I attended a fundraiser at lunchtime today for Allyson Schwartz (D-PA 13). She’s a freshman in the House whose district is where I grew up and where my parents still live. The 13th Congressional district is the suburban Philadelphia area. I attended the event with one of our Government Relations Research Associates, Melinda. Melinda’s originally from the 13th too, so we had a variety of connections with Allyson. Even more exciting, and definitely more tied to work, she received an A+ on our 2006 Congressional Report Card along with special recognition for her work during the 109th Congress' first session. In house, we call these folks our A-plus-plus-ers. I worked to help get Allyson endorsed in her first race in 2004 and I’m very excited that she turned out so fantastic! Out of five new members that Global Solutions PAC helped get elected in 2004, four of them had a grade of A+. It’s a fantastic feeling to have guessed right on a candidate.

We got to talk with Allyson for a little at the beginning, thanking her for her strong attention to the genocide in Darfur and looking forward to working with her on UN reform and other issues later this year. After sampling some excellent food and schmoozing a bit, we headed out. I stopped and thanked Allyson again. I asked if I could get a photo with her and Melinda used my cell phone to snap the following picture. It’s a bit blurry, but still very cool!