It’s great to be back here blogging with you at Calitics!

First off, I’d just like to thank you for all of your support in the past. I really appreciate everything you’ve done — and continue to do.

It’s no secret: I’m in the middle of a tough re-election campaign against my right-wing opponent, Carly Fiorina.

Carly Fiorina is relying on her multimillion dollar personal checkbook to fund her Senate campaign against me. She’s already poured in millions of dollars, and she’s ready to spend millions more. And if that isn’t enough, George W. Bush’s top operative Karl Rove just launched $1 million of attack ads against me in Los Angeles.

But I have a secret weapon, something even more powerful than all of that: You, and the grassroots support of tens of thousands of supporters across California and across the country.

So, on September 1, our campaign is launching a new online effort — “100,000 Strong for Boxer” — our first ever “money bomb,” to demonstrate our campaign’s strong grassroots strength all on just one day.

Beginning today, we’re collecting pledges from friends like you to make September 1 a big success — and I’m asking you to stand up and be counted.

Make your pledge to our “100,000 Strong for Boxer” September 1 money bomb right now!

www.barbaraboxer.com/moneybomb

We’ve set a huge goal of 10,000 individual donations for our September 1 effort — which will also help us break through an amazing mark of 100,000 total grassroots donors to our campaign to-date.

It’s our most ambitious online fundraising push yet — and we can’t do it without you. Our opponents will be watching closely to see if we make it.

You can help us show that 100,000 grassroots Boxer donors are strong enough to combat Fiorina’s big checkbook, all in one day.

Be a part of this historic event by making a pledge to “100,000 Strong for Boxer” right now.

www.barbaraboxer.com/moneybomb

Fiorina and her allies, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Karl Rove, have already reserved nearly $9 million in TV time on California’s airwaves — and I’m sure that’s only a down payment.

The voters in California are going to have a clear choice in this election. I’m proud of my record on jobs, health care, the environment, choice, good public schools, and so many other issues we care about.

But I need your help to get our message out, in the wake of the millions upon millions that our opponents will put on TV:

www.barbaraboxer.com/moneybomb

Thank you so much for standing with me, today and every day!

— Barbara

(Some history occurred yesterday. Congratulations Justice Sotomayor! – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

Great to see you all again! It’s always a pleasure to visit Calitics, especially on days like today when we have occasion to celebrate.

Today, by a 68 – 31 vote, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly voted to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court!

I couldn’t be more thrilled that this talented and experienced judge will be joining the highest court in the land. She will be an amazing asset to our country on the Supreme Court.

This is a time to celebrate. I hope you’ll join me in congratulating Justice Sotomayor right now.

Sign our online congratulations card for Justice Sonia Sotomayor right now – and offer your own personal best wishes as well!

When Justice David Souter first announced that he would be retiring, I urged President Obama to nominate a well-qualified woman to ensure that the Court more accurately reflects the diversity of backgrounds and perspectives in America.

I think you’ll agree: President Obama responded by making an excellent choice with Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Throughout Justice Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings, I was impressed by her poise, her thoughtful responses, and the depth of experience she will bring to bear on critical constitutional questions. Those are exactly the qualities we need in our Supreme Court Justices.

Sign our online congratulations card for Justice Sonia Sotomayor right now – and offer your own personal best wishes as well!

Justice Sotomayor’s story is quintessentially American. From the Bronx, to Princeton, to the Supreme Court, she has worked hard, honored the law, and succeeded. She is an example for all Americans of what each and every one of us can strive to be.

When Justice Sotomayor takes her place on the Supreme Court, I want her to know that our best wishes go with her.

I want her to know that, even in the most difficult of cases, we stand behind her – and thank her for her clarity of judgment and fidelity to the law.

Help me send that message.

Please sign our online card for Justice Sonia Sotomayor now!

In Friendship,

Barbara Boxer

P.S. We’ll be delivering our card to Justice Sotomayor’s new office at the Supreme Court next week, so make sure your signature – and your own personal comments – are on it. We’ll also be posting some of the comments on our new Boxer Blog. So please sign our online congratulations card for Justice Sonia Sotomayor right now – and offer your own personal best wishes as well!

(An interesting tactic on this… – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

Cross posted at DailyKos

It’s great to be back with you here at Calitics! In the past, I’ve usually blogged to ask you to help respond to an urgent crisis. Well today I’m proud to tell you about an important, hard-fought victory that we won last night.

Just before midnight Thursday, the Senate finally passed the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act as an amendment to the defense authorization bill. This legislation is long overdue, and now we’re finally on the verge of getting it signed into law.

On Wednesday, I spoke out on the Senate floor about the senseless death of Matthew Shepard, a tragedy that showed us we have a long way to go before we can truly say in this country there is equal justice for all. More than 10 years ago, two men offered Matthew, a gay man, a ride in their car. Subsequently, he was robbed. He was pistol whipped. He was tortured. He was tied to a fence in a remote rural area. And he was left to die.

This was a brutal, vicious hate crime — and we’ve got to do everything in our power to make sure nothing like it ever happens again.

For nearly 10 years, our right-wing opponents have been trying to block us from passing hate crimes legislation at every turn. Again last night, they filibustered, throwing out excuse after excuse, but finally we got the 60 votes we needed to pass it.

We know our right-wing opponents are going to launch a last-ditch effort to try to stop us, and they’re not going to give up easily. So we can’t stop fighting until the bill is sent to President Obama’s desk for his signature. Please stand with me and show your support, right now — so I can share your support with my colleagues on Capitol Hill.

Click here to sign my petition in support of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act — and share your thoughts with me — so I can show my colleagues the strong grassroots support for this critical measure!

Passing the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act is so important. This legislation adds gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability as protected categories under our hate crimes laws and strengthens the ability of federal, state, and local authorities to investigate and prosecute hate crimes.

We’ve tried to pass hate crimes legislation for years. In the past, there’s always been an excuse: We do not have the time, or it is not relevant to the bill being debated.

Well, the loss Matthew Shepard’s family carries in their hearts will never disappear. But one thing we can do to ease their burden — and make sure no other families have to go through this — is enact this bill into law.

Now we all need to speak out and add our voices to make sure we make this Hate Crimes legislation the law of the land.

Click here to sign my petition in support of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act — and share your thoughts with me — so I can show my colleagues the strong grassroots support for this critical measure!

Thank you so much for giving me the honor and privilege to serve in the U.S. Senate — so I can fight for you and all Americans on such important issues like this.