Dear friend,

A little more than two weeks from today will be one of the biggest filing deadlines of this election cycle. On September 30, we'll know whether we have what it takes to win the battle for the Senate.

If you listen to the pundits, you'd think this election was just about number crunching - how many for them, how many for us. But Rand Paul and Sharron Angle aren't just numbers. They're real threats to everything we've come to count on in this country, from Social Security to civil rights.

This moment is so critical because this is when we figure out how much we can devote to each race. We've got to hit our goal of raising $290,524 by midnight Saturday so we don't have to cede an inch to those from the hard right who want to destroy all that we've worked so hard to accomplish - like expanding health care and reforming Wall Street.

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. Please help us make this crucial goal of raising $290,524 before midnight Saturday so we have what it takes to beat back the extremists and hold on to our majority.

I remember this phase of the election cycle two years ago, when I was head of the DSCC. There was plenty of talk about how the races would play out, but the bottom line was that anything could've happened. Fortunately for us, the Democrats expanded our majority and gave President Obama a Congress he could work with.

Then, like now, the DSCC had a winning strategy. We can apply that strategy to this year's election, but only if we have the kind of grassroots support we had in 2008. And we need everyone on board this time, because we're up against a new enemy: a whole slew of right-wing, third-party groups that have committed to spending $400 million this election cycle.

You have a choice. You can allow the pundits' predictions to become a self-fulfilling prophecy, or you can stand up today and use your power to create a future that we all can be proud of.

We are in the midst of a battle for the Senate, and the DSCC is the command center. It is the one organization that is working in races throughout the country to protect and defend our majority in the Senate. Now we need you to stand with us.

Click here to rush your donation of $5 or more to the DSCC so we can reach our goal of raising $290,524 by midnight  Saturday.

If Democrats can pull together and unite under this cause, I know we can win. It's what we have to do, because the stakes are simply too high.

Sincerely,

Sen. Chuck Schumer

Dear friend,

Back by popular demand: News from the states. Earlier today, we updated you on 12 Senate races we're watching. The response was so strong that we're updating you on four more and will do more races in the days ahead. The map this November is enormous. Republicans have already been on the air in 26 states. They only need to win 10 to retake the majority, repeal health care, revoke stimulus funds and turn the full force of the Senate's investigative power on President Obama. GOP-aligned third-party groups are doing all they can to help. We can stop them - but only with the grassroots support of dedicated Democratic activists.

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. We must raise $398,987 by Saturday in order to stay on track for November. Every dollar you give will help Democrats win!
 
More Races to Watch

Here's what we're seeing from the ground in four additional states:

Missouri: Longtime representative Roy Blunt is being pounded by his Democratic opponent - Secretary of State Robin Carnahan - for being the Worst of Washington. It's no wonder. Blunt has been dogged by questions about hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees that he's paid from his campaign treasury. Then there are his problematic ties to disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and exiled former Majority Leader Tom DeLay. He also tried to push through legislation that benefitted donor Philip Morris - while Philip Morris employed his then-girlfriend. And how will Blunt blunt his strong ties to the very Bush policies that drove the American economy into a ditch? So far, he's refusing to answer, but Carnahan's questions simply can't be ignored.

Indiana: Former Sheriff Brad Ellsworth is busy holding his Republican opponent's feet to the fire - the King of K Street himself, uber lobbyist Dan Coats. Meanwhile, Coats is trying to reacquaint himself with the Hoosier State after living - and voting - in Virginia for the past decade. If he loses in November, will Coats keep his cushy K Street gig? Or will he retire to North Carolina? Remember - he was caught on video saying that's what he really wanted to do.

Louisiana: Sen. David Vitter has been busy attacking his Democratic opponent, Rep. Charlie Melancon. Melancon, however, is making sure Louisiana voters don't forget Vitter's record of voting against pay equity, opposing protections for women in the workplace and standing in stark opposition to measures that would help Louisiana's middle class. Then there's the not-so-little issues of his involvement in the D.C. prostitution scandal and how he kept women's issues aide Brent Furer on staff for two years after Furer held a woman hostage and slashed her with a knife.

