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Oct 25, 2007

Politico - DCCC launches new campaign to build its e-mail list

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will cast its net wide and far through the end of the year to build a bigger bank of online supporters - an increasingly essential element in political fundraising.

The campaign arm would like to add the names and e-mail addresses of 250,000 potential supporters over the next three months, according to a Democratic aide.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean started things off Wednesday by sending an e-mail to DCCC supporters encouraging them to join the DCCC's rapid response network, a community of devoted activists who send letters to local newspapers, organize outreach efforts and contribute money for ad campaigns and other mobilization drives.

Committee brass hope to incorporate other leading voices in the party, including the presidential candidates, to build its database of names and confact information and to access the candidates massive network of online supporters.

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards all have large e-mail lists that other campaign committees covet for fundraising, volunteers and voter outreach.

Committee aides hope to recruit these online supporters for the rapid response network, send them online petitions, distribute campaign videos, conduct online policy and political briefs and get involved in grassroots strategy sessions, according to one aide.

In his e-mail, Dean encourages supporters to join the rapid response network and credits this outreach arm with helping the committee to launch television ads rebutting a large ad campaign by a White House-affiliated group to make the case that U.S. troops should remain in Iraq.

"No Republican attack should go unanswered from here on out," Dean wrote. "With your help, we can fight back and continue Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi's (D-Calif.) New Direction for America."

He also appeals for a few dollars to fund the party's efforts to win the White House and expand its majorities in the House and Senate.

"The 2008 elections are a little over a year away," Dean wrote. "We will need both a Democrat in the White House and a strong Democratic Congress to make lasting change. We must work together to succeed. Please make a contribution to help House Democrats continue building a sophisticated rapid response operation to strengthen and secure our Democratic Majority."

Dean's note is expected to be the first of many in the coming weeks.

By Patrick O'Connor