Most observers are putting the Democratic Party on the defensive when it comes to the current state of the 2010 elections, but on the theory that the best defense is a good offense, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted 13 seats it thinks it can add to its column this year.
The DCCC is calling it the Red to Blue program. It actually focuses on changing only 11 of the seats to a new color. Two others are open seats that were vacated by Democrats in competitive districts that DCCC will make a heightened effort to hold. Four other seats on the list are also open but were abandoned by Republicans.
One of the targets may have a name familiar to some attentive broadcasters. Lee Terry (R-NE) sits on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and was co-sponsor of the Local Community Radio Act, which proposes to make it easier to start up LPFM stations.
The DCCC is said to be setting high fund-raising standards for its candidates, but is also pledging support for many, such as the ones in this program.
Here are the 13 candidates:
* Ami Bera, v. Dan Lungren (R-CA)
* Steve Pougnet v. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA)
* John Carney for Mike Castle’s (R-DE) open seat
* Lori Edwards for Adam Putnam’s (R-FL) open seat
* Raj Goyle for Todd Tiahrt’s (R-KS) open seat
* Dan Seals for Mark Kirk’s (R-IL) open seat
* Tom White v. Lee Terry (R-NE)
* Paula Brooks v. Pat Tiberi (R-OH)
* John Callahan v. Charlie Dent (R-PA)
* Bryan Lentz for Joe Sestak’s (D-PA) open seat
* Rob Miller v. Joe Wilson (R-SC)
* Roy Herron for John Tanner’s (D-TN) open seat
* Suzan DelBene v. Dave Reichert (R-WA)
RBR-TVBR observation: If there is one thing working in the Democrats’ favor right now, it is the fact that it is only March, and they already know they are in trouble. It is not going to come as an October surprise, and strategists have ample time to prepare for November.
One certain Democratic activity will be a massive effort to put together funding for a major air war, which will be a major benefit to broadcasters in battlegrounds from coast to coast.
