Cheers and Jeers: Monday

From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE?

Netroots for the Troops: Year 4

As you know, we have a couple on-the-ground fisticuffs going on in Iraq and Afghanistan at the moment (though the light at the end of Iraq's tunnel is distinctively brighter). And regardless of how you feel about the civilian and military leadership's handling of their mission, there's no denying that the grunts on the ground are still doing the heavy lifting: patrolling streets and neighborhoods. Building and repairing stuff. Training the Iraq and Afghan militaries. Serving as dispute-solvers and referees. Guarding things and searching things. Eating shitty food. Often being bored out of their frigging minds.

And also wondering when they'll get new gloves and socks, maybe a handful of fresh CDs or DVDs, with a letter from back home. Little things like that make a big difference over there.

As soon as I publish C&J today, I'm ponying up 50 bucks to kick off C&J's fundraising effort in support of the 2011 Netroots for the Troops (NFTT) campaign. Their goal is as simple as it is appreciated by those who benefit from it:

To put together and ship care packages to American soldiers currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, supplying them with stuff they tell us they need---including work gloves (they go through a pair a month), phone cards, CDs, DVDs, key rings with LED flashlights, gel insoles for boots, and more. The packages will be assembled by volunteers and sent to the troops from the Netroots Nation convention in Minneapolis.

Last year NFTT assembled 300 care packages (a recap is here), and it's estimated that over a thousand people---recipients, donors, those who packed boxes in Las Vegas and the friends and families of all of the above---were positively affected by the effort. This year we're hoping to match or exceed that. With your help, we can make short work of it.

To kick in a few bucks, click here for the donor page. And if you're a member of one of the new groups formed here at DK4, consider forming a team and pooling your donations.

Contributions are tax deductible. (Netroots For The Troops got its official 501(c)3 status this year.) Kossack Tony Gattis ("TexDem") and a small army of volunteers are set to do the procuring and packing and shipping. But with only 87 days 'til Netroots Nation the urgency to get the funding in place is critical now. Many thanks for continuing this eagerly-awaited Netroots Nation tradition of supporting our troops in the field?.and the sand?and the mountains?and and and?

Off to make that donation, Meanwhile Cheers and Jeers starts below the fold... [Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]

Source: http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/BQV5sXmQ_L0/-Cheers-and-Jeers:-Monday

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