Last night was the Brooklyn New Democratic Majority meeting. These meetings, which are co-hosted by Michael Bouldin, election protection advocate Marjorie Gersten, and myself, often leave me a bit disappointed because we often have a small turnout. But they also leave me excited because those who do show are very active and are good souruces of info for what is going on inside campaigns.

To give you an idea of the dedication, among those who came last night (and who are die-hard regulars), one person had vertigo, one person's mother went to the hospital earlier that day, and one person had suffered a fall earlier in the week...while on her way to help the Harrison campaign. And they all came...tired and sore, but they came.

Mostly we all just talked amongst ourselves, largely because most of us see eachother all the time and are already involved. The few newcomers did get some info on various events and resources around the city. Even introduced a couple of them to Daily Gotham!

One thing I got from the meeting was a sense of how things are feeling within two local Congressional campaigns: those of John Hall (NY-19) and Steve Harrison (NY-13).

John Hall was considered a real longshot for so long. I remember back in March or April I publicized it as one of my picks for a possible Democratic takeover and was chastized for being too optimistic (me!) because we had no chance there. Well, the only poll I find for this race (RT Strategies, conducted Oct. 2nd) shows Democrat John Hall ahead by 9 points! But what struck me last night were the reports from the campaign. Many of us are used to campaigns where the candidate is great, the volunteers are enthusiastic, but the organization and funds are a bit thin. Well, from what I am hearing from people who have seen many campaigns, John Hall's campaign is extremely well-organized with a huge army of volunteers and not doing too badly for funds. Simply put, John Hall's campaign is rocking and is prepared for a HUGE GOTV effort on election day that is exactly what he will need to win. Looking at Hall's endorsements, he also has 1199 behind him, and one thing I am learning is that 1199 can be a strong GOTV source on election day, adding to his army of volunteers. In fact, with both Progressive Democrats of America AND 1199 endorsing Hall, he represents exactly the kind of alliance between progressives and unions that I have been advocating as necessary for winning. This race is not net a sure thing, but Republican Sue Kelly must be seriously worried.

Speaking of worried, that is what I am hearing for what Bush's lap dog, Vito Fossella (voting with Republican/Bush party line 90% of the time) looked atfer the last debate. The Brooklyn Papers coverage of that debate is even titled "Tide Turns on Fossella." My main connection to the Harrison campaign commented that the smirk Fossella is known for had been wiped off his face by that last debate. Here is what Brooklyn Papers had to say:

Democrat Steve Harrison outdueled Rep. Vito Fossella (R-Bay Ridge) in a raucous final debate on Tuesday, capping a week in which Harrison’s campaign earned national recognition, and Democrats gained confidence in a candidate who has — at least until recently — had trouble gaining traction and much-needed campaign cash.

Also on Tuesday, Harrison received some national exposure, appearing on MSNBC, where he was interviewed by “Hardball” host Chris Matthews — and won praise from the tough-nosed anchorman, who ended the interview by saying, “Sir, you sound like a qualified candidate to me.”

Harrison also received considerable coverage in the last week on Daily Kos and my sources say that exposure has led to a nice influx of money. In fact, Harrision's chances are looking up to a degree that even the very cautious DCCC is considering sending money, I am told. And, Bill Clinton has noticed the campaign and may help them out a bit.

John Hall has a great shot at winning. Steve Harrison is the right man at the right time, but he still has an uphill battle. As a marathon runner, he is well equipped to win an uphill battle, but I do notice his volunteers are looking a bit tired...I think the last week, filled with successes, has been tiring for Harrison's people. He could use some help with some fresh volunteers, if anyone out there is interested.

Since March I have been pushing the idea of sweeping NY State. Well, we may not sweep, but we certainly are on the rise and with a little help from you, we can pick up several State Senate and Congressional seats in NY State.

Oh, and one last note: Let's all be nice to Michael Bouldin. He's feeling a bit persecuted these days. We all love you Michael!

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