Dear Friend,

I am writing my fellow Coloradans who care about our country's future because the 2008 election may be the most important election in a generation. More than ever, we need wise and enlightened leadership in Congress and in the United States Senate, where we are just a few votes shy of the 60-votes necessary to reverse the disastrous course George W. Bush has set for America.

We need to elect Mark Udall to the United States Senate, and I hope you will join me in contributing today to his campaign before the End of Year fundraising deadline.

www.markudall.com/GaryHart

I doubt that history will be kind to the presidency of George W. Bush. Among his administration's many failures and blunders, however, I believe the most tragic failure has been the squandered opportunity Mr. Bush had to unite our people and the world with us, in the aftermath of 9/11.

After we were attacked at Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt called for shared sacrifice to defeat a dangerous enemy. A generation later, when the Cold War was at its hottest, President John F. Kennedy united the nation around a similar call for shared sacrifice at home and strong alliances abroad.

After 9/11, George W. Bush gave wealthy Americans a tax break and told everyone else to go shopping.

Worse yet, he plunged our armed forces into the quagmire of Iraq with no plan for managing the chaos that was predicted. His war has cost nearly 4,000 American lives, not including an appalling 6,000 post-service suicides, and tens of thousands of life-altering wounds for returning veterans. His policies have bled the finest Army in the world and are costing Americans an astounding $2 billion very week.

Unlike George W. Bush, Mark Udall understands today's challenge. He's one of the few who had the courage and wisdom to oppose the Bush Administration on Iraq. He's worked to rebuild our Army. He did not have to take a poll to speak out against torture, and he stood up for the fundamental right of habeas corpus, when others flinched.

Help Mark bring his leadership to the U.S. Senate. Join me and make a contribution to his campaign today!

www.markudall.com/GaryHart


Mark Udall also understands that our national security is absolutely tied to our dependence on Middle Eastern oil, which is why he has led so effectively on behalf of renewable energy. There is no stronger leader in Congress when it comes to advancing the cause of energy security than Mark Udall.

I also know that electing him next year will require significant resources because the National Republican leadership will target Colorado for the worst kind of political mud-slinging.

It's the only way they know how to win, and believe me, they will spare no effort.

But we can elect a Senator we can also be proud of -- if we support Mark Udall's campaign early. That is why I hope you will join me today in making a contribution to Mark Udall before the December 31st deadline.

www.markudall.com/GaryHart

We can restore America's leadership and reputation in the world. We can reverse the disastrous policies of the Bush Administration. We can bring the Iraq war to closure, fight a more effective war against Islamic extremism, put America on a path to energy independence, keep faith with the needs of our veterans, and address the many issues we face.

We can also face these challenges with a sense of shared commitment, sacrifice and optimism for the future. It will take leadership.

It will take people like Mark Udall.

Sincerely,

Gary W. Hart
United States Senator (Ret.)