Van Hollen to run Democrats' fundraising

[MAS117]

Great choice I think. Van Hollen was the Co-Chair for the DCCC Red to Blue program, which was very successful.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Van Hollen to run Democrats' fundraising

By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 24 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen (news, bio, voting record), who was elected to Congress only four years ago, will lead House Democrats' fundraising and recruiting efforts heading into the 2008 election, Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi announced Tuesday.
ADVERTISEMENT

Van Hollen, 47, takes over the position of chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., who was credited with leading the Democrats to victory in the midterm election and restoring the party to power in the House after 12 years in the minority.

Emanuel will assume the post of Democratic Caucus chairman when the new Congress convenes in January.

"Congressman Chris Van Hollen's depth of legislative experience and political savvy will make him an exceptional DCCC chairman," Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement.

Van Hollen, in an interview, said he had worked closely with Emanuel on recruiting and as co-leader of a program to promote strong Democratic candidates. He said his focus was "going to be on making sure that we continue to be in a position to carry out the mandate for a change in direction. ... The main thing we've got to do is follow through on the commitments we made."

During the last election cycle, the DCCC raised more than $100 million, allowing the party to expand into districts where it is usually not competitive and helping win more than 30 GOP-held seats.

Van Hollen was born in Pakistan and lived in Turkey and Sri Lanka, where his father was the U.S. ambassador. He earned a masters degree from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and held a staff position on the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee before entering Maryland state politics. He was elected to Congress in 2002.

Pelosi last week named Van Hollen to a seat on the Ways and Means Committee, which is responsible for tax and trade legislation.

Pelosi also said that Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (news, bio, voting record), D-Ohio, would take over next year as chairwoman of the ethics committee, officially called the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

Tubbs Jones has been a member of the panel, made up of five Republicans and five Democrats, that has been in the spotlight recently for its investigation of the improper electronic messages former Rep. Mark Foley (news, bio, voting record), R-Fla., sent to teenagers who had been House pages.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

He's the guy who defeated RINO Connie Morella.

[bullmoose88]

Jfern, what is up with you calling people RINOs lately...I mean I'd expect it from someone from the far right...but you...crazy.

[Mike in Maryland]

I agree that Van Hollen's a great choice, especially as he's my congressman.

He might not pick up 30 seats as Rahm Emanuel did, but there was a sort of "perfect storm" of factors which contributed to that (unpopular GOP administration, incompetent GOP-run Congress, botched war.)  If he maintains or increases the majority that should be considered successful.

Hopefully he'll avoid the sniping that sometimes occurred betweeen Emanuel and other leading Democrats, such as Howard Dean.

[Moooooo]

This puts Van Hollen in a powerful position for a 2010 run for US Senate.  If Mikulski retires there will be one hell of a Democratic primary.

Van Hollen is in, Mfume may run again, Anthony Brown may run, Gansler may run (though I think he wants to be Governor), Dutch Ruppersberger is in (he and Gansler hate each other).

[Adlai Stevenson]

On the Republican side Michael Steele could make a comeback. 

[Moooooo]

On the Republican side Michael Steele could make a comeback. 

He cant beat anyone I listed above.  Especially not after the little stunt he and Ehrlich pulled on election day.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

On the Republican side Michael Steele could make a comeback. 

He cant beat anyone I listed above.  Especially not after the little stunt he and Ehrlich pulled on election day.

What was that?

[Moooooo]

Steele and Ehrlich bussed in homeless guys from Philly to handout fraudulent campaign flyers the day of the election in predominantly black areas.

One of the flyers pictured Mfume and other black leaders, and claimed they endorsed Steele and Ehrlich.  When in fact, they did not.

The other was a ‘Democratic Sample Ballot’ with Ehrlich and Steele’s authority line that endorsed Democrats for every office except Governor and Senate.  On the back it stated, 'you are allowed to vote for other parties in the general election.'

