Dear Friend,

At this point, I have become accustomed to many trying to silence my message to the American people -- the plain, simple, uncompromising truth. Nor does it come as any great surprise that the mainstream media is now putting words in my mouth. Not kind words, but bold-faced lies. Thursday evening at New Hampshire headquarters, on the most frigid night yet this winter, my campaign staff was dumbfounded to watch MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann announce I had dropped out of the race.

With only days left to go until the New Hampshire Primary, Olbermann's report was news to me!

Fortunately, there is nothing further from the truth. I have no intentions of leaving this race, and will continue to bring my message to the American people. I brought this to the attention of Mr. Olbermann, and you can see video of him retracting his statement posted on my site, gravel2008.us.

My schedule here in New Hampshire is full through primary day, and I will soon after be traveling to many other primary states. Nevada. Michigan. Florida. And beyond.

What message will I continue to share? It will include: Ending our corrupt, oppressive tax system. Making quality healthcare and education a basic, fundamental right for citizens. Ending our feverish addiction to oil and imperialist wars. Protecting our environment and precious ecosystems against short-sighted interests. Dismantling the military-industrial complex and our culture of fear. Not allowing those in power to exploit our fears and insecurities to their own gain, but building a society based on love and courage. Finally, I will continue to press for empowering the American people by enacting the National Initiative for Democracy.

I'm asking you today to help us turn the tables. New Hampshire is an opportunity for me to send a very pointed message to the media and those that might silence my message.

If you're in New Hampshire, please canvas for the day, hold signs at a busy traffic spot, or call up your friends and family who are still on the fence about who to support. If you're in New England, give our New Hampshire office a call, or join up with fellow supporters in the Granite State. The weather dipped to -15 degrees recently, but that has not chilled our spirit here.

Real change is not popular at first. It is not a soundbite you can digest in 30 seconds. It's gritty and raw and is going to upset some people. I have never shied away from a fight! Two decades ago Nixon wanted to throw me in jail for telling the American people the truth about Vietnam. Today I have been the first candidate to speak out against the dangers of war with Iran, and will continue to be the fiercest critic of our destructive foreign policy.

It doesn't matter whether the media deems my views as "unpopular" or "dangerous." It's time to tell the truth, and it's time for America to wake up.  Some might lament or opine that my candidacy won't be appreciated in its own time. I say, the year is now 2008, and this is the time to make it resonate.

I hope to see everyone in New Hampshire at the polls on Tuesday.

And for those of you who live in other parts of the country, please make your most generous donation today.

I know you believe in this fight. Please help today.

Mike Gravel

Dear Friend,

Happy Holidays! I hope you are enjoying your holiday season. This past year has been quite an adventure for us. We've been all over the United States speaking to supporters and future supporters about the campaign. It's amazing to see how many people are tired of politics as usual and ready for a change. But I'm sure I don't have to tell you that!

This time of year always makes me think of family and friends. I also reflect on all the things that our family has to be grateful for. I am blessed with two wonderful children and four grandchildren. While I am so grateful for all that we have, this time of year also reminds me that there are many who are left wanting. Too many parents will be without their sons and daughters for another Christmas because they are in Iraq fighting George Bush's oil war. We have 46 million of our fellow Americans who will go through another Christmas without health insurance. And some of our nation's poorest citizens are taking on more than their fair share of our tax burden.

I want to change this. We need a President who is willing to make the tough decisions and initiate the changes that our country needs. I want to bring the troops home now, provide healthcare for all Americans with my Healthcare Security System and make the tax system in our country fair by abolishing the IRS and implementing the Fair Tax.

We also need to enact the National Initiative for Democracy (NI4D), an amendment to allow for federal ballot initiatives. The NI4D is vital, because the only way we are going to see the changes our country so desperately needs is when the people demand them.

I hope you will take a moment to visit www.nationalinitiative.us to learn more about the NI4D.

I know during the holidays budgets are always tight. Trust me; we have four grandchildren and plenty of nieces and nephews who believe that grandparents were made to spoil them. Still, I hope you will consider supporting my campaign with a small holiday donation of $10, $25 or $50. This would go a long way in helping to get my name on the ballot in the remaining states. It would also help to purchase more campaign materials for supporters or even bring the campaign to your state.

Finally, I want to send a personal thank you for all that you have done to help the campaign this year. I know that spreading the word, donating to the campaign, and volunteering can be a time-consuming and sometimes thankless jobs. I hope you know that none of this would be possible without you, and I appreciate all that you have done.

I want to wish you a wonderful holiday season. Stay warm, and enjoy this time with your family and friends. Remember: New Year's resolutions don't start until next year!

Love,

Mike and Whitney Gravel

P.S. I hope you will pass along this email with my holiday wishes to all your friends and family.

Dear friend,

As 2007 winds to an end I'd like to take a moment to extend my appreciation and admiration to all of you who worked so hard to make the Mike Gravel for President campaign what it is today. We knew from the very beginning that this campaign would not make it through the year without your help. Nobody in Washington, D.C. gave us a fighting chance against the powerful political/corporate machines that we are up against. They thought that "politics as usual" would dominate. They thought we would have capitulated long ago. They thought that there was no room in this race for a candidate who dared to speak "truth to power."

They thought wrong.

With your help, we have exceeded everyone's expectations and have fought our way to the first primary of the election season.

Some special thanks are in order.

Thank you all for getting us into the June 3 CNN debate after they decided that we were not invited. You showed the world that a determined group of people will not let the corporate media tell us who our candidate will be.

Thank you for doing the same thing in August with the Human Rights Campaign debate.

Thank you for the hundreds of emails and phone calls of support that we receive each day that keep us going and for never letting us forget that you are standing with us.

And finally, thank you for the donations that have kept us going this year.

However, our work is not yet done. We are determined not to limp across that finish line. Let us end on a high note. Call your friends and remind them to turn out in their primaries and caucuses to vote for Mike Gravel.

Please make your most generous donation today -- no matter how small.

Wear your Gravel for President tee shirt with pride.

Have a safe holiday season, and keep fighting the good fight!

Sincerely,
Alex Colvin
Press Secretary
Mike Gravel for President 2008