Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry is running for re-election in 2008 and today he has sent out a fundraising appeal to supporters– except it’s not for himself. It’s for Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Mark Udall of Colorado, Tom Allen of Maine, and Jeff Merkely of Oregon.

“…You're already feeling the impact of the good things these Republicans have stopped us from doing — on Iraq, on global climate change, on energy policy, and on children's health care,” Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, writes.

“You don't need another laundry list — you just need a roadmap to changing the Senate. And that starts by changing more Senators. Repeat what you did in 2006. Grow that majority.

“It's that simple, and it's that challenging — we need to make 2008 the year we break the back of the Bush Republican Party, and give the next Democratic President in 2009 a Senate that will be an ally for change.”