NOTE: The initial inspiration for Jerry McNerney to advocate this action was a Daily Kos diary titled "Will he still love me?" by testvet6778; this is also cross-posted on Calitics... - Eden w/ McNerney for Congress

Today is Memorial Day, a time to recognize and honor the men and women who have given their lives in service to our nation for over two centuries, from the American Revolution to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While this day is always a solemn national event, I know many Americans are feeling a profound sense of pain on this particular Memorial Day. The thoughts and feelings you have expressed to me about how to support our troops in this time of war -- in-person at my "Congress At Your Corner" events, by phone, through email, or in the hundreds of comments on my blog -- is a reflection of that deep sentiment.

First off, I just want to say what a great time I had at the YearlyKos fundraiser in Washington, DC, on Tuesday night. It was a blast to meet a lot of folks I've only heard about online. You can see some of the pictures from that event, including a photo of me with Dengre, in NYBri's recommended diary.

As many of you know, I defeated Richard Pombo, a seven-term Republican incumbent, and was elected to Congress in 2006 on a wave of grassroots and netroots support. But, what many of you may not know is that I ran in 2004 and lost.

Sometimes, it takes more than one election cycle for voters to realize it's time for a change. That's why I am proud to post the following request of MyDD'ers today.

Come over to the other side of this diary for the rest of the story.

x-posted at Daily Kos and Calitics

Hi MyDD'ers (and Kossacks and Calitics'istas) -

I would like to invite all of you to join Congressman Jerry McNerney -- the netroots hero who defeated Richard Pombo -- this afternoon at firedoglake's Blue America. But first, I have some great news to tell you.

On Monday, your votes helped Jerry win Senator John Kerry's national "March Madness" campaign competition (along with Rep. Nancy Boyda, KS-2). As a result, Senator Kerry sent over 3 million people an email yesterday asking them to support Jerry, as well as Rep. Boyda, and Senators Tom Harkin and Mark Pryor.

Last night, you did it again. We asked our grassroots and netroots supporters to "Hit a Home Run for Jerry" by raising $300,000 before the Federal Election Commission's March 31st midnight deadline. And, late last night, you hit it out of the park-- a full 24 hours before the deadline.   

More below the flip...

Cross-posted at DailyKos

We have heard a lot about Fighting Dems from the DCCC this year.  I think their use of the term "Fighting Dem" is misguided.  They are trying to portray their 2006 slate as Fighting Dems because of their status as veterans.

Don't get me wrong, I respect the service of these veterans. My son, Mike, currently serves as an officer in the armed forces and I am damn proud of his service to this country. Furthermore, I am committed to supporting the men and women currently serving and our veterans at home. I know personally how dedicated these folks are to their country.

But Rahm Emanuel's main selection criterion seems to be military experience in general. In my opinion, that simply isn't enough grounds to back a candidate.