Copy post to separate database with “add_action(….)”

I’m basically trying to have a copy of a post be sent to another database’s table when it’s published. I’ve gotten it to add a new row in the new table, with my own static arguments, but I’m not sure how to reference the actual post that’s being published.

function run_when_post_published($post_ID)
{
    echo "Hellooooo? Steve?";
    echo "<br /> POST ID: " . $post_ID; // Won't even display "POST ID" with $post_ID in the string.
    $con = new wpdb("password", "_________admin", "_______wp", "_______.com");
    if (!$con)
    {
        die('Could not connect: ' . mysql_error());
    }

    mysql_select_db("wp", $con);

    $result = mysql_query("INSERT INTO ________wp.featured_posts (post_domain, post_author, post_title, post_content)
VALUES ('3', '2', 'Sent from hook','Hello')");

    mysql_close($con);
}

add_action('new_to_publish_featured', 'run_when_post_published');       
add_action('draft_to_publish_featured', 'run_when_post_published');     
add_action('pending_to_publish_featured', 'run_when_post_published');

add_action('new_to_publish', 'run_when_post_published');        
add_action('draft_to_publish', 'run_when_post_published');      
add_action('pending_to_publish', 'run_when_post_published');

I’d like to have the whole post just basically copied.

Also I’d need to do this with attachments using:

add_action('add_attachment',....);

Again I’ve gotten the add_attachment action hook to add a row in the database, but I just don’t know how to reference the attachment that the hook is being initiated from.