Dear Friends, Supporters, and Spies from Other Campaigns,

We’ve been at this for about a month now, and who could have predicted the turns that the campaign would take. The sad fact is that our pathetic governor has completely changed the dynamics of this race. When I first began to tell people that I was running, they would invariably ask, “Who is ‘the Machine’ supporting?”

No one asks that anymore.

In fact, right after the Blagojevich scandal broke, Congressional Quarterly quoted an Illinois political commentator as saying, “This could actually be good news for the people of the district. It creates an opportunity for a candidate who’s squeaky clean — who’s an outsider in terms of machine politics in the city and state — to have a shot at the seat.”

We are well on our way to making that happen. As most of you know, Pat Mogge (who ran the Dan Seals campaign in the 10th District and is also a former student of mine) is running the campaign. We have strong and growing fundraising and field operations. Our most recent news is that we’ve just signed a contract with North Woods Advertising for media and strategy work. They are famous for a remarkably creative campaign that put Paul Wellstone (another former professor) in the Senate. They also did work for Jesse Ventura, with whom I arguably have less in common.

The campaign would be easier if I were not in Turkey for the next week. I teach an international policy course that is visiting Istanbul and Ankara; we’re meeting with business leaders, journalists, politicians, and other thought leaders. On the right, you'll see me with Mehmet Sımsek, Turkey's Minister of Economy. We have a briefing at the U.S. Embassy today. We’ve gathered on-the-ground information on everything from the future of Iraq to the role that Turkey has been playing in negotiations between Syria and Israel. These issues matter, and I’m the only one in the race who has this kind of international experience—in Turkey, but also in the Middle East, Latin America, India, and elsewhere.

So the campaign is in good shape. But I’d like you to help us get in GREAT shape. To do that, we need to raise an impressive amount of money by December 31st, which is the first reporting deadline with the Federal Election Commission. This race has more candidates than anyone can count at the moment; only a handful will be taken seriously after the 31st.

I’ll be one of them because of my economics and foreign policy credentials. But if we can prove that I am the most capable on issues ranging from the economy to Iraq AND that I can raise money, then I will become a frontrunner.

So I have two things to ask. First, please forward this note to anyone whom you think might take an interest in the race by using the “Forward to a Friend” button at the bottom of this email. This must be a campaign built on excitement and momentum among people who would like to support a different kind of candidate.

Second, please make a donation before December 31st. We need to flex our campaign muscles this month, and cash in the bank is the way to do that.

Thanks and stay tuned for more updates. I really appreciate your support and enthusiasm.

All the best,

Charlie

 

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