West Virginia: John Raese, a millionaire businessman, has made the ultimate "sacrifice" - spending less time at his palatial Florida villa in order to try to win the Senate seat formerly held by the late Robert Byrd. He's been spending from his fortune making negative attacks on Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin. But Manchin's got a great record of cutting taxes, creating jobs and making West Virginia a better place to do business. Raese no doubt will keep on dipping into his deep pockets in an effort to damage Manchin, but Manchin's fighting back and just launched his first ad campaign.

Help Fight Back!

Republicans are coming after the Senate, and they're getting lots of help from shady third-party groups including Karl Rove's American Crossroads. 15 states are within five points, and Republicans only have to win 10 to take back the majority and try to destroy President Obama. Fight back now! Your grassroots gift of $5 or more could boost great candidates like Robin Carnahan and Brad Ellsworth, or get Democratic voters to the polls in Louisiana and West Virginia. Let's make sure President Obama has a Senate he can work with!

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. We must raise $398,987 by Saturday in order to stay on track for November. Every dollar you give will help Democrats win!

50 days. That's all we've got. We're in a battle for the Senate, and the stakes could not be higher. Republicans have said what they'll do if they retake power. Defund health care reform. Shut down stimulus projects. And use Republican-led legislative committees to investigate President Obama. Third-party groups - including Karl Rove's American Crossroads - are making big investments on behalf of Republicans. The only way we can stop them from retaking power is by having enough grassroots support from dedicated activists just like you.

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. We must raise $430,000 by Saturday in order to stay on track for November. Every dollar you give will help Democrats win!
 
National Snapshot: By the Numbers

26: The number of states where Republicans have already been on the air.

10: The number of states Republicans must win in order to retake the Senate.

15: The number of states where polls show Senate races within five points.

$400 million: The amount shady right-wing third-party groups plan to dump into races to help Republicans take back the Senate.

19: The number of shady right-wing third-party groups who've already spent money in support of Republican candidates.

$430,000: The amount of grassroots money we need to raise by the end of the week to fight back! 15 races are within five points. If we lose 10, we've lost the majority. It's only 50 days out, and the DSCC must raise $430,000 in grassroots donations by Saturday if we want to counter attacks against Barbara Boxer, Patty Murray and the rest of our candidates.

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. We must raise $430,000 by Saturday in order to stay on track for November. Every dollar you give will help Democrats win!

Races to Watch

Senate races are at full boil. Here's the latest from the ground:

Alaska: There's a real race in Alaska - Sarah Palin's backyard. With Palin's help, Tea Party Republicans defeated Sen. Lisa Murkowski - the seventh GOP establishment candidate to fall in primaries. In November, Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams will take on Republican extremist Joe Miller, who wants to kill Social Security and unemployment benefits. The Republicans might find themselves stuck with a candidate who will get Palin's vote, but is simply out of step with the concerns of average Alaskans.

California: A new poll shows Barbara Boxer up four points, so that's a sure call for the right wing to spring into action. The Chamber of Commerce responded by plowing $340,000 into attack ads. In the meantime, Carly Fiorina is being asked why a subsidiary of HP - the company she (badly) led - sold products to Iran and how she could cut 33,000 jobs while accepting a $42 million golden parachute.

Colorado: Michael Bennet is now leading Tea Party favorite Ken Buck by three points after his campaign and the DSCC ran ads highlighting Buck's extreme positions. It seems that Colorado voters might be leery of Buck's opposition to Social Security and federal student loan programs, and his support for repealing the 17th Amendment - which (ironically) lets voters choose their senators.

Fight back now! Your donation to the DSCC helps highlight Carly Fiorina's and Ken Buck's radical views and supports Democrats like Barbara Boxer and Michael Bennet. We need grassroots help to keep the Senate blue!

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. We must raise $430,000 by Saturday in order to stay on track for November. Every dollar you give will help Democrats win!

