YP event a success (thanks, Georgia!)

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Friday December 14, 2007 · 12:06 AM PST

2007/12/14 · 00:06

[Cross-posted, with minor edits, at Prairie State Blue]

This past Wednesday night, our campaign held a Young Professionals event. Thanks to the terrific leadership of co-chairs Alex Armour and Emily Loh, along with the participation of Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Debra Shore and Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, (not to mention georgia10's discussion of the event here at Daily Kos) we had an incredible turnout of 200-250 people!

A lot of Chicagoland Kossacks were present, and I just wanted to put up a quick wrap-up diary thanking you. My one regret was that Georgia couldn't be there -- apparently traffic and last-minute work assignments got in the way.

danielbiss

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Thursday November 15, 2007 · 8:24 AM PST

2007/11/15 · 08:24

[I'm not sure if this is relevant or not, but parts of this post are excerpted from an email I wrote to my campaign e-list yesterday. Also at Prairie State Blue.]

Hi there; my name is Daniel Biss and I'm running for State Representative in Illinois. As I diaried yesterday, our campaign is in the midst of a week-long online fundraiser. We've been planning this for awhile, and even made the following video for the occasion.

Yesterday's diary mentioned that our goal is to raise $5,000 by the end of Monday the 19th, but it didn't say why. Read on to see the answer, which turns out to have a lot to do with the role partisan politics play in the race.

danielbiss

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Wednesday November 14, 2007 · 7:44 AM PST

2007/11/14 · 07:44

There was quite a blogosphere brouhaha started by Markos's post about annoying direct mail resoliciations. And, to be sure, direct mail solicitations are pretty irritating.

But what I find truly amazing is the volume of email solicitations I get in the last week of every quarter. It's astonishing: every candidate sends out many emails in the last week, each trying to outdo the others' attention-getting gimmicks. My personal favorite was an email supposedly sent from the candidate's Blackberry from the House floor between votes explaining how the campaign was "sooooooo close" to its goal.

As a candidate, I didn't really want to be a part of that culture, but of course I need to raise a ton of money for each filing. Read on to see my solution to this dilemma...

danielbiss

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Monday August 06, 2007 · 2:04 PM PDT

2007/08/06 · 14:04

My name is Daniel Biss and I'm running for State Representative here in Illinois. I'm a math professor by day, but starting early in the Bush administration, I got so upset about the direction the country was going that I started doing a lot of grassroots organizing to affect change.

In other words, I'm very proud to say that I come out of the same new movement that produced the progressive blogosphere.

As you might imagine, I was incredibly excited to discover that Yearly Kos would take place in Chicago. I knew it would be a great opportunity to meet fantastic activists and network. I didn't realize it would give our campaign a new focus and goal. I had no idea the netroots would come into town and transform our campaign overnight. Read more to see how it happened.

danielbiss

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Friday February 16, 2007 · 9:39 AM PST

2007/02/16 · 09:39

Back in the fall, alivingston put out a call for a Chicago-area Daily Kos meetup, which took place on October 8.

It was, obviously, in the very thick of election season. People were fired up, turnout was huge, netroots candidate Dan Seals showed up and gave a speech, and the whole thing was captured by the crashing the states film crew. Good times...

So alivingston and I were talking and we decided it's time to do it again. Without an imminent takeover of both Houses of Congress, though, what are we going to talk about? Well, join me below...

danielbiss

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Thursday October 05, 2006 · 6:18 PM PDT

2006/10/05 · 18:18

My political work these days consists almost entirely of grassroots organizing for Congressional candidates. My time is spent either out in the field or else trying to recruit others to join me out in the field.

But when I step back and think about what the progressive movement can bring, I'm not usually picturing Speaker Pelosi or Chairman Conyers. I'm more often thinking of Debra Shore.

Join me below the fold for a discussion of who she is, what I think she represents, and what that has to do with this Sunday. Read More

Calling Chicago-area Kossacks: I don't get it. Can you explain it to me this Sunday?

danielbiss

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Monday October 02, 2006 · 2:53 PM PDT

2006/10/02 · 14:53

I'm pretty sure I don't get the internet.

Sure, I appreciate having such an abundance of information at my fingertips at a moments' notice. I love how that information is organized in a way that empowers individuals.

But I still don't understand quite how on-line politics and off-line politics meet. I sometimes see it and occasionally I recognize it, but I don't quite get it. In an effort to see an example from up close, I'm helping alivingston plan a Chicago DK meetup this Sunday afternoon. More below... Read More

ChicagoKos MeetUp this Thursday!

danielbiss

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Tuesday June 20, 2006 · 3:04 PM PDT

2006/06/20 · 15:04

Were you, like me, stuck in Chicagoland while the rest of Kosworld was hanging out in Vegas? Were you also kind of jealous of those who went, or at least a little curious?

