all who donated helped … Match Rove

Democratic Activists Match Rove’s billionaires; DSCC Airs First Ad

Thanks to the tremendous support of our grassroots donors, we were able to meet our $1.2 million goal, matching Karl Rove’s group’s most recent multi-state ad buy. It was an absolutely remarkable feat, but one only  made possible because of the support of our grassroots donors.  As Republicans come to rely more than ever on unlimited  outside spending from SuperPACs and other organizations to fund their  attacks, grassroots support has become more important than ever.
And because of grassroots support, we were able to air the first (of many)  rapid response ads that will help defend our Democratic candidates when  they are under attack. You can watch the ad here.

Democrats Have Changed The Map

 A recent Salon article examines how “a Senate map that looked bleak a year ago (for Democrats) is now littered with surprise pick-up opportunities.” Thanks to strong Democratic recruiting and Republican missteps, Democrats have put Senate seats in Massachusetts, Maine, North Dakota, Arizona and Indiana in play.

 This could not be true without the strong support we have from an energized base of grassroots supporters, who make 97% of contributions to the DSCC.

** Top Action **

Help Keep Student Loan Interest Rates Low

 

If Congress doesn’t act soon, interest rates on many types of student loans will double.
President Obama’s plan would keep today’s rates in place, but  Republicans are determined to sabotage his efforts.
Join the DSCC and tell Republicans to  pass President Obama’s student loan proposal before it’s too late!
Add your name »

Fundraising … 2012 Gap

DSCC Has Record Breaking Quarter Thanks to Strong Grassroots Support

The first three months of 2012 showed the incredible enthusiasm of Democratic supporters. The DSCC set a first quarter fundraising record by raising almost 20% more than our Republican counterparts.

You played a big role in our success; 97% of the gifts came from grassroots donors.

Thank you for your continuing support!

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Top Action

Critical Vote on Protecting Women Just Days Away

In what is just the latest in a series of Republican attacks on women, Senate Republicans are trying to eliminate the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

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Twice before, VAWA was reauthorized with widespread, bipartisan support from both houses of Congress. But now, Republicans have grown so radical they won’t even commit to protecting women from violence.

Join Democrats and demand Senate Republicans stop trying to eliminate VAWA!

Add your name »

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Enthusiasm Gap Felt in Senate Races Around the Country

The enthusiasm gap between Democrats and Republicans is stretching to Senate races as well. According to Politico, “In the dozen most competitive contests across the country, Democrats once again collected more cash during the first three months of the year than Republicans, who are expected to wage an aggressive battle for the Senate majority.”

Among the strongest performers this quarter were Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Baldwin, Debbie Stabenow, and Claire McCaskill.

the Daily Share – Birth Control, Mitt and a Mockery of Justice

One Simple Chart That Explains Why Conservatives Will Lose The Birth Control Debate

What Do YOU Think Mitt Romney Does?

 

 

The Most Ridiculous Mockery Of Justice We’ve Seen All Week

the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, just announced a $10mil advertising campaign across 8 key states – is this fair?or – should they be investing in American JOBs

URGENT NEWS: One of the nation’s wealthiest and most powerful corporate interest groups, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, just announced a $10 million advertising campaign across eight key states. This is a major piece of their plan to defeat President Obama, seize the Senate and execute a complete GOP takeover of government.

These states represent 72 electoral votes, more than decided two of the past three presidential elections — combined. Eight Senate seats is twice the current slim Democratic majority.

These ads are running now. We must react. We must respond. Now. $1 million by the end of February – combined with our current resources – will allow us to beat the Chamber.

If we lose these states, we don’t just lose the Senate. We lose the White House and our ability to stop Republicans from launching a full-out assault on women’s rights, American workers, and our social safety net. $1 million by the end of February will help us hold the line. Thanks for your help.

Guy Cecil
Executive Director, DSCC

What I’m Reading … Guy Cecil

Quarterly fundraising numbers are trickling in, and Elizabeth Warren put up a MASSIVE number, thanks in large part to the small donors who are making a big difference in our fight to keep the Senate blue. We expect more good numbers in the coming days from our other candidates. And just in time, as Tea Party forces unenthused by Mitt Romney turn their energy toward taking the Senate. Meanwhile, Heidi Heitkamp is giving North Dakota Republicans heartburn – for good reason.

Please do me a favor and share these links with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter. While you’re at it, make sure you follow @DSCC and my own account, @guycecil, where I talk about Senate races, reality TV, and quite possibly the only thing more bizarre than reality TV – the 2012 Republican presidential primary.