Connecticut: Linda McMahon has a problem. She's trying to run for the Senate as a savvy businesswoman, but the business she ran - World Wrestling Entertainment - has a, shall we say, unsavory side. McMahon can't escape YouTube clips featuring female wrestlers being mistreated and people with disabilities being mocked and beaten up, not to mention stories about how she treated them all as "independent contractors" to avoid providing benefits. And more than once since the campaign began, there's been word of another former WWE wrestler who's died far too young. Meanwhile, Richard Blumenthal is doing what he does best - working hard for the people of Connecticut.

Delaware: The fight for Joe Biden's old seat just got more interesting. Republicans expected longtime Washington flip-flopper Mike Castle to walk away with the nomination, but Tea Party activists - and Sarah Palin - have different plans. They're supporting Christine O'Donnell, whose main claims to fame are very messy personal finances and a really bad radio interview. The Tea Party Express is investing $250,000 to take out Castle. Once the victor of the GOP infighting emerges, New Castle County Executive Chris Coons will make a strong case for keeping this seat blue.

Illinois: President Obama's old Senate seat has the GOP salivating, and they're getting help to win it. The Chamber of Commerce is up with ads on behalf of Rep. Mark Kirk, who's become best known for a record of fiscal irresponsibility during the Bush years and for continually inflating his resume. Democratic nominee Alexi Giannoulias is running a new TV ad that focuses on how he's stood up to special interests as Illinois State Treasurer. Winning Obama's seat would be the ultimate political trophy for Republicans.

Fight back now! Your donation to the DSCC could help keep the Republicans from claiming President Obama's seat - and bringing his change agenda to a screeching halt. We need grassroots help to keep the Senate blue!

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. We must raise $430,000 by Saturday in order to stay on track for November. Every dollar you give will help Democrats win!

Kentucky: A brand-new poll shows the Kentucky Senate race tied, perhaps because voters don't want what Tea Party darling Rand Paul is selling. Paul opposes the Americans with Disabilities Act and most government spending - excluding what he receives in physicians' Medicare payments, of course. He even wants to end federal antidrug programs that help the state. In contrast, Democrat Jack Conway's been protecting the state's residents as Attorney General and wants to fight for them in Washington - not be the poster child for a radical ideology.

New Hampshire: Delaware isn't the only state where Republicans are still engaged in an intraparty soap opera. In New Hampshire, establishment favorite Kelly Ayotte is coming under fire by - you guessed it - the Tea Party and other conservative activists. The momentum appears to be with Ovide Lamontagne, who's positioned himself as the farthest-right candidate. Meanwhile, Democrat Paul Hodes is ready to take on the eventual winner - but he'll face an avalanche of third-party money.

Nevada: This race remains a dead heat thanks to Karl Rove's American Crossroads and other shady conservative groups pouring in money to save Sharron Angle from herself. She, however, has mostly been in hiding, and it's no wonder. It seems that every time she opens her mouth, something really radical comes out. She suggested that voters might pursue "Second-Amendment remedies" if the November elections don't go their way, that unemployment benefits "have spoiled our citizenry," and that young teenagers who become pregnant after being raped should just turn "a lemon situation into lemonade." She also dissed the state's voters by first agreeing to - and then backing out of - a debate with Harry Reid. Karl Rove's American Crossroads and other shady conservative groups have already begun pouring in money to save Angle from herself.

Fight back now! Candidates like Sharron Angle are not your father's Republicans. They have a radical agenda that we simply must stop. Your donation to the DSCC could help keep the Senate out of their hands. We need grassroots help to keep the Senate blue!

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. We must raise $430,000 by Saturday in order to stay on track for November. Every dollar you give will help Democrats win!

Pennsylvania: Mr. Wall Street Pat Toomey is raking in the campaign contributions from - you guessed it - Wall Street. Just this week, Toomey was named among the top five recipients of Wall Street money. He's also been railing against earmarks while - you guessed it again - conveniently ignoring all the bacon he brought home for private companies as a member of Congress. His Democratic opponent, Joe Sestak, is more interested in policies that benefit all Pennsylvanians - not a select few in the top income brackets.

Wisconsin: The most recent polling shows a tie between proudly independent Democrat Russ Feingold and independently wealthy Tea Partier Ron Johnson. Johnson blames climate change on "sunspots," says he's "glad there is global warming," and calls Social Security "a giant Ponzi scheme." He also recently came under fire for railing against government support for business when his own company received $4 million in government help to expand. Awkward.

