Unhappy Update: Thanks to commenter 53rd Street Democrat for sharing the news from Team Courage. Apparently the Hill story was in error. Perhaps the carpers were right. This certainly seems to me like a missed opportunity for Governor Warner to show that he really is a uniter.
As usual, the netroots will have to demonstrate how that's done. Let's do that, from NY to CT to VA to TX to CO to CA.
From 53rd St's comment:
I just heard back from the Courage campaign. It was very supportive of Bill Winter, and apparently Bill invited John to come to the fundraiser in Colorado, which is really cool in my opinion.The campaign said that they were informed that there would not be a fundraiser occurring in Texas, but that there was a possibility of FTP helping out in Texas with funding of grassroots tools (John and Chris Bell united for Texas in an attempt to get these tools built .) They said that they were informed that it would be very difficult to get Warner to Texas due to his major scheduling and commitments.
I must say, I really like that they are going to help regardless, but is it really too much to ask to do a fundraiser in Texas? It seemed like such a win win proposition.
But yeah, our primary is late, and we are a red state.
There was much rending of garments and gnashing of teeth after Mark Warner hosted a high profile bash wooing the netroots at Yearly Kos. Warner was just another cynical pol and the Kossacks who enjoyed being wooed instead of pissed on for once by a Presidential contender were either kidding themselves that he took them seriously or sellouts.
All you carpers will have to drown your bitter sorrow in a conveniently sited chocolate fountain, because The Hill reports that:
In two rounds of voting, 9,000 visitors whittled a list of 50 candidates down to the 10 who will get $5,000 each from Forward Together. Warner will host fundraisers for the top two finalists, Bill Winter (Colo.) and John Courage (Texas).
More about what can happen when Democrats unite on the flip.The netroots of Colorado and Texas fought fiercely for their champions, mobilizing to turn out thousands of voters. That experience will no doubt pay off handsomely when Bill Winter faces down the odious Tom Tancredo and John Courage gives Bacardi Lamar Smith his overdue reckoning.
But that was a side benefit, not the prize, in the Mapchangers contest. That glittering prize was the chance to have a joint fundraiser with Governor Warner. A move, that, let's face it, raises his profile in the increasingly relevant purple West as well as gives our heroes a much appreciated influx of campaign funds in these challenging but winnable races. Nothing wrong with that, or with using his contest to harvest e-mails for his Presidential run. That's politics as usual.
But Democrats divided is yesterday's story. Today's Democrats have a new story to tell.
These two candidates Fighting Dems joined together in an open letter to Mark Warner:
In general circumstances, Courage supporters would fight tooth-and-nail for Winter, and Winter supporters would do the same for Courage. We're both challengers, we're both bringing the fight to incumbents who have left their (and our) districts as well as our nation behind, and we are both Fighting Dems.
In the military, we were taught to never leave a brother behind. And neither one of us wants to leave a fellow Fighting Dem behind either.
Governor Warner, we are both formally requesting a visit from you--please come join us for a fundraiser in Texas for John Courage as well as one for Bill Winter in Colorado.
When the voting cleared, Bill Winter was on top of the vote count, and many congratulations are due to our brothers and sisters in the Square State netroots for getting such support for their candidate.
We Lone Star Staters, including future Governor Chris Bell, fought hard as well for our champion, John Courage.
And we are delighted to read that Mark Warner is not just another cynical pol who abandons major chunks of the Democratic Party he then expects to fall in line when his presidential ambitions ripen.
Thank you, Governor Warner, Mapchanger Bill Winter, and Texas Champion John Courage, for showing Democrats the real way to victory in 2006 and beyond.
Especially thanks to Mark Warner for being a visionary and reaching out to the netroots when his support really matters rather than being another slash and burn political opportunist.
If you appreciate that leadership as well, why not let him know about it.