I am both a big fan and a big critic of the progressive grassroots. I think at their best, it is the progressive grassroots that can bring out the best in American government. And this recent election showed the worth of such grassroots movements like Act Blue, Progressive Majority and MoveOn.org. But one of my main criticisms of the progressive grassroots is their lack of unity and ability to stick it out for the long haul.

Chris Owens, a favorite grassroots progressive in Brooklyn and favorite bugbear of City Councilman David Yassky, is doing his best to make the grassroots in Brooklyn both more unified and more effective with a new initiative (and organizing base for future campaigns) called New Brooklyn Leadership.

What could bring together Michael Bouldin, Daily Gotham coiner of the term "Green tools of the right" and members of the Green Party?

Chris Owens can do it.

Last night was Chris' thank you party for those who helped him in his recent run for Congress, and his announcement of the New Brooklyn Leadership movement.

At its root, this is an attempt to keep together the very active, very dedicated grassroots coalition that rallied around Chris Owens' candidacy and to hone that coalition into a more effective and lasting tool. And it was a good start. Members of both IND and CBID were there, representing the area's two best known "reform Democratic" clubs. Members of the Green Party were there, including former Brooklyn BP candidate Gloria Mattera. Daily Gotham's own anti-Green enthusiast Michael Bouldin was there. Members of Develop, Don't Destroy Brooklyn were there. Bigwigs from New Democratic Majority were there. It was, in short, a pretty good cross section of the recent Norm Seigel (2005) and Chris Owens (2006) campaigns and probably the most active participants in Brooklyn's sometimes thin grassroots. There were over 100 people in the room at one time, and people were coming and going, indicating that many more were probably there at some time or another.

Took off early today to campaign, but was never able to make it to Bay Ridge to help Harrison. My wife, Joy, did campaign in Bay Ridge this morning, so she did her part while I worked. Joy found that the Harrison campaign was well supplied with volunteers for the daytime, largely saturating Bay Ridge. The times they would need would be evening when I couldn't make it. So, I gave my time to my local club, Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND).

I spend the evening handing out IND palm cards at PS 321 to a largely uninterested Park Slope community. Oddly, I find most areas I have campaigned appreciate people who are involved in the political process. In Park Slope people tend to look at you like you are an insect if you hand them a palm card, but occasionally someone is interested. It was more an exercise in getting out a respectable vote than actually affecting any close races. But it was seen as important to have a presence. Why? Because too many incumbent Dems in Brooklyn take their base for granted. Not so Joan Millman and IND. Thet appreciate their voters and make sure there is a presence on election day to reach out to the voters. And for those who think Joan Millman only cares about voters when they vote, I have it from a good friend that she is there for her constituents more than any other local elected. So I was the Dem outreach person at PS 321 this evening.

AD-01
Marc Alessi (D)
Candidate Name (R)

AD-02
Fred W. Thiele Jr. (R)
M. Treewolf West (D)

AD-03
Patricia Eddington (D)
Soctt Salimando (R)

AD-04
Steven Englebright (D)
Bruce Bennett (R)

AD-05
Ginny Fields (D)
William Faulk (R)

AD-06
Philip Ramos (D)
Waldo Cabrera (R)

AD-07
Michael Fitzpatrick (R)
Grace Kelly-McGovern (D)

AD-08
Philip Boyle (R)
Dennis Cohen (D)

AD-09
Andre Raia (R)
Gerard J. Mc Creight (D)

AD-10
James Conte (R)
Barbara Lo Moriello (D)

AD-11
Robert Sweeney(D)
Donald Nohs (R)

AD-12
Joseph Saladino (R)
Craig Heller (D)

AD-13
Chuck Lavine (D)
Steve Gonzalez (R)

AD-14
Robert Barra (R)
Daniel Torres (D)

AD-15
Rob Walker (R)
Matthew Pangburn (D)

AD-16
Thomas DiNapoli (D)
Louis Chisari (R)

AD-17
Thomas McKevitt (R)
Dolores Sedacca (D)

AD-18
Earlene Hooper (D)
J. Barrington Jackson (R)

Yup. We have the whole list. All 29 distristcs. Enjoy.

