Dick Durbin: ActBlue -- an engine for progressive change

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http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=AB9A8BBA86FD7476E98B4CD74188C84F?diaryId=265

ActBlue -- an engine for progressive change
by: Dick Durbin
Thu Jul 19, 2007 at 11:18:45 AM EDT

(Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois joins us here at Open Left and at Daily Kos with a message in support of ActBlue and Blogosphere Day! - promoted by KTatActBlue)



Today, on the 4th annual Blogosphere Day, I'm proud to join with you to celebrate democracy at its very best: Americans from coast-to-coast joining together, thanks to the power of the Internet, to change the direction of our great nation.

I'm a believer in the power of progressive blogs, and I've blogged about the need to build and fund the progressive blogosphere. Messages coordinated and distributed by blogs play are playing an important role in changing the debate in Washington; helping us fighting back against the right-wing narratives pushed out by the White House and carried by the press.

I've also watched the blogosphere rally together to support key candidates against incredible odds. You don't have to look any farther than my new colleague, Jim Webb, to see what a difference the blogs have made in Washington. The progressive blogosphere -- and ActBlue, which sent nearly $1 million to his campaign -- played a critical role in his upset victory over Sen. George Allen in Virginia.

That's why I'm happy to join with many others today in saluting ActBlue, an engine of the online progressive movement. ActBlue enables Democrats from all across America and all walks of life to work together, pooling their enthusiasm and financial support to elect candidates who share their progressive values. In the past three years alone, ActBlue has sent $25 million to 1700 Democratic candidates from more than 200,000 individual contributors, a critical factor in our ability to take back Congress in 2006.

Today, on the 4th annual Blogosphere Day, we celebrate the many important ways that progressive blogs have changed our democracy for the better -- while also making sure we nurture and invest in the blogosphere, making it an even greater force for positive change in the months and years ahead. That's why I hope you'll support ActBlue.

By building our online Democratic infrastructure today, especially ActBlue, we're creating a platform that will support all of our candidates, our activists, and our ideas in 2008 and beyond. ActBlue has already done so much to help our progressive movement -- now it's time for us to help them.

ActBlue is on its way towards raising $100 million for Democrats this election cycle. But reaching that amazing number isn't automatic -- we need to make sure that ActBlue has the resources and support it needs, right now, to provide a strong financial platform for the progressive blogosphere and all of our Democratic candidates over the long 16 months ahead. Please support ActBlue today!

I'm proud to stand with ActBlue -- and all of you -- in this fight for the future of America. On this 4th annual Blogosphere Day, I join you in taking a moment to celebrate the progress we've made, while also recommitting ourselves to the work that lies ahead.

The issues are on our side. The American people are on our side. Now let's make sure we have the platform we need to get our message out and help Democratic candidates win in 2008.

Please support ActBlue today!

-- Dick Durbin