What do you do when you're challenging an 8-term GOP incumbent in a district where the theretofor unknown '06 challenger gamely lost by only 6 percentage points in spite of raising just over $400,000, thus demonstrating that this race is "top tier"? Well, you go out and recruit a top tier candidate and you raise, so far, upwards of $1.3 million dollars, and you get the DCCC to chip in a huge ad buy.
But then, what do you do when the very strength of your candidate causes the GOP incumbent to raise $2.6 million and a national lobbying organization kicks in an ad buy of $530,000?
If you're Gary Peters, you go out and work your ass off to raise more money.
And that's why I'm here tonight. We in the 9th District of Michigan are fighting with everything we've got to get Gary Peters elected to congress to replace the origingal member of the League of Conservation Voters' 2008 Dirty Dozen, Joe Knollenberg, removed from office. And though we have raised an astonishing amount of money, we're still at only half of Knollenberg's haul. And he's got Big Three auto money behind him, so there's likely to be more--much more--in the pipeline.
Congressional Quarterly, the Cook Political Report and SwingStateProject have all now rated this race a toss-up! And this was before McCain decided to pull out of Michigan. This is a race we can win.
You we're asking you tonight to help us even up the score, and if you will help by sending in your contributions through the new contest being run by our good friends at People for the American Way's Voters Alliance program, we can pick up an addtional $3000 from PFAW! Right now we're running a strong second to Judy Feder, the Dem candidate for the VA-10 slot. We currently need a scant $4500-$5000 (depending upon when you tun in) to overtake her.
Can we get 200 kossacks to contribute $25.00? One hundred to throw in $50? A mere 50 of you to pony up $100?
We have until October 15 to do this. If you will, please scroll down to Gary's bio and contribution button on the PFAW ActBlue page and lend us a hand.
Oh! And if this is not inducement enough, you ought to know that Desperate Joe has now written a rather pathetic love note to Sarah to save his campaign, now that John McCain left him to fend for himself.
There are plenty of races that need and deserve the support of the progressive community--this community--and the Michigan 9th is one of them.
Thanks for any help you can give us.