I appreciate this comment because I think many of us in the netroots probably don't have as much information about the details of intra-party fundraising and spending as we would like. That strikes me, in fact, as part of what makes "The Use it or Lose It" campaign great politics. There's an opportunity here for citizens to learn more about the process of fundraising and intra-party funding. This knowledge is probably a pre-condition for any meaningful change. Not only can this campaign force Congressional members to give more money to those who need it. Not only does it demand accountability from our reps (esp those in safe seats who don't have many ways of being challenged or held accountable). In the long-term, this kind of movement can also help the fundraising efforts of members. When a rep like Blumenauer simply takes the time to make a case in public for what he's doing, it gives us all a greater sense of what it means to contribute to our Reps. But too often, its exactly this kind of (putatively) "inside" information that is never shared with citizens.

This campaign by Chris Bowers is an outgrowth of the surge in grassroots donations over the internet that we saw in 2004 and in sites like Act Blue. It only makes sense that citizens become both more informed about, and actively apply pressure to reform and improve, the way that Congressional reps both raise and spend money.