ActBlue, Republican Style

by: mooncat

Mon Jun 02, 2008 at 22:20:51 PM CDT

Finally, my Google alert on David Grimes (Republican candidate in AL-02) paid off with something blogworthy!  It found Grimes' Slatecard page where 0 donors have given him $0.00.  Pretty impressive.

I think Slatecard is trying to be the Republican version of ActBlue.  You know how ActBlue works -- they process contributions for Democratic candidates and committees and just pass on the fee charged to process the charges - 3.95%.  Each contributor gets an opportunity to "leave a tip" for ActBlue and the organization subsists entirely on those donations.

Is Slatecard like that?  Well, kinda sorta like that.  They charge a 4.5% transaction fee, which they claim is a bargain.  That's a difference of .55%, a huge difference in the financial business, if you're handling a lot of money.  Which Slatecard is not. They have raised over $370,000 for an unspecified number of candidates (Ron Paul took in $370 from 8 supporters, House Minority Leader John Boehner raised $31 from 4 supporters, Jeff Sessions has raised $11 from 4 supporters) with most of it being pretty small change.

Since June 2005, ActBlue has raised over $45 million for  2550 Democratic candidates and committees.  They're doing a great job.  Here in Alabama, Vivian Figures has raised $2888 from 53 people on ActBlue.  Cheryl Sabel-AL-02 has raised $2871 from 28 people and Josh Segall-AL-03 has raised a whopping $7499 from 345 people via ActBlue.  Conservatives are trying to copy the technology, but it isn't resonating with their supporters.  

That's the problem when conservatives steal liberal ideas -- they don't work so well with the conservative base.  

Give to your favorite candidate through ActBlue -- and leave a tip! 

Endorsements in AL-02

by: mooncat

Fri May 09, 2008 at 13:42:42 PM CDT

Cheryl Sabel's campaign just announced that she has received endorsements from the Alabama New South Coalition, the Bullock County Voters League, the Montgomery Chapter of Democracy for America and the National Organization for Women PAC.  Sabel claims to be "the only real Democrat running in the District 2 primary" and these endorsements certainly indicate that  she is the preferred choice for progressive Democrats in the 2nd District.

I don't know anything about the Bullock County Voters League, but New South, DFA and NOW are definitely on the progressive side of the scale, which is good.  There is nothing radical about wanting government to strive to improve conditions for its citizens.  That's called PROGRESS and it's in short supply after all these years of Republican rule.

"I am honored and proud to receive these endorsements," said Sabel. "These groups represent many people whose voices have long been ignored in District 2.  My platform is that of the hard working people of the second district who are tired of the rhetoric of so-called  'compassionate Christian conservatives' whose intentions, actions, and policies are mean-spirited and detrimental to our country and our state.  I am not a 'social conservative' -- I stand for social justice," said Sabel.

Cheryl Sabel is running for the nomination on a platform of: economic policies designed to allow people to earn a living wage and to ensure free, quality public education for all our children to include preschool through junior college or vocational training; tax policies to distribute the burden of taxation so that wealthy individuals and big corporations pay their fair share; farm policies that benefit our independent farmers; health care policies to provide quality health care for every man, woman, and child; and foreign policies to make our country more safe and more secure instead of squandering lives and money on invasions and occupations.  She has pledged to hold quarterly town hall meetings in EACH of the 16 counties of District 2 to report to her constituents what is going on in Congress and to listen to the people in her district.

On the distinctly non-progressive side of the Alabama 2nd Congressional District race, Danny recently reported that candidate Harri Anne Smith was endorsed by John Giles, longtime head of the Christian Coalition of Alabama.

Jennifer Foster also reported that GOP candidate David Grimes is courting an endorsement from Mike Huckabee.  Y'all remember that Huckabee finished first in the Alabama Republican primary back on super Tuesday.  I wonder which, if any of the Republican hopefuls in AL-02 are seeking an endorsement from John McCain?

If you aren't close enough to knock on doors you can still help Cheryl Sabel with a contribution through her ActBlue account.  

GOP Propping up Grimes to Succeed Everett?

by: Trent Thompson

Mon Jul 16, 2007 at 11:37:31 AM CDT

On the front page of today's Montgomery Advertiser was a fluff piece about State Rep. David Grimes (R-Montgomery). The jist of the piece is that Grimes is an absolutely fantastic legislator, despite personal obstacles, who is thinking about running for Congress if Terry Everett (R) retires: 

"I couldn't move. I couldn't feed myself. I couldn't write," said Grimes, 54. "So, I made the promise at that moment that if I ever got back on my feet again, I was going to run for the House of Representatives."

The insurance broker not only fulfilled that dream, but is serving his second four-year term. He even talks about a possible bid for Congress in the future.

[...] 

Rep. Barry Mask, R-Wetumpka, praised Grimes' convictions.

"He's one of those foxhole guys," he said. "Someone you'd want to have in a foxhole with you (in battle). I'd want David with me."

Grimes looks to U.S. Rep. Terry Everett, R-Rehobeth, as a role model. He said he would even like to succeed Everett once Everett leaves office.

"I'd love to follow a man like that," he said.

[...]

Grimes maintains public service is the best medicine.

"I've never regretted one minute," he said. "That's why I'm not worried about looking at higher office."

I'd say that this article certainly adds fuel to the fire on rumors of Everett's retirement. It even appears that the GOP is already looking for a replacement.