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Kos posts the following message:

Message to Blog Community from DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe

As we get closer to the day that our Democratic nominee for President emerges from the primaries, I wanted to give you an update of what we've been building, doing and creating at the DNC to help defeat the Republicans on November 2 and win back the White House for ordinary working families.

Since the day I became Chairman in February 2001, the Democratic National Committee has been preparing for the moment that our nominee emerges.. Our No. 1 job at the DNC is to ensure that our candidate has the support he needs as he comes out of the primary battle.

A lot of what we do to accomplish that goal occurs below the media radar. These activities don't make for a compelling news story, but they are absolutely vital to our success. Here are just a few examples of what we've built to prepare for our nominee:

• A Presidential Fund which will have raised $15.3 million in 441(a)d funds, which will be available to our nominee immediately. This is the earliest these funds have ever been available to the nominee.


• A 2 million-strong list of email activists and donors -- up from just 70,000 names in 2000. (And if you aren't receiving our action alerts, campaign updates, and Democratic news emails, click here to sign up.)


• A voter file containing 166 million voters -- Democrat, Republican, and Independent. Attached to the national voter file are powerful analytical tools that are helping us find new voters more cost-effectively than ever before. The voter file is also key to our mobilization, organization, communication and fundraising operations.


• A media and research operation focusing on targeted 2004 battleground states, organizing news conferences and building media operations in state parties.


• A radio operation that aggressively books Democratic surrogates (including me) on both talk radio and news stations nationwide, with an emphasis on targeted states.


• A detailed review and analysis of Bush's policies and record.


• Daily tracking operation that keeps comprehensive records of where he travels and everything he has said publicly, as well as the activities of the RNC and Bush campaign staff.

But the DNC is just part of the picture. Your grassroots activism will be the key to our victory in 2004. And the leadership of Kos and others like yourselves in the blogosphere has truly transformed our Party. I thank you all for helping make our Party better, stronger and more responsive to grassroots America.

The political machine may have some broken springs and loose gears, but they're the only one we've got -- unless, that is, you want to see four more years of Dubya. And they've gotten a lot better over the last several months (thanks to a house call from a doctor who shall remain nameless).

ABBA in '04. (Note: Shameless plug added by Mrs. Roland X. *g*)

(/) Roland X
Super Tuesday coverage to come