DCCC's Red to Blue Backs Ethan Berkowitz

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced today that fourteen U.S. House candidates have received the endorsement of one of their funding organizations, Red to Blue. One of the selected candidates is Ethan Berkowitz, in the AK-AL Democratic Primary race against Diane Benson.

The press release from the DCCC, among other things, said:

These 14 candidates qualified for the third round of the Red to Blue program by surpassing demanding fundraising goals and skillfully demonstrating to voters that they stand for change and will represent new priorities when elected to Congress.

Ethan has certainly been raising money. Many of my friends have made substantial donations. I've made a small one. I've questioned his acceptance of contributions from Rahm Emanuel's PAC, which includes as donors several FOX, FOX News and NewsCorp executives, Bill O'Reilly's producer, Henry Kissinger's main partner, and several heavy players in the meltdown of the sub-prime mortgage market.

But I'm not critical of Red to Blue. Congratulations, Ethan!

In 2006, Red to Blue candidates weren't exactly successful, though, either against their Democratic primary opponents, or in the general election. Two Red to Blue candidates lost to Carol Shea-Porter and Jerry McNerney, more progressive, less well-funded Democratic Party candidates in their primaries.

David Shurtleff, one of Alaska Public Radio Network's most energetic and capable reporters has been hired by the Berkowitz campaign to become their Press Secretary around the end of the month. I'll miss his reporting. David was in on the unprecedented collaborative efforts involving Robert Dillon of the Fairbanks News-Miner, Brendan Joel Kelley of the Anchorage Press, and Aaron Selbig of KUDO-AM Radio, in the story that put pressure on the Jake Metcalfe AK-AL campaign back in mid-Spring.

I take issue with Ethan's statement, in his interview earlier this week with the Anchorage Daily News's Sean Cockerham, that he has a deeper understanding of "the issues" than does Diane Benson. Of course, Ethan has a deeper understanding of some of the many issues facing Alaskans, but so does Diane. His phrase later in the same paragraph, "I like Diane," strikes me as a bit meretricious. Diane likes you too, Ethan, but the way you keep saying "I like Diane" like that is getting pretty tiresome.

the author of this article has volunteered for the Diane Benson campaign since 2006, and has donated to both Benson and Berkowitz campaigns during the 2008 cycle.

image of Lisl, Ethan and Beth K by Al Grillo of the AP