It's a Powersfest today - the man is everywhere. Now, he's on the front page of Daily Kos, being announced as the newest Orange to Blue candidate - that is, as a candidate for whom Daily Kos, known informally as the Great Orange Satan, will raise money from its huge community of readers.

Jon Powers has earned a spot on Orange To Blue because he's the model of of a modern patriot. He's a soldier who fought in Iraq, saw the flaws of the war up close, and resolved to make it better by helping out the kids who were most affected. He's a guy who stuck with his hometown through the bad times, and who gets excited when talking about the potential for building it into something great again. He's an optimist who believes that government can be a real force for good, both at home and in the world -- and he believes that the key is empowering regular Americans to get involved. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Powers campaign is his "call to service" -- a plan that would address the critical shortages in the nursing and teaching professions, and which would foster service and volunteerism in all walks of life. It's the product of a candidate who spends a lot of time thinking about how we can make our country work better -- not just about getting elected.

That said, Jon does need our help getting elected. Not only is he running in a Republican-leaning district that was home to the odious Tom Reynolds, but he's got a tough primary coming up on September 9 -- in less than two months -- against Jack Davis, a self-funding millionaire ex-Republican obsessed with self-aggrandizement and beating up on immigrants. (Davis is also responsible for the worst campaign song of the cycle.) NY-26 is a very winnable seat -- but there's no point in winning it if Jack Davis is the "Democratic" candidate. Jon needs our support if he's going to end Jack Davis's ego trip, free the Republican hold on NY-26, and bring his strong, progressive optimism to Washington.

It's a tough proposition, and a lot of candidates would be scared to take it on. But not Jon Powers. He's a breed apart, and that's why he's our newest Orange to Blue candidate.

You can contribute to Jon's campaign right here.

What we're seeing is the party consolidating around one candidate; Powers already has the endorsements of all county committees in his district, and was recently added to the DCCC's Red to Blue program.