Check this out. Here's a letter that was sent to somebody that I know (to put it kindly) who does not care one bit for Rosie O'Donnell's politics, and doesn't live in Michigan :

Dear Friend,

As a mother of three small children, I've taken on many new and exciting challenges:

        I've played "whirrr ... open wide for the spinach 'copter" exactly
        9368 times.

        I've mastered the detection of a dirty diaper at distances greater
        than twenty feet from the offender.

        And I am perfectly, happily able to read "Goodnight Moon" backwards,
        upside-down and in succesion (the mommy equivalent of auto-rewind).

But nothing is more challenging, and no responsibility greater, than preparing my children for the world that awaits them beyond potty training and first grade.

It is a responsibility I take very seriously, and the principle reason I've committed myself to the fight for a safer and brighter future for all our children.

1,915 died in motor-vehicle accidents

  489 died after getting hit by cars or trucks

  805 drowned, and 

  738 were killed by fire or burns.

One woman who shares my commitment to our children is running for the U.S. Senate this year in Michigan. Her name is Debbie Stabenow, and her race for the Senate is the one pollsters and pundits are calling the "tightest in the nation."

If successful, Debbie Stabenow will defeat a Republican incumbent who has towed-the-line for the Republican-led Congress, voting every day he's been there with Trent Lott, and worse, Jesse Helms.

But her opponent, Spencer Abraham, is one of the best-funded Republican incumbents up for re-election this year, and Debbie needs our help and generosity to win this hotly competitive battle.

I'm supporting Debbie Stabenow, because she's willing to stand up and fight for a strong and principled position on child safety - including closing loopholes in the law that put guns in the hands of juveniles and improving the enforcement of existing laws.

1,915 died in motor-vehicle accidents
  489 died after getting hit by cars or trucks
  805 drowned, and 
  738 were killed by fire or burns.
  1.3 MILLION WERE ABORTED

   42 were killed in accidental shootings


There were 138 fatal firearm accidents among children in 1996;
that's 2% of all fatal accidents among children. Other accident
types accounted for a MUCH greater share of fatalities among
children, including:


   motor vehicle : 47%
   drowning : 15%
   fires : 12%
   choking : 3.3%

Ours is the only nation where access to firearms is virtually unrestricted, and we pay the price with a rate of firearm death of children nearly twelve times higher than the other 25 industrialized nations combined.

Debbie Stabenow will fight to eliminate the loophole that allows adults to purchase guns at gun shows and over the Internet without having to pass a routine background check, and she supports legislation that requires the sale of child-safety locks with all new handguns.

The truth is, when it comes to the safety and security of our children, Debbie Stabenow is in a league of her own. Her commitment dates back to her 16 years in the Michigan legislature ... and continues today in the U.S. Congress.

As a Michigan State legislator:

Debbie led the effort to reform Michigan's outdated child support and visitation laws. Those reforms literally changed the lives of countless single parent families, saved taxpayers millions in welfare costs ... and made Michigan the national leader in child support enforcement.

Debbie championed important laws for children and families that set a new national standard, including the first Children's Trust Fund for the prevention of child abuse ... the Family Support Subsidy Act to help families provide home care for their severely disabled children ... and the "Stabenow" foster care reforms, which helped give thousands of children permanent homes.

As a member of Congress, she's continued to work on issues that enhance the lives of children:

Debbie forged coalitions to help put computers in Michigan's public schools, to ensure that students would have equal access to high tech learning and the Internet.

She sponsored the Children's Environmental Protection and Right-to-Know Act, which requires polluters to disclosea how the chemicals they produce and use can impact children's health.

And she sponsored a new law to strengthen food safety efforts to protect kids from dangerous e-coli and other icky bacteria.

Now, Debbie needs our help to defeat Spencer Abraham, a Republican who has voted against the best interests of our children over and over again.

The truth is, I trust Debbie Stabenow with the future safety and security of our children, and I think she'd make a terrific U.S. Senator.

But Debbie Stabenow has a distinct disadvantage in this race - the ability of her opponent to raise unlimited amounts of money from Republican special interest groups. He's even gotten support from the very gun manufacturers and chemical companies who have fought the efforts to make their products safer for kids.

And, Spencer Abraham has the backing of both the Christian Coalition and the National Rifle Association.

You and I have a great opportunity to elect a real children's advocate to the U.S. Senate. But in order to win this race, Debbie must have funds to communicate her message to voters.

So please join me in supporting Debbie Stabenow's important bid for the Senate by making a contribution of $25, $50 or whatever you can afford to her campaign today. Help make a difference for our kids.

Sincerely,

Rosie O'Donnell

If this web page saves just one child, the effort will have been worth it ...