Twas the week before Christmas,

Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota

‘Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the state
Attention was focused on one single date
Our fundraising goal that we’ve set with such care?
By 12/31, all the cash must be there!

We were nestled all snug at our campaign HQ
(No time for a nap when there’s much work to do!)
Matt Burgess was checking the numbers again
Frowning while wielding his famous red pen

I’d dropped by his office to check in and chatter
But seeing his face, I said, “Matt, what’s the matter?”
He said, “Rove and the Kochs could go on the attack
And the funds to respond? Right now, there’s a lack.”

“That’s awful,” I said, “and we’re nigh out of time.
By the way, why are we speaking in rhyme?”
“Ignore that,” he said. “Here’s the key information:
We need folks to click here and make a donation!”

This race will be tough, and there’s so much at stake
To take it for granted would be a mistake
So please give a little (or maybe give more)
And here’s Matt again to explain what it’s for:

“For cell phones! For staplers! For gas and for rent!
For the volunteers’ snacks (trust me – money well spent)
Just look at these spreadsheets tacked up on my wall
We need their support to help pay for it all!”

And that’s to say nothing of each right-wing smear
We’ll see on TV in the coming New Year
They will hope Minnesotans are easily conned
And when they attack, we’ll need help to respond

I’m reaching out to all you passionate folks
Because only you can beat Rove and the Kochs
Fighting back’s easier than you might think
You can do it in seconds: Just click on this link!

There’s a reason we’re focusing hard on this goal
(And it’s not just to fill Karl Rove’s stocking with coal)
The wondering eyes of the pundits and press
Will be looking to see if we’ve met with success

Now the deadline’s approaching, we’re nearing the whistle
The time’s gonna fly like the down of a thistle
So let me exclaim, ‘ere we close out the year
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all, please click here!”

 

  - Al

P.S.: I couldn’t think of anything that rhymed with $98,561, but that’s how much we have to raise before midnight on December 31st. Please click here to contribute now!

Trending Political Issues.

Sign our pledge to fight for racial justice

Image
  Dear Robert, We are witnessing the beginning of a historic movement. People are peacefully taking to the streets with calls for justice for the Black lives lost at the hands of law enforcement. They are demanding accountability and reform in order to address the systemic racism in our society.    I’m determined to operate my campaign with the same level of accountability and transparency that we are seeking in our systems. That’s why we’re making a pledge to fight for racial justice.    As a Black woman in elected office, race has been at the forefront of everything I’ve done. I owe it to myself, my family, and my community to make sure that my campaign is representative, equitable, and empowering the Black community. These are not simply performative words.   Sign our pledge to fight for racial justice and learn more about how you can help .   There is a deep need to address racial equity in politics and we are creating actionable items that will he...
Read more

Harold won the Ames Moot Court Competition in her Harvard class, a challenge that our 43 President decided to forego when he was a student.

Image
Robert --  Around the District The 13th Congressional District is home to many fine colleges and universities. During the course of the campaign, I have visited many of these institutions and had the opportunity to speak with students regarding political issues of concern to their generation. I recently participated in a town hall sponsored by the College Republicans at the University of Illinois-Springfield. The young people in attendance asked thoughtful questions and shared insightful observations regarding the state of the Republican Party. The College Republicans also offered to host a debate between all of the 13th District Republican candidates. I hope that such a debate will occur because it will provide college students with the information they need to make an informed choice in the March primary. In Washington, DC While Congress finally has passed a budget, it fails to meaningfully address our $17.2 trillion national debt and unacceptably targets ...
Read more

Jenny Beth Martin: We’re not going to simply sit in Washington

Image
Dear Patriot, Just a few days ago, we announced our  grassroots-powered ,  boots-on-the-ground  strategy to defeat big government incumbents all over America this year. And we are on the cusp of unveiling our list of endorsed Tea Party candidates for 2014. But before we can do that, we need your support to secure the funding that will push these candidates to victory! Please, make your very best contribution of $10, $25, $50, or whatever you can afford to the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund right now, and help us gear up for this year’s critical battles in Kentucky, South Carolina, and elsewhere. You see, as we announced earlier this week, the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund is already huddling with activists on the ground in  South Carolina , looking for an alternative to big-spending establishment Republican Lindsey Graham . And in  Kentucky , we are already coordinating with local Tea Party activists who have lost faith in the weak-kneed R...
Read more

Mike: it is necessary to secure the future of our nation and planet.

Image
  Robert l., To build a better future for all Americans we must have a plan to fight climate change that works for working people. Last week in Pittsburgh, we put forward that plan. It’s called  Solidarity for Climate Action .  Together, our labor and environmental partners embraced a platform that addresses the dual crises of climate change and income inequality in a number of ways. It was truly a historic moment.  This is the first such comprehensive plan to address climate change put forward by America’s largest unions. Will you add your name to the plan’s list of supporters today? Solidarity for Climate Action  calls for: Rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions to put America on a pathway of net zero emissions by 2050  and making  massive investments in clean and renewable technology and energy efficiency ;   Increasing union density through strong  support of the right to organize throughout the e...
Read more

What is 4th of July to Fort Smith Arkansas.

