Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, asked his supporters in an email to cough up some money to help him take on his "self-funding Tea Party" opponent, Matt Doheny.

The first part of that is not true yet; the second part, Team Doheny would argue, is not true at all.

Mr. Doheny, a Republican of Watertown, sank $2.3 million of his own money into his 2010 campaign. But he hasn't spent any money of his own on this race.

And Mr. Doheny, I would argue, comes from the pro-business aligned wing of the Republican Party. He's gained plenty of tea party support, but social conservatives and "values" voters are probably the weakest leg on Mr. Doheny's electoral-chances stool.

Mr. Owens raises the specter of Karl Rove, the Koch brothers, and "shadowy outside groups" assailing him in the race with their bottomless dollars. Mr. Rove's group, American Crossroads, launched ads last year hitting Mr. Owens.

"We must show we are ready to fight back," Mr. Owens writes in the email that was sent out on Wednesday. "That's why we set a goal of raising $11,275 before the deadline."

A GOP source forwarded the missive. I used to receive them, but apparently I have been removed from that list the email went out to former donors.

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