Note: this is something I've done since finances have been such that I could afford to do it. It feels pretty good.

These days, it's hard to keep up with the scandals of One Party Rule in Washington.

DeLay's election scams, Frist's financial dealings, Cheney's lobbying for torture, domestic spying, secret prisons abroad, the Katrina debacle, outing a CIA agent, Rove, Scooter, and the Rubber Stamp Republicans giving the green light all the way.

Where is the oversight? Where is the accountability?

It's up to you. We have just 3 days left before the most critical fundraising deadline there is in politics. Republicans and their wealthy cohorts know we have the momentum. They will fight tooth and nail to maintain their power and the status quo that is so profitable for them. Will you help us?

At year-end, after sweeping Democratic victories in November, wealthy special-interest groups are flooding the coffers of rubber stamp Republicans before this critical deadline. Your contribution today will ensure Election 2006 is a fair fight. We simply can no longer afford to give them a green light to more unchecked abuse and neglect by Republicans.

Make or break elections are just around the corner.

Will you let the wealthy special interests that profit from a corrupt status quo continue to dictate the outcome of our elections? Or will you join me in saying, "Enough is enough," and help make sure we meet our $200,000 goal so we can compete with the year-end flood of Republican special-interest money. We know what's coming next with their money: unlimited funding of attacks, deception, obstacles to counting votes, and any new underhanded tactics strategists like Rove can devise.

Republican operatives boast of how they like to "knockout Democratic challengers" early, before they even get a chance out of the box. Our candidates are already facing relentless attacks from a powerful, well-funded Republican machine.

We can't afford to wait until spring and summer to fight back - we need your help today. I can't be more clear: elections can't be won today, but they can indeed be lost - especially at year-end when the wealthy, right-wing kicks into high gear funding mode. Only through a unified commitment from our grassroots supporters will we succeed in making their machine obsolete. We are just $36,000 shy of our $200,000 goal. That number is not randomly selected. It's what we know our candidates need in order to compete.

The DCCC is the only organization whose principal mission is to provide strategic and financial support to Democratic House candidates every step of the way.

We only need 15 seats to win the majority, and we have over 50 great challengers ready to get the job done. These are skilled, principled, and progressive candidates who, like you, have had enough of a do-nothing, corrupt Republican Congress that takes care of its friends at the expense of the American people.

With Democrats at the helm, we will hold all branches of our government accountable in a bipartisan manner. We will demand a plan for success in Iraq with specific benchmarks. We will implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission that Republicans opposed. We will stop Republican cuts in student loans that raise the cost of higher education nearly $6,000. We will give Medicare the right to negotiate lower prescription drug costs in mass-purchasing. And we will offer fiscally and morally responsible budgets that put the needs of middle-class Americans first.

Let's end the Republicans' green light for corruption and failed Bush-Cheney-DeLay policies. Let's end the deterioration of our reputation as a beacon for human rights. Let's end the inexcusable neglect of 45 million uninsured Americans. Let's end the doling out of tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans while a ballooning deficit burdens future generations.

Let's make sure Congress is once again The People's House, and not simply a White House Annex.

Contribute $25, $50, or more so Democratic Candidates Keep Pace at Year-End

You may not always agree with their choices. I don't always either.

In the end, what matters is that they're smart (they had a pretty big hand in recruiting these candidates), they're tough, they're in the best position to get back the House, and we're in terrible trouble if we don't do that next year.

Me personally, I'd rather the House Leadership owed their jobs to people like me than to Mr. Abramoff and Mr. DeLay. I'm thinking they'd be more likely to listen to people like me then.

Besides, think about this

Congressman Rangel is the Ranking Member of the Committee on Ways and Means

If seeing Chairman Rangel on CSpan isn't worth $50 (or $20, or $10, or $100) I don't know what is.

edit: Susie backs me up.