Washington: Patty Murray is leading Dino Rossi by five points in recent polling, and Republicans think they can beat her. They've already reserved $2.5 million for attack ads - and that doesn't even count what secretive third-party groups will be pouring in. Rossi opposes closing tax loopholes for corporations that move jobs overseas and wants Wall Street reform to be repealed. Meanwhile, Murray is keeping her focus where it always is: on jobs, jobs, jobs.

Fight back now! Democratic champions like Russ Feingold and Patty Murray need our help to fight the Republican lies and third-party cash infusions. Your donation to the DSCC will make a difference in close races across the country. We need grassroots help to keep the Senate blue!

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. We must raise $430,000 by Saturday in order to stay on track for November. Every dollar you give will help Democrats win!

iPad Winner!

Congratulations to Jessica K. of Coral Gables, Florida, the winner of our iPad prize pack! Our friends Paul Begala and James Carville offered their suggestions for what political books Jessica should download and read, including "I.O.U.: Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay" by John Lanchester, "The Political Brain" by Drew Westen, and "Republican Gomorrah" by Max Blumenthal.

Help Fight Back!

Republicans are coming after the Senate, and they're getting lots of help from shady third-party groups including Karl Rove's American Crossroads. 15 states are within five points, and Republicans only have to win 10 to take back the majority and turn President Obama into a lame duck. Fight back now! Your grassroots gift of $5 or more could defend Barbara Boxer or Patty Murray, or get Democratic voters to the polls nationwide. Let's make sure President Obama has a Senate he can work with!

Dear friend,

Nothing is a sure bet in politics - but here's one thing I'm absolutely certain of: Without the help of our dedicated grassroots supporters - people just like you! - we would not have met our August fundraising goal. Meeting each and every target will determine where we can compete in November - and how hard we can fight to keep our majority. In this battle, every single seat counts, and President Obama is counting on us to help move our country forward.

So thank you so much for your continued support. You've done everything we've asked of you - and more. You have my sincere gratitude.

Let me tell you where we stand.

Republicans are coming after Democrats

Republicans believe they can take back the Senate, and they're getting lots of corporate help.

• Republican candidates are getting a HUGE and growing assist from a shady network of right-wing groups led by Karl Rove's American Crossroads. In fact, these secretive and unaccountable merchants of slime have upped the ante and now say they plan to spend more than $400 million - an astonishing amount - to elect Republicans and reinstate their destructive agenda.

• Rove's group has already run ads promoting Republicans and bashing Democrats in California, Nevada, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. In fact, this group alone is prepared to spend $52 million in an effort to bring back the Bush policies that nearly destroyed our economy.

• We also just received word that Rove's group plans to spend $10 million on a massive get-out-the-vote program in eight battleground states including Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Nevada and Washington. This is the same type of program that helped turn out conservatives for Bush in 2000 and 2004.

• Republicans have been on the air in at least 26 states, which shows just how determined they are to take back the majority. They need only win 10 states to seize control and begin rolling back all the progress you and President Obama have worked together to make.

Fight back now! Your immediate gift of $5 or more could help get the vote out for Barbara Boxer and Russ Feingold, or get the truth out about Tea Party heroes Sharron Angle and Rand Paul.

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. What you do right now matters!

Democrats are going on the offensive

We're defining our opponents and pushing back against their lies and attacks.

• Recent poll numbers show growing strength in three important states currently represented by Republicans - Louisiana, Kentucky and North Carolina. We're working with individual campaigns to define the opposition and motivate Democratic voters using grassroots methods both old (canvassing and rallies) and new (social networking sites and other new media.)

• Currently, we are running crucial early TV ads in Missouri, Pennsylvania and Colorado in support of three great Democrats: Robin Carnahan, Joe Sestak and Michael Bennet. Being on TV this soon neutralizes the opposition's attacks and helps our candidates enter fall on a level playing field.