Well, fear not. Bluestateonian has decided to respond to her Yearly Kos envy by organizing a Kos meetup this Thursday evening.

Thursday, June 22, from 6pm until we can't stay awake any more.
Rock Bottom Brewery, 1 W. Grand Ave., Chicago
On the rooftop -- find us under the balloons!

More below... Read More

Taking back the House: IL-11 (let's get moving! this Saturday! in Joliet!)

danielbiss

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Wednesday February 22, 2006 · 3:18 PM PST

2006/02/22 · 15:18

I've blogged a fair amount about John Pavich and his congressional run in IL-11 against Bush administration Jerry Weller.

The story seems to have gotten a little bit lost over all the noise about the primary in IL-6, but the 11th is another district where we have a real pickup opportunity. After a long winter of organization-building and volunteer-recruitment, it's finally time to get started campaigning. Read on to find out when/where/how... Read More

Taking back the House: IL-11 (with musings about activism, government, and democracy)

danielbiss

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Monday January 23, 2006 · 10:53 PM PST

2006/01/23 · 22:53

It's been a busy weekend over at John Pavich for Congress. Dozens of volunteers addressed thousands of envelopes and made hundreds of phone calls to potential supporters, adding substantially to our email list of volunteers.

I feel very satisfied with how the weekend went, but it also left me exhausted (after all, I have a "real job" to do as well). When it was all over, I made the four-hour drive to my parents' place in Bloomington, Indiana. They're moving to Boston this summer, and this is my last chance to spend a few days in the house where I grew up.

People keep asking how I'm going to feel about saying goodbye to the house, and I never have a very good answer (I still don't, although I'm writing this from the kitchen table). I think that's because this place isn't important to me for what it is, but rather for what it reminds of and where it sends my train of thought. When I'm here, my mind goes places that it doesn't ordinarily get a chance to go, and that's what I'll miss most. All of which, eventually, circuitously, brings me back to politics, activism, and John Pavich. Click below to read why... Read More

Taking back the House: IL-11 (introducing John Pavich)

danielbiss

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Saturday January 14, 2006 · 4:42 PM PST

2006/01/14 · 16:42

I've written a bit about Democratic Congressional candidate John Pavich in IL-11 before; I intend to keep this series going until the election.

The incumbent in the 11th is Republican Jerry Weller, who was swept into office in the 1994 Republican tidal wave, pledging at the time to only serve 6 terms. He has not served with distinction, the district is trending Democratic, and Weller's term limit is up. This is a race we can win.

Today's post will be a brief introduction to John: his biography, his stands on the issues, and his campaign. Click to read more... Read More

Taking back the House: IL-11 (report on a canvass)

danielbiss

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Saturday December 03, 2005 · 4:32 PM PST

2005/12/03 · 16:32

I'm writing from Alfa's Bar & Grill in Joliet, IL. Alfa's seems to have become the de facto staging site for canvasses for John Pavich's Congressional campaign (IL-11).

Almost 20 volunteers came from as far as 75 miles away to circulate petitions and recruit volunteers, on what must be the coldest day of the year so far. As usual, I'm amazed and excited. My family and less-politically-active friends are always more than a little bemused at my optimism. I think it must be because I run into so many remarkable and committed people.

This campaign seems to be really picking up steam and making progress on all fronts, from fundraising to grassroots outreach, as well as with the media: see for example today's Kankakee Daily Journal piece (subscription required) on Republican incumbent Jerry Weller's ties to Duke Cunningham.

Click below for more thoughts on today, on volunteering, and on this race... Read More

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YP event a success (thanks, Georgia!)

Political parties and my race (with a reqest and an aside about a nuclear Taiwan)

Forget direct mail. Here's what I'm doing about end-of-quarter email solicitations.

Thank you Yearly Kos! (A new partnership)

Chicago DK meetup resurrection! (Sunday 2/25)

Building a progressive Chicagoland (this Sunday afternoon)

Calling Chicago-area Kossacks: I don't get it. Can you explain it to me this Sunday?

ChicagoKos MeetUp this Thursday!

Taking back the House: IL-11 (let's get moving! this Saturday! in Joliet!)

Taking back the House: IL-11 (with musings about activism, government, and democracy)

Taking back the House: IL-11 (introducing John Pavich)

Taking back the House: IL-11 (report on a canvass)