Dave Plouffe, close personal friend, asks for support (and five bucks)

David Plouffe, campaign manager for Obama for America, sent me another personal e-mail message this morning. To me and millions of his closest friends and advisers. The messages usually carry good news, which is nice. There's a slightly ominous ring to this one. The Republican National Committee and the McCain campaign, according to Dave (may I call you Dave?), "finished June with nearly $100 million in the bank." And that's just the spare change that Cindy McCain found rummaging around in her purse!

Democrats are trailing, money-wise. And Dave, I hope we don't have any accounts with IndyMac Bank. Obama supporters raised $52 million in June, helped significantly by my $25. If you add all that to the DNC's account, "we now have nearly $72 million in the bank. That's a very strong financial position to be in. But we remain at a massive disadvantage to our opponents."

Dave is asking me and my compatriots to donate $5 online now. The least I can do. A million people donating $5 apiece adds up to $5 million more in the bank. To contribute, go to https://donate.barackobama.com/junenumbers.

Here's how Dave sums things up:

I know this isn't the first time we've asked you for financial support, and it won't be the last. We have developed a strategy -- a very aggressive strategy -- that will only work if our millions of supporters continue to contribute their time and their money. That strategy will work, and it has to. The stakes are too high and the need for change too great. But victory is only possible with your continued help. We can't do this without you.

I'm fine with that. The stakes are high -- couldn't be any higher -- and money talks in all election campaigns, but talks the loudest every four years.

The Obama campaign is never shy about asking for money. I noticed that during the winter when the Obama operatives parachuted into Wyoming in advance of the March caucuses. They arrived organized and motivated, with armloads of U.S.-made "Wyoming for Obama" T-shirts for sale. I like it when I hear the word "aggressive" spoken by Democrats. I like the fact that Sen. Obama responds immediately to Republican slime attacks. I like the Dems new in-your-face style. I wish that Al Gore and John Kerry had used the same tactics instead of listening to the namby-pamby wing of the party.