My friend Barack

By Richard K. Barry

That's him. Nice smile.

Every now and then I get an e-mail from my friend Barack. He's got an important job in Washington but he still finds time to send me a note every now and then. Mostly he tells me what he's doing at work or what this guy, who wants to steal his job, is up to.

I have to admit that every time he writes he does ask for money, but what are friends for? And he never asks for much, generally just around $3. That's not so bad.

I don't want to sound like I think I'm special, though, because I know Barack has a lot of friends and he writes to them too, even asks them for money. From what I hear, a lot actually pony up. He's a very popular guy.

Anyway, I just got an e-mail from him today and I don't think he'd mind if I shared it with you. Heck, he might have even sent you the same one, more or less. It's hard to be original when you have so many friends.

Here's what he told me about the main guy who is trying to take his job.

Richard -- 

We now know who our opponent is.

But what we're really fighting against is what our opponent has pledged to do if elected.

He would shower billionaires with more huge tax breaks, oppose setting a timeline to bring our troops home from Afghanistan, starve investments in clean energy research, and make it harder for students to afford to go to college. He'd outlaw a woman's right to choose and completely cut funding for Planned Parenthood.

We can't afford an endless war in Afghanistan, a return to policies that hurt the middle class, and a social agenda from the 1950s.

The stakes and the differences are profound. The outcome of this election will determine the course of this country for decades to come.

I need you by my side.

Make a donation of $3 or more today.

Thank you,

Barack

No problem, Barack. This "opponent" guy sounds pretty unpleasant, so I might be able to help you out. I'm not exactly sure why you need the money, but it sounds important. Spend it wisely. And do let me know how things go.

(Cross-posted at Lippmann's Ghost.)