibuster proof majority for so many months. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/30/court-rules-franken-has-won-senate-seat/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

So when people talk about Democrats having the Senate, remind them how long it was before we actually had 60 votes. Do what you can, where you can, whenever you can to Get Out The Vote and vote for Democrats. https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack?ref_type=bookmark

Rep. Gary Peters is the Democratic Candidate for Senate from Michigan

Tuesday was Michigan's Primary Election. Rep. Gary Peters was unopposed on the Democratic Primary ballot to run for Carl Levin's Senate seat. As in many midterm primaries, the voter turn out was low. Less than 19% of registered voters came out for this election. http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/08/michigan_2014_primary_six_big.html

So what do we know about Representative Gary Peters? Well, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has this about him on their site: "Peters has the right background as a businessman, veteran, and proven independent voice for Michigan middle class families and small businesses to carry on Senator Carl Levin’s legacy in the U.S. Senate. Peters knows what it takes to win tough races and is a strong campaigner. He was the first Democrat to hold a swing district in Michigan in more than a century in 2008, held the seat in 2010, and won a difficult primary to represent a minority majority district after redistricting." http://www.dscc.org/races/michigan

His opponent in November will be former Republican National Committeewoman Terri Lynn Land. According to the DSCC site: "Land backs the Koch agenda that’s good for billionaires like the Kochs but hurts Michigan’s middle class. She supports ending guaranteed benefits like Medicare and Social Security while giving tax breaks to billionaires, opposes equal pay, and supports the "Akin" plank that restricts access to women's health care and bans abortion without exceptions." So obviously, we Democrats and any other Liberals who oppose the KOCH agenda need to do our part to support Peters in his bid for the Michigan Senate seat. Remember, you don't have to live in Michigan to work for his campaign. You can sign up to help through the DSCC site or go directly to his campaign site:  http://www.petersformichigan.com/landing/e140207/?subsource=splash
If you are interested in learning more about Peters, please check out the Ballotpedia information here: http://ballotpedia.org/Gary_Peters This site has a most exhaustive listing of information about Peters and also has updated news articles related to his campaign. The Ballotpedia editors update the information frequently so it is a great reference.

Time to get in action. If not this campaign, then chose another, but, do something to help #GOTV this November and elect Democrats to the Senate.

https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack?ref_type=bookmark #PDMFNB @PDMFNB

Will We Democrats Give the GOP a Chance to Win the Senate?

That is the question some of us are asking. Will Democrats perform as they usually do in midterm elections and sit out the November 4 general election? I guess that remains to be seen. What do know is this: IT MUST NOT HAPPEN! Sorry to shout, but, I REALLY MEAN IT! We have been posting many ways a concerned citizen can get involved. We have shared the information, now, we wait to see if Democrats and other concerned citizens answer the call to action. Yesterday, I mentioned the Democratic Senatorial Campaign  (DSCC) Website. http://www.dscc.org/actioncenter You can go here: http://www.dscc.org/races select a state and sign up to help. It is all set up and ready for you to take action. At a minimum, you can tweet or post on Facebook about the race. You can also enter your email to get future calls to action. You can click the read more link to learn what the DSCC has to say about that state's race. Also check this one: http://www.dscc.org/content/2014-candidates

 Here's an example of what you will find. Let's look at the Kentucky Senate Race: "Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes is running one of the most successful, disciplined campaigns in the country while enthusiasm for defeating McConnell is off the charts. Grimes recently traveled across Kentucky on a 50-county, 10-day jobs tour, meeting thousands of Kentuckians." 

The site also gives information about her likely opponent: " Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is the face of Washington’s dysfunction and is in the weakest position he has ever faced in his nearly 40 years in politics. McConnell has an embarrassing record of championing gridlock and obstruction in Washington and putting special interests ahead of Kentuckians. McConnell has already spent nearly $12 million on his reelection campaign, yet he has failed to move his numbers one bit. McConnell remains the most unpopular Senator in the entire country, and the latest Bluegrass poll shows that only 29% of Kentuckians have a favorable view of him.On the campaign trail, McConnell looks as bad has his approval numbers. He became Kentucky’s own Sharron Angle by declaring it’s “not my job” to bring local jobs to Kentucky. Twenty recent polls have shown Grimes tied or ahead of Mitch McConnell. In the first quarter, Grimes outraised Mitch McConnell again, hauling in $2.7 million and has raised more than $8 million overall." 

Here's what Ballotpedia has to say about the Democratic candidate: http://ballotpedia.org/Alison_Lundergan_Grimes

From now until the November election, the polls will come and go, Nate Silver (http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/republican-gop-senate-forecast/) will share his analysis of them, but what happens on election day will make the difference. Democrats and other concerned citizens will determine that day whether our country will go forward or go back to old, failed GOP policies.

Please get involved and help in any way you can. https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack?ref_type=bookmark #PDMFNB @PDMFNB

The 2014 Senate Races

Many of the professional political writers have suggested that the Senate is a toss-up this year. 33 Senate seats are up for regular election and three more will be filled in special elections. All 36 elections will take place on November 4. The 2014 elections will be the 100th anniversary of direct elections for the Senate. Originally, Senators were selected by state legislatures. The ratification of the 17th amendment changed the process.

