The title of this post is not a horoscope; it's a fact. Whether you like it or not, you will receive an inordinately large amount of email this week.
The surge of email will come primarily from Democratic candidates who are running for federal office: House, Senate and president. The emails will be asking you for money so that the candidates can report to the Federal Election Commission that they had a lot of money in their campaign bank accounts on March 31. The more money candidates report to the FEC, the more seriously they will be taken by party committees like the DCCC and DSCC, by political reporters, and by third party groups looking to influence electoral outcomes.
There are going to be a number of worthy candidates to help out, and you should definitely look through the emails you receive to find the Democrats you would most like to see elected to office. But before you do, take some time to once again consider a fundraising appeal from an unusual source—Rep. Richard Hanna (R-NY)—in a speech he gave a few days ago at a rally for the Equal Rights Amendment:
As the only Republican Congressman at a rally for the Equal Rights Amendment on Thursday, Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) gave women an unexpected piece of advice: Give your money to Democrats.
"I think these are very precarious times for women, it seems. So many of your rights are under assault," he told the crowd of mostly women. "I'll tell you this: Contribute your money to people who speak out on your behalf, because the other side -- my side -- has a lot of it. And you need to send your own message. You need to remind people that you vote, you matter, and that they can't succeed without your help." […]
"This is a dogfight, it's a fistfight, and you have all the cards," he said. "I can only tell you to get out there and use them. Tell the other women, the other 51 percent of the population, to kick in a few of their bucks. Make it matter, get out there, get on TV, advertise, talk about this. The fact that you want [the ERA] is evidence that you deserve it and you need it."
No matter how important the FEC fundraising deadline is, it is always important to remember the more fundamental reasons why we need to support good candidates. Over the past two months, we have been starkly and repeatedly reminded that one of those reasons is to turn the tide in the very real conservative war on women. It is remarkable to hear a Republican member of Congress who was elected to office during the tea party wave of 2010 so accurately describe what we need to do to fight back.
On the Daily Kos Orange to Blue page, we have three of the strongest women running for office that you will find anywhere: Elizabeth Warren, Darcy Burner, and Ann McLane Kuster. Please, contribute $5 to their campaigns, and help them become part of a new wave of progressive women that will make conservatives and Republicans pay at the ballot box for their ongoing, nationwide assault against women's rights.