[Note: An email message below I received yesterday from "Howard Dean for America" campaign. If you wish to read on and take action, please do so, if not, I would completely understand and respect your decision. Thank you.]

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The impact you have had on politics in this country is simply amazing. Everywhere I go, people want to talk about the power of the grassroots--a power that you have helped to demonstrate. Whenever I meet with elected officials, labor leaders, members of civic organizations and other Americans, their number one question is, can the grassroots sustain the momentum? Can we build a grassroots campaign large enough to take on the special interests, win the nomination, and defeat President Bush in 2004?

I believe we can, but the next 42 days are a crucial time for us to prove that the grassroots has the power to take our country back. Today, you stand with nearly 300,000 other Americans, united in our cause. Our goal is to have 450,000 American supporters by September 30th. We are going to reach that goal by continuing to spread our message that we are restoring the American community and our nation's role as an idealistic moral force in world affairs.

To spread that message, we will be traveling to eight cities in four days as part of our "Sleepless Summer Tour," beginning this Saturday, August 23rd. Please sign up to attend if you live in a city we'll be visiting, or ask your friends who live nearby to sign up and attend. You can find out more about the tour by clicking here:

http://www.deanforamerica.com/sleeplesssummer

This campaign is about bringing people together and standing up for the ideals and freedoms that make us Americans. This Administration has unnecessarily compromised those freedoms and ideals in the name of fighting terrorism. Through the USA Patriot Act, the Ashcroft Justice Department took advantage of the climate of fear that followed the attacks of September 11 to adopt a series of anti-terror tactics that go far beyond protecting our country and erode the rights of average Americans.

This week, Attorney General Ashcroft is touring the country to build support for his 'Victory Act,' which would expand the Patriot Act. Join me in taking a stand against John Ashcroft's plans by clicking on the link below and signing the petition to stop the passage of the Victory Act:

http://www.deanforamerica.com/stopashcroft