• Going on the offensive certainly isn't cheap, but we're able to do it because of the support of grassroots Democrats like you. Your continued support will ensure that we make the most of opportunities that arise in these final two months. The map is constantly shifting, and having resources available allows us to give immediate help to a candidate who's being attacked, or provide a few extra workers to get out the vote.  It can make a HUGE difference - and even turn a red seat blue.

This election won't be a cakewalk. History is on the Republicans' side, and in this fight for the majority, we can't take even a single seat for granted. But I also know this: In 2006 and 2008, you and hundreds of thousands of other grassroots supporters came together and changed history. This is no time to let Republicans seize power and drag us backward. Let's keep moving forward.

Sincerely,

Sen. Bob Menendez

P.S. In our fight for the majority, every seat matters. Your immediate gift of $5 or more could help get the vote out for Barbara Boxer and Russ Feingold, or get the truth out about Tea Party heroes Sharron Angle and Rand Paul.

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. What you do right now matters!

Dear friend,

I've been running the numbers, and here's what you need to know: If Republicans win 10 seats, Mitch McConnell is Majority Leader. If that sounds implausible, here's another number: 25. Republican candidates have already been on the air in 25 states.

That's twice what they need to take back power. They would repeal health care reform, revoke Wall Street reform and return America to the same Bush policies that we are working alongside President Obama to undo.

Thousands of grassroots supporters - including you - can make the winning difference. We witnessed what coming together could accomplish two years ago, and it's time to unleash that power again. August 31 marks one of the last FEC deadlines before the election. We must make our goal to help fight attacks and mobilize voters for Barbara Boxer, Russ Feingold and Patty Murray, and help get the truth out about Sharron Angle, Rand Paul and Carly Fiorina.

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. Aug. 31 marks one of the last FEC deadlines before the election. We absolutely MUST hit our goal if we are going fight this battle on all fronts. The combined effort of our grassroots supporters can ensure that we're moving our country forward!

Your donations are already making a difference - we're running ads in Pennsylvania to help Joe Sestak defeat Mr. Wall Street: Pat Toomey. But we've got much more work to do. Karl Rove and his friends are expected to shell out $300 million in an effort to take back the Senate. That's enough money to blanket every state they need to win - times two - with attack ads and smear campaigns.

They're hoping the Democratic grassroots won't notice. They're hoping we'll be lulled into late-summer inaction. But they don't know you like I do. They forget that the support of thousands of online activists is what helped us flip 14 seats from red to blue in the past four years. They forget the tremendous effort that helped elect President Obama. And they forget what I never forget - that I can always count on your help when we really, truly need it.

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. Aug. 31 marks one of the last FEC deadlines before the election. We absolutely MUST hit our goal if we are going fight this battle on all fronts. The combined effort of our grassroots supporters can ensure that we're moving our country forward!

The Republicans are coming after us with everything they've got. But we have a potent weapon - our broad network of activists who simply won't stop until the Senate is safe from GOP extremists. Thanks for all you do to help Democrats win.

Sincerely,

J.B. Poersch

Dear friend,
 
Republicans are running to "take our country back." This argument infuriates me. It's as much our country as it is the Republicans'. It's not theirs to "take back."
 
But beyond that, here's a second idea to ponder: Where would these candidates "take our country back" to? The Bush administration, for starters, when policies benefited Wall Street over Main Street and nearly drove our nation to economic collapse.
 
We're launching the first in a three-part exposé of the GOP candidates, their positions and the groups supporting them. First up: Their candidates.

Click through this slide show to learn who these candidates are and why we must stop them in their tracks. We can't afford to have them in the United States Senate.
 
Sincerely,

 
J.B. Poersch
 
P.S.: Republicans are vowing to "take our country back." It's up to us to stop them. Click here to help keep extremists out of the Senate by supporting the DSCC. The DSCC needs your help to fight GOP attacks, mobilize the grassroots and get every Democrat to the polls on Election Day. Even $5 will make a difference in November!

Dear friend,

I know you get more requests for donations than you can give to. I really do. In these times, especially, I feel bad for asking.

But I also know how much you care about the fights we're fighting - and I know you want to make sure it makes a difference when you chip in to help in the fights that really matter.

