One more post, after having a chance to reflect

We have gotten such great feedback from friends and friends of friends about this blog. It's been an amazing experience, and thanks for reading our thoughts about this crazy process.

Since the convention, we've all of course heard from the Republicans, who believe that personal, Karl-Rovish, mean-spirited personal attacks from a woman who named her family pet for an oil pipeline are going to help bring this country together. (She also fibs a squinch about the Bridge to Nowhere money.)

To me, this seems like the best turn of events possible, because it shows how freaked out the Republicans are. They're even criticizing community organizers, like, um, me. Yeah! How dare we try to make this country better! Someone get these foolish whippersnappers off my front lawn!

But personal attacks aren't going to help close Guantanamo Bay.

They're not going to clean up the subprime mortgage mess, created by Republican deregulation mania, or the credit mess yet to come.

When all the silly, fun political theater is over, this is a contest of ideas about how to fix a country just about everyone agrees has gone off the rails. This year, we have the option of a president who actually understands that his job is to uphold our Constitution.

But, frankly, this is going to be a tough fight. They want that Supreme Court with three more Alitos on it. We need your help.

Some of us are really giving our all, including delegates who you just wouldn't have thought, based on their personal history, would be willing to fight for America any more. (And, yes, he's from the 43rd LD--same legislative district as me!)

Can you help?

If you live in Washington State, can you be a Neighborhood Leader who knocks on neighbor's doors and makes sure everyone is registered to vote? (If you want to know more about this--or if you want company knocking on doors, I'll come with you!)

If you hate the idea of knocking on doors, could you join local events like making buttons to send to swing states?

If you have $50 to help Obama fight these smear attacks, could you send it his way?

If you're cash-strapped and time-strapped, could you take 10 minutes on your lunch break and write your local paper a letter, letting them know why Barack Obama is the candidate who will get our country back on track?

And, as Howard Dean said, if you want to see Obama win, the single best thing you can do is talk to your friends and family about this election. If we each talk to 25 people, Howard said, we will win this thing.

We head back to Seattle tomorrow, and I plan to be a blur of activity for Barry from now until November 5. We're going to win this thing, but it sure would be nice to get a chance to see you all while all that hard work goes down.

Thanks again for reading.