There's a very close race in CA-50 which has some significant implications.
Francine Busby is running to replace the seat vacated by convicted Republican Randy Cunningham. Francine's opponent, Brian Bilbray is a Republican lobbyist with a
questionable past. Sounds familiar. Turns out that John McCain was expected to headline at a fundraiser for Bilbray but wound up
cancelling very late. With his
Abramoff ties, Bilbray is the perfect example of someone we don't need in the House. The Busby campaign has been very successful in fighting off a massive smear campaign funded by upwards of $4 million from the NRCC, however, she still needs our help.
The DCCC just sent out a mass email to do some fundraising for Busby:
Dear xxxx,
"A loss here, or even a close victory, could be seen as a sign that the GOP hold on Washington is slipping and that November could see wholesale change...'This is a biggie,' said Carl Luna, a political science professor at San Diego's Mesa College. 'Everyone is going to be reading the tea leaves as a predictor of November.'"
-- Los Angeles Times, May 30, 2006
One week from today, voters in California's San Diego area will vote in the special election to replace Duke Cunningham. Win or Lose - Democrat Francine Busby's campaign has put Republicans on the ropes in a district they bragged was theirs for the taking - they have already had to spend almost four million dollars. This is an overwhelmingly conservative district but Francine is fighting hard, as is the DCCC.
Things are different this year, and the special election one week from today will be the proof. The years when Democrats just played defense are over. This election, it will be Democrats who set the tone forcing Republicans to frantically spend millions of dollars to defend themselves. It will be Democrats who go on to Republican turf and make them fight for their political lives.
This California election proves we are going to be fighting on their turf. We have a chance to take the fight deep into their territory and stake our flag there straight through November and beyond -- can you help us make it happen?
If Francine even comes close, Democrats will send a wave of panic through Republicans everywhere. Our Republican counterpart, the NRCC, has already spent an unprecedented $3.96 million in a district they were never supposed to even worry about:
More than $1.7 million on negative Republican TV ads smearing Francine Busby, even trying to link her to a child molester.
More than $800,000 on negative Republican mail, even calling her dangerous and plastering a picture of drunk teenage drivers over the cover.
More than $90,000 on polling to find out how much more money they had to spend smearing Francine Busby.
The Republicans are still running the same game - spending millions of dollars of corrupt special interest money on dishonest ads, trying to tear our candidates down.
Two things are different this time:
We are hitting back blow for blow. We've answered their ads on the air, targeted our mail with scientific precision, and helped the Busby campaign put together the best field operation going.
It's on their turf. This is not Republicans coming onto Democratic districts -- this is the Republican machine lashing out desperately with its back against the wall.
The lay of the land one week out shows that our strategy is working. US News reported on Monday: "Staffers from the National Republican Congressional Committee are quietly telling GOP House members to prepare for a possible loss in the June 6 special election to fill the seat of Randy 'Duke' Cunningham... This is a district we should never lose,' [a GOP operative] says. 'It's the stink of Cunningham, and the Bush problem.'"
This is the new Democratic battle plan. Help us enact it in California and in every state across the country.
Thank you for standing with us.
Sincerely,
Rahm Emanuel
Chairman, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
P.S. Francine's special election is just the beginning. We have been running ads in targeted Republican districts across the country including ads on Christian radio holding Republicans' feet to the fire for trying to privatize Social Security. As I told the New York Times in a story about those ads, "We are going to keep them back on their heels and make them compete for their own base."[2]
Help us make it happen.
Help Francine win this seat.
Contribute to the Busby campaign.
Volunteer and help the campaign on the ground.