Dave Pollak just emailed over as follows:

The 2007 Elections are only 3 weeks away, and we need your help to guarantee Democratic success in critical races across NY State! Not only are we working to elect great Democratic candidates right now, but their victories will help build towards future Democratic victories in 2008 and beyond.

As you know, the NY Dems are hosting weekend canvassing on Long Island and weeknight phonebanking in Manhattan from now until Election Day, November 6. Our Long Island Political Director, Lauren Corcoran-Doolin (laurend [at] nydems [dot] org), has additional information about canvassing/phonebanking dates, places and times, or you can contact Claire Silberman at claire.silberman [at] gmail [dot] com with any other questions or comments. There are critical volunteer needs upstate as well so please contact our Upstate Political Director Cathy Calhoun at cathyc [at] nydems [dot] org to get people plugged in outside of the NYC area.

This brings me to a related subject: we all love to bitch and moan and complain about how bad the Democrats are, and all the many ways, large and small, they disappoint. I do this regularly and, frankly, with cause. Two words: Noach Dear.

That said, the concerns of people who actually go out there, knock on the doors, write the checks, carry the petitions, make the calls, in short, do the hard work, are far more likely to be heard.

So, let's get out there and get us some more, and better, Democrats.

So, as you may have noticed, it having been blogged across the state in all of your favored publications - The Albany Project, The Politicker, Rochester Turning, and here - a bunch of we bloggers were up in Albany yesterday to see what it looks like when the actual Democratic Party does its business.

Enlightening. Here are some impressions:

My man Eliot in the press gaggle.

Approaching Albany.

Bloggers Row; from left to right, Paul, Azi and Liza.

Phil, Dave, Paul, Dave, hams.

Edna and Celeste.

So here we are at the butt-crack of dawn, getting ready to depart for the state capital and today's Spring Meeting of the NYSDC. Joining us will be the good folks over at The Albany Project and from Rochester Turning.

Expect posts, liveblogging, guest blogging and plenty of photo material throughout the day.

And there's Liza. We're off.

Some pictures from last night's book party for Senator Schumer's first offering; is it just me, or are Democratic grassroots events getting increasingly posh? Another observation: when Schumer announced himself a Hillary man, there was some scattered cheering at the front; the rest of the room remained in stony silence. Heh.

Dave Pollak, state party-co-chair, with orchids

June O'Neill (right), the other co-chair, with Trudy Mason, feminist icon.

Senator Charles Schumer.

From Lipris, here's the video of Dave Pollak speaking at Prey on Thursday. Fun fact: right behind him is netroots hero Brian Keeler.