By Jonathan E. Kaplan
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) will lead the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Frontline program, which is designed to help the most vulnerable Democrats win reelection.
DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) announced the decision yesterday in a memorandum that also said Democrats would organize early to raise money and staff up to defend their new majority. The DCCC two weeks ago released a memo explaining how it would target Republican seats.
In the most recent document, Van Hollen wrote that Frontline Democrats must raise between $650,000 and $1 million by June 30; build a network of 30,000 e-mail addresses by November 2008; and identify 1,000 volunteers.
Van Hollen also will have a “mentor program” with seasoned incumbent Reps. Dennis Moore (D-Kan.) and Jim Matheson (D-Utah) advising Democrats who won Republican seats on how to win reelection.
But there’s nothing like incumbency to help win reelection, Van Hollen wrote, adding, “incumbency … offers an expanded forum for new members to fundraise and deliver to their districts.”
Last week, Van Hollen noted in the other memo that he would target Republican incumbents who won by less than five points and hold seats won by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in 2004. He’s also counting on retirements among Republicans to create a more competitive field.
http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/012307/wasserman.html
