Whatever the polls may currently say about Elizabeth Dole's lead over Kay Hagan, it doesn't seem to matter to the DSCC. According to The Politico, they are about to bring the house down around Dole's head.

From Atomic Gay Wonk:

Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) yesterday introduced an amendment that would have added the name of Jesse Helms to the title of the HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria bill that is before the Senate. Helms, who died eleven days ago, was the nation's most vociferous foe of federal funding for HIV/AIDS programs from the epidemic's beginning until he left the Senate.

The name of the Act proposed in S. 2731 is "Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008".

In the North Carolina and Oregon Democratic US Senate primaries this year, two great progressive candidates ran for the nomination: Jim Neal (NC) and Steve Novick (OR).  The DSCC, who is not supposed to pick sides in a primary, appears to have secretly funded their preferred candidates anyway (Kay Hagan (NC) and Jeff Merkley (OR)).

If the DSCC leaders personally had a preference, that’s fine.  BUT IT IS NOT OK TO FUNNEL MONEY TO ONE CANDIDATE OVER ANOTHER IN A DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY!!!!  That's unfairly taking sides and deliberately influencing an election, and that is not what the Democratic Party is about.

The netroots / blogosphere has picked its favorites, be they Rick Noriega or Darcy Burner or Scott Kleeb.  (All three of whom are great candidates.)

In this diary, I wanted to spread the love a bit to a few candidates that don't get mentioned much, or at all.  Please help me in this task.

Oftentimes moderate Democrats running in Republican districts, who don't and can't hew to the hard left like we might like, lose out in the online popularity contests.  But at the end of the day, their one vote will count for just as much, and will each be replacing the vote of a bad GOP legislator.

In this diary I detail 5 house candidates and 5 senate candidates that are worthy of your donations - even $5 - via ActBlue at this link.  Even better, sign up for a recurring contribution - it helps ensure the candidates a steady financial situation.

I don't like the conclusion of this Charlotte Observer analysis but it appears to have good logic.   I'm posting it because it shows what needs to be worked on before November if Obama, Kay Hagan (Senate), Harry Taylor (House) and Larry Kissell (House) are going to win.

I have possible action items to counter the analysis at the end of the diary.

(cross-posted at BlueNC)

Public Policy Polling confirms what we already knew--North Carolina is in play presidentially.  However, news from the Senate race here isn't quite as encouraging.

On the presidential side, McCain only leads Obama 45-41--just one point over the margin of error.  Barr gets 5 percent.  Note, this is a Democratic polling firm--but as with the last poll from NC, from a Republican polling firm, there's virtually no good news for McCain.

On the Senate side, however, Liddy Dole appears to be pulling away from Kay Hagan.  She now leads 51 percent to 38 percent ... and the trends suggest Hagan's got some work to do.

I know, I know...it's not likely, but a brother can dream can't he?

Following up on my post from yesterday and incorporating some of the suggestions/corrections from the comments made there, let's take a look at our best case scenario in the November Senate elections.

Right now, we're at 49 Ds, 49 Rs and 2 I's.  When the smoke clears on election night in November we'll be at 62 Ds, 37 Rs and 1 I.
Here's how it's going to happen....

Several polls taken right over the weeks after the North Carolina primary show that the race for the senate has reached the top tier. now is as good a time as any to help me raise the maximum single donation for Kay Hagan on my Turn Carolina Blue page.

Here’s how the Dems can win a filibuster-proof 60 seat majority in the U.S. Senate.  It’s not going to be easy, but it can happen.

Right now, there are 49 Republicans, 49 Democrats and 2 Independents (Sanders-VT & Lieberman-CT) who both caucus with the Dems.

In November of 2008, there will be 33 Senate seats up for election AND one special election - to replace the retired Trent Lott-MS.  For the Dems to achieve a 60 seat super-majority they will need to win 9 seats that are now held by a Republican.  Here are the 9 seats that are in reach:

a Democratic Congress!

A little background: I've been living out of my truck since September, working for various progressive Democratic causes across the country. In September, I went to Jena. In the fall, I led a grassroots group to save mass transit funding in Charlotte, NC while working on the Democratic coordinated campaign for the local races in Charlotte. In November, I started working in Iowa for Joe Biden. And in January, I moved to Chapel Hill to work for Jim Neal. But I'm turning 23 today on the 23rd, and I'm ready to work for a Democratic Congress the best way I know how - with ActBlue!

