The race for national notice and $$$

Candidates for office often have to run two campaigns -- one aimed at the voters and the other aimed at insiders, activists, and donors.

Now, national political action committees, especially those tied to potential presidential candidates, are making candidates and their supporters jump through some hoops to try to win a contribution. The idea, of course, is to create more traffic on the sites of the PACs.

Bryan Kennedy, the Dem running against F. Jim Sensenbrenner, is engaged in a couple of those insider contests right now.

One is Mark Warner's Forward Together PAC, where Kennedy is competing in the "Map Changer" contest. Ten campaigns will each receive contributions, and the top winner will get a fundraiser with Warner. To help Kennedy, go to this link.

Democracy for America, launched by Howard Dean and now run by his brother, is hosting an online vote to determine which congressional candidate will receive their next national DFA-List endorsement, which includes a national e-mail from DFA's Chair Jim Dean. You can vote here.

Finally, Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriots Fund is soliciting suggestions on candidates to support. Link.