NY-01
Tim Bishop (DEM), Incumbent
Campaign Website: http://www.bishopforcongress.com

Italo Zanzi (REP), Campaign Website: http://www.zanzi2006.com

NY-02
Steve Israel (DEM, IND, WOR)
Incumbent
Campaign Website: http://www.israelforcongress.com

John Bugler (REP, CON)
Campaign Website: http://bugler.org

NY-03
Peter King (REP IND CON)
Incumbent, Campaign Website: ____

David Mejias (DEM, WOR)
Campaign Website: http://www.daveforamerica.com

NY-04
Carolyn McCarthy (DEM)
Incumbent
Campaign Website: http://www.votemccarthy.com

Martin Blessinger(REP, CON)

NY-05
Gary Ackerman (DEM, IND, WOR
Incumbent - Unopposed

NY-06
Gregory Meeks (DEM)
Incumbent

NY-07
Joe Crowley (DEM. WOR)
Incumbent
Campaign Website: http://www.crowleyforcongress.com

Kevin Brawley (REP)

NY-08
Jerrold Nadler (DEM)
Incumbent
Campaign Website: http://www.jerrynadler.com

Eleanor Friedman (REP)

Dennis Adornato (CON)

NY-09

DEM, IND, WOR
Alan Hevesi
Incumbent, Campaign Website: http://www.alanhevesi.com

REP, CON
J. Christopher Callaghan (R, C),
Campaign Website: http://www.callaghanfornewyork.com

GRE
Julia Willebrand

LBT
John J. Cain

SWP
Willie Cotton

Here's the last list : The infamous list of "who the hell are these people" running for Supreme Court Justice. Yah. We're supposed to entrust our rights and freedoms to people we have no idea if they've even passed the bar.

District 1 (NEW YORK)
REP - Joan B. Lobis
DEM - Angela M. Mazzarelli

District 2 (KINGS & RICHMOND)
REP - William F. Mastro
REP - Joseph J. Maltese
REP - Michael V. Ajello
DEM - Jack M. Battaglia
DEM - Karen B. Rothenberg
DEM - David I. Schmidt
DEM - Delores J. Thomas
CON - Michael S. Reinhardt

District 1 (NEW YORK)
REP - Joan B. Lobis
DEM - Angela M. Mazzarelli

District 2 (KINGS & RICHMOND)
REP - William F. Mastro
REP - Joseph J. Maltese
REP - Michael V. Ajello
DEM - Jack M. Battaglia
DEM - Karen B. Rothenberg
DEM - David I. Schmidt
DEM - Delores J. Thomas
CON - Michael S. Reinhardt

District 3 (ALBANY, COLUMBIA, GREENE, RENSSELAER, SCHOHARIE,
SULLIVAN & ULSTER)

REP/DEM - Karen Peters
REP/DEM - Gus Devin
WOR - Elon Harpaz

District 5 (HERKIMER, JEFFERSON, LEWIS, ONEIDA, ONONDAGA &
OSWEGO)

SD-01
Kenneth P. LaValle (R), Incumbent
Michael Commando (D)

SD-02
John J. Flanagan (R), Incumbent
Brooke Ellison (D)

SD-03
Caesar Trunzo (R), Incumbent
Jimmy Dahroug (D)
David Ochoa (W)

SD-04
Owen Johnson (R), Incumbent
James McDonals (D)

SD-05
Carl L. Marcellino (R), Incumbent
Leslie Bielanski(D)

SD-06
Kemp Hannon (R), Incumbent
Casilda Roper-Simpson (D)

SD-07
Michael A. L. Balboni (R), Incumbent
Joseph Hand (D)

SD-08
Charles J. Fuschillo Jr. (R), Incumbent
Adam Small (D)

SD-09
Dean Skelos (R), Incumbent
Odelia Goldberg (D)

SD-10
Shirley Huntley (D), Incumbent
Jereline Hunter (R, CON)

SD-11
Frank Padavan (R), Incumbent
Nora Marino (D)

SD-12
George Onorato (D), Incumbent

Uncontested

SD-13
John D. Sabini (D), Incumbent

Uncontested

SD-14
Malcolm A. Smith (D), Incumbent

SD-15
Serphin R. Maltese (REP, IND, CON), Incumbent
Albert Baldeo (DEM)

SD-16

DEM, WOR
Andrew Cuomo
Campaign Website: http://www.andrewcuomo.com/home.asp

REP, IND, CON
Jeanine Pirro
Campaign Website: http://www.jeaninepirro.com

LBT
Chris Garvey (Libertarian)
Campaign Website: http://home.att.net/~chrisgarvey/home.htm

GRE
Rachel Treichler (Green)
Campaign Wesite: http://www.serve.com/ecobooks/voterachel

SWP
Martin Koppel (Socialist Workers' Party)

DEM, IND, WOR
Hillary Clinton,
US Senator
Campaign Website: http://www.hillaryclinton.com

REP, CON
John Spencer
Former mayor of Yonkers
Campaign Website: http://www.joinspencer.com

GRE
Howie Hawkins

LBT
Jeff Russell (Libertarian)
Campaign Website: http://www.russellforsenate.org

SEP
Bill Van Auken (Socialist)

DEM, IND, WOR
David A. Paterson
State Senate Minority Leader
Campaign Website: http://www.paterson2006.com

REP, CON
C. Scott Vanderhoef
Rockland County Executive
Campaign Website: http://www.johnfaso2006.com/aboutcsv.html

GRE
Alison Duncan

LBT
Donald Silberger

SWP
Ben O'Shaughnessy