You Did This: Democrats Trounce Republicans in Grassroots Donations!
Here’s a good look at how important all of those $10 and $25 donations are to keeping the Senate blue. Recently released numbers show that the DSCC has seen a whopping 46% jump in small donations since the last election cycle – from $9.1 million to $13.4 million. In the same timeframe, Republicans have seen their small donations DROP 31%. It proves that every little bit helps and will help preserve the Democratic majority in 2012. Read more »

MONSTER Quarter from Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Warren’s candidacy has caught fire! Warren reported an astonishing $5.7 million raised during the final quarter of 2011, compared with only $3.2 million raised by Republican Sen. Scott Brown. And much of the support is from local grassroots donors, with about 23,000 Bay Staters contributing, and an average gift of $64. Warren’s message of leveling the playing field for middle class American families has clearly caught on. Sen. Brown has got to be nervous. Read more »

Tea Partiers Turn Attention to Taking Senate
The Democratic advantage in small donations couldn’t come at a better time. Tea Partiers – who are decidedly unenthusiastic about Mitt Romney’s candidacy – are turning their attention to a bigger prize – gaining control of the Senate. Tim Dake of the Wisconsin Grandsons of Liberty might sum it up best: “There is no way on earth I’d campaign for Romney,” he said. “I will put all of my efforts into getting a conservative U.S. senator instead.” If their plan works, and Republicans gain 4 seats, they have total control of Congress. We’re fighting every day to make sure that doesn’t happen. Read more »

Republicans Running Scared in North Dakota
In an editorial, the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead pointed out this week that Republican actions suggest that they are worried about Democratic Senate candidate Heidi Heitkamp. And they should be. According to the Forum, Heitkamp is a formidable campaigner who “can count on a deep reservoir of good will among North Dakotans” given her strong leadership during two terms as attorney general. “Given Heitkamp’s record of service in her state … it will be a tall order for [Republicans] to characterize her as putting the interests of Washington ahead of North Dakota,” the editorial concluded. Exactly right. Read more »

DSCC.ORG – Our Top Senate Races in Play – Stay informed

It’s nearly 2012, and Senate campaigns are really starting to heat up across the country. As the DSCC’s political director, it’s my job to keep a close eye on all of our Senate races, find political opportunities, and do all I can to support our outstanding Democratic candidates. Read below about some of the top races we are working to win – many of which are in battleground states that will help determine the presidential race.

As always, we’ll keep you informed whenever campaign news breaks. Thanks for all you do to help Democrats win.

Crystal King

P.S. Recent polls show great opportunities for Democrats, but seizing the momentum takes money. Can you give $5 or $10 to the DSCC today? Our 500,000 donors are playing a crucial role in preventing a total takeover by radical Republicans. We can’t do our work without your help!

Races Update

ARIZONA: Democrat Richard Carmona’s entry into the race has put this red state in play, according to a new poll. Republican Rep. Jeff Flake – “one of the GOP‘s most outspoken critics of extending the payroll tax cut” – leads Carmona by just 4 points, 40-36. Carmona is receiving especially strong support from Hispanic voters, who favor him 56-19. [Full Story]

FLORIDA: A new poll of Sunshine State voters shows that Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson has a 46-35 lead over Republican Connie Mack, and an even larger lead over the rest of the GOP field. The Republican primary is shaping up to be brutal slog, and whoever emerges will most likely be damaged for the general election. [Full Story]

MASSACHUSETTS: This is a state where we have a really good shot at turning a red Senate seat blue. Elizabeth Warren is building a massive following, and in recent polls, she’s either tied with or leading Wall Street’s favorite senator, Republican Scott Brown. This is definitely a race to keep your eyes on. [Full Story]

MONTANA: A brand new Montana Chamber of Commerce poll has Democratic Sen. Jon Tester leading Republican Rep. Dennis Rehberg by 5 points – and that’s after the national Chamber of Commerce ran a slew of attack ads targeting Tester. Rehberg, if you remember, is the lawmaker who sued his hometown fire department and called Pell grants “the welfare of the 21st century.” [Full Story]

NEVADA: In Nevada, a recent poll showed Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley in a dead heat with appointed Sen. Dean Heller, 45-45. In a previous poll, Heller led by 3 points. Heller has the dubious distinction of being the only lawmaker to vote for Rep. Paul Ryan’s End Medicare Plan twice – once in the House and once after he was appointed to the Senate. [Full Story]

