Blogger round-up

Oh yeah, there's some other stuff too. :)
Forgive me if I'm a bit distracted today, but a lot of minor (neighborhood) elections had exciting victories by newcomers and activists -- at least two Ward leaders were defeated in their own committee races (although that doesn't automatically oust them from the higher position) -- and it's a buzz...

• Will Bunch watches the one general (special) election that took place yesterday, and thinks it could indicate momentum for the Democrats this fall.
  
  
• Chris Bowers managed to win his write-in campaign for state committee. He reflects positively on the other insurgent races, and particularly on how Chuck Pennacchio's (losing) Senate campaign energized a host of local people to get involved themselves in ways they might never otherwise have considered. Also this:

  Even if our victories are few, our victories will keep multiplying as long as we keep running. Hell, that is probably how the establishment came to power in the first place. As soon as it is clear that you will win sometimes, and that you will not be deterred even when you do not win, eventually those in power have no choice but to accept that you have a role in determining the future of the party. Give up easily, and be defeated easily. Never give up, and eventually you will govern.

  Indeed...
  
  
• Ray Murphy follows up on this in a slightly different vein, arguing that Anne Dicker's second place is still a victory for progressives, not least because she showed that low-cost high-contact voter outreach could trump expensive traditional ad & literature campaigns.
  
  
• Albert Yee is exhausted from his sleepless weeks of campaigning for Pennacchio and himself, but gives us some reflections on his election-day experience before nodding off.
  
  
• Atrios notes that Rick Santorum has a bunch of former staffers in trouble for campaign law violations. The FEC investigating.