Folks, it's go-time -- we have just 93 days until the election, and 15 hours to meet the DSCC's end-of-month deadline.

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. We have fewer than 100 days to fight a revved up right-wing  resurgence, and every dollar will make a difference!

Long before I was our party's nominee for president, I chaired the DSCC - so as someone who has been through the political firefights of a lifetime, and from my gut, here's why I implore you to act now: This week, national Republicans reserved $2.7 million in airtime for attack ads against my friends Barbara Boxer, Patty Murray and Russ Feingold, not just top targets in their plan to retake the majority, but Democrats I love and who I know are the heart and soul of our caucus.

Bottom-line: Democrats are fighting in twice as many states as in most election years. That's twice the phone calls to make, twice the attack ads to counter, and twice the voters to mobilize.

The DSCC is watching every race every day, and every dollar goes where it will pack the biggest punch. Your gift might mean the difference between winning in November or losing seats to the party that on the one hand calls the unemployed lazy and on the other seeks to give huge tax breaks to the biggest corporations.

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. We have fewer than 100 days to fight a Republican resurgence, and every dollar will make a difference!

I know many of you are tired. You're frustrated. You want more and better change. Know what? I don't blame you. Believe me, so do I. But we're not going to get the change we want and America needs - we're not going to get anything except more of the Bush policies - if we cede even an inch to these extreme ideologues who have taken over the Republican Party. Republicans have proven whom they're fighting for, and I don't think I need to tell you: It's not you. Whether it's health care reform, Wall Street oversight or campaign finance, they have chosen their team. They're on the side of the big corporations and the status quo, not the American people.

We can't let them get away with it. Your donation now to the DSCC helps them drive home the message that Republicans stand with Wall Street, not Main Street. Help me help Democrats fight back. Even as little as $5 from each of our grassroots supporters will make a huge difference. The end-of-month deadline is only 15 hours away.

Dear Paul,

Here's the chance of a lifetime: Have dinner - and get your photo taken - with President Obama!
 
They say everything's bigger in Texas, and this evening is no exception. On August 9, you and a friend could be in Dallas, meeting President Obama. You'll even get your photo taken together. Just imagine how good that will look sitting on your desk.

Click here to enter for a chance to win* dinner and a photo with President Obama in Dallas. We'll pay for airfare and a hotel. All you'll have to do is choose a friend to tag along!

This dinner couldn't come at a better time. Democrats will need to come together if we're going to weather the assault Republicans are planning. GOP-aligned third-party groups are planning on spending at least $300 million on the midterm elections - $136 million more than ALL outside groups spent on the 2008 presidential election. Their singular goal is to win control of Congress and make President Obama fail.

We're proud to stand with our president, and there's no better time than now to show it.

Click here to enter for a chance to win* dinner and a photo with President Obama in Dallas. We'll pay for airfare and a hotel. You just need to choose which friend to take with you!

Meet the President of the United States? What could be better for a true blue Democrat? Enter today, and we hope to see you on August 9!

Sincerely,

J.B. Poersch
 

Dear friend,

Here's the chance of a lifetime: Have dinner - and get your photo taken - with President Obama!
 
They say everything's bigger in Texas, and this evening is no exception. On August 9, you and a friend could be in Dallas, meeting President Obama. You'll even get your photo taken together. Just imagine how good that will look sitting on your desk.

Click here to enter for a chance to win* dinner and a photo with President Obama in Dallas. We'll pay for airfare and a hotel. All you'll have to do is choose a friend to tag along!

This dinner couldn't come at a better time. Democrats will need to come together if we're going to weather the assault Republicans are planning. GOP-aligned third-party groups are planning on spending at least $300 million on the midterm elections - $136 million more than ALL outside groups spent on the 2008 presidential election. Their singular goal is to win control of Congress and make President Obama fail.

We're proud to stand with our president, and there's no better time than now to show it.

Click here to enter for a chance to win* dinner and a photo with President Obama in Dallas. We'll pay for airfare and a hotel. You just need to choose which friend to take with you!

Meet the President of the United States? What could be better for a true blue Democrat? Enter today, and we hope to see you on August 9!

Sincerely,

J.B. Poersch