We had an opportunity to attend a Daily Show taping back in Oct (the night Colbert came on the show to announce his 'candidacy').

Oddly enough, the previous evening we had attended the taping of the Colbert Report (the two studios are just a few blocks apart).  That was the night that Kucinich came on the show and they did the Rumplestiltskin skit.

You end up standing in line for a long time when you go to these shows.  VIP tickets are a big deal as I believe you don't end up waiting as long, and you get better seats.

pool of entrants, and Leslie is hoping to get 300 entrants in her name....just wondering...

...this is for Leslie Byrne only; she's hoping to get 300 contributions of $100 for this contest by January 1, 2008.  

Just goes to show...

Leslie's team and the candidate herself are the most creative; relevant; energetic, inspired, but most of all, the strongest on the issues of any candidate running for Congress next year from Virginia.  

is the most "relevant" and "inspired" candidate.  It's a pretty standard fundraising gimmick.  

so long as the Writers Strike is ongoing.  Its no different than crossing a picket line.

Is reposting it over and over really necessary?

As far as I know, the writers are still on strike, no compromise is coming up and Comedy central is going to wing it without the writers...

Does Leslie not know / care that the writers are still on strike?

Does this make her / anyone who buys a ticket a scab?

Perhaps the writers union just hasn't given her enough $?

In any event- Should / do such advertisements / announcements count the same way that those blog ads do?  i.e. something you pay for, thus as an in kind contribution?

That's why I put this on the front page.  

This is a blog.  Anyone can post.  So Lowell is front paging it.  Big freaking deal.

I would second comments regarding crossing the picket line.  As much as I love Stewart and Colbert; and as much as I would like to see Byrne do well; I am hoping that the Daily Show sucks in the near-term; that advertisers start leaving; and that the producers are forced to cut a deal with the Writers Guild.  

I would much rather see tickets to a Wizards game or some other local event that doesn't conflict with the ongoing strike.  In the big scheme of things this probably won't hurt Byrne within her district, but her political judgment on this one isn't going to win her any new support.

I've demoted the diary.

To get these tickets, you apply for the date you want 6 weeks in advance.  Obviously, therefore, you can wait until the strike is settled before picking a date.  By the way, now that Letterman has settled with WGA, this is likely to be sooner rather than later.  Also, I must point out that Leslie Byrne is one of the strongest people there is on labor issues, which is one of the reasons she's been endorsed by so many unions!

Lowell, I never questioned your integrity.

$400,000 dollars in soft money to Leslie's Lt. Governor run alone...

quid pro quo?

Oh, wait that never happens...

"Whenever a (wo)man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his (her) conduct.  ~Thomas Jefferson

in the context of a Virginia state race?  Given Virginia's very loose campaign finance laws, what's the distinction between "soft" and "hard" money?  This isn't rhetorical, I honestly don't know the answer.

would never on her worst day cross a picket line or ask anyne else to. The show is coming back on the 8th without writers. I do think Leslie should wait until the strike is settled and they are back to work before she buys the tickets for whoever wins. I hope she hasn't bought them yet. These guys may be out for much longer than six weeks.

but I remember distinctly being told by the State Board of Elections that raffles are strictly prohibited for political fundraising in Virginia.  I don't know if this is due to CFDA, in which case it wouldn't apply in Congressional races, but if it comes from charitable gaming law instead, it would.  Are there any lawyers around here who know for sure?

Leslie Byrne won the tickets in a raffle that was conducted with the Daily Show's knowledge.  Now, she's giving the tickets away as part of a fundraiser for her campaign.  I checked with the Byrne campaign and they say everything's fine.

Also, I'd point out that this is a federal race.  To my knowledge, that means it's governed by FEC rules, not by the State Board of Elections.

That doesn't necessarily make a difference.  I just found this 2001 FEC advisory opinion that says Michigan can apply its bingo laws to the Federal fund of a Democratic county committee.  IANAL but this really does make me wonder.

I made my second contribution to Leslie in time to have a shot at the tickets.  I would've given anyway, but I guess the tickets motivated me.  If I win, I'll invite Lowell & Josh.

n/t