(How hospitable – promoted by Lucas O’Connor)

I decided to run for Congress against John Doolittle because I believe we desperately need a new direction for America.

My decision was never about political ambition or blind partisan loyalties, but fulfilling a promise I made to defend our country, and to serve the community where Jan and I have been proud to live, work, and raise our children these past 17 years.

Today, State Senator Tom McClintock announced he is going to move from his district in Southern California in order to run for Congress in our district.

My position hasn't changed. I still firmly believe we need a new direction – for our country.
And I believe the last thing District Four needs is another career politician who needs driving directions just to find our district.

Click here to give Senator Tom McClintock a warm welcome when he arrives.

This will be the ninth different political office that Tom has run for in California. If you are scoring at home, here's the list:

• Chair, Ventura County Republican Party
• CA State Assembly, District 36 in Southern California
• U.S. House of Representatives, District 24 in Southern California
• CA State Controller
• CA State Assembly, District 38 in Southern California
• CA State Senate, District 19 in Southern California
• CA State Controller – Again
• CA Governor in the recall election
• CA Lt. Governor
• U.S. House of Representatives, District 04

For 30 years, Senator McClintock has been relentless in pursuing his next partisan political power grab. His current address in Thousand Oaks, California is 418 miles from Roseville.

Now, 418 miles is a long drive, especially when the price of gas is pushing four dollars per gallon.

Together, we can give Senator McClintock the proper welcome when he arrives, and show him that CD4 is looking for real change-not another partisan political opportunist (and we've seen several come and go from this race already). And that's exactly the message we'll send by raising $100 for every mile Tom must travel to get from his district to our district.

Our goal is $41,800. by the FEC Deadline of of March 31^st.

Click here to help us welcome Tom McClintock to town.

You built this campaign. When no one believed, you were there. And today, we have enlisted more than 12,000 people in our campaign for change–$25, $50 and $100 at a time. That's 12,000 people who believe, just as I believe, that our district and our country can do better. And for the sake of our security, our economy, and our children's future, we must.

Click Here to Contribute

I've said it before. This election is about putting patriotism before partisanship.
It's about CD4's interests, not some career politician's self interest.
It's about electing people who lead by example and get results.
That's why we launched the Veterans Charity Challenge, and why we're donating 5% of every dollar we raise to help veterans and families in need.

Together we can send the message that our district is ready to move forward, and beyond the politics of personal ambition exemplified by Sen. McClintock and John Doolittle.

And there is no better time to send that message than right now.

Thank you in advance for your continued support.

Very Sincerely,

Charlie Brown, Lt. Col. USAF Ret.

P.S. Click here to donate today and help us raise $100 for every mile Senator Tom is going to have to drive to get from Southern California to our district.

(I was going to post my own Thanksgiving diary, but you know what? I’ll just thank Charlie and let him do the honors. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

(Cross Posted at Daily Kos)

As Jan and I reflect on the past year, we are humbled and profoundly grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support we’ve received from people across the 4th CD and the entire country.  To all our friends (both new and old), volunteers, netroots activists, and contributors, we can never say thank you enough for believing in this campaign, and for fighting so hard to get our country back on track. 

And together, we will.  Onward to victory!

Beyond reflection, for most of us, Thanksgiving is a time to be with friends, family and neighbors—to catch up and even to reconnect with loved ones we don’t see that often.

For Jan and I, every moment together as a family is a cherished gift–never to be taken for granted. It’s an outlook that was shaped by the many holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, and even the birth of our daughter Stacey—spent apart while I was in the Air Force. 

Generations before have made similar sacrifices, and this week, so will hundreds of thousands more.

Many of the families of those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan will go about this week like any other–glued to their computers and television sets for news, hoping for a phone call, sending letters and care packages, thumbing through the pages of family photo albums, and anxiously awaiting the safe return of their loved ones.

Like many of you, Jan and I know from experience that there are really no words to describe what these families–like their relatives in harms way–are going through, nor a comfort that can be found in words alone.

This is a fact that far too many politicians tend to forget. And that’s one of many reasons why we’ve decided to make this campaign about taking action–not just words.

Over veteran’s day, I wrote a little more on why action is needed, our plans, and the human impact our efforts could have in the coming year.  I wanted to share it with all of you on another holiday where our thoughts turn to those who are serving and sacrificing in our name.  Here are a few links where you can find it.

Auburn Journal
Grass Valley Union
Sierra Sun

You can also read more about our Promises Kept: Brown For Congress Veterans Charity Challenge Here

Happy Thanksgiving to our troops, their families, and all of you. 

And thank you again for your continued support.

-Charlie

(Welcome the next Representative from California’s 4th Congressional District. – promoted by David Dayen)

In the fall of 2005, Jan and I had become so frustrated at the direction of our country, the war in Iraq and the corruption in Washington, we decided it was time to take action.  I decided to run for Congress against Rep. John Doolittle – one of the most recognizable symbols of corruption and partisan politics in Washington.

When we started that campaign, we went to house parties with five and ten people in attendance to persuade them to join our effort.  We built momentum one volunteer, one house party and one neighborhood at a time, and we narrowly missed in 2006.

Today, as I officially announce my 2008 candidacy for Congress in CA-04, we are expecting over three hundred and fifty people (that’s just the number who RSVP’d in advance) to participate in our campaign kickoff barnstorming tour.  Our strength today is a large result of your efforts over the past two years-empowering everyday people from the grassroots to the netroots and everywhere in between. You have helped us organize, drive our message to the local and national press and helped us raise the resources needed to fuel our people powered campaign.  For that, I am eternally grateful.

Thirty-Five years ago when I joined the Air Force, I took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.  My allegiance to this oath has, and will always be, without hesitation or purpose of evasion.  Country comes first.

When I got in the race last cycle, I pledged to see the mission through to its completion.  I keep my promises.  And with my family at my side today, I will officially start the next phase of this mission and see it through to the end.

Simply put, I can’t do it without you.  So, I am respectfully asking for your help and support again to complete the mission we started together.

I know that we all may not agree on every issue.  But I know the difference between patriotism and partisanship.  The difference is results.  The difference is accountability.  The difference is having the courage to make the tough choices – and to solve the problems confronting America, we have a lot of tough choices to make in the years to come.

My announcement speech is linked HERE. I hope you will take a few minutes out of your day to read it and hopefully, pass it along to a few friends and enlist them to join our cause at www.charliebrownforcongress.org .

Together, we will get this country back on track.  We will reclaim our government for “we the people.”  And we’ll be seeing you soon on the campaign trail.

Keep fighting,
Charlie

Contribute Here

(Some words from one of the guests of honor at next week’s blograiser. – promoted by dday)

Thank you all for your support.  Last year was a great victory for Congressman McNerney and a near miss for me.  I look forward to your continued support so I can join Jerry in Washington.  There is much to be done, but our numbers, energy, and ability to organize will prove that the netroots can win elections. 
Please vote for me in the DFA Allstars campaign and send the link to your friends and ask them to vote for me also. 
I met some of you at the Yearly Kos Convention in Las Vegas, and hope to meet a large group in San Diego.
It’s time to take our country and government back!  Charlie