NORTH DAKOTA: The entry of former Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp into the North Dakota Senate race caused leading analysts to shift their prediction from Likely Republican to Tossup. And recent polling shows Heitkamp leading freshman GOP Rep. Rick Berg by 5 points, 47-42. In fact, only 28% of poll respondents gave Berg favorable marks, while 56% were thumbs down. [Full Story]

WISCONSIN: The most recent polling in Wisconsin shows a tossup, with Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin within the margin of error of three Republican candidates. The Republican primary in Wisconsin is hotly contested and has already become nasty, giving Baldwin the opportunity to concentrate on sharing her plan to create jobs, protect Medicare and Social Security and put middle class families first. [Full Story]

What Guy Cecil is Reading … dscc.org

 It was a very good week at the DSCC. We’ve got races in North Dakota and Arizona, and Sherrod Brown is gaining ground in Ohio polls. And speaking of Ohio, Tuesday’s election results show that the middle class is pushing back. Meanwhile, Karl Rove is up with a bunch of attack ads full of lies and sleaze, and the City of Billings thinks Dennis Rehberg should thank its firefighters – not sue them.

If this email was forwarded to you, and you’d like to see what I’m reading each week, click and sign up here. Be sure to follow the DSCC on Facebook and Twitter, and while you’re at it, see what I’m up to @guycecil.

Heitkamp Makes North Dakota a Toss-Up
Great news: We’ve got a race in North Dakota as former state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp announced her bid to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad. Heitkamp will be a strong voice for North Dakota in the Senate, and her entry into the race means we now have 11 women who are likely to be the Democratic Senate nominees in their respective states. Republican Rep. Rick Berg has been in office only one year and already wants North Dakotans to give him a promotion, but 55 percent of North Dakotans in a recent poll are unhappy with the work he’s doing. Berg also will have to survive a nasty Republican primary. Full Article »

Add Arizona to the Competitive List
This week, former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona entered the Senate race in Arizona. Carmona has an amazing story, rising from an impoverished childhood to become a Special Forces medic in Vietnam, a trauma surgeon, a deputy sheriff and a businessman. Carmona and Don Bivens, a Phoenix attorney, will compete in the Democratic primary. On the Republican side, U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake and Mesa investor Wil Cardon are trying to out-conservative one another, setting themselves up for trouble in the general election. Full Article »

Brown, Middle Class Gaining Ground in Ohio
Perennial swing state Ohio is looking more blue in a new poll that shows Sen. Sherrod Brown strong. In October, Brown led likely Republican opponent Josh Mandel by 8 points. His lead is now 15 points. This will still be a tight race, but we’ll win this election next November if we keep working hard. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Ohio voters rejected SB5, which took away the rights of teachers, firefighters and police officers to bargain for better wages and working conditions. Mandel vocally supported the law, while Brown opposed it. In a news conference, Brown said the election shows that the middle class is pushing back. Full Article »

Rove Group Launches Huge Ad Buy
This week, Karl Rove’s group Crossroads GPS launched a huge ad buy targeting five of our Democratic candidates, including Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts and Tim Kaine in Virginia. And the ads are full of falsehoods, according to The Washington Post’s Greg Sargent. He points out several distortions in a couple of the ads. And the Rove ad running in Montana was pulled from the airwaves because it contained erroneous information.

Billings Pushes Back Against Rehberg Lawsuit
Speaking of Montana, remember when Republican Senate candidate Rep. Dennis Rehberg sued his hometown firefighters, claiming that they didn’t do enough to minimize damage to his property during a 2008 wildfire? Now the City of Billings is pushing back. The Billings city attorney sent Rehberg a lengthy letter on how he should thank the firefighters – not sue them. Full Article »

 

 

 

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Paid for by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee,
http://www.dscc.org, and not authorized by any candidate or
candidate’s committee.

Jason Rosenbaum, from dscc.org

BREAKING: For the third time in three weeks, Senate Republicans filibustered a bill to create jobs – this time through rebuilding America’s crumbling roads and bridges.

Unbelievable.

These lawmakers won’t lift a finger to put people back to work and get our economy moving again. Meanwhile, Republicans in the House found time to debate and pass a reaffirmation of “In God We Trust” as our national motto, which has been in place since 1956, was reaffirmed in 2002, and again in 2006.

As President Obama said, “I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work.”

If you agree that Republicans should stop playing politics with our economy and help people get back to work, please sign our petition. We’re looking for 100,000 people to take a stand for jobs and America’s middle class.

