I'm asking a simple favor, that you head on over to paypal and make a donation to the MyDD travel political coverage fund for 2008. This is to help cover the costs of the other MyDD bloggers, specifically Jonathan Singer and Todd Beeton. Without them here running the blog, like Chris and Matt before, I wouldn't have the bandwidth to keep the place open.

So, for those of you who hate my blogging, but are fine with Jon and Todd, great, this is for their efforts. Head over, and support the fund that's going to help them hit the road throughout 2008. For those of you who like my blogging, terrific, do me a small favor and chip in $50 bucks or whatever, right now, toward covering their travel expenses as they blog coverage of the elections.

There's a couple of things that I had to crash my way through in making happen (it was actually more like a slight push or a knock) that this request is related too (aside from wanting to keep the place open).

First, that bloggers would have unfettered access, like beat journalists, to political events. I was first able to do that (alongside Markos) when were able to (shockingly to us at the time) score press credentials to the California Democratic convention in March, 2004. It was a first for bloggers, and allowed us to share a partisan blogger perspective of the event that wasn't heard previously (and very hard to believe that was just 4 years ago).

And second, for bloggers to be placed on the campaign staff, shaking up the traditionally silo'd campaign departments with a netroots attitude. I was able to do that on Howard Dean's campaign, and have consulted on numerous campaigns since. I recall, listening to Joe Trippi on the phone while he was convincing me to jump on the campaign and go work in politics, when that step happened. There I was, living in Seaside, Oregon, in a wooden cabin a few blocks from the ocean, as a daytrader living a simple life, and it was like an invite to join the circus (having previously done a stint on the circus while out hitchhiking one summer in the late 80's I should have known better) coming from one of the best barkers in the business. But since then, I've been able to help many through the door, and it's just about broken down completely now.

Those two accomplishments are part of what this blog has meant over the past few years. If it were not for Jonathan and Todd showing up to run the place on a daily basis, there's no way I'd run it alone; and though I distribute all the ad revenue from here to cover the costs and pay them, it's not enough to make a living on-- unless you are like super-blogger Chris Bowers and can live off of $500 a month if that's what it takes. I can't, and have always made sure to rely on other work, so this remains a hobby rather than work.

For the past year, I've been heavily dogged with a couple of large-scale platform development projects (big words cause its been a big time commitment with me having to raise lots of money and dedicated owners for the efforts), both private, in the SBNation.com venture (we launch the new blogging platform next week, right Trei?), and for the political consulting effort I continue-- the work beacons me now... That's where I pay my way.

For me, MyDD is a wonderfully fun distraction (when I'm not having to ban members) to escape to for an hour or so each day (when I should probably be playing with my now 3-year old or 8-year old). I'm a political junkie and have to get my fix and the family luckily understands (most of the time). Many of you can relate.

Jonathan and Todd, they can travel, they can blog why doing their political travels. You can help them make that happen. It's gonna allow them to network with other bloggers, mingle and persuade journalists (Ben Smith likes gin, Marc Ambinder likes scotch and Matt Bai likes the outlandish tales of adventure), and give them the access to gain insight they wouldn't get just blogging at home.

Yesterday, I was invited to an all-day "Progressive Media Summit" over at the Hart building and in the Capital. I didn't attend the previous one, and had no real sense of what it was about before showing up at the invite. We spent about 6 hours together in a Hart building hearing room, while Senators (and a couple of House leaders) came through in groups of 2-3, and gave a briefing on the different issues-- Bingaman on climate change, Jim Webb on Iraq, Sherrod Brown on the economy, Ron Wyden on healthcare, Bernie Sanders on civil liberties... a mighty fine event.

Afterwards, we were able to move over to the Mansfield room inside the Capital, while Senators shuffled in and out, following the FISA bill vote (among the encounters, I was able to ask "how was your day" to Ted Kennedy-- his just getting back from backing Obama), prior to the SOTU. It was a treat to be in on the discussions of the issues we are fighting over, and meet a number of Senators and their staffers working for a progressive future.

That's access that makes better bloggers. Likewise, you've read many on-the-trail blog entries here over the past few months, and they will continue throughout the year, in this dream season for political junkies. I'm just asking that you help me a bit to keep the bloggers here on MyDD blogging, help keep the quality (that's stated subjectively on my part) happening.

Many thanks to everyone that chips in and helps the effort.