To prevent email filtering, add mailing_list@inthesetimes.com to your address book.

Dear Reader,

Thanks to nearly eight years of Dubya's disastrous presidency, the country is reaping what our failure-in-chief has sown.

We have given our children—and possibly their children—an endless trillion-dollar war in Iraq, a rotting national infrastructure, and a tail-spinning economy.

But we can still change that path, and we can do so today by giving to In These Times magazine.

When I received my tax return and stimulus rebate, I made a gift to In These Times. I invite you to join me in making a donation today.

8 REASONS TO GIVE TO IN THESE TIMES:

1. Two words: Flag pin. As November's elections draw near, voters deserve stories that go beyond what Barack Obama wears on his lapel, the mind-numbing horserace reporting, and the endless lunatic squawking of TV talking heads.

2. You keep us running. Collectively, the In These Times community of donors covers 70 percent of operating costs and keeps this magazine - your magazine - in print.

3. Cartoons and our quirky stories make you smile when you need to most.

4. David Sirota. His article, "The Clinton Firewall," influenced Democratic campaign analysis across the media spectrum. It generated heated reactions and debate online, and was cited in more than 30 stories in various outlets from Salon.com to the Washington Post, among others. A donation from you will fund more stories from this exceptional writer.

5. In a democracy, a crusading press and an informed public can, together, create change.

6. In These Times is your watchdog, not Corporate America's lapdog.

7. Our circulation is growing. BUT HERE'S THE CATCH: in order to get In These Times into the hands of as many readers as possible, we offer it at a money-losing rate. Your tax-deductible donation helps us make up the difference while making the magazine affordable to all readers - including students, community workers, and readers with low-incomes.

8. It's a great way to flip Dubya the bird. Think about it: fearless Dubya sent out checks to some of you because he wants you to "stimulate the economy" - an economy his policies have wrecked and abandoned. He wants you to buy things - THIS is his solution to our economic crisis. If ever there was a "Let them eat cake" moment, this is it. Enough is enough.

Please join me in making a gift today.

Over the next few weeks, three other In These Times writers and editors will be sending you reasons to join the In These Times community (or to renew your support).

We're calling it the "32 reasons for 32 years" campaign.

Can we count on you?

Our goal is to raise $10,000 over the next four weeks. That's only 100 readers donating $100 each! We can do this, but we need your help.

Please contribute today to fight the corporate media behemoth and to protect honest journalism. A tax-deductible gift in any amount will make a difference.

Bush has run this country straight into the ground - don't let progressive, independent journalism be the next casualty of his economic recklessness.

Yours truly,

Susan J. Douglas
Senior Editor

P.S. — Become an In These Times sustainer. Commit to supporting In These Times at $15 per month and get a one-year subscription at no additional cost. For more information, please contact Jarrett Dapier.