Joe Trippi, the national campaign manager for former Vermont Governor Howard Dean and the author of one of the year's best political books, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, will be in Philadelphia Friday evening to raise money for the U.S. Senate campaign of Rep. Joe Hoeffel (D).

The event, targeted at "young professionals," which may or may not include me on either ground, will be held at Finnegan's Wake (Quiet Man Room) at Third and Spring Garden Streets from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Contribution: $100.00 (through a donation or fundraising); students with valid ID, $35.00.

For more information, call Dana Miller at (215) 789-3700.

Now, I'd sure like to meet both Joes.

So can we do this? Let's see if Rittenhouse readers, collectively, can pony up at least $100.00 for the Hoeffel campaign by Friday. You can donate to the Hoeffel campaign under the Rittenhouse banner by clicking here.

As a good-faith gesture, one that comes from the heart, and to get the ball rolling, this morning I contributed $25.00 to the Hoeffel campaign. Surely you can at least match my donation.

Look, the latest poll I've seen shows a narrower race than you might believe and than you might expect, particularly given the incumbent's long tenure in Washington and clear financial advantage. The poll, conducted by Survey USA, shows the incumbent preferred by 48 percent of likely voters, Rep. Hoeffel by 41 percent, and Constitution Party candidate Jim Clymer by 6 percent. This race is winnable. And a nice push from the grassroots level on Hoeffel's behalf (I'm not the only person working on this, of course) could lead to more financial support from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

And while I'm at it, please consider making a contribution -- today -- to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee [I hope that link works.].

Let me tell you, quickly, why I think this is important. The DCCC is closely monitoring every congressional race in the country. Armed with more information and institutional knowledge than anyone, the DCCC can put your donation to work anywhere, with an eye toward late and critically needed funding in tight races, making the biggest difference in the Democratic Party's effort to take back the House of Representatives. It's really not too late. In fact, now is the best time ever.

Thanks for listening.

[Post-publication addendum: Surely Philadelphians are smarter than political operative Roger Stone and Sen. Arlen Specter (R) think. Stone's minions have been posting lawn signs in Northeast Philadelphia that read: "Kerry & Specter for Working Families." That's odd: Not only are the two men from different political parties, and not only does Sen. Kerry support Rep. Hoeffel and not Sen. Specter, but the Republican incumbent has spent much of this year bragging that he votes with the Bush administration "89 percent of the time." Some moderate, don't you think? Well, the Inquirer fell for it . . . again.]

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