Howard Dean sends me letters

...the same letters he sends many of you, of course. Just wanted to make it sound a little more interesting. But since a big part of what we're about here is "having Howard's back", I figured the latest mailing from our party chair was worthy of front page status.

Dear Renee,

We've got a big secret -- and in these next 100 days, it's going to help us win.

Everyone knows that our 50-state strategy has put nearly 200 field organizers on the ground. They've been working nonstop to identify new volunteers and new Democratic voters. Just this weekend, tens of thousands of people took part in the hugely successful Democratic Reunion events across the country (at just one event in Oklahoma, over 500 people showed up).

But what many people don't realize is that in the 99 days between now and the election, we're turning our operation into a 50-state get-out-the-vote effort for Democratic candidates in races up and down the ballot, from city council to governor to congress.

There's a lot to do, but our 50-state strategy means that no matter where you live, you can make a difference in this election.

Here's where we need your help: We have to begin making our resource allocations now so that we can spend the next 100 days organizing to win. So I am asking Democrats to donate $25 a month until the election to ensure we have the necessary resources to win everywhere. That will be $100 for 100 days of nationwide organizing.

This is the simplest, easiest way to make a real difference in the outcome of the election, and it will free us up to spend time talking about the big issues and other important ways to get involved. Please sign up to be a monthly contributor until the election now:

http://www.democrats.org/100days

What other kinds of things do we have planned for the next 100 days?

You'll find one answer every day at 100actions.com -- a special web site we've put together to give every American a way to shape our country's future.

Every single day, we will feature a new opportunity to take meaningful action toward winning on Election Day.

Every time you hear something on the news that makes you want to take action to affect this election, head straight to 100actions.com. Every time someone asks you what they could possibly do, tell them to visit 100actions.com. Everyone can do something, and every day there will be something important to do.

The first action is to plug into the ground operation in your community. You can take the first action here:

http://www.100actions.com

You'll hear on the news about a few top races making headlines here and there.

But we're fighting everywhere -- because our party doesn't just need to win back Congress for the American people. We need to win back state legislatures and local offices, and win races for governor and other statewide offices, too.

Today's state senator is tomorrow's Democratic governor, and today's city council member is tomorrow's Member of Congress. We're committed to winning every race we can for Democrats, while building the bench of quality candidates for our party's future.

We have to fight everywhere, because at every level of government people have had enough of the other side. Whether it's a Republican local school board banning the teaching of evolution, a Republican state legislature banning a woman's right to make her own reproductive health decisions, a Republican secretary of state improperly banning people from voting, ordinary Americans have had enough of the right-wing fringe, or a shameless Republican congress that uses the urgent need for a minimum wage increase for 7 million hard working Americans as blackmail to push through even more tax breaks for 7,500 multi-millionaires.

No matter where you live, there is a race where you can make a difference. And when you work to elect a Democratic candidate at any level of office, he or she is going to make a difference now and for a long time to come.

Our 50-state organizing strategy is going to work -- thank you for making it happen.

Thank you.

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

P.S. -- We're still receiving reports from Democratic Reunion events across the country -- you can see some photos and read about all the work that was done here:

http://www.democrats.org/thedemocraticreunion

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