Here we go again – at least here I go again, and I hope you can join me.
In January I announced that I would run for reelection in 2012 because I want to fight for the values I have been committed to throughout my career. The events in Washington since that time have reinforced my view that those values are under greater attack than at any time in my life.
Over the past few weeks, Congress has gone through a bizarre, grueling, and ultimately very sad budget process. This has been a disaster for those who believe that we have the capacity as a people to come together and cooperate on measures that are essential to improving the quality of all of our lives.
Republicans are attempting to weaken the financial reform bill we passed last year, and the far right has succeeded in passing through the House budgets that will re-deregulate derivatives and to weaken the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
At the same time, they resisted any effort to make significant cuts to our swollen military budget. Instead, they chose to inflict enormous harm on virtually all domestic programs, proudly stating that they had debated the entire US government in less than three days. I stood up in the House late at night after a marathon debate and I denounced their orgy of self-congratulation over their senseless budget cutting. http://images.myngp.com/LinkTracker.aspx?crypt=IVi0ax2%2b6UBSinc%2fCPYaKdaJwsMh0V5KnXpbYo0o6usIzZHtMm7avT6xh2PId64V3H1TXg9cveHz4X4iWQX%2f8nWBmlzPYqFO9PL61K1FacAU6VN1fqldK8%2fB3jnGOwZrHdqMotfOShGgWdUy45CNXMIOiDGBo%2fQ1q6IH2PgZSlM%3d
But the battle is not over — we will spend the next two years and more fighting this gross distortion of our budget priorities and of our values. I will give everything I can to this effort, and with your help I will do so through 2012 and beyond.
Last year, you helped me defend against coordinated attacks by national right-wing organizations which had been empowered to spend freely on elections by the recent Supreme Court decision. Because it was such an especially expensive campaign year, I am writing earlier than usual to ask if you can help me begin to payoff campaign debts – including one to myself – and to start to accumulate the funds that I will need to withstand another coordinated nation-wide right-wing assault in 2012.
It’s flattering to be the focus of the Right’s unhappiness, but it’s also expensive. I would be grateful if you would help provide me with what I need to fight back.
Be a Seed for Change 
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