Basically, they bitched the whole election about Democrats taking African Americans for granted and on election Ehrlich and Steele took them to be straight up fools.

[Moooooo]

On the Republican side Michael Steele could make a comeback. 

He cant beat anyone I listed above.  Especially not after the little stunt he and Ehrlich pulled on election day.

What was that?

Actually, just check this out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIx9H7hdMuA&eurl=

[Mike in Maryland]

This puts Van Hollen in a powerful position for a 2010 run for US Senate.  If Mikulski retires there will be one hell of a Democratic primary.

Van Hollen is in, Mfume may run again, Anthony Brown may run, Gansler may run (though I think he wants to be Governor), Dutch Ruppersberger is in (he and Gansler hate each other).

Actually, if Van Hollen is successful in his DCCC efforts he might be seriously considered for a higher House leadership position and so might choose to stay put where he is.  I don't think he and Gansler will both run; doing so would split the large Montgomery County base vote and ensure neither would likely win (though Gansler's statewide performance this year was very impressive.)  And Mfume and Brown might split African Americans, perhaps on Baltimore/DC area lines.

On the GOP side, the only really formidable potential candidate I can think of is Bob Ehrlich, if he wants to make a comeback.  I think Michael Steele has had his best shot; his thin resume isn't likely to be much better by then and the theory that his race and personality will bring lots of new voters to the GOP was pretty well discredited this year.

[TheresNoMoney]

Van Hollen will almost surely run for Senate in 2010.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Jfern, what is up with you calling people RINOs lately...I mean I'd expect it from someone from the far right...but you...crazy.

I'm encouraging them to leave the batsh**t crazy party.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

This puts Van Hollen in a powerful position for a 2010 run for US Senate.  If Mikulski retires there will be one hell of a Democratic primary.

Van Hollen is in, Mfume may run again, Anthony Brown may run, Gansler may run (though I think he wants to be Governor), Dutch Ruppersberger is in (he and Gansler hate each other).

Mfume is basically done, Brown SHOULD NOT run, I don't know who Gansler is, and Ruppersberger will probably run for governor when he gets the chance (Van Holen is in a far stronger postion).  If Van Holen says he won't run, Ruppersberger is in.  I'm no expert though

[Adlai Stevenson]

On the Republican side Michael Steele could make a comeback. 

He cant beat anyone I listed above.  Especially not after the little stunt he and Ehrlich pulled on election day.

Well Steele did improve on Bush's statewide performance in 2004, 44% to 43%.  I think in 2010 he feasibly could do better, he was a charismatic candidate after all who did gain a quarter of African American voters.  2010 will arguably be a strong Republican, even if it is six years after 2004, it could be two years into a Democratic presidency and would be a traditional midterm.  I am not saying he would win, but he could run a closer race than this year - and I imagine he is the GOP's best candidate. 

[Mike in Maryland]

On the Republican side Michael Steele could make a comeback. 

He cant beat anyone I listed above.  Especially not after the little stunt he and Ehrlich pulled on election day.

Well Steele did improve on Bush's statewide performance in 2004, 44% to 43%.  I think in 2010 he feasibly could do better, he was a charismatic candidate after all who did gain a quarter of African American voters.  2010 will arguably be a strong Republican, even if it is six years after 2004, it could be two years into a Democratic presidency and would be a traditional midterm.  I am not saying he would win, but he could run a closer race than this year - and I imagine he is the GOP's best candidate. 

One whole point.  Wheeeee.

It's too soon to tell if 2010 will be a strong GOP year, but even if it is nationally it might not be so much in MD.  I think Ehrlich would be the best candidate for the GOP, with Steele likely second (unless someone new and promising emerges as they might.)  But Steele may not have a record of his own to run on then, and redoing the 2006 campaign might seem stale.

As for Steele being charismatic, that's in the eye of the beholder.  If he was that shining of a personality he would have done better.  I think his personal appeal was greatly overrated by the media.