Way cool.

Brian Keeler is running for a state senate seat in an obscure upstate New York district. Why should anyone, outside of that district, care?

Glad you asked. People who have been reading Daily Kos and Firedoglake for awhile probably recognize the screen name NYBri as belonging to a well-spoken, forthright, engaging progressive, bursting with positive energy, enthusiasm, great spirit and abundant intelligence. That would be Brian Keeler and Brian is challenging a severely reactionary, entrenched Republican in New York's 41st senatorial district, basically all of Columbia County and most of Dutchess County. The last time Dutchess County elected a Democrat as state senator was 1910. That freshman state legislator, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, did well in Albany-- and... well, helped save America and the rest of the world.

The New York State Senate has been in GOP hands since the mid-1960's. Over the last decade it has allowed Governor Pataki to institute reactionary tax policies-- progressive income tax displaced by a virtual flat tax for the wealthy so that someone earning $40,000 a year and someone earning $40 million a year pay the same exact rate-- and other harebrained schemes that have severely hurt the middle and working class. Pataki is about to be replaced by a strong, unabashed, truly liberal governor, Eliot Spitzer, at which point New York should become what Brian calls "a shining beacon for progressive government and an example for the rest of the country."

In case you were wondering, Brian's web site is here, and you can contribute here. He also just got endorsed by Eliot, which should be of some assistance, considering the latter has approval ratings normally reserved for civilizational advances like hot and cold running water.