We’re going to keep calling Republicans out for their stubborn refusal to do anything to get our economy moving again. Thanks for your help.

Jason

–
Jason Rosenbaum
DSCC Director of Online Communications

What I’m Reading …Guy Cecil

Great news! Thanks in large part to our great grassroots supporters, the DSCC handily outraised the Republicans in the third quarter: $4.53 million to $3.4 million. You deserve much of the credit: Thank you. Individual Democratic Senate candidates also posted impressive fundraising totals, while Republicans are still struggling to find strong candidates in a number of swing states. Meanwhile, even a Fox News analyst is calling out Republicans on their voter suppression schemes, and the New York Times has a good look at how the 2012 Election could boost – or reduce – the number of women serving in the Senate. And one Democratic senator has had it with Republican obstruction – check out this great video of Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet.

Feel free to share this with friends and family on Facebook and Twitter. If this email was forwarded to you, and you’d like to see what I’m reading each week, you can sign up here. While you’re at it, head on over to Twitter and follow me @guycecil. I mostly talk politics, but I do love my Florida Gators.

Democrats Win 3rd Quarter Fundraising Race
This is really great news: Third quarter fundraising totals are in, and the DSCC (thanks to you) outraised the Republican Senate committee by more than a million dollars: $4.53 million to $3.4 million. The fundraising edge also extends to individual races across the country. Democrats outraised Republicans in 9 of the 11 most competitive contests, thanks to the hard work of our excellent candidates and the generosity of Democratic supporters.

GOP Has Recruiting Blues in Red States
Here’s proof of just how unpredictable politics is: Republicans are struggling to find credible candidates in a number of red states, complicating their drive to take back the Senate. Two of the best examples are Missouri and Florida, where the GOP’s candidates are weak and fundraising is lagging. Full Article »

Analysis: Time to Fight GOP on Voting Rights
Juan Williams – who just happens to be a Fox News political analyst – has a good take here on how Republicans are using new laws to try to disenfranchise voters and skew the results of the 2012 Election. Williams notes that the DSCC formally requested that the Department of Justice do what it could to stop voter suppression in Florida. Williams says it’s time for Justice to act before voters’ rights are violated. Full Article »

Fight Back With Our Election Protection Project
The GOP’s strategy is to suppress the vote and win the 2012 Election. Here’s how you can help stop them: Check out our Election Protection Project, where you can read up on the new laws, sign our petition, register to vote and share information with family and friends on social networks.

Will 2012 Be The Year of the Woman? Maybe.
2012 could be great – or awful – for the representation of women in the United States Senate, according to the New York Times. 10 presumed Democratic nominees are women, including six sitting senators, and a number of other women are competing in Democratic primaries. Meanwhile, Republicans are lagging in their recruitment of women. If Republicans take the Senate, it could be a disaster for women’s representation in the Senate – not to mention women’s rights. Full Article »

Democratic Senator Calls Out GOP’s Obstruction
Here’s a video you’ve got to see: Colorado’s Sen. Michael Bennet, who won re-election last year, gave a powerful speech on the floor of the Senate during which he lambasted the Republicans’ continued obstruction of an education bill. Our nation needs more leaders like Sen. Bennet, and we’re working hard every day to elect them. Full Article »

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Paid for by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee,
http://www.dscc.org, and not authorized by any candidate or
candidate’s committee.

Voter Suppression … Crystal King, DSCC Political Director

We told you last week about Republican efforts to suppress the vote nationwide that could prevent 5 MILLION Americans from voting. According to the New York Times, the voter fraud Republicans say they’re preventing simply isn’t an issue. “The only reason Republicans are passing these laws is to give themselves a political edge by suppressing Democratic votes.”

The scary thing is, it just might work. Enough votes could be lost to states like Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Nevada and Virginia to hand the Senate – and the White House – to the GOP.

This news really struck a nerve with grassroots activists – we’re nearly halfway to our goal of 150,000 signatures. Are we missing your name – will you click here and sign?

WWW.DSCC.ORG

After you’ve signed, check out our brand new 2012 Election Protection Project website, where you can view maps of affected states, learn facts about the new laws, share information on Twitter and, most importantly, register to vote.    http://dscc.org/epp

We’re starting to put together our voter outreach plans based on these new GOP laws, and I sure could use your help. Thanks in advance for signing and sharing. We’ll keep you posted on our progress.

Crystal King
DSCC Political Director