Chris Bowers of Open Left has officially launched the Use It or Lose It campaign to get safe Democratic incumbents to pay their dues to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He developed a spreadsheet showing dues owed by 54 House Democrats, along with contact information for their campaigns.
Iowa’s own Dave Loebsack is on the list. Apparently, he owes $125,000. Contact information for his campaign:
319-351-3283 (phone)
info@loebsackforcongress.org (e-mail)
Bowers gives good advice here:
We will ask for the members of Congress to pay all, or at least some, of their remaining dues in order to build a larger Democratic majority. We will be polite, and we will call their campaign offices, as it is inappropriate to ask for campaign money when calling a congressional office.
Leonard Boswell is not on Bowers’ spreadsheet, and I’m trying to find out whether that’s because he has paid his DCCC dues. Bowers removed names of members who’ve paid, but also took off those designated by the DCCC as “frontline Democrats.” Boswell was put in that category during the third district primary campaign, but he obviously is not facing a serious challenge during the general election. If he hasn’t given to the DCCC, he should be added to the Use It or Lose It effort.
If all 54 Democrats on the spreadsheet pay their dues, the DCCC would have an additional $6.5 million to spend in the final week. That would support a lot of ad buys in a lot of districts where we have good challengers.
If you live in the second district, please call Loebsack’s campaign and politely ask him to give to the DCCC. Then post a comment reporting what you’ve been told, or send me a confidential e-mail (desmoinesdem AT yahoo.com).
11 Comments
What about Braley?
Why aren’t you you looking into whether or not Braley has paid his?
Oh yeah, you have an irrational hatred of Leonard.
Maybe the DCCC gave Leonard a pass since he had to spend 1 million on a primary to defeat Ed’s quixotic ego trip?
Maybe he already paid it?
Who knows?
jeckert Fri 24 Oct 4:32 PM
Braley paid his
I looked into it and reported on it already. I saw it on Braley’s September 30 FEC filing:
http://www.bleedingheartland.c…
There was no payment to the DCCC on Boswell’s September 30 FEC filing as far as I could see.
Bowers got the list of the Democrats who haven’t paid, but said he removed 30-some members who were “frontline Democrats.” I know the DCCC made Boswell a “frontline Democrat” during the primary, so it’s quite possible they never removed him from that list.
I don’t hate Leonard Boswell. I am voting for him. I simply dislike the way he represents me in Congress and would prefer a better Democrat.
desmoinesdem Fri 24 Oct 5:13 PM
Contact Boswell
I contacted Chris Bowers about Boswell and got this response:
“I just kept him off because he was in the Frontline program, and being in that program actually exempts you from your dues. That was the only reason, but feel free to contact anyway.”
According to Open Secrets, Boswell had $325,757 cash on hand as of 9/30.
TELEPHONE:
515-883-2254
E-mail: Campaign@BoswellForCongress.com
cocinero Fri 24 Oct 4:54 PM
he should pay up
after everything the DCCC has done for him those years when he was vulnerable.
But I am not surprised he’s looking out for himself instead of what’s best for the Democratic House caucus as a whole.
desmoinesdem Fri 24 Oct 5:14 PM
I dont know DM dem
I think he’ll win handily, but he is still just a freshman.
I know Hubler and Greenwald need money, but lets keep the ones we got
secondtonone Fri 24 Oct 5:39 PM
Loebsack's district is D+7
and has seen enormous gains in Democratic voter registration since the last presidential election (the partisan voting index is based on presidential voting).
If he beat the extremely well-liked incumbent Leach even before the recent gains in Democratic registration, in a non-presidential year when Democratic turnout tends to be lower anyway, what chance does Miller-Meeks have against him this year?
Sorry, he should pay up.
I understand if Loebsack is not the biggest fan of the DCCC, though. They did nothing for him in 2006. That’s why I think it’s more appalling that Boswell has not paid. The DCCC’s money saved him several times.
desmoinesdem Fri 24 Oct 5:59 PM
Okay
I see where your coming from.
He should give something.
It is appalling that Boswell hasnt given, but Loebsack should be focused on keeping his seat, He has a $794,856/$296,052 lead, but being a freshman, cant be easy.
I just gave my last dimes to Elwyn Tinklenberg, I know I should be helping Iowa candidates but that fascist Republican had it coming
secondtonone Fri 24 Oct 8:33 PM
give me strength
You are still donating to Moneybags Tinklenberg, who has raked in nearly $2 million dollars, while two congressional candidates in your own state might go down for lack of less than $50,000? How are you going to feel on election night if Hubler and Greenwald lose? Or if Tinklemberg loses in his Republican district and the netroots did squat to help in Iowa?
This makes me crazy, so if you’re going to give your last dime to E.T., at least have the decency not to write about it here.
riverdog9 Fri 24 Oct 11:08 PM
Oh its quite alright
I have given “my last dimes” tweleve times this campaign. A felling Im sure you all can testify to.
I flip on Fox News and my wallet opens up again 🙂
secondtonone Sat 25 Oct 1:12 AM
I refuse to watch Fox
But I have been giving dimes to Hubler anyway. He works so darn hard that I don’t need extra inspiration.
I gave El a ten spot on principle on Friday night a week ago. (He was at maybe $10,000.) Since then I have received three more emails from him asking for more money. Um, no. Let’s not be greedy, son.
I have given to a series of congressional candidates instead, each of whom is in a tight race against a total wingnut and getting no help whatsoever from the DCCC. This is a new reason, to add to my collection of reasons, why I will never ever contribute to the DCCC again EVER. Idjits. Go dump a million dollars on Tinklenberg with so many other races that might go over the top with $50k or $100k. And I saw a fundraising email they just sent out, whining that they didn’t have enough money after spending it all on El T. Gimme a break.
riverdog9 Sat 25 Oct 3:02 PM
even worse that that
is all the money the DCCC is spending in districts where our incumbents are not seriously threatened. They just dumped another $600K in IN-09, where Baron Hill is up by double digits. That’s just one of many examples. This is a frequent topic on threads at Swing State Project. The DCCC simply cannot recognize when they have won a race and it’s time to move on.
desmoinesdem Sat 25 Oct 4:33 PM