Our in-house style guide says to never use all caps, but sometimes Rufus does his own thing. Check out this email he just sent to supporters:

There are two ways to look at it: This is yet another email from the campaign in your inbox. Or this email is making our organization stronger.

Grassroots support, especially online, is how we compete with our opponents. And we won't win without it.

If you've got a few bucks to spare, mind chipping in before midnight?

THANK YOU.

Rufus

Rufus Gifford
National Finance Director

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I've been getting a ton of questions about the George Clooney contest—what are the odds? Will you pick my mom? Can staff win? (For the last time, the answer’s no.)

Honestly, I really don’t care who wins unless you're talking about Election Day.

But if you’re counting the hours to when the winners are picked, I won’t judge—and congrats if you’re one of them. What I’m counting is how many people step up between now and our midnight FEC deadline. These next few hours are a major test of our organization.

Will you donate $3 or whatever you can to support President Obama before midnight tonight?

The way I see it, this contest is really about more people owning a piece of this campaign. (And, yes, any donation you make today also happens to automatically enter you for a chance to meet President Obama and George Clooney on May 10th in L.A.)

Just a few hours left—thanks for stepping up.

Donate

A new Truth Team video takes a look at Mitt Romney's extreme positions on women's health and economic security—from refusing to take a stance on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to saying he would cut funding for family planning services and overturn Roe v. Wade. Watch the video, then pass it on to help spread the word about what's at stake for women in this election.

Attention all aspiring artists and designers who support President Obama: Polish off your entry for the Runway to Win design challenge before it’s too late. The deadline is tomorrow and finalists will be named soon after that.

Submissions are still rolling in—Erika from California designed this oversized-fit shirt inspired by themes of 2008 that still hold true today:

“When I designed this shirt, my aim was to capture the spirit of the campaign.

“I support Obama's re-election because I truly believe he wants to change this country for the better and then use our influence to help change the world for the better. He has had many notable accomplishments on the past years and I believe there will be many more in the future.”

Find your inspiration and get started on a winning design now—just be sure to submit your entry by tomorrow.

Submit your design

President Obama is headed for Ohio and Virginia this Saturday for the first big rallies of this campaign. Folks in both states are making calls and going door to door to let neighbors know about the upcoming events—and as a reward for their hard work, volunteers will get to sit right up front at the rallies.

See who came out this weekend, and if you live in Ohio or Virginia, sign up to volunteer and get your ticket.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, health insurance rebates are on the way for millions of Americans. According to PBS NewsHour:

Millions of consumers and small businesses will receive an estimated $1.3 billion in rebates from their health plans this summer under a provision of the health care law that effectively limits what insurers can charge for administration and profits, a new study projects.

About one third of people who bought their own insurance last year will get rebates averaging $127, according to an analysis of state data by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

… The requirement, aimed at holding insurers more accountable and slowing premium increases, went into effect last year and applies to all health plans, except those offered by self-insured employers.

Read the full article here.

“The first time I actually got to vote was in 2008—for Barack Obama, of course. It was empowering and I was hooked, and from that experience I knew that I wanted other people getting involved too.

“Growing up, my parents were always politically active. My dad would bring me into the voting booth with him as a child and I loved it.

“Recently, we helped more than 40 high school students get registered to vote at a single event. Young Americans should be a huge voting block and I think when we share the President's message with them it really resonates because they know what happens in November will have a huge impact on their future.”

—Camille, Florida

President Obama sent a note to supporters this morning, as he gears up for the first big rallies of this campaign:

In a few days, I'll be hitting the trail for my last campaign.

Everything we've accomplished in the past three years—and our chance to do so much more—is on the line.

What we do today will be a measure of whether or not we're ready to fight for it.

Donate $3 or whatever you can before tonight's fundraising deadline.

By pitching in before midnight, you'll automatically be in the running to join me and George Clooney at his place on May 10th.

It's not often I can get away from work, so I look forward to spending a fun evening in L.A. with a couple supporters like you.

In the meantime, let's close out this deadline strong.

Thanks,

Barack

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I am in the final weeks of earning my MBA from the University of Montana. When I went back to school two years ago, I had $30,000 in student loans. At the time, my employer was reimbursing me for my tuition in graduate school—however, another job opportunity came up and I could not pass it up. My new position is with a nonprofit organization and therefore the option of tuition reimbursement is not available (understandably). In order to fund my graduate school tuition, I had to take out an additional $20,000 in student loans.

I am a single mom to a 6-year-old son, and as you probably gathered from the paragraph above, I love my new job. Over the past few months, I was beginning to dread finishing school because I had absolutely no idea how I was going to repay my loans at over $500 a month. These payments would have made things so absolutely tight for us that I didn't know how we were going to live from month to month. I checked into a few things and found out that President Obama had signed an executive order addressing the repayment of student loans. Because of this action, it looks as if my payments are only going to be $175 a month. The substantial savings will make it possible for me to buy a house and for us to live like a normal, middle-class American family!

I cannot stress how much this means to me—and, I know, to the many other young Americans who have been impacted as well. This is such a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, and I owe it all to President Obama. The fact that he understands and cares enough to take action is so absolutely commendable that I cannot express it in words.

I just wanted this story to be told, and I hope the difference the President has made in my life and the lives of so many others has a positive impact on his re-election campaign. I can tell you right now that there has never been any doubt as to who I will be voting for in November: Obama-Biden 2012 all the way!

Thank you for your time.

Best regards,

Tiffany, Montana