What's kept me sane has been the generosity and energy of the volunteers on all of these campaigns. I met some of the nicest people (and best cooks) I've ever met in Iowa, while activists in Chapel Hill graciously opened their houses to me. I owe a lot of friends - some of them bloggers here at Daily Kos - a big thank you for their help (a few of them even thought enough of me to elect me as a Democratic Presidential Elector in NC-12 earlier this week).

So, in the spirit of gratitude - all I want for my birthday is Democratic victory in November!

It's only May and Elizabeth Dole must already feel the heat as Kay Hagan's campaign is drawing national praise and attention. The Charlotte News and Observor is reporting that Liddy has "reassigned" (read: fired) her campaign manager.

After simmering in the shadows of some of the bigger races for the year, the senate race in North Carolina is gaining national attention and Kay Hagan is gaining widespread praise as a candidate, premiering on Chris Cilliza's tope ten senate races.

This is number seven in a planned series of 50 entries between now and November, looking at each of the 50 states in terms of every race on that state's ticket--Presidential, Gubernatorial, Senate, House, State legislatures--the whole pack of cigarettes.  Special attention paid to identifying and promoting the most important contests per state.

This time, we look at North Carolina, the state that made Barack Obama the Democratic nominee for President!

[Originally posted at Senate Guru.]

You read that right.  The Senate Guru is going on strike for Kay Hagan!  Currently, on the Expand the Map! ActBlue page, Hagan is at $50 raised.  Well, the Guru will not write another post until Hagan has crossed the $300 mark.  That's right!  The Guru is on strike until the community contributes another $250 to Hagan.

(More below the fold.)

Few people in politics had a worse year in 2006 than Liddy Dole.  The chair of the Republican's Senate campaign committee, by the end of the campaign she had pretty much been bypassed by the Bush team, who tried to save vulnerable Republicans by running the operation through the RNC.  It didn't work.  Other than current DLC Chair Harold Ford, who ran against the Democratic party but wouldn't run against the war, every Democrat in a close race beat their Republican opponent.  Dole's tenure at the NRSC was an unmitigated disaster.  

Well, 2008 may be an even worse year for her, as she could very well lose her Senate seat to Democrat Kay Hagan:

Rasmussen
May 8, 2008  500 Respondents +/-4.5%

Congratulations to North Carolina State Senator Kay Hagan, who handily won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate today.

State Sen. Kay Hagan (D) locked up her party’s nomination for a chance at Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R) this fall. With about half of the precincts reporting, Hagan had 61 percent to 19 percent for her closest competitor, investment adviser Jim Neal (D).

Dole is favored to win a second term, but some Democrats believe Hagan is a sleeper candidate who can make the race very close.

Hagan now heads into the general election trailing Dole by seven points in polling, holding the incumbent under 50% re-elect, and having shown strong fundraising ability. North Carolina currently stands as one of the most promising second-tier Senate races in the country.

Meanwhile, in Indiana, the Democratic primary for Governor couldn't be closer. Democrats Jim Schellinger and Jill Long Thompson are deadlocked at 50%, with Schellinger leading by just 600 votes out of over 1.1 million cast, and with 263 precincts (out of 5280) yet to report.

Hopefully, we'll know by tomorrow. Whoever wins should have a terrific race against Indiana's current governor, famed Bush crony Mitch Daniels.

Update: With only 16 precincts left, Jill Long Thompson is up by 5,000 votes. She will almost certainly be the nominee. Congratulations to the former Congresswoman, and may she beat hell out of Mitch Daniels in the fall.

Race tracker wiki: NC-Sen IN-Gov

Polls have closed in North Carolina.

The races after the break...

I support OBAMA for president.

I support JIM NEAL for US Senate.

Both Obama and Jim Neal are inspiring progressive Democrats.  

Both Obama and Jim Neal speak up loudly about the ills of our society and can truly bring change to Washington.
 
Both Obama and Jim Neal have had uphill battles to climb to fight the Washington establishment, and both have been discounted at some point.

Please vote Obama-Jim Neal tomorrow!