I first found out about Gilda Reed, Democratic candidate for Louisiana’s First Congressional district, when one of her diaries hit the Recommended list. What impressed me most was that she replied to just about every comment made in the diary!
She wrote about how her local newspaper, the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, overlooked her candidacy in an article about contenders for the 1st District, then soon to be vacated by Republican Bobby Jindal, who would go on to win the Gubernatorial race. Reed asked us, was she ignored because she was female, or a Democrat? Our community roared back in supportive response, and has adopted her as one of our favorite Kossack Candidates in the 2008 election cycle.
Gilda has embraced this community, and has continued to chronicle her race in the First District, which will hold a special election for the vacant seat on May 3rd. Now, we can help Gilda win this election, and bring some much-needed progressive representation to LA-01.
More below.
Starting this Wednesday, February 20th, at Noon Eastern Time, we will be holding our second 24-Hour Online Fundraiser, this time in honor of Gilda Reed. You may recall last summer when we blogged around the clock for Tom Allen, Democratic Senate candidate in Maine. Now, another strong Democrat needs our help, and given the way in which Gilda has embraced our community, I think it’s time we responded in kind.
Every two hours, starting at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time, a different DailyKos member will be posting a diary about why he or she supports Reed, and why the citizens of Louisiana’s First District need Reed. We’ll keep it going around the clock, and hope that our efforts can encourage more of you to join in supporting her campaign.
Participants include several DailyKos members from the greater New Orleans area, who can personally testify to the area’s need for her strong, progressive representation, supporters from across the country, folks working on her campaign, and Gilda herself. While we’re still working out the schedule (I want a graveyard shift!) you can expect to hear from the following Kossacks:
blueintheface
buhdydharma
Chicagoa
gabriella
kath25
Nightprowlkitty
nolalily
Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse
possum
YatPundit
Gilda’s son and campaign manager, rwreed17
and gildareed herself!
Updated 2/19/08 10:18 p.m. CST:
Rebuilding Louisiana: Gilda Reed 24-Hour Online Fundraiser
Help us support Kossack Candidate Gilda Reed for Congress in Louisiana's 1st District! She's running in a special election to fill the seat vacated by Bobby Jindal. We'll be posting diaries about Gilda for the next 24 hours to raise support and bring attention to her candidacy. Please join us and learn more about this great Democratic candidate!
Donate to Gilda securely via ActBlue.
Gilda has received endorsements from a host of labor groups and local newspapers. I urge you to get to know this fine candidate and her positions on the issues that impact her district and our country as a whole. Louisiana and the New Orleans area in particular need strong representation to guide their recovery, and Gilda is the person for the job.
So, I hope to see all of you popping in to one of our 12 diaries over this 24-hour period, and then moseying on over to ActBlue to toss in your support. We’ll keep the ActBlue tally updated to show the outpouring of support for Gilda, and the people of Louisiana. We’ll make sure to post a final schedule for all of you the day before the fundraiser, but as always you can keep track of our progress with the tag Gilda Reed, which can help you locate the most recent diary with skill and ease.
Thanks in advance for your support, and see you all on Wednesday!
::
On to the Top Comments!
From OrangeClouds115:
chapel hill guy is always full of useful information!
oldpro’s comment gives me hope
From carolita:
roguetrader2000 provides a very useful cogent explaination of credit default swaps, which may bring down the entire global banking system in the not-so-distant future in Jerome a Paris' The crisis is so bad the fniancial press turns bolshie.
From DemocraticLuntz:
movie buff describes ARG's polling methodology.
My Picks:
From clammyc’s excellent diary Some important news from Iran you may not have heard:
gooderservice scripts a TV ad for our party’s nominee to use against John "Bomb Iran" McCain.
beaukitty reminds us that Young Iranians don’t hate Americans. Let’s try and keep it that way.
carver explains how the new Iranian Oil Exchange weakens the dollar
Thanks to BeninSC for all the Mojo!
Top Mojo - excluding search-identifiable tip jars and first diary comments (top 30 of each plus ties):
1 As a former Edwards supporter... by leftyboy666 - 156
2 Oh no by discocarp - 153
3 Aloha! by raatz - 139
4 Ummm...This is Hillary's high negatives showing by FishOutofWater - 138
5 But if it's fair to criticize me by The Bagof Health and Politics - 130
6 This article about Ickes is the last straw by FishOutofWater - 127
7 Fuck that by discocarp - 117
8 fine observation. by nailbender - 112
9 i went to a dinner party tonight - 3 obamicans!! by jj24 - 111
10 For those who don't know, "neo-liberal" by NBBooks - 110
11 I just read both diaries. by St Louis Woman - 99
12 It's amazing what a missed opportunity she had by dansac - 83
13 What a condescending thing to say. by Mother of Zeus - 82
14 I read your diary last night, EH... by mayan - 82
15 I'll keep hammering by ChemBob - 81
16 denial and ignorance; by pb - 80
17 Look- by anastasia p - 77
18 ARG is not a pollster by movie buff - 73
19 Bravo!!!!! by Jenai - 72
20 thank you for sharing your memory of the event by Nuisance Industry - 70
21 I Hope by Jeff Y - 69
22 If I may... by roguetrader2000 - 68
23 as always by ca democrat - 67
24 Chelsea by Christopher Day - 67
25 If she is 27 and working for a Presidential by The Bagof Health and Politics - 66
26 Another soldier diary that is slipping away by dannyinla - 64
27 If her daughter is going to lie and also by JayGR - 64
28 It seems that we have to re-learn the by blue jersey mom - 63
29 there are plenty by VoicelessInDC - 62
30 2-127 by hof1991 - 61
31 All Hail the EmperorHadrian! by JekyllnHyde - 61
32 I'm not sure that's a logically sound argument. by chicago jeff - 61
Top Mojo - everything included:
1 tip jar by waterdancer - 510
2 Tips To Nuisance Industry For Giving A Damn ! by WeBetterWinThisTime - 497
3 tip jar by EmperorHadrian - 456
4 Tip Jar - 17 February by Jerome a Paris - 444
5 do with this what you will by teacherken - 347
6 Tips, flames, candy by rhubarb - 301
7 Tips for Obamicans by mrmatthew - 283
8 Tips/Recs for "Swing" state strength by dansac - 270
9 Tip Jar nt by The Bagof Health and Politics - 266
10 don't know how much exposure this diary will get by clammyc - 250
11 Tips / Mojo: 17 Feb 2008 by A Siegel - 171
12 As a former Edwards supporter... by leftyboy666 - 156
13 Oh no by discocarp - 153
14 I don't quite know what else to say by OrangeClouds115 - 139
15 Aloha! by raatz - 139
16 Ummm...This is Hillary's high negatives showing by FishOutofWater - 138
17 But if it's fair to criticize me by The Bagof Health and Politics - 130
18 This article about Ickes is the last straw by FishOutofWater - 127
19 26 delegates are nothing to sneeze at. by Desroko - 125
20 Words do matter... by icebergslim - 119
21 Fuck that by discocarp - 117
22 fine observation. by nailbender - 112
23 i went to a dinner party tonight - 3 obamicans!! by jj24 - 111
24 For those who don't know, "neo-liberal" by NBBooks - 110
25 Tip Jar by Sam Loomis - 108
26 I just read both diaries. by St Louis Woman - 99
27 It's amazing what a missed opportunity she had by dansac - 83
28 I read your diary last night, EH... by mayan - 82
29 What a condescending thing to say. by Mother of Zeus - 82
30 I'll keep hammering by ChemBob - 81