It was a turning point.

Earlier this month, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates both unequivocally expressed their support to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT).

Now momentum is growing to repeal this discriminatory policy, but we still need allies in Congress. We must support candidates who will vote for the repeal.

I'm asking you today to help two veterans who would vote to repeal DADT, Congressman Eric Massa (NY-29) and Bryan Lentz (PA-07). Eric and Bryan served under me in Bosnia, and we need their leadership in the U.S. Congress.

We need allies like Eric and Bryan in Congress. Please contribute to their campaigns today.

I've written to you a number of times about Eric Massa. He's doing great work in his first term in Congress. He's been a strong advocate for health care reform and working tirelessly to get our economy going again.

I'm proud he's a co-sponsor of H.R. 1283, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the bill that would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Eric knows that those who want to serve our country in uniform deserve to do so honestly, openly, and proudly. And frankly, with our military strained fighting two wars, we simply cannot afford to discharge soldiers due to this unfair policy.

The first re-election campaign for a Congressman is usually the toughest, and in this political environment, Eric is in for a close race. He needs our help.

Eric is an ally we can't afford to lose in Congress. Please contribute to his campaign today.

Bryan Lentz is a former Airborne Ranger, prosecutor, Iraq War veteran, and legislator. He is running to fill Joe Sestak's open seat in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. Bryan served under me performing NATO peacekeeping missions in Bosnia. As a prosecutor in the Philadelphia District Attorney's office, he established an impeccable reputation for his wide-ranging prosecution of gang members, rapists, and other violent offenders. Currently as a State Representative, he is a leader on the issues of government reform, job creation, and clean energy innovation.

Bryan's skills and experience will make him a great member of Congress. He'll fight against the status quo to put government back on the side of everyday Americans -- including overturning the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Bryan is an ally we need in Congress. Please contribute to his campaign today.

It's the tough votes that tell you who your allies are. There's no doubt in my mind that Eric Massa and Bryan Lentz will represent our voices in Congress. So please make a contribution, then forward this message to five friends today.

Sincerely,

Wes Clark

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Former insurance lobbyist (Emerson) continues to raise hundreds of thousands from lobbyists and corporate PACs

Southeast Missourian | Jonathan Feifs | February 1, 2010

Rolla, MO -- During the 4th quarter of 2009, former Army Green Beret Tommy Sowers raised $179,127, 98% of which came as contributions from individuals. In stark contrast, incumbent and former insurance lobbyist Jo Ann Emerson once again relied on her special interest friends, raising nearly half her money from corporate PACs and special interest groups.

Sowers said, "Emerson does not represent Southeastern Missouri. She still represents the city where she was born and raised: Washington, DC. People here tell me they are tired of business as usual in Washington. The lobbyists and special interests behind Emerson are exactly what people here are sick of."

Small donors also played a much greater role in Sowers's fourth quarter, due in large part to his national endorsements from veterans groups like VoteVets and General Wesley Clark's Securing America organization. The percentage of Sowers's contributions comprised of small donations was nearly four times as large as Emerson's.

Said Sowers campaign manager, Jonathan Feifs, "While Tommy drives around the district witnessing first-hand the struggles of the people in his corner of Missouri, Emerson is riding up and down K Street to pick up her lobbyists' checks. The 1,000 new contributors this quarter, many of them small contributions from veterans, are helping Tommy get out and work hard to earn every vote. "

Conspicuously absent from this report were any expenses for "political gifts" from Tiffany & Co. Expenditures at the high-end jeweler were a fixture on her reports from 2002-2009, where Emerson racked up expenses totaling over $6,000, shopping there as recently as last August. Full listing of these can be found at www.sowersforcongress.com/joanntiffany

Sowers is currently on Day 13 of a 28-day initiative he calls "Boots on the Ground." Sowers and his dog, Chuck, are traveling the district in his truck to meet his neighbors, work alongside them and listen to their concerns, struggles, ideas and solutions. Sowers said, "This is not a tour -- tours are for tourists and politicians who come in, take a few pictures, then leave. 'Boots on the Ground' is about working, living, and listening to hardworking people in each and every county. It's an opportunity for me to do what many politicians don't - close my mouth and open my ears and eyes."

For more information on the campaign and "Boots on the Ground," visit www.sowersforcongress.com/boots.

Contribute to Tommy's campaign today via Wes's Act Blue page.

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