I really like John Fetterman, who's running for the Democratic Senate nomination here in Pennsylvania. (Not to mention, I just love the idea of this 6'8 behemoth debating the diminutive Pat Toomey.) I've talked to him a couple of times, he's a really interesting guy with some intriguing ideas. (He has to tighten up his message a bit -- but not too much.) In the Year of the Outsider, he might have a chance, but he's going to need a lot more money. (If you want to donate, here's the link.)

Democrat John Fetterman was the last candidate to enter the Pennsylvania Senate race, but he's the first to say how much his campaign raised last quarter. With his mid-September campaign announcement, the mayor of tiny Braddock only had a little more than two weeks' of contributions to tally. His campaign says they collected $170,000 during that time period. The bulk of those 2,100 contributions were less than $20 each, according to Fetterman's campaign.

Next year's Senate contest is expected to be an expensive one. Former congressman and retired Navy admiral Joe Sestak had $2.1 million on hand at the end of June, and Republican Sen. Pat Toomey's campaign account topped $8 million.

Love his new campaign ad:

"It must have felt like the end of the world. Almost half the world's steel was produced here in this valley. The mills fell like dominos. Thousands of people thrown out of work. People warned me, 'Oh are you sure, you sure you wanna go to Braddock?'"

"And what I found was just the opposite. We've taken on a degree of challenges here unmatched in any community in Pennsylvania. Bringing basic amenities that most people in this country take for granted. We feed people every day here. We help clothe families. Practical things that matter to people."

"If there's a lesson to be taken from Braddock it's that no community deserves to be abandoned, no community deserves to be left behind. It's been a long process. Ten years as mayor. Braddock is a road map to begin to build it back up. To build a stronger Pennsylvania."