When I look at the interactions that some campaigns have with the blogosphere, it seems they are looking for one thing and one thing only. Money. Now don't get me wrong, money is important in campaigns. It is very important. The media market for this district is the fourth most expensive in the country. So to win we really need financial contributions, both big and small, to have the resources we will need to get out our message about changing the direction in Washington and electing a representive who truly represents the values of the people of Pennsylvania's Sixth Congressional District.
But make no mistake about it; you are more than just a piggybank. That is why I want to take some of your time to tell you about myself, my race, how we can win, and how you can help my campaign in a concrete (non-financial) way.
I know many of you read polls online about many important races. We had the most accurate and important poll possible on election day last year, when I came within two percentage points of defeating Jim Gerlach in the closest Congressional challenge in the entire country. Though this was a painful result, the truth is that as a political newcomer who started with no fundraising base and no name recognition, our results on election night 2004 were extremely encouraging. And the best news is that, in a district that voted for Kerry by a margin of almost 53% to 47%, I have lots of room to grow and many more voters to reach out to. We only need to get 3000 voters to change their minds to reverse the result in 2006.
When I decided to run for Congress in 2004, I began to reach out to voters in every corner of this very diverse district. The district stretches from the edge of Philadelphia, through the Montgomery County suburbs, and out to Reading in Berks County and Coatesville in Chester County. I love getting to know the people and places across the district, and hearing about what people want in a representative. Some of the people I have met over the past 20 months have even joked that they have seen me in their community more often than they have seen Jim Gerlach. That alone will help us on election day.
It is important for you to know something about my opponent as well. In the past few months, more and more news has come out about Jim Gerlach and his ties to indicted Republican leader Tom DeLay, and to Karl Rove, and far too many Washington special interests. In July, Jim Gerlach featured Karl Rove as his special guest at a fundraiser (you can see a video clip of Gerlach leaving the fundraiser on my website, www.loismurphy.org.) Jim Gerlach depends upon Tom DeLay to help raise him funds, and his dependence shows in his voting record - 91% with Tom DeLay.
When it comes to money and his ties to DeLay, Jim Gerlach really stands out. Jim Geralch is the only member of Congress from Pennsylvania who has contributed to Tom DeLay's Legal defense fund. He has also received $30,000 in contributions from Tom DeLay's national PAC (ARMPAC) -- more than any other member from Pennsylvania. And he has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions as a result of Tom DeLay's fundraising through the Retain Our Majority Party (ROMP) program.
As these facts demonstrate, Jim Gerlach is far too tied to the money-driven cronyism in Washington to truly represent the people of this district. It shows in his votes and it shows in the money.
That is where we need your help. Instead of asking you to contribute money, I am asking you to help me do something just as important. Help me follow the money. Help me watch how deep the connections go and to see what my opponent is doing. I have a dedicated but lean team in my campaign headquarters, and the talents and energy of the blogosphere can be integral tomy success. If you are interested, help me follow the money -- email my campaign at research@loismurphy.org. If you have other leads or ideas, send them to research@loismurphy.org as well. And if you live in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I need your help now to build my grassroots network for success in 2006. Email info@loismurphy.org to get in touch with my campaign and help me to assemble the strongest volunteer effort possible.
You are more than just a large checkbook and your skills in other areas should not and will not be overlooked. This will be an incredibly close contest, but the momentum and the facts are on our side. We will win, and we will do it together.
Thank you,
Lois