Incumbent Leonard Boswell is a Democrat who frequently votes with Republicans on substantive matters-- please look at his positions and votes-- and who acts like a Republican inasmuch as he is eager to serve the interests of his corporate donors over the interests of his own middle class constituents. Des Moines area voters have a chance to retire Boswell without voting for an even worse Republican. His primary opponent, Ed Fallon, is a proven and effective progressive who can provide real leadership for the third district. Please take a look at the guest post Ed did at DWT in late March.

The Blue America PAC was formed on August 24, 2006 to raise money to put "Have You Had Enough" on the radio in the form of 60 second advertising spots for various Blue America candidates. We did low-dough radio advertising campaigns for Charlie Brown (CA-04), John Laesch (IL-14), Angie Paccione (CO-04), Victoria Wulsin (OH-02), Robert Rodriguez (CA-25) and Chris Murphy (CT-05) and a cable TV campaign for Tony Trupiano (MI-11). For the 2008 elections we are aiming to go beyond "dollah a hollah" media markets and apply the lessons we learned in 2006 to make ourselves more effective and more helpful to the candidates our community backs. Please watch Firedoglake, Crooks and Liars, and Down With Tyranny for updates.

Congressman Tom Allen has represented southern Maine-- all that state's population centers other than Auburn-Lewiston and Bangor-- since 1996. Since then he has established a reputation as a solidly dependable progressive leader whose initiatives and leadership reflect the forward-looking, independent values of his fellow Mainers. After a great deal of pressure he has agreed to challenge deceitful rubber stamp Senator Susan Collins, who had vowed to step down this year. Lieberman is doing all he can to help her break that vow. Let's help Tom make her keep it. Take a look at Tom's q&a session at Firedoglake on June 9.

Siobhan ("Sam") Bennett is an incredibly genuine and progressive businesswoman and grassroots community activist running against a fake moderate in a real moderate district. Sam opposes U.S. occupation of Iraq and is a strong advocate on progressive values from Choice to equality. The "moderate" Dent has never been moderate in his support for all of Cheney's and Bush's most outrageous policies in Iraq and he is a dependable rubber stamp for the entire extremist agenda put forth first by DeLay and Hastert and now by Boehner and Blunt. Please check out Sam's first live blogging session at FDL.

Daniel is a 29 year old math professor who believes in progressive government with every fiber of his body. He's an ideal Blue America candidate, running for a state legislative seat in a blue district who will be in a position to represent the values and ideals we believe in, first in Illinois and, hopefully, nationally as well. Check out his first Blue America live session (June 30, 2007).

In his first run for office, Charlie came very close to defeating ethically-challenged and reactionary incumbent John Doolittle. When I asked if he had it to do all over again, what would he do differently, he told me he would have started earlier. In that spirit, Charlie Brown is the first candidate Blue America '08 is adding to our fund-raising page. Let's go all the way this time-- for a safer and better California and U.S.A.

More than most candidates, Darcy Burner has been an integral part of the grassroots/netroots conversation which has been developing a cohesive approach to the values, principles and strategies that have gone into formulating a progressive response to the extremist right-wing onslaught against our country. Take a look at the session we had with Darcy at FDL in late September of 2007. Darcy came very close to beating the Bush rubber stamp in her district in 2006. Hopefully this community will step up to the plate this year and make sure he can't buy the election again in 2008.

Leslie Byrne is running for the Northern Virginia seat in Congress she held before the Gingrich Counter-revolution. The seat is open and the demographics have swung decisively towards Democrats. Leslie is facing a Republican-lite "business Democrat" in the June 10 primary, and after she beats him, she'll face a self-funding multimillionaire "vanity" candidate the GOP dug up after more credible possibilities demurred. Leslie is an unabashed progressive problem solver who served in the Virginia House of Delegates, in the state Senate, in the U.S. Congress and as the nation's chief Consumer Advocate under President Clinton. She knows her way around Washington and knows how to get thing accomplished-- the right things.

Steve Cohen was a Tennessee state senator for 24 years and he did such a great job that when Congressman Harold Ford decided not to run again, Steve won a 15-way primary and then a 3-way general election-- by a landslide. Since then he's been busy doing something I wish more congressmen would do-- keeping his campaign promises. He's already co-sponsored 4 bills and 2 resolutions-- the binding kind-- that would end the war in Iraq.

As the mayor of Huntington Beach and a long time member of the City Council, Debbie is used to dealing with real people's real problems. She's running against one of Congress' silliest clowns, Dana Rohrabacher, not just another Bush rubber stamp, but an odd duck who enjoyed dressing up like a Taliban so much that he skipped off to Afghanistan, met Osama bin-Laden and did a bunch of photo-ops with muhajadeen. I think Orange County deserves better.

"I have no problem in standing up for the constitutional equality of any American regardless of race, color, creed, sexual orientation, or mental condition. We have to stand up for equality in America for everybody." That may not sound earth shaking to you but Larry Joe is running against a reactionary Bush rubber stamp who could never say that in a million years-- at least not with a straight face. Meanwhile, please check out Larry's first blog session at FDL.

Donna was one of the most exciting and refreshing candidates Blue America backed last year. Her race is a primary against corrupt and reactionary Al Wynn on FEBRUARY 12. Think about how soon that date is and dig deep. There are few contrasts as clear between Democrats as the one between Donna and Wynn. Donna Edwards is the grassroots candidate who represents forward-looking ideas and solid progressive values. Al Wynn represents the corruption and reactionary politics of Harold Ford.

Greg Fischer is facing two Republicans in his bid for the Kentucky U.S. Senate seat. First he has to face reactionary tool, oft-rejected Bruce Lunsford-- hand-picked by Chuck Schumer-- in a Democratic primary, and then he will go up against Bush's chief Senate obstructionist, Mitch McConnell, a longtime close Lunsford ally.

South Florida was expertly gerrymandered to create 3 Republican districts that have been occupied by three clueless extremists. One is Mario Diaz-Balart who is facing his first serious opposition since being elected in 2002. Joe Garcia is a strong progressive leader who knows how to answer GOP fear and smear tactics. Diaz-Balart wants to make the election about Cuba; it won't work, not with his rubber stamping of virtually every item on the Bush agenda, from S-CHIP to Iraq to the deregulation policies that have caused the mortgage meltdown. Joe is one of the most outstanding candidates running for Congress anywhere.

As a no-nonsense attorney prosecuting war profiteers in Iraq, Alan Grayson has already accomplished more outside of DC than the hapless and corrupt incumbent could ever imagine. Alan would be the worst nightmare Insider criminals could ever imagine. He literally knows where all the bodies are buried. And he's not shy about discussing impeachment. With Alan Grayson in Congress, no one will be sweeping the crime of the century under the rug. Be sure to check out his live FDL debut (Jan. 26) if you want to see why we're so enthusiastic about him.

Are you wondering why we decided to help John Hall raise campaign funds again? Easy! He's a stellar progressive who ran on a platform of great ideas and promises-- and since he's been in office he's been working with intelligence and energy to fulfill them.

As a member of the Albuquerque City Council Martin was elected President by his fellow council members because he is a unifier who can reach out and work with people who have disparate positions. At the same time, his own enlightened and progressive views are well-grounded and effectively advanced. He's been an outspoken advocate for the rule of law and recently did a guest post at DWT about why retroactive immunity is a fatally flawed approach. Recently he won an overwhelming victory at the Democratic convention among the crowded field of candidates seeking to replace Bush rubber stamp Heather Wilson.

Jim Himes is an energetic and enthusiastic young businessman from Connecticut who's life's work has been tied up in affordable housing issues. He's taking on one of Congress' worst Republican hacks, Chris Shays, a deceitful rubber stamp and a posterboy for the WINO coalition. Take a look at the archive of Jim's first live blog session at Firedoglake on July 28, 2007.

Of all the candidates we endorsed in 2006, there was no race as heartbreaking as the one in NC-08 between Larry Kissell and pathetic rubber stamp Republican Robin Hayes. Larry wowed our community with his first visit to FDL in June and 667 of us donated over $10,000 to his campaign. It was the closest race in the country and after spending $2,475,169 (compared to Larry's $779,341, with no help from the Inside the Beltway crowd), Hayes squeaked by with a 329 vote victory. With Rahm Emanuel moved out of the DCCC Chair it is a safe bet that Kissell will be getting financial assistance from Washington this year-- as well as even more help from the grassroots Democrats who know and admire him. One of those admirers, Ambassador Joe Wilson, was down in North Carolina campaigning for Larry last week and he sent us this:

We all know that every election is hard fought and that the Republicans will do everything they can to hold on to power. Even as I was flying into Charlotte, the NRCC was again peddling the lies about me, and I'm not even running. Does anybody still believe that the President was not misleading the country about the justification for the invasion of Iraq? The Republican propaganda machine is still pushing the big lie even though it is so last year. They take the American people to be fools, and will continue to do so until we defeat them decisively. Larry is our man to do that in this race in North Carolina."

Last year Dan came closer to beating a Republican rubber stamp incumbent than anyone else in NY State who didn't actually do it. In 2008, Dan looks like a good bet for accomplishing just that. Listen to Dan on this video making a case for ending the occupation of Iraq.

Eric Massa was great candidate in 2006 and he came close to beating rubber stamp reactionary Randy Kuhl. He's learned a great deal since then and we're hoping that he'll join many of our freshmen congressmen who won on their second tries.

Rep. Jerry Nadler is an unabashed progressive who has been fighting-- very effectively-- the good fight since 1992, battling against every awful agenda item the Bush Regime has sent down the pike. Please add .01 to your contribution to alert the congressman's committee that you would like your donation to go towards his leadership PAC so that we can help him ascend the ranks inside the Democratic Caucus so he can have a greater say in continuing to push the leadership in enlightened, progressive directions. And please take a look at the archive of his extraordinary live chat at Firedoglake on April 7, 2007.

You want someone who combines core progressive values, proven competence and demonstrated strength of character in Washington? How about someone like that replacing the single worst Republican in the entire U.S. Senate? Meet Texas Rep. Rick Noriega.

Steve was a great Democratic candidate in 2006 and has decided to run as an independent in 2008, not unlike Bernie Sanders has done in Vermont. In fact, we have every reason to believe that Steve would be the same kind of progressive, independent statesman that Bernie has been. Our inclusion of Steve has sparked a major controversy with allies who feel only Democrats are worthy of support. Check out the discussion at FDL. Because Steve is running as an independent rather than as a Democrat, Act Blue doesn't accept contributions for his campaign. You can, however, donate directly through Steve's website.

Jon Powers turned 29 on July 3. He was born and raised in small town Western New York near Buffalo and served in Iraq as an Army captain which he followed up by founding War Kids Relief. And now he's taking on rubber stamp Republican Tom Reynolds in his first bid for elective office. He wrote eloquently on the Huffington Post about why he felt betrayed by George Bush. On the important social issues he is a progressive who believes the power of community action and government can be harnessed to better peoples' lives.

Andrew Rice, a progressive leader in the state senate, is taking on the giant of Oklahoma extremist politics, James Inhofe. And as bad as Inhofe is, that's how excellent Andrew is! We're not talking about some barely-better-than-a-Republican red state Democrat. We're talking about a real leader for all of America. And we're talking about the Oklahoma here who gave us Woody Guthrie, Will Rogers and Bill Moyers. Andrew joins us for a live discussion at FDL on Oct. 6. This was my very first take on him last May. And here's his first live session at FDL on October 6, 2007.

Mark is the progressive Democrat who represents the Battle Creek and Jackson area of south-central Michigan. He's also the state's Senate Democratic leader. He's been drafted to run for the congressional seat, which is now held by one of the most extreme right wingers in Washington, DC, Tim Walberg. There is a large coalition of bipartisan support coalescing around Mark, someone who has proven himself in tough, sometimes lonely, battles for the values and principles that motivate him.

There's going to be a tough primary in the seat being evacuated by Arizona's crookesdest Republican congressman, Rick Renzi. It smells like a Democratic year for this district and Howard Shanker is the progressive, grassroots candidate, a natural resources and environmental attorney with a keen understanding of how dismally the Bush Regime and his congressional cronies has run our government. If you know Arizona politics, suffice it to say that Howard will be a lot more like Raúl Grijalva than like Harry Mitchell. In other words, Howard's very much from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party. Please take a look at our first live blog session with Howard (Oct 20) to get a feel for what a really exceptional candidate he is.

Carol Shea-Porter is the quintessential grassroots congressmember, truly someone who represents her constituents, not special interests and not the Inside-the-Beltway political establishment. That alone makes her a treasure worth cherishing. From the first we heard about her race to replace rubber stamp incumbent Jeb Bradley, it was obvious she would be an independent voice in Congress. She's been a promise keeper and an indefatigable worker to right the wrongs created by the Bush Regime. She has also asked the DCCC to stay out of her race. It's an honor to assist this great woman, great and truly, one of us, to fight to keep her seat.

We think more bloggers should run for Congress, especially ones as committed to progressive values as Ron is. Of course, running against the single most reactionary member of the California congressional delegation, not to mention one of the most corrupt, is certainly a bonus. Check out his live session at FDL and you'll see why we're so enthusiastic about his candidacy.

The can do candidate from Northern New Jersey, Dennis knows about overcoming obstacles to achieve lofty goals. I wish he was running for president instead of Congress. But... first things first. Check out his visit to Firedoglake on November 3.

Hilda is one of the dozen most progressive members of Congress, a vibrant and inspiring leader who lives and breathes our values and principles. This is a woman we want to see rise in the leadership of the Democratic Party so her voice will be heard when priorities are set and strategies are discussed.

CA-26 is a moderate suburban district and it has been represented by an extremist from Kansas City, hypocrite and rubber stamp Bushite, David Dreier. Russ Warner calls him an "out of touch elitist" and promises to go to Washington as "a regular person, not a career politician." He sees his role in Washington as a public servant working for his constituents. If he replaces Dreier that change would be cataclysmic-- in a good way, a really good way. Please check out the archive of Russ' live session at FDL on August 4, 2007.

Of all the solid, progressive candidates Blue America didn't get around to endorsing last year, one of the ones that irked me the most was Indiana's Barry Welsh, who I covered quite a bit at DWT. In any case, we're not leaving him out this year-- and I hope you won't be either. You won't find a more dedicated, selfless progressive running for anything anywhere.

Victoria Wulsin was the House candidate for whom Blue America raised the most contributions last year-- just over $27,000. She came within just a percentage of beating Mean Jean Schmidt, the best any Democrat has ever done in OH-02. Take a look at the video of the song we used to help her cause last year. And let's do way more to bring this incredible woman to Congress next year.