Quite simply, as Al Franken has said, I need your support, and that means your money. I want to go to Washington, D.C. again next week for a rally to help finish the fight for health care reform. I'm broke and can't afford it. The total cost is $75. I need and want not a penny more.

That's the thumbnail sketch. The fuller story is that this march will end at the Capitol for a rally expected to reach over 1,000 people. outside Blair House as President Obama meets with Republican leaders in a televised meeting about health care reform. And though my group from St. Louis will only march the last mile there, we will be joining many more who are marching all the way from Philadelphia in honor of Melanie Shouse, the courageous St. Louis activist who died Jan. 30. They're calling it the March to the Finish Line for Melanie.

I would not ask this of the TPM community if I did not already know your hearts. WaitWut? has been elected to provide audit of my PayPal account for TPMers. My PayPal account is cb_powers (AT) att (DOT) net. (see confusion in comments thread) The St. Louis group leaves very early Tuesday next week, so need the donations quick.

If you want to know a lot of things at once, like why I want to be there so much; what health care reform is all about; and who Melanie Shouse was, then watch this video. It's long and was produced by FOX2 News in St. Louis. Surprising, I know. But a great report nonetheless, even if they did misspell her last name.

Please help if you can. Even if that means sending me best wishes.

*TEARJERKER ALERT*

Life, Legacy of Melanie Shouse