On The Download: Send It In A Letter
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*Attention Staffers In The House Of Representatives: Don't think, just send. You have nothing to fear but your own typos. The House does not record electronically transmitted messages sent to other name@house.gov or outside e-mail addresses. And that's not a new development either. Apparently the House Administration Office has never kept tabs on e-mails or any other electronic communication, for example instant messages. So if an aide or house member, for example former Rep. Mark Foley, deleted an e-mail or instant message on a House computer, it's gone. Forever. Good luck with that one, FBI.
*ActBlue is going into the private software business. The two minds behind the Democratic online fundraising powerhouse, Benjamin Rahn and Matt DeBergalis, have incorporated "Auburn Quad," a private version of their software available to selected clients. Does that name sound familiar? It's actually a mix of the two founders' street names, but maybe you've seen that logo on Gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick's contributions page. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Massachusetts Democrat has raised more than a million dollars online -- a record in the state according to Patrick's campaign.
Boston-based ActBlue partners said they started the company out of necessity because Massachusetts law didn't allow them to set up an ActBlue account for Patrick. But now Auburn Quad is reaching out to new clients, and first on the list is Forward Together PAC. Mark Warner's PAC and ActBlue have been cozy in the past -- Warner even did a fundraiser for them a few months ago. The format is still in the works, but expect the similar personal fundraising page organization for Forward Together.
In related news, the Republican answer to ActBlue, ABC PAC's "Right Roots," is still raising. RNC Chair Ken Mehlman sent out a donation plea to the astoundingly large GOP e-mail list earlier this week. Since going live in August, Right Roots candidates have raised almost $200,000. Diane Irey, running against Rep. John Murtha in Pennsylvania, brought in the largest chunk at $20,000 [SHIRA TOEPLITZ].
Weekend Bytes:
*Apparently Foley wasn't the only government employee using the internet for inappropriate, uh, activities. The AP reports a study came out this week that shows their workers had 4,700 logged entries in one week onto gaming and sexually explicit Web sites.
*Rick Santorum's e-team is at it again: They've launched yet another anti-Casey alternative site, www.CaseyForAmnesty.com. But for a good time, we recommend the "Where's Bob Casey?" map, which has real photos of Casey from across Pennsylvania.
*The not-so-camera-shy Dick DeVos, running for Governor in Michigan, has launched a create-your-own-ad contest for supporters. The prize is (wait for it...) a video iPod.
*Democratic Congressional candidate Rick Bolanos has filed a lawsuit against Rep. Henry Bonilla's (R) campaign for illegally buying a dozen Web Sites addresses that he said he would have used for his campaign, otherwise known as "cybersquatting."
*Yes, now you can even register to vote on Facebook.com, thanks to a partnership with Rock The Vote. The program is part of larger effort by Young Voter Strategies to register 350,00 young voters in 2006, thanks to a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts.
