My colleagues know me for what I do. While I support the war in Afghanistan, I refused to give the Bush administration a blank check for the Iraq war. And though I believe that our government must listen in on suspected terrorist phone calls, anytime and anywhere, without a warrant, I refused to support legislation that would allow the Bush administration to also spy on innocent Americans, because that would violate our constitutional rights.

The people of New Hampshire know who I am – they know they have a friend and advocate in Washington who knows their concerns, understands their needs, and works to solve their problems. They know that I stand up for what is right.

Sometimes, protecting New Hampshire residents is easy. Enacting the 9/11 Commission recommendations, increasing the minimum wage, reducing the cost of prescription drugs, cutting student loan rates, increasing fuel economy standards (for the first time in over 30 years), improving benefits for soldiers and veterans, and banning toxic products from China were easy votes. They were votes that my opponent should have cast but did not.'

Sometimes, standing up for rest of us is more difficult. It was not easy to vote the first time against the $700 billion Wall Street bailout. It was even harder to vote no the second time after they added another $150 billion in "sweeteners." Pushing congressional leadership and the Bush administration to double funding for low-income heating assistance was no easy task. It took two years of hard work and negotiations to secure $30 million for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard facilities, but this money gives the shipyard a bright future.

I am proud of my work as a member of the Armed Services Committee. The 110th Congress realized our combat troops did not have the body armor and the armored vehicles they needed in the field, and our committee fixed that problem. We also passed the largest increase ever in the Veterans Administration budget and a new GI Bill of Rights for the 21st century, which will allow combat veterans to go to college and receive a stipend. I have written legislation and led the fight in Congress to ensure that our veterans here in New Hampshire have access to the full-service medical care they need and deserve.

I am also proud of the work I have done on the Education and Labor Committee. I served as a conferee on the Head Start Reauthorization Bill, which will help New Hampshire children and their teachers. I have worked to make college more affordable, and my amendment to increase Pell Grant funding was included in the College Cost Reduction Act. I cosponsored the bill to reduce the interest rates on student loans.

We simplified the process for low-income families to apply for student aid. After an Exeter family pointed out a problem that families with disabled adult dependents have when applying for financial aid for other family members, I was able to change the law. I fought against No Child Left Behind on this committee, and I have also fought to protect workers' rights and safety in their workplace.

I am grateful that my hard work led to the following endorsements: the Veterans of Foreign Wars Political Action Committee, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Education Association, the Service Employees International Union, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Metal Trades Council, the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters, and many other organizations. I also received an A+ report card from TheMiddleClass.org and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Because of my work to prevent Medicare cuts and my other efforts for seniors, I received a 100 percent rating from the Alliance for Retired Americans.

We have made a lot of progress over the past two years. There is still a lot of work to do. New Hampshire can't afford to go backward. Please vote for me on Nov. 4 so that I can continue to work for the rest of us. Thank you.