I had a great time talking to all the folks who came out last night at the Chicago Dailykos Meetup.
I wanted to write specifically to thank Ahila and Jeremy for organizing the event and for bringing out so many Democrats to talk with me about the campaign. The netroots have been a huge asset to us and it was so nice to meet some of the folks who are doing work on our behalf.
Out of all the good questions I received last night, the one I heard over and over again was, "What can we do to help?"
I want you all to know that we have here right in front of us a major opportunity.
The voters in this district desperately want Democratic leadership out of their representative in Congress, not more of the same, and, thanks to you, this race in Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District is now being watched closely at the national level
Through DailyKos we’ve seen upstart candidates gain support, rally people to their campaigns and succeed. Just look at Ned Lamont and U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and James Webb.
The victories of 2006 will be that much more meaningful if they are followed up by additional victories in 2008. Congressman Dan Lipinski can and must be defeated here and now.
This campaign in IL-03 is your opportunity, your platform to facilitate change in Congress. Millions of dissatisfied Democrats across the country are counting on us and, when people are talking about our victory the day after the Illinois primary, I want you to be able to say, ‘I was part of that.’
Specifically, there are several things, depending on whether or not you live outside IL-03, that you can do for us.
First, you can keep writing about the campaign here on DailyKos and elsewhere. In other words, keep doing what you’ve been doing.
— When people learn about our campaign — that we believe the Iraq war needs to end and that Congress needs to, if necessary, cap funding to facilitate its end, that we believe a woman has the right to choose and that we favor a sustainable, progressive energy and environmental policy — the voters come over to our side in droves.
Time and time again, when the Bush Administration has needed a vote on Iraq, they’ve turned to Congressman Dan Lipinski. He is opposed to a woman’s right to choose, he opposes stem cell research and he voted to give massive tax breaks to big oil and energy companies.
If you keep our message — and Congressman Lipinski’s voting record — in the blogs, you’ll help us win on Feb. 5.
— You can volunteer for the campaign. Our offices are open seven-days-a-week, night and day. Every weekend we’re out collecting signatures for nominating petitions and circulating information about the campaign. We want you to join us. For more information, you can email our Field Director, Jacob Dusseau, at Jacob@PERA08.com.
— Every campaign needs money and we need you to keep raising it. The amount of financial support we have received online has been amazing. If you can, start a small-scale fundraising drive. Who knows, sometimes these types of things take on a life of their own and, if you’re creative and you are able motivate others and get people working together toward a common goal, you can help make a difference in a campaign like ours. It’s pretty simple: Without money, we can’t get our message out on television and in the mailboxes of our constituents.
So again, thank you for taking time to meet me and share your questions. I hope you decide to get involved. Please keep following the campaign online and at www.PERA08.com.
Sincerely,
Mark