Dear MoveOn Member,

In the wake of last Thursday's vote on Iraq, the Bush Administration and the Republican far right are going on the offensive. The President would like nothing more than to demonstrate that when Democrats speak out against the President's endless war, they lose.

Senator Paul Wellstone's predicament is typical. Wellstone is in the political fight of his life -- slightly behind in the polls to a far-right candidate flush with cash and hand-picked by Karl Rove to remove him from office. Wellstone knew that if he voted against the resolution, his opponent would seize on the issue, unleashing a barrage of attack ads and accusations. But despite the enormous pressure to capitulate, Wellstone spoke his conscience and voted against the war: "A pre-emptive go-it-alone strategy towards Iraq is wrong. I oppose it."

For taking a stand under the most difficult of circumstances, Senator Wellstone is nothing less than a hero. In the House, three heroic Representatives in tight races also did the right thing. They deserve our strong support. You can make a contribution directly to their campaigns at:

http://www.moveonpac.org/moveonpac/viewcandidates.phtml

After Thursday's unexpectedly divided House vote, the President must be fuming. His political allies will do everything they can to take revenge on the dissenters. If he can demonstrate that Representatives and Senators who ask the hard questions don't get re-elected, Congress will be even more equivocal when faced with hard choices in the future.

But the electoral sword cuts both ways. Paul Wellstone, Jay Inslee, Rick Larsen and Rush Holt are in extremely tight races. A little more money could easily put them over the top. And Wellstone's race is being watched very closely -- it's a key to the Republican plans to take over the Senate. If Wellstone wins because of an outpouring of support for his stand on Iraq, it will signal to the right that their electoral ploy on an Iraq war backfired. And it'll demonstrate to Democrats that when you take a stand of conscience, your constituents will reward you.

We've worked long and hard to stop a tragic war on Iraq. After a difficult vote, rewarding the heroes who listened to our voices is the right thing to do. It may also be the most important next step in our campaign. We need to show the President that if he pursues Iraq, he and his party are going to lose.

Give whatever you can. In these tight races, every dollar makes a difference. You can support Paul Wellstone and the other Congresspeople who took a stand right now at:

http://www.moveonpac.org/moveonpac/viewcandidates.phtml

As strategists look back at this election over the years to come, either they'll say, "President Bush manufactured a war and won at the polls" or they'll say, "President Bush manufactured a war and lost at the polls." Your gift today can make the difference.

Sincerely,

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