At this point, six senators have announced retirements and four have resigned early. This means that in January, there will be at least 10 new Senators. Several models of prediction have given the Republicans a strong chance of taking over the majority in the Senate. I hope you know what this means. If Republicans control both the Senate and the House of Representatives, they will most likely try to impeach President Obama. In addition, their agenda will systematically hand over much of our government to corporations. We know this because we have already seen it happening in states that have legislatures in GOP control.

There are less than 100 days until November 4. So what can we do to prevent this disaster? Republicans only need to pick up six seats that are currently held by Democrats to gain a majority. Of course, they also have to retain the ones they now hold. We can and indeed, must, work our butts off to stop them. First, make sure you are registered, then contact your local Democratic party and volunteer to work on a phone bank or help with canvassing neighborhoods. We can also write letters to the editor in support of Democratic candidates. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ( www.dscc.org ) has an action center. You can go there and simply click on the links to take action.

You can learn more about individual Senatorial races and the candidates at that site. I will also be covering more of the races in this blog. Do NOT let the main stream media discourage you from taking action. If we all vote and do our part to encourage others to vote, we can prevent Republicans from gaining seats this year.
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What the Heck is Fancy Farm?

You may have seen or read something over the weekend about Fancy Farm Picnic and wondered what it was all about. First of all, it is a fund raiser picnic in Western Kentucky. They've been having it for 134 years! It is a big deal for Kentucky politicians and made National news last year when Alison Lundergan Grimes spoke so passionately about why Mitch McConnell was bad for Kentucky and bad for the Senate. For more information about the entire event, see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/08/01/why-a-picnic-with-thousands-of-pounds-of-barbecue-is-kind-of-politically-important-explained/  This article explains why a southern style picnic has become such a big event.

On Saturday at this year's event, Grimes again spoke with passion about why voters should elect her. She even called the event, McConnell's retirement party. In case you missed the event, which was aired on C-span, here is a link to YouTube for videos of the speakers: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMS9W56UOPGW2fXUQpX9xJqX4787zpj0S

So why should Democrats care about a picnic in Kentucky? Well, for one thing, it is political theater at its best. Both Democrats and Republicans come to the event prepared to go all out in support of their candidate. When Grimes spoke, her supporters chanted, "Don't Care!" whenever she referenced Washington DC. It was obviously well-planned and effective in driving home her message that the GOP in DC really "Don't Care!" For more on Grimes' speech, see:
 http://www.politicususa.com/2014/08/02/blistering-speech-alison-lundergan-grimes-eviscerates-mitch-mcconnell-fancy-farm.html

Before the Fancy Farms Picnic, pundits were leaning towards the Republican, McConnell, to win in November. It will be interesting to watch this race as we move closer to November 4. Only 92 more days to go. Will you vote? Are you sure you are registered and have the proper ID? Do you know where your polling place is located this year? Can you vote early in your state? What can you do to help #GOTV this year? For answers to those questions, please check out the previous posts on this page.

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Where Do You Get Your Information?

We all need to do our own homework when it comes to elections. There's too much inaccurate information being promoted by politicians and super PAC's. If you are relying on mainstream media to keep yourself informed this election season, please think again. Who owns them? What agenda are they promoting this week? Follow the money! The political ads are bought and paid for by PAC's whose only agenda is to smear the other guy and convince the viewer to vote for their candidate. I am afraid we will all have to rely on other sources for accurate and valid information.

One source that I often use is Ballotpedia, "an interactive almanac of US politics."  http://ballotpedia.org/Main_Page There is so much information available on this site that I cannot begin to tell you what they have for you. You will need to go there and check it out for yourself.

Can you trust the information on the site? According to their site: "Ballotpedia is published on a wiki platform, meaning any registered user is welcome to add knowledge and improve our content. Every submission to Ballotpedia is fact-checked and curated by our professional editing staff. All Ballotpedia content must be neutral, accurate, and verifiable. Ballotpedia currently has 516,946 articles and 9,133 registered users." 

Ballotpedia claims to be: "Ballotpedia is sponsored by the Lucy Burns Institute, a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. The Lucy Burns Institute is funded entirely by private contributions, and does not receive government funding. Ballotpedia's sister site is Judgepedia, an online encyclopedia of American courts and judges." 

"Since Ballotpedia's founding in 2007, we’ve received over 350 million page views. Our work has been referenced in over 5,000 media outlets, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal,Washington Post, and Politico."

Okay, given that information, I am inclined to give some credence to information from that site. Of course there are other sites on the web with useful information, too. The point that I am trying to make here in this post is that we all must actively seek out accurate information. The days of relying on our TV news to tell us the facts are behind us. So,  please take some time this week and check out Ballotpedia. It will be worth your effort. 

You can also find Ballotpedia on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ballotpedia?fref=ts