Help Increase Our Democratic Majority

Democrats in Virginia most definitely have a lot to be excited about this year. Not only is there a good chance we will send Mark Warner to the US Senate, but there is a good chance that we will elect some new Democrats to the House of Representatives and potentially even play a role in electing a Democratic president. Despite all the excitement currently taking place in our great Commonwealth, however, I believe that it is important for us to remember that there are several races througout the country that we need to pay attention to if we want to greatly expand our Democratic majority.

I have frequently said the US Senate race in Oregon provides us with an opportunity to do just that. The chances of this seat being filled with a progressive who is able to form solid coalitions in order to pass legislation in the best interests of our country only increase with a great candidate like Jeff Merkley. As grassroots and netroots activists have been rallying behind his candidacy and various progressive organizations such as the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, and the Oregon AFL-CIO have endorsed his campaign, it is obvious that I am not alone in expressing this sentiment.

The grassroots campaign that Merkley has formed will provide the basis for a Democratic victory in November. Over the course of the last few years here in Virginia, Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, and Jim Webb have all shown us how a grassroots effort can be a deciding factor in elections. Nevertheless, one cannot ignore the fact that Jeff’s potential Republican opponent is an incumbent who has been building his campaign war chest to use in Fall while the Jeff has been focusing the majority of his time and energy on talking with voters before the Democratic primary on May 20.

As a result, I believe it’s important for Democrats to stand behind Jeff and make a donation to his campaign in order to keep ads such as this one on the air. I am therefore joining several other bloggers who in an effort to raise $5,000 for Merkley today. With Jim Webb, Sen. Barack Obama, and several other candidates who have grassroots support like Jeff’s campaign does, we have seen how a series of donations even as small as $10 or $25 can go a long ways. With that in mind, please join in other Democrats who want to see our majority increased and follow this link to donate to Jeff Merkley’s campaign.