Image
What is 4th of July to Fort Smith Arkansas. When we still have Confederate monuments downtown. Where they have annual bike rallies in which they sell Confederate flags. When Confederates put flags on their trucks and intimidate our children up and down our streets. When Confederate flags wave through the neighborhoods of our children that are walking home from school. Where their dogs are barking at our children to harrass and terrorized them until  they cannot move and we as adults have to stand and tell them that everything is okay. What is 4th of July to Fort Smith Arkansas. When we have a black mayor who does nothing for his own race and will celebrate America's Independence and ignore his own Freedom day that Juneteenth represents. The same mayor that used the platform of integration and segregation as a reason to be elected. And that same segregation and integration that is represented in Juneteenth was avoided. Will boast of white applause and ignore our black sisters in...
Read more

Barack Obama: We now know who our opponent is

Friend -- We now know who our opponent is.  But what we're really fighting against is what our opponent has pledged to do if elected. He would shower billionaires with more huge tax breaks, oppose setting a timeline to bring our troops home from Afghanistan, starve investments in clean energy research, and make it harder for students to afford to go to college. He'd outlaw a woman's right to choose and completely cut funding for Planned Parenthood. We can't afford an endless war in Afghanistan, a return to policies that hurt the middle class, and a social agenda from the 1950s. The stakes and the differences are profound. The outcome of this election will determine the course of this country for decades to come. I need you by my side. Make a donation of $5 or more today: https://donate.barackobama.com/Ready Thank you, Barack
Read more

Please bless the soldier who has passed from our midst, but never ever from our hearts. Amen

Image
Dear Black Independent,  Americans have taken a turn over the last few years from mindless to mindful celebration of our holidays. On Memorial Day, we do not distract ourselves from the deeper meaning of the day, but rather allow ourselves to take in the full weight of its significance. On this day every year, we remember those who throughout our history have lost their lives serving in the US military. For centuries, since our earliest beginnings, there have been those who lay down their lives for this country. Some of them are remembered for who they were while they were alive, while some have names and lives that have been lost and forgotten, buried beneath the sands of time. On this Memorial day, we remember them all. In our hearts, we honor them and thank them. We stop to consider the blessing of our many liberties, and those who died in an effort to protect them. May their souls receive our gratitude, and the blessing of the prayers that we say for them this ...
Read more

President George H.W. Bush: guilty pleasure

GOP .com Robert, I don’t know what your guilty pleasures are in life, but one of mine is socks. I’m a self-proclaimed sock man. The louder, the brighter, the crazier the pattern -- the better! It’s usually the first thing people notice I’m wearing whenever I’m out in public and that’s the way I like it. So when Chairman Reince Priebus asked me to write to you on behalf of the Republican National Committee (RNC), I told him I’d be happy to do it. But on one condition:  my letter to you had to involve socks. I’m proud to say the RNC has commissioned a limited-edition pair of socks in my honor. Embroidered with the Republican elephant and my signature on them, they’re sure to get you noticed. You can get your own pair today or as a gift for your favorite Republican by sending a special campaign contribution of $35 or more to the RNC now.  And if you donate $35 or more to the RNC now, your gift will be matched by a group of donors.  Robert,...
Read more

Dana: Democrats should work on policy

Image
My Republican opponent John Katko and his party have abandoned their Constitutional responsibility for years by refusing to provide a check on Trump’s power and doing the bidding of massive corporations instead of fighting for our working families.  Join me in calling on Katko and all Congressional Republicans to do the right thing, side with the people, and do their part to hold the Trump administration accountable. ADD YOUR NAME  » Friend, For someone who claims to be bipartisan, my Republican opponent Congressman John Katko spends a lot of time attacking Democrats. Katko recently said that Democrats don’t have an “acceptable approach to governance” because we refuse to let Trump and his enablers cover up the truth and we’re focused on fighting for issues that would benefit -- and are supported by -- the vast majority of Americans. But it’s Katko’s own party who has been refusing to govern for years.  Before we took back the House, the GOP majority in the House...
Read more

Tim’s team: three parts of Tim’s education plan

Image
Did you know that Tim was the first candidate to ever talk about social emotional learning on a debate stage? Tim’s leadership on education has only been possible because of your support — but he needs you to continue backing him up. Without you, he can’t travel from state to state and make his case for these important issues. Social emotional learning, trauma based care, and tackling mental health are only three parts of Tim’s education plan. There is so much more that Tim envisions for our kids--but he can’t make the case for these critical policies without you.  Can you chip in $3 or whatever you can so Tim keeps fighting for our kids? Let’s keep building this movement together:  https://secure.timryanforamerica.com/ryan_education Thanks, Tim’s team
Read more