Net Roots Reach for 60 Senate Seats

By Nathan L. Gonzales

The Democratic net roots are reaching out and reaching deeper into the list of vulnerable Republican Senate seats.

On Tuesday afternoon, prominent Democratic blog MyDD launched its “Road to 60” campaign on ActBlue, the online Democratic fundraising vehicle. The goal is to “turn long shots into competitive races and competitive races into top tier ones,” MyDD contributor Josh Orton wrote in the introductory post. The group is looking to douse the Republican firewall by directing money to the lower tier of Senate races.

The MyDD effort mixes Democratic challengers in top-tier races, such as Mark Begich (Alaska), with longer-shot candidates, such as Jim Slattery (Kansas), Kay Hagan (North Carolina) and Rick Noriega (Texas). Noriega has already received significant attention from Markos Moulitsas Zuniga of the DailyKos Web site.

Former Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove’s inclusion on the list shows more pragmatism from a group of activists generally known for supporting only liberal candidates. Other Democratic efforts are focused on the purification of the party.

“Admittedly, this campaign is a bit more tactical and less ideological than others,” Orton added, “But we will always highlight the progressive work of the candidates profiled and encourage them to stand up for progressive values.”

This item first appeared on RollCall.com on June 24, 2008. 